#Praise God Anyway And Watch What Happens! ~

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. (Ps 34:1-3)~~

Why praise the Lord? We could just say “Why Not?” But seriously… what is the big thing about praise? When we bring our sacrifices of praise, thanksgiving and joy to God, we are telling Him that we wish to die to our own desires and knowledge, and we desire to love and trust Him completely. It is in the holy atmosphere of praise and worship that healing, miracles and transformation of the soul begin to manifest, and God’s glory starts cleansing and changing our carnal nature into the nature and character of Christ. We are literally praying with our heart, soul and spirit. The result is always an impartation of God’s infinite blessings, wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

When you truly understand this truth you will begin to regain and restore all that Satan has stolen from you. Demons cannot handle the praise of the children of God. Their mission is to bring all hell against you and when you praise God anyway… They are in fact confused by it… ‘how could they be praising God when all hell is being brought against them??’ The answer is because when we praise, we are expressing our faith in the knowledge that if God is for us, nothing could prevail against us! When you feel discouraged, and a spirit of confusion tries to invade your thinking, if you begin to offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving you will find that the peace of God will cover you as a shield of protection and the angel of the Lord will encamp all around you and deliver you (Ps 34:7). And when you resist with praise, the hell that’s coming at you, it will have no other recourse but to flee!

Even if all hell seems to be coming at you… Praise the Lord Anyway!

Conscientious #Stupidity Is Not A Badge Of Honor! ~

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. (Hosea‬ ‭4:6‬) ~~ To grow in knowledge, we must admit ignorance or error. For either we did not know the truth about a subject, or we held a false position on that topic. We may even have taught others wrongly, and we will have to admit we taught them an error. Only noble souls can admit ignorance or error, for many will protect their reputation at any cost. To grow in knowledge, someone must teach us. We must submit our mind and will to them. We must acknowledge their higher knowledge, increased skill or wealth of experience and wisdom. Then there are times where all of these things don’t matter because in their self-righteousness and conceit over their “stature”, he which appears to be in the ‘higher position’ negates it all as he takes a position of lower maturity by his actions while the younger person with less experience, skill or knowledge now seems to mock them as the less experienced stands in a position of higher maturity and respectability.

Now we in our high place must bring ourselves to a position of what feels like our inferiority and we may even have to be taught a lesson by someone that hasn’t gone through our experiences. This requires humility, which many people do not have. Only noble souls can willingly submit and be taught by another person. In order to love knowledge, we must love to be taught by others. To grow in knowledge, we must change. Progress requires change, but change is humbling and difficult. Change means letting others see we were lacking or perhaps wrong; change means altering long-established habits (or traditions); change means explaining our new actions to others. Only humble souls can change, for the cost of changing is too great for most people, particularly if it appears to diminish or take away their ’superiority’.

The greatest key to progress and success, in any area of our life, is our appreciation and acceptance of instruction and reproof. Jesus Christ has much to teach us to make us perfect. And it will only happen if we are ready to receive instruction, and if we appreciate reproof. If we are humbly eager to be taught of Him, He will send teachers to increase our knowledge. Do you love to be taught? Are you okay with being corrected? Can you take being told when you are wrong? Do you appreciate those who tell you how it ought to be done? Are you thankful for reminders to change? Wise and noble hearts will strongly answer, “Yes!”.

Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish…. (Prov 12:1)

Yes The Whole World IS Against You; #ButGod Is For You! ~

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)~ people may hate you for Christ’s sake. They may be against you because they’re envious of your success and the grace you are given to overcome adversity. Whether it be what you have, who you are or what you do, people self-justify reasons to dislike you. Sometimes it doesn’t even have to do with you but seeing you makes them consider and resent an area in their own life and they shift that resentment at you.

Regardless of the reason for the person’s behavior, when you make the determination to give your life to God, the enemy goes into overtime trying to persuade you that it was a bad idea. When we turn to God, we turn away from the ‘world’. This is a major threat to the enemy so you will come under these attacks! It gets to a point that it seems the entire world is against you, and it really is! Those that we encounter every day, those that we love the most, those that we trust; in some cases become our greatest foes! The greatest and most hurtful lies that the father of lies spreads in the world, usually are falsehoods and errors relating to the person of Christ.

Our biggest challenge is that we are at war and even though it seems that it’s against that other person or those people, it’s really bigger than that and it just comes through those people. It’s important to separate the action from the people…For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph 6:12). But all things whatever, in Heaven and Earth, are not so great a display of God’s free love, as the gift of His coequal Son to be the atonement on the cross for the sin of man; and all the rest follows upon union with Him, and interest in Him.

You are wonderfully made in His image and no matter who or what is against you, there is absolutely no match for His being for you! Regardless of how people treat you, don’t fight them over principalities that control their behavior! Don’t let the “ignorance” of haters drag you to their level! Their “misery” wants and loves company. God walks you at a better level than ignorance and “drama”. This is not your battle! You just make sure you never forget His love for you. Never forget that even if you are in the minority of people and situations, you are in the victorious majority in Christ The Lord!

Be Blessed!

Stop Grudgin! ~MoveOn ~

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. (Eph 4:26-27) Would you pick up a flaming hot coal in your hand to throw at someone else? Better yet, would you drink poison with the expectation that someone else would get sick or die from it?? I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t. So WHY would you allow yourself to contain anger or a grudge against someone? Why do you choose to hang on to your wrath rather than deal with and fix the problem?

When you carry that anger because your pride and ego won’t let you put it down, you are essentially burning yourself, poisoning yourself and stressing yourself out. And guess what… that person you’re mad at…is moving on..just fine. Your grudge had zero impact on them. Tomorrow will have enough problems of its own (should you live to see it) without you bringing today’s issues into it. It’s bad enough to go to bed angry… but why would we want to get up in that same old state? Think about this, to go to bed..mad, the sleep you do get is not quality because you left your mind and heart to stress all that drama you had too much pride to let go of..only to wake up….still mad…keeps you from being truly and fully thankful to God for the day He has given you; cause you’re mad!

I hear you saying “oh I’m thankful but I’m still mad!” You so mad you PROUD of YO mad! Really?? How does that make sense? Who are you really hurting by staying mad??? Would God ever bless you and carry anger over you? What devil in hell told you it’s okay to stay in this angry phase? Well the devil IS a lie! He’s laughing at you because he’s tricked you into slowly stressing yourself to DEATH!

Whatever it is… deal with it before the day ends! What if the chance to reconcile never comes (tomorrow)? You think being angry takes a toll on you, try not ever having the chance to forgive or apologize. Don’t let the devil have his day at your expense! Fix it and then rest! You’ll sleep better and live to wake up feeling much better!

Harbored Hatred Hinders Healing!!

Forgive And Move On… #70×7 ~

Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him (Luke 17:3-4); Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven (Matt 18:21-22)~

We all know the very popular discussions Jesus had around forgiveness and how often we must partake in this selfless act. The word tells us that God takes our sins and in His grace and mercy of forgiveness, He casts them into the sea (Micah 7:19). That means once forgiven, forever forgiven. After all, we are not to suppose that God actually forgives people, and afterwards reckons their guilt to them to condemn them! If we are wronged seven times or seventy times seven, we are to forgive. The point is not to force us to do the mental math. The point is that forgiveness needs to be an attitude ingrained within us, an attitude that is not limited by rules or doctrines; guided by our pride and ego and forcing the worthiness of our aggressor. It is not our place to seek retribution nor revenge, for the Lord says ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay’ (Rom 12:19). We are to forgive and move on.

Let the offender worry about his actions and let God deal with them! You focus on what you can control. Many of us elicit the common response that it’s ‘easier said than done’ which solely speaks to the need for us to take a look at ourselves. We have a direct command from the Lord that is our responsibility and solely in our control, not based on the other person’s actions. Regardless of how bad it gets, we must draw on the strength of the Lord within us to forgive. No matter what happens, we have a responsibility in the matter.

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Gal 6:9). God will restore us in HIS due time if we just do what we are supposed to do. You may need time to remove yourself from the situation, but don’t be misled by the “but I’m not ready to forgive” syndrome that simply allows you to wallow in being the victim rather than start the healing process. No, the devil is a LIAR! Forgiving must be done and does not end with just saying “I forgive” but is a process that BEGINS with “I forgive”…in all, the process must be begun, the sooner the better.

Anger, enticing as it may seem, is not your friend; it is not good for your spiritual, emotional or physical health in the long run. You may sever that relationship, and that’s okay, but you must forgive in order to start getting past the pain! Forgive and move on;

Harbored Hatred Hinders Healing!

There Is Hope Beyond The Rope! #LetGo ~

For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (Psalm 33:21–22)~~

Your grip on hope is slipping. You feel like the rope you’ve been hanging on to since your (insert trial here) began is slowly sliding through your fingers. Your hands are burning, cramping. You’re down to the final few loose threads. You’re squeezing the life out of that fraying, lifeless rope.

Let go.

Did you hear that?

Let go!

You won’t fall into oblivion or hellish chaos.

You’ll fall where you’ve actually been all along, even while tenaciously clutching your rope. You’ll fall into Jesus’ arms. Into His love and protection. Into His care for you and your future.

You do have a future, you know. It may not look exactly like the future you were envisioning. It may include more suffering and pain. It may include more years…or fewer.

But it’s exactly the future God planned for you from the beginning. He knows you better than you, better than anyone else.

You may be mystified by what’s happening in your life, bewildered by the decisions that need to be made, uncertain of what tomorrow will bring.

But never forget: You have hope.

Instead of a weak and raveling rope, hang on to Jesus, the source of your hope.

He’s got you and your future in His very skilled hands.

Let Go!

No Matter What WE Plan… #GodsPlan ~

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isa 55:8-9).~~ It is one thing to pray for God’s will to be done in your life, but it is quite another to accept His will. Many of us talk a good game about wanting His will for our lives, but once it is revealed, we get scared and we run away from it; We let fear take over; Or we refuse to accept it because God’s will actually isn’t what WE wanted at all. I can say all of this because I’ve been there and in many ways, I am there right now. I’ve long prayed for God’s will and purpose to be revealed in my life, but I never really took into consideration how I would respond to the revelation. I realize that not only should my prayer be, “Thy will be done” but also, “Let me accept thy will.”

It is easy to become negative, frustrated and angry when things don’t go our way or work as WE have planned. But, what we need to remember is that GOD’s plan for our day, better yet, our life is always greater than our own, even when we can’t see it in the moment. His blessings don’t always come in the ways we expect. But God is always at work in our lives and sometimes we just need to adjust our perspective or our vision to see where He is working. Some of the biggest blessings in my life have come from situations that were less than perfect in my own view, in fact, often they come from the most difficult of times.

It just reiterates to me that I need to look at where God is working and recognize the hidden blessings in even the most difficult of situations. God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good! As much as we THINK we know what’s better for us, we eventually find out that God only knows!

So, the next time you get upset because things aren’t going YOUR way.. keep in mind that it could very well be going GOD’S way! It’s not always going to be just simple, cut and dry – remember, Israel had to cross the Red Sea and wander in the desert for years before getting to the promised land… and God was with them the entire way… blessing them along the way! When we follow HIS way, we can surely expect that we will not come to a position of regretting our own will before we acknowledge His…

Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but THINE be done (Luke 22:42).

God or the gods… You Have #OneChoice ~

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient (Rom 1:28); Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)~~

At times we may feel that we do not need God, but on the day when the storms of disappointment rage, the winds of disaster blow, and the tidal waves of grief beat against our lives, if we do not have a deep and patient faith, our emotional lives will be ripped to shreds. There is so much frustration in the world because we have relied on gods… rather than God. We have genuflected before the god of science only to find that it has given us the atomic bomb, producing fears and anxieties that science can never mitigate. We have worshiped the god of pleasure only to discover that thrills play out and sensations are short-lived. We have bowed before the god of money only to learn that there are such things as love and friendship that money cannot buy and that in a world of financial depressions, stock market crashes, and bad business investments, money is a rather uncertain deity. These transitory gods are not able to save us nor bring happiness to the human heart. Only God is able. It is belief, faith and reliance in Him that we must rediscover. With this we can transform bleak and desolate valleys into sunlit paths of joy and bring new light into the dark caverns of pessimism! (Martin Luther King, Jr- Strength to Love)

God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than our ways! Until we stop trying to show Him our plan and get to know His plan, our lives will be in turmoil as a result of our own choices!!!

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15)

One Choice – You Choose!

Remember God While You Have The Day! ~ LifeIs2Short ~

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them.” – Ecclesiastes 12:1

We often forget, until we are forced to remember, that we are not invincible creatures. We do not have all the time in the world and tomorrow may never come. What we do have is, “right here,” and, “right now,” nothing more and nothing less. In all your strivings, as you toil to get ahead and make a name for yourself, remember your Creator. In all your troubles, as you struggle to put one foot in front of the other, remember your Creator. Whether you push Him aside until it is convenient or make the effort to acknowledge Him every day, realize that you WILL have to answer to Him one day. Whether you like it or not, whether you are ready or not, you will face Him and you will have to give Him an account of how you spent every breath He gave you.

Seek after Him while you still have time for you are just a breath in eternity. You are blessed with each day as a little more breath! Use it to get to know Him and breathe in the Life He wants you to have!

Seek His Face!

Yes! #GodLovesU That Much! ~

For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:38-39)~ God tirelessly pursues us- He loves us more than we are ever capable of loving ourselves. He loves us with a ‘despite-of’, ‘in-spite-of’, ‘regardless-of’, ‘even-if’, and ‘although’ kind of love. His love for us is unconquerable by any external force.

We are pursued by a love so ferocious, so all-encompassing, that it cannot be quelled by our repeated blunders and obnoxious errors. No, it’s not because we’re so beautiful that our divine lover has become intoxicated beyond reason. No, it’s not because we are good most of the time, and so our sporadic mistakes can be easily overlooked. And it’s certainly not because we are so needed that He would rather keep us around than lose us. Far from it! Rather, it’s because we are loved unreasonably, unconditionally, unequivocally, supernaturally by a God who looks deep beyond our flawed-ness and sees the love of His life, the apple of His eye.

David’s words ring loudly in my ear as he inquired of God, “What is man that You are mindful of him? And the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:4). Indeed, and because He loves us, He continually forgives us. For though our sins are mountainous in light of His purity, His love for us is bigger and the covenant He has forged with our souls is more potent.

Today, receive the unmerited love of God that tirelessly pursues you. Allow it to permeate your being and transform you into the spotless bride of Christ. Accept His proposal of love, even in the midst of your situation, even if you feel unworthy; accept His hand! My friend, God wants you to know, understand and believe…that you are the love of His life – even knowing that you would be unfaithful to Him from the start – He promises to be faithful to you for all of your days!

Yes, He loves you that much!