Fight Afraid!

Ever feel afraid? Of course you do! I know I do!... God told Joshua in the Old Testament to lead the children of Israel into their promise land, sounds easy enough- right? The thing was, their promise land was occupied by GIANTS!! They had to go and fight their way in! There may be things in your life that God has promised you...
~ your health
~ your children's salvation
~ restored marriage
~ a mend in a relationship
But not all things come by sitting back and doing nothing, sometimes we have to "fight" and most of the time we can be afraid... but fear should never stop us from the battle- it should propel right right into it! Be bold and courageous in spite of how you feel, take action and stand up for your promise! God is with you, you've already won!!!

Joshua 1:7 Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

When the Common Becomes Mighty...

I am just an ordinary person that does everyday, ordinary things. I'm just like you. We may all look different, act different, sound different but at our core, we are people who all are cut from same fabric.
Its amazing to me to read different scripture that teaches that God wants to use us and that God has plans for us because after all we're just human. A MIGHTY GOD, creator of the universe, Ruler of All, Lord of Life... wants to use us.... How?
It all makes sense when you realize that the common things and people become mighty when God anoints them! God simply wants to use what He has placed in our hands... we just have to be willing to be used and let Him touch through us. Listen to what Jesus said here in the book of Acts...

Acts 4:30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

Rate it!

On a scale on 1 to 10 with 10 being the greatest... How much do you value the presence of God in your life? Is He VERY important on Sunday's when you are in church and others have set an atmosphere where you can feel Him and you fall in love with Him...
Is He presence important to you on Monday morning because you know that you are going to need His strength for the new week...
Do you really need Him when trouble hits...
Jesus told His disciples that we they (us too) should love Him with their WHOLE hearts! We should give His presence a "10" on the value scale everyday... the good and the bad days...
Why? Because He is THAT good, in His presence is everything that we need, everything that we've ever desired and so much more, perfect peace and contentment and the answers that some spend their entire lives looking for!
Take a few minutes today, steal away some time and just sit and think about Him - and nothing else. Reflect on how good He has been, how much you love Him, why you love Him... you'll be amazed at how your day will change!

Mark 12:30-31 Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these."

Freedom in Repentance

The Psalmist David had so much to repent of, I could list his sins but then again others could probably list mine too... It is only when we truly and sincerely repent that we find forgiveness and with that forgiveness, the burden of our sin is lifted! Little by little sin can attach itself to our lives and after a while we get used to the weight of it... when Jesus steps in and lifts that off, we then feel FREE from the burden of guilt and sin~ and joy can come back into our lives. THAT is His perfect will for us.
Would you join with me right now and ask God to remove any sin in our lives known or unknown... so that we can be in right standing with Him and be free from the weight of sin that holds us captive?

Psalm 51:7-8 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice.

Make it Easy...

Do you find that people stress you out? Maybe you stress people out?? Maybe if we all just become more adaptable to our surroundings rather than demanding... the stress would lighten? When we all realize that God is the only one who can "set the bar" for our lives and even He knows that we are going to mess up... we can begin to not only walk in grace and mercy but also extend it towards others.
Let's all just make it easy for others to be around us...
Don't put pressure on people to be who you want them to be...
Quit expecting things that you would be rather frustrated if someone expected them of you!
And.... just smile!!!

2 Cor. 13:11 Be cheerful. Keep things in good repair. Keep your spirits up. Think in harmony. Be agreeable. Do all that, and the God of love and peace will be with you for sure. Greet one another with a holy embrace.

Don't Run out of Strength...

Maybe you woke up today and you feel like you are carrying alot? Maybe you are walking through a season in your life where you have felt that way...let me encourage you... you are NOT alone! You must make the choice to LET yourself be encouraged. You can choose to listen to what the Word says and draw strength from it or you can choose to keep walking and suffering alone. If you choose the second, it is such and unnecessary choice. He has promised to give you impenetrable strength & peace!
Don't give up or give in... crawl up into your Father's arms and rest in Him and His ability to handle ALL the needs in your life!

Psalm 29:11 The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

Talk it Up!!

You know, the disciples were with Jesus everyday, they saw firsthand what He did and could do. They watched Him heal hundreds of people, feed thousands more, fought crowds off as people flocked to Him... yet they still battled with the same things we do. Doubt, fear and unbelief! Crazy isn't it?
It is SO important that we not feed each others doubt, fear or unbelief, when someone come to you with any of these or another emotion that is directly against the character of God... spin it around! We MUST talk up what Jesus HAS done, what he IS doing and what he WILL do!! When you start bragging on the Lord, all those negative dependencies cannot stay around!! Talk talk talk talk talk about HIM!!

Mark 6:52 For they failed to consider or understand [the teaching and meaning of the miracle of] the loaves; [in fact] their hearts had [a]grown callous [had become dull and had [b]lost the power of understanding].

Flawless Record

When we move aside and let Him increase in our lives and we take the backseat (decrease)... He then becomes responsible for the outcome. We don't become walking zombies who don't have the ability to choose or weirdos who loose all sense of direction- we simply filter everything through Him and through the Word. He takes center stage, we let Him shine. He takes control and His track record is flawless... we can trust Him and He will make us look better than we could ever make ourselves look! :)

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.

Do it TODAY!!

Someday, One day and Another day are not days of the week... you really can't plan specifically for them. Procrastination can be a tool of the enemy to keep us side tracked from our dreams and destinies that God has placed in our lives. If we are always putting in out in front of us, then we never have to take responsibility to take hold of it today! Ask God what you can do TODAY, live strong today with purpose and passion, walk tall with direction and direction and clarity... don't get caught the the hamster's wheel of "tomorrow"....

Heb. 4:7 Again He sets a definite day, [a new] Today, [and gives another opportunity of securing that rest] saying through David after so long a time in the words already quoted, Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts.

Everyday...

Yesterday is over, today is a clean slate, a fresh day, a new opportunity. You may have blown it, messed up royally or made some rotten decisions...today's a new day! His mercy starts over! GREAT is His faithfulness! We can't understand that, we have a hard time forgiving others and forgetting things- He doesn't! We can come to the cross each day with a sincere and honest heart and say "Jesus, I give you my life today, forgive me of my sins, wash me, make me new, cleanse my life and help me to live for you today!"... And HE DOES!! Aren't you so thankful!!

Lam. 3:22-23 It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.

Things We Try and Tuck Away...

There are those things we all have in our lives that we would like to try and tuck away and hide from others. Maybe they are past failures, bad decisions, secret sins, addictions or any number of things. The amazing thing about Jesus is... He wants our WHOLE heart...all those things, the good and the bad. WE can't give Him just the good and hide the bad from Him like we do from people, it just doesn't work that way. He already knows... yet He loves regardless and wants to mend and restore! Love Him with your WHOLE heart- don't try and tuck things away... because you really can't anyway!

Isaiah 29:13 And so the Lord says,“These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."

Love Covers... not Exposes...

None of us are perfect. We may try to come off that way, look that way, act that way, raise our children to act that way, or attempt to do everything right...but it's ALL attempts. We are all humans and we all makes mistakes! Bitterness will sneak into our relationships when we start bringing attention to others mistakes. Rather than pointing things out in people, let's work hard to hold each other up, to make up the difference, to be the strength in someone's weakness, to hold the tired hand or go the extra mile for your tired or stressed spouse. Love covers up... every time! :)

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Get Over Yourself!

The very heart of the gospel and the heart of love is us getting over ourselves! The bible calls it "dying to self". If if don't then we will be more apt to look to others to benefit us or to take from them. We were called to give, called to serve, called to love. There is no greater joy... when we give not looking to get and serve not expecting to be served, something supernatural takes place, an exchange happens... one that brings so much satisfaction, so much peace and total fulfillment! Try it!!

Matthew 23:11-12 The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

With you...Wherever

God will go to the highest high or the lowest low to be with you! You are NEVER alone!! He surrounds you with His love and protection...

Isaiah 43:1-2 Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end.

Look again!

Sometimes gaining a different perspective or even the slightest bit of perspective will change everything! Nothing is EVER as bad as it seems! We can know this because we serve a MIGHTY God in whom we can trust and who is well able to meet every need in our lives! He is our hope - not things, not jobs, and especially not people! He will not fail you! Get your eyes off of your surroundings and look up!!

Psalm 39:7 And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? My hope and expectation are in You.

Be Strong in HIM!

Satan never moves against our strengths, he only attacks our weaknesses. Why?... Because THAT's where we are weak! If you are prone to depression or fear, that is where he will come and plants thoughts of doubt and worry. Ephesians tells us to be strong IN the LORD. We do not have to fight in our own strength but in His! His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses!!

Eph. 6:10 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]

We were created to have nothing to do with us!

According to Ephesians, we are God's handiwork, His creation. He design, fashioned and constructed each person, personality and distinct differences. It's only when we take our focus off being our creator's masterpiece and think of ourselves through our own eyes that we start seeing things wrapped. We then then begin to compare, feel insecure, we don't feel good enough... all of which God never intended.
We should all make a daily practice of saying " Lord, today I give myself back to you, take my life, use me the way you designed me, I'm ready for whatever you desire!"

Eph. 2:10 For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), [a]recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

RIGHT NOW!!

Your past, your present and your future all collide at the intersection of NOW! Where you've been doesn't determine who you HAVE to be. You do not have to be defined by your past nor do you have to be defined by your current circumstances. As much as some may want, we can't change our past but we can allow God to take hold of our future! The plans and purposes that He has for our lives are WAY BIGGER than you or I could ever dream of! We must first give Him the rest of our lives, follow His leading, be open to His voice and be obedient to what He is saying...then buckle your seat belt and hang on!!!!

Eph. 3:20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]--

Whatcha Lookin' Like?

John the Baptist didn't care AT ALL what he looked like, his main goal and focus was spreading the word about the coming Messiah, preparing the way for Jesus.
While God does not expect us to walk around looking like outcasts and scaring people away from us... there should be a distinct difference in our lives than in those who don't know Him. We must be careful not to get caught up in the things that seem so important to us or the value the things that have nothing to do with why we were put on the earth. I do feel however that we do not have to live a homely life to preach the gospel. Live a life that no matter what you are doing, what you are wearing or where you are... screams of His goodness and the change that He has made in your life!!

Matthew 3:4-6 John dressed in a camel-hair habit tied at the waist by a leather strap. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild field honey. People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordanian countryside to hear and see him in action. There at the Jordan River those who came to confess their sins were baptized into a changed life. (Msg)

Limited Minds vs. Limitless God

When we pray and ask God to get involved, we sometimes suggest how we feel He could best work things out, at Least I know I've done that before. Even though we were created in His image, our minds are so limited compared to His.
By simply inviting Him right into the middle of our lives, marriages, jobs, children, problems... He give Him and His LIMITLESS, creative power the ability to flow freely in every area! He is the perfect solution to everything!!

Jeremiah 33:3 Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).

Don't be a "Know-It-All"

If we aren't careful, we can become addicted to reasoning or needing to understand everything. Why, why, why, why, why???
There are so many questions that we will never know the answers for and you know what? That's ok!
Here is what we can ALWAYS know... God is in control, knows it all, is never caught off guard and we can trust Him with our lives!!

Proverbs 3:5 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.

Always Follow Your Peace

When God asks you to do something or you have to make a decision... it's ALWAYS better to have peace in your spirit rather than being able to reason it in your mind! Sometimes the "God" thing to do will not make sense but the peace that accompanies it is what we should follow and pursue.

Luke 5:5-6 Simon said, "Master, we've been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I'll let out the nets." It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.