How Do YOU Say You Are? #SpeakLife –

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof (Prov 18:21)~ If you want to know where your life is headed; what you will be like in the next few years, listen to what you’re saying now! Are you speaking frustration and failure or are you speaking faith and favor? Be mindful of the words you speak, not just of yourself but to others! When we experience these words and mindset long enough, we start to live them. If you believe you are loved and you speak accordingly, you will live as if you are. If you believe and speak as if you are an outcast; a black sheep; an undesirable, you will carry yourself accordingly. When you act this way toward others, it can cause their demeanor around you to change too. Yes, YOUR behavior, YOUR words, YOUR attitude not only impacts YOUR life, but those around you as well. How I act around you is impacted by how I perceive that you see me. Why? Because you set that in motion by your words! You called me loved and blessed… I will be that way around and toward you. You called me undesirable, unattractive, unworthy; I will be that to you! Be careful what you pronounce!! – Rejection, disrespect, disassociation, dissolution and depression, fear, drama, confusion, unrealistic expectations…this is what the devil wants. YOUR words form YOUR perception of life. Knowing that YOU have the WORDS in you to make life what you want it to be, what do you have to say?

#GodIs Enough…

“But my God shall supply your every need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

When you don’t know how you’ll make it, God is enough to get you through.

When you don’t know how the finances will come, God is enough to supply your needs.

When you don’t have the wisdom you need, God is enough to direct your paths.

When you feel hopeless, God is enough to restore your faith.

God is enough for every situation you will ever go through.

He will not abandon you when times get hard, but rather He will guide you through them, providing along the way.

You don’t need to rely on your own wisdom and abilities—God is enough!

Rely on God in every area of your life – God is enough to meet the needs for all of them.

 

Have #NoFear – God’s Got You! –

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand—Isaiah 41:10

You know when you’re in the thick of it—facing tough financial circumstances, or maybe a problem with work or a relationship, or a health issue or an addiction? You know that“I just don’t know what to do” feeling? Most of us do, maybe all of us. The thing is, we actuallydoknow what to do—we knowexactlywhat to do. It’s just hard, in those moments, to remember . . . and to trust.

But we must remember and trust ourFather God.He sees and He knows .  . . and sometimes He allows. We must not be “surprised at the fiery trial,” therefore, “as though something strange were happening” (1 Peter4:12). When He allows hardship, though, it’s always for good—even if that’s not, at first, very obvious (James 1:2-4; Hebrews 12:1-11; Romans8:28).

And we must remember and trust our King,Jesus Christ. He is truth. He teaches us what to do in any ordeal. He knows like no other. “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:17-18).

And we must remember and trust ourGod theHoly Spirit. He’s always with us, in every moment (John14:16). And he can help and strengthen us, whatever the hardship. The “Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead” exists within us, and can certainly bring new life to our circumstances too (Romans 8:11).

If you’re in the thick of it now,trustthat God has a plan;followyour King, as He knows the plan and knows the way; andaskthe Holy Spirit for help. Fear not, for He is with you and He’s GOT you!

You Can Run But You Can’t Hide – #GodIs There Too…

And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself (Gen 3:9-10)~~ In our guilt, our response to God’s gracious pursuit is fear and hiding.Why are we afraid? Because our true, naked, fallen self is exposed. So we try to hide from God’s presence “among the trees.” We hide behind the trees of denial, respectability, busy-ness, false intimacy, status, wealth, power, alcohol, drugs and more. This “forest” is full and it is not hard to find a tree to hide from God’s pursuit. Yet God calls— not because He doesn’t know where we are—but because, in fact, even in the midst of our transgressions and guilt, in that forest of ’trees’, we are in His presence and He does see us. The Lord pursues us with a gracious pursuit with a view to recovery. The heart of the unregenerate is filled with enmity against God, and God is justly offended with him. But for the repentant, for the one that comes to His call, there is reconciliation. Our offended God has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. By the inspiration of God, the Scriptures were written, which are the word of reconciliation; showing that peace has been made by the cross. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:17-19). My friend, it’s time to come out from behind the trees. God is pursuing you! No need to be afraid. God calls:”Where are you? What tree are you hiding behind and why? Come on out to me and Be ye reconciled!!”

#Praise is What We Do! –

So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.” Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated (2 Chr 20:20-22)~~ Praise is used in those battles that we experience that are not carnal, but spiritual! It is a child of God’s weapon. Used in every circumstance and as you praise Him, no matter what comes against you, you will have victory over it.

Praise is that honor that expresses your trust in Him and that thing He has already done. It has many forms and few limitations — we praise God by the extending of hands; by Singing; we praise And honor Him in kneeling and bowing in prayer; we celebrate in faithful praise what God has done prior to actually seeing it; we lift our hands in absolute surrender to His will; we Worship and praise Him with instruments; we Shout, making a joyful noise to Him; we praise in clapping and applause to Him and we dance before Him in honor!

Let no person nor rule nor etiquette nor policy nor thing nor circumstance hinder your praise! Anyone who tells you that outward praise is improper hasn’t read their Bible! Psalm 150 sums it up! Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

How do we get through? In Victory, in Faith, in Him? We PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Praise! It’s What We Do!

Put Down That Old Past and Pick Up God’s #NewThing –

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert (Isa 43:18-19)~~ 

Sometimes we spend so much time looking in the rearview mirror of our life that we miss the great things God is doing today. He is blessing us in ways greater than we could ask or think – in ways our eyes have not seen nor ears have heard – but we are so focused on what was yesterday, last week, last month or last … year; how things used to be, the way we or they were,  what happened to us, and who said or did what! We pray and pray for God to show us the way to our blessings but while He’s doing it, we’re still looking back at the situation we asked Him to take us out of. Yes, experiences do shape our disposition and our past does play an important role in our life, but we are not supposed to be so focused on it that we are not living in the present. We must learn to seriously let go AND go forward when we ask God to move us in life.

Notice – God doesn’t move the things in our life, He moves US – WE must change; WE must move forward; WE must take the different approach! God’s grace is sufficient to carry us as we MOVE forward! We will SEE the blessings He promises us when we LOOK to the place from where our help comes rather than the situation we’re currently in!  

Where is your focus? Are you constantly looking back at things you have done or things that have been done to you? We need to keep our past in the proper perspective. We are to learn from it and use it as a way to give God thanks and praise for all He has done in our lives. But, it is not to be our focus. 

God is constantly and progressively working in our lives and we need to be focused on the present so we an see where He is working in our lives and hear what His plans are for us today and for the future!  God is about to do something new. He is calling us to a new place to do a new thing! That calling requires us to put away the old things! It can be hard to leave a place where we are comfortable; where we have had good times and many friends. Funny thing is it’s also hard to leave a place where bad experiences have happened as well.  We’re better at staying mad, holding grudges and digging up the past than we are at getting past our anger, forgiving faults against us and burying the past. When we respond in obedience to His calling, we begin to see what the Lord reveals to us; the way He makes in our spiritual wilderness. It is easy to stay where we are comfortable but that is not always where God wants us to be. A history we have with a place or with people is a blessing we are to treasure in our hearts, not what we are to cling to. God wants us to cling to Him, lean into Him so He can reveal what He has for our present and our future. If we only focus on looking back, in the past and the connections with it, we never will see what God has for me today and into the future! It is not always easy and some of the lessons are tough to learn but it’s SO worth it. Think about how you are viewing your life. Are you constantly looking back at your past? Are you allowing the things in your past to hold you back from what God has for you today? When driving, we glance in our rearview mirror from time to time but we don’t keep our eyes there. That is what we need to do with our past. Glance at it, appreciate it, learn from it and then focus forward. Who knows what God has in store for you today and tomorrow!

#Choose to Rejoice – It’s The Least You Could Do! –

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it (Ps 118:24)~~ Fear mongers, proponents of negativity, and preachers of doom and gloom would have us live in a very different world. There are those that want everyone to see only the bad in the world and scare  people into a certain type of belief and mindset. They point out all of the dangers and problems and worries and would have us all afraid to even seek a peaceful life.

It’s all too easy to focus on the storms of life and worship at the altar of fear.  It’s easy to forget that storms come and go, but dreams can last forever… that peaceful life begins with our own actions and faith in rejoicing and praise!

See, Fear is a coward that flees in the face of positive action, and  it doesn’t take much action to make it happen. There’s no reason to ever allow fear to dominate your life because the smallest amount of positive action will send fear packing.

An ounce of action in faith is more powerful that a megaton of fear. So with that we should rejoice and be glad in each day; not only that such a day is given in new mercies every morning, but in the mere occasion of it. Too often we wake up complaining about the day and what may be wrong or uncomfortable or undesirable in our lives. Our days ought to be rejoicing days, first of all, because God didn’t HAVE to let us BE in it. We didn’t HAVE to be allowed our great blessings! God let our souls prosper and be in health, in that peace and righteousness which His government brings. He let us have victory over the lusts that war against our souls; and let Divine grace subdue our hearts. The duty which the Lord has made, brings light with it, true light; not the gloom and melancholy the cares of the world would have you believe. The duty this privilege calls for, is here set forth; the sacrifices we are to offer to God in gratitude for redeeming love, are ourselves; not to be slain upon the altar as our sins deserve, but living sacrifices, to be bound to the altar; spiritual sacrifices of prayer, worship and praise, in which our hearts must be engaged. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your REASONABLE service (Rom 12:1). Stop complaining.. You control the direction of your day with your attitude and it’s the least you could do!

God Answers All #Prayers ; Sometimes the Answer is “No”-

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Cor 12:8-9)~~ We love to hear that God can and will answer prayer. We’re all smiles as long as He’s saying ‘Yes’ to our requests. But sometimes God says “no” to our most heartfelt requests. This is sometimes painful and for some of us, possibly downright disheartening! As you look about yourself on things, have you discovered this to be true in your own life? So, does this mean we just give up because we think God’s just going to say ‘no’? Does this mean we just quit praying since He’s probably not even listening to us? Surely not, the devil IS a liar! Don’t EVER give up on God, even when He says ‘no’; in fact, we should pray MORE because in Him saying ‘no’, He may be growing us for a later or different ‘Yes’. Sometimes He’s just saying “No, because I love you too much”. Because God loves us, He will tell us ‘no’ to protect us…sometimes from ourselves; to keep us humble; from being exalted above measure…keeping our ’selves’ in check; and denying certain desires to be fulfilled and even allowing some spiritual burdens to be ordered to cure spiritual pride. Irregardless, The Lord of the universe isn’t under obligation to say “yes” to every prayer. That’s a good thing considering some of the things we request! God does answer every prayer; sometimes the answer is ‘No’. When He does, just say ‘Thank you Lord, I won’t complain’; take it in stride and accept what God allows. He knows for sure we are better off for it! 

The Lord #Saves Us.. Even From Ourselves-

For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom 7:19, 23-24); Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me (Ps 142:7)~ 

The knowledge of our own sin and shortcomings produces levels of guilt within us that can be so strong as to make us feel like God would rather discard us by the wayside than have us under His hand. Some of us have gone to the extremes of even imposing certain punitive acts upon ourselves whether in guilt or as our misunderstood interpretations of penance for our failings. When we sit down to think it over, the lies of the enemy will drive us to self-hatred and self-destruction as we look at ourselves as undesirable and unusable to God. 

Friend, be comforted! You are NEVER beyond the love of God (Rom 8:38-39) for the Word says there is NO condemnation to those that are in Christ (Rom 8:1). There can be NO situation so distressing or dangerous, in which faith will not get comfort from God by prayer. Rather than show our troubles too much to ourselves, dwelling on them, which does us no service; we find comfort, by showing them to God, that we might cast the cares upon Him who cares for us, and thereby ease ourselves. NEVER should we allow any complaint to ourselves or others, which we cannot make to God. When our spirits are overwhelmed by distress, and filled with discouragement; when we see snares laid for us on every side, while we walk in His way, we may reflect with comfort that the Lord knows our path. Those who in sincerity take the Lord for their God, find Him all-sufficient, as a Refuge, and as a Portion: every thing else is a plot of the enemy; a refuge of lies, and a portion of no value.

It is our duty and of our interest to beg of God to set us at liberty from our transgressions, that we may run the way of His commandments. The Lord delivers us from the powerful persecutions of sin, and yet deals bountifully with us! He raised the crucified Redeemer to the throne of glory, and made Him Head over all things in Heaven and Earth. Now we, the convinced sinner have His salvation over our cries for help, and we are brought to praise the Lord in the company of His redeemed; delivered from this evil world, from sin and death, to worship our Savior forever!

God’s GOT You – Act Like You Know! #NoFear –

Have not I COMMANDED thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest (Josh 1:9). When soldiers are in battle, they are commanded by their leader to move forward without any fear, but with boldness and steadfastness! The leader doesn’t say go forward if you’re not scared, they don’t say go forward if you’re courageous enough. When a team takes the field, their captain expects them to perform to the best of their ability, with no regard to what may happen if they don’t perform good enough. The team that does this the best and most consistently throughout the season, becomes the overall winner, or champion! This is modeled after what God expects from us when we walk in faith of Him. Be steadfast, unmovable, fearless, moving forward in His name! These are not options.. but ‘commands’! God says that we need not be afraid or worry.. because He’s with us and for us. And if God be for us, shall be against us (that we need to even be worried about)?? Sure, it’s gonna be tough sometimes, but He’s got us! We’re gonna slip up and stumble and lose control sometimes, but He’s holding us up! People will oppose you and turn against you…but HE will never leave you out to dry and in fact: The Lord said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts (Ex 33:21-23).. God will set you in a place where you will experience His greatness, be covered from His wrath and as He allows you to go forward, know that in waiting on Him you can be assured that He has gone before you. He’s got you coming and going and He commands you act like you KNOW it! You are NEVER alone; so don’t doubt what He has created in you; but stay grounded and focused… in strength and courage – go get your blessing, though come what may; trusting Him all the way! Let your faith in Him then take you!