Hold On, God is in Control!

A life in Christ doesn't equal a life without trials... We all have difficult moments that we go through as Christians in our homes, our family lives, our marriages, our jobs, our health.. Some of these situations weigh on us so heavily that sometimes we feel lost, like we are in a place where we can see the darkness and we are running around looking for an escape. Sometimes, its as though everything is turned upside down and we are trying to hold on to the ounce of hope we have left just to make it through another moment. Sometimes, even death seems better...
But, God shows us a wonderful lesson in the book of Job - Never give up on God! In the story of Job, we meet a man who faced numerous trials, persecutions, circumstances and situations, but he just held on to God. It didn't matter that he lost his possessions, his friends or his family - He still had God. His wife was among the people who told him to curse God and die instead of living a life that to the people looking on, appeared so defeated. But, Job was not a man who was living in the flesh. He had developed a relationship with God that he held in high esteem. This relationship allowed him to know in the Spirit that all that was taking place had a great purpose and one of victory!
It is obvious that Job saw thick darkness surrounding him that may have drained his hope. But, he never gave up. He continuously spoke words over his life declaring the Word of God which breathed life into his situation. As it progressively grew worse, somehow Job knew that God was in control and he embraced it all. In the end, Job was rewarded double for his trouble becoming one of the wealthiest men of his time.
So, what does it teach us? Things may get so bad, we may loose everything and everyone who ever mattered to us, but in God, we have hope. God does not leave us or forsake us. He is our present help in times of trouble. He sees our difficulties, and catches the tears we cry. He is a mighty and awesome God who is able to deliver us out of all our afflictions. We ought not to faint...but strengthen ourselves in Him, who gives us life and gives it more abundantly. There is no one like Jesus. Cry out from the depths of your heart. With the simplicity of a child, speak to Him. Believe He is right there when you go in prayer and know He is hearing you. Believe that His way is the best way and know that all things work for good to those who love God.
Be Blessed - and, relax, God is in control!

Accept Godly Correction

It's been quite a couple of weeks, and things have been difficult. I found myself in a place where lack of knowledge led me down a strange path, and all I could see was darkness for a while. Somehow, I had received counsel from people who were carrying contrary spirits, even though I didn't want to. Everything within me wanted to dispute what I had heard, and I wanted to rebuke the words. But, to my ultimate dismay, I found myself wallowing in the doubt that the advice brought me. Hours went by and I was literally tortured in my mind. When I acted on the evil, I recognized how much in the flesh I had drifted. I was disappointed and down right disgusted with myself. The only thing I could do at a time like that, was to bring myself at the feet of Jesus, where His mercy and forgiveness was bountiful.
The scripture says in 1 Corinthians 11: 32 (AMP), But when we (fall short and) are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined and chastened, so that we may not (finally) be condemned (to eternal punishment along) with the world.
This is so comforting. There are so many moments in a day that we fall short of God's glory upon our lives. Because God is a loving Father to us, He doesn't condemn us to Hell for our failings, but we are disciplined. Think back to when you were a kid... there were many times you did things you were not supposed to do, and you were corrected by your parents/guardians so that you could learn and hopefully never repeat your offense again. In the same way, God disciplines us for our own betterment. He seeks to correct our evil ways so that we can become better individuals, friends, men, women, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, etc.. He seeks to put us on the path of righteousness so that we will continually be on the journey that leads to Heaven where we can enjoy eternity with Him.
God knows that the world is heading to their ultimate destruction if they do not repent. He knows what Hell is like, since He created it for Satan and his demons. He doesn't intend for us to go there. Therefore, let us not take offense when we are scolded and rebuked, disciplined and chastened by God through the leadership of the church but let us arise and recognize that the correction comes from God Himself, since He doesn't want us to end up in Hell for our short comings...
People, God is a loving God and all He does is love us every moment of every day. He knows when we fall - His eyes are fixed upon us - and, like Pastor Joyce Meyer says, when we fall, we have to keep our eyes focused on Him so that we can get up again!
Let us go to God continually with repentance in our hearts for all our shortcomings daily, receive our correction wholeheartedly, apply the Word of God to our lives and watch the Glory of God rest upon our lives....
Jesus loves you all and desires to dwell in Heaven with you forever...

Act of Worship - Women

9Also [I desire] that women should adorn themselves modestly and appropriately and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with [elaborate] hair arrangement or gold or pearls or expensive clothing,

10 But by doing good deeds (deeds in themselves good and for the good and advantage of those contacted by them), as befits women who profess reverential fear for and devotion to God.

1 Timothy 2:9-10

Women of God, here we see what God wants of us as we seek to please Him in our daily lives. We are separated from the world, and chosen to live a new life of Holiness before the Lord. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that we should show forth the glory of Him who called us (1 Peter 2:9 ). We are therefore representing our King, our Heavenly Father to the rest of the world. We cannot be conformed to the things of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, (Romans 12:2), daily. In doing so, the things in us that resembled the world will begin to fade - our carnal speech, behavior, walk, dress, traditions, etc. 

God is calling us women here to not place too much emphasis on outward adornment and beautification, but to spend ample time ensuring that our spirit is contrite and peaceful before him. Esther is the perfect example of a Godly woman. In the book of Esther, it is written that when the time came for Esther to approach her husband, King Xerxes, she didn't place great emphasis on how she looked in the mirror. Instead, she went before the Lord in prayer and fasting for days. As she entered into the king's presence, he looked at her and said immediately, that anything she wanted, he would grant. 

While Esther spent time with God, her spirit was made peaceful in the midst of turmoil. She didn't go to the king to quarrel about why he was about to have the Jews killed. She didn't go with vengeance in her heart, or go to her girlfriends to bash her husband for his decision. She went to God. He listened. She gave Him her all, pouring out her heart to Him. He reached out to her need. As she stepped out in the King's quarters, he was awed by her beauty, radiating from within her - her gentleness made her appear much more than pearls, diamonds, and rubies.

This, ladies, is what God wants form us. He doesn't want us to be heard and not seen - too many times we find ourselves fighting our husbands to be heard. God is our voice and if we listen, we will have the right words to say at the right time...

Let us rise up and do God's bidding. After all, we are here to please God and not men...

Waiting with Open Arms

We are familiar with the story of the prodigal son. Luke 15:11-32 tells the story of how a young man asked his father for his inheritance and once it was granted to him he went into the world, leaving his father and family behind. In his time away, friends came and left and when his money and riches were all gone, he found himself living with pigs...This caused him to reflect on all he had left behind and caused him to long for it again. It was then that the young man decided to return home.
His father saw him coming and dropped everything to greet his long lost son. His brother was enraged at how easily he was welcomed back and even more so of all the festivities that took place on his behalf.
For a long time I wondered why the brother was made out to be the wrong one. I put myself in his position and thought that if I had been the one who stayed with the family, labored and toiled with them through good times and bad, through sickness and health, death and life, then why was he the wrong one when he had been nothing but obedient?
But, God in all His might and wisdom teaches us what He wants us to learn from the parables and stories in His Word.
The story appears to be centered on the prodigal son and to some extent his brother. But, the father is the major character. The story is really about God's amazing love and forgiveness towards us. He uses the example of an earthly father who welcomes his disobedient, lost son home after the world had eat him up and spat him out. He was loving enough to grant him his inheritance when he asked, much like how God blesses us when He grants us our needs and desires. The earthly father when he saw his son coming saw his countenance as one that is lost, guilty, outcast and lowly even though he came from a rich home and wealthy family. When we leave the Kingdom of God, we take the blessings He has already given to us, for instance, our cars, houses, monetary lump sums, that we think will last forever, and walk away thinking that these are all the things we need to live a successful and victorious life. But, the prodigal son saw that he had friends only when he had riches and was willing to spend on them. But when he didn't have any more, he also had no one to lean on. The world is harsh. Satan dangles pleasures before our eyes enticing us to walk away from Jesus. Those who choose that road, often find that these pleasures are temporary and that the wages of sin is death. We may not physically die right away, but spiritually we are buried 6ft under! But like the earthly father in this story whose arms and heart genuinely welcomed his son again, so to God is waiting for us with arms open wide. He washes us from the filth that covered us, removes the rags we wear and clothes us, takes us out of the pig pen and places us in mansions, and takes us from bankruptcy to riches in glory!
God does not turn away from us because we walked away. He opens his heart and lets us in again because we have been wounded and distressed and need to find rest and peace.
The brother of the prodigal son couldn't see things like this. He was jealous and focused on the natural things where he missed the spiritual breakthrough taking place in his family. His father's prayers for his lost son's return had been answered. His son's salvation was now sure in Christ. He was a shepherd who could not rest easy until all his sheep were safe in the flock again.
Jesus is the ultimate shepherd, and we are His sheep. His arms are open wide before us, waiting for us to return to Him. Let us run into his presence with brokenness for who He is...

When I don't have Words to speak....

Father, can you unlock the door to Your throne room and let me enter in? 

Will You allow me to sit at your feet and lay my head upon Your lap? 

Will You stroke my hair and wipe the tears as they stream down my cheek? 

Will You expand my comfort zone by breaking the barriers I have constructed around myself? 

I have no words in the moment, and my spirit is melancholy. 

My pain drips from every pore of my being, yet Your glory comforts me. 

With unspoken communication, You understand everything I am trying to say 

And with the warmth and gentleness of Your smile I know I am going to be alright. 

Where men have failed Lord, You continue to stand strong..

Who or What is your number 1 priority?

It is easy for us to get caught up with the things of this life, our children, our jobs, our spouses, relationships, dreams, hopes, music and so many others. We have even become slaves to religious practices that teach us to worship everything except God Himself. We have fallen face down to habits and hobbies that we spend most of our time on. When we take time to analyze everything, we spend hours thinking about the person who is stressing us out, or the person who is abusing us in any way. We focus all our efforts on the problem and neglect God. The child or relative on drugs or alcohol, the financial difficulty or lack, job instabilities, sicknesses, the internet, music, movies and more...all these things are taking first priority in our lives. We meditate upon it, night and day while fainting in our faith. The more we sing songs in our minds and hearts that lift up people, emotions and things, we do nothing to build closeness in our relationship with God.
God is calling us now to get back to that place with Him. The scriptures show us that NONE of these things that constantly take up all of our time IS ABOVE GOD - no husband, wife, child, job, amount of money, song, person, hobby etc, is higher than God. He created all of it. None of these things should be our number one priority when we know God should be. Hebrews 1: 3 tells us that God formed the world - it wasn't formed by the things we see in it. Psa 33:6 tells us by the Word were all things made. John 1:1 tells us that the Word was and is God. John 1:3 shows us that absolutely nothing was made without Him. Gen 1:16 tells us that He created the sun and moon, while vs. 21 - 25 explains that the animals of the land, sea and air as well as plants were created by Him. Furthermore, Gen 1:26 shows us how God created us - mankind. We do not have to worship each other or the things that we see in our world, because God is clearly the maker of it all. Why would we worship creation itself when the one who created all of it has His hands open before us, waiting for sweet fellowship with us? Let us examine ourselves and come back to that place with God. Let us search within us and see the things we have placed above all else in our lives. Let us be honest and ask God to help us to make Him our number one priority....

Facing the Giants

The story of David and Goliath is outlined in 1Samuel 17. It tells of an adolescent David challenging the feared giant of the Philistine army, Goliath. To the story reader, it appears that with just a sling shot and a stone David was able to annihilate his enemy. But, when applied to life as we know it today, this story metaphorically symbolizes the giants we face everyday. On a daily basis we deal with strongholds such as pride and lusts and situations that overwhelm us like financial difficulties, marital stress, demands on the job, family instability and or dysfunction, different types of abuse, alcohol and drug misuse and so many other things. But we can always draw from the Word of God which is expertly designed to bring us comfort in this time. Relating to the story, King Saul was so impressed when David decided to go up against the giant because he was confident that his God was with him, that the king took off his battle gear and put it on David as he sent him on the field. But, the king was fearful for this young teenage boy, like we are when we face the giants of life. Fearless David on the other hand went forth in boldness knowing that anyone fighting against the people of God was heading for defeat. So, David threw off the battle clothes that was weighing him down and leaned on the armor of God that he was already clothed in and slew his enemy. Therefore, if we follow pattern, we will stand up to our giants, not letting them intimidate us as we declare our victory over them. We too, like David, have to become fearless and bold against them in the Spirit. A man of war only wins battles by using strategies that the enemies do not expect. Goliath did not expect any Israelite to stand up against him, just like the devil does not expect us to stand up in our darkest moments and declare our victory. Like Goliath, the devil has no defenses prepared for us because he thinks he will automatically win.
David's secret to his victory was that he was allowing God to prepare him while he was building a relationship with our Father, daily. Every time he attended to the sheep I believe he was not alone, but was enjoying the sweet fellowship of Christ. Daily, he was able to see God in the things he did. He fought against lions and bears who tried to take away his sheep, not knowing that God was preparing him for the battle with Goliath. When the time came, David had no doubt that the same God who stood with him to protect his sheep was indeed with him in that very moment.
So, in this season of our lives when we are called to face giants, let us clothe ourselves with Spiritual armor, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, your feet shod with the gospel of peace, your shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God! We cannot fight against the enemy with physical armor. These just weigh us down. Let us prepare ourselves with the armor designed to win in the fight against the evil ones. When we come in the name of the Lord, no enemy, no job, no person, no financial lack, no habit, no sickness or disease, no enemy, nothing can stand before us and have success.
Success is for us...let us arise and claim it in the name of Jesus!