Unshakable Faith - Day 31: The Delusion

Unshakable Faith

Day 31: The Delusion

1.  Are you seeking to know Him with the understanding that He will always be greater than your natural mind can comprehend?

In all we do, our goal and purpose should be to know and be like Jesus.  We can never fully understand or comprehend all there is to know about God, but when we humbly search and seek Him, He will reveal Himself to us.  God knows just what we need, and just what we are going through, and He is faithful to reveal things about Himself that apply to us...when we are walking through a dark time, He reveals himself as the Light of the World, When we are dealing with sadness, He reveals Himself as the Joy of the Lord...When we need healing He is our healer...He know and He is all we need.

2. Do you sleep peacefully because you are not worried about something hidden being revealed about you?

When we have things hidden, secretive sins, the fear of them being found out is a terrible thing...I've known people who have said that once they came to Christ and found forgiveness and were set free from all the baggage and bondage that comes with a sinful life, they had their first peaceful, restful night of sleep ever in over 40 some years...I am so thankful that we can come to Jesus and He is our peace!! 

3. Have you drawn near to God with confidence so that you will receive mercy and grace in time of need?

God wants us to draw nearer to Him...He is so willing to give us mercy and grace when we need it.  All we have to do is humble ourselves, and earnestly seek Him.

Unshakable Faith - Day 30: The Cover-Up

Unshakable Faith

Day 30: The Cover-Up

1. Are you wearing a veil that must be stripped away so that you can see the Lord as He is, and so that you can be real with one another?


I believe we are all guilty of putting on veils to cover up the things we hope no one sees or notices.  We tend to believe we can put on a mask and hide the truth from others, we hope to hide the truth from ourselves and even hide it from God.  But the truth is, that we may fool others for a while, and we might be able to fool ourselves for a short moment, but we will never be able to fool God.  He sees all and knows all, and He loves us anyway.  So we need to learn to take down those veils between us and God, and He will help us to remove them around other people as well.


2. Shedding your defense mechanisms allows you to see more of His glory, and the more you will become like Him.


God made all of us with the purpose of becoming Christ-like...and we must remove those veils in order to see His glory clearly, and it is only when we see His glory that we can be changed from glory to glory...step by step, to be more like Him, ultimately fulling the very purpose God has given us.


3. Have you covered the sin, or acknowledges it, fleeing to the cross for forgiveness and healing from the wound the sin has caused?


It is easy to think that covering the sin is the easy way out...but the truth is that covering the sin up doesn't change or help anything.  We must acknowledge the sin, and flee to the cross for forgiveness and healing...without this, the sin is always right there under the surface, festering and causing more pain, deepening the wound.  Jesus is the only answer!!

Unshakable Faith - Day 29: The Fall

Unshakable Faith 

Day 29: The Fall

1.  have you been guilty of sins of omission, which is not doing good when it is in your power to do it?


There have been times when God has laid something on my heart, and I have allowed doubt to keep me from being obedient and stepping out of my comfort zone to do or say something that God was asking me to do.  One such time, as a teenager, I was leading worship for our youth group, and I felt the Lord prompt me to have the worship team sing a specific song, and then to pray. I hesitated and went ahead with what we had already practiced before hand, and when I turned the service over to our youth pastor, he immediately requested the team to sing that song, and then started to pray.  Here is the deal, the very words I had in my head to pray, were the words he prayed, and I immediately knew that I had been disobedient to the Holy Spirit's leading.  The amazing thing is that God doesn't just give us random things to say or do, He has a reason for everything.  Someone in the youth group that day needed to sing that song, and hear those specific words.  My disobedience didn't keep them from getting what they needed...God provided some other way, but I missed out on the blessing that always follows obedience.  


2. Are you fleeing from sin by pursuing righteousness, fleeing from hatred by pursuing love, fleeing from fears by pursuing faith, fleeing from impatience by seeking to be more patient?


Yes! It is not enough to just say "I'm going to stop doing this sin!", we need to actively seek to fill the void, time, or space in our lives where the sin was with Christlike traits.  If we stop doing something bad, but forget to fill that area of our lives with Godliness, that void will end up full of sin much worse than the original sin.


3. Do you have a vision of growing in the grace. fruit and power of the Spirit?


Yes! I know that in and of myself, there is nothing worth bragging about.  There is nothing in me alone that will make a huge difference in anything going on in this world.  But when I look at Christ and see His love, grace, mercy, and power working through me, I see that all things are possible! Christ gives me the strength, the joy, the peace, and all the fruits of the Spirit to cause great things to happen not only in my life but in the life of those around me.  Without growth in the grace, fruit and power of the Spirit, my life would loose all hope, and purpose.  

Unshakable Faith Day 28: The Deception

Unshakable Faith

Day 28: The Deception

1. Are you resisting sin by controlling your eyes?


Yes! I remember as a child learning the song "Oh, be careful little eyes what you see!" And as I've matured over the years I am realizing just how true that song is...The things we look at, watch, and allow into our lives through movies, t.v., internet, magazines, books we read...everything we do has an effect on us.  The question is, are we watching, reading, and looking at things that will lead to sin, or are we watching, reading and looking at things that will make us more like Christ?  If our God given purpose is Christ-likeness, which I believe it is! Then we need to be careful of what we allow our eyes to see!


2. What is the difference between understanding the schemes of the devil, but resisting the temptation to understand the depths of evil?


We can know the schemes of the devil, which helps us to recognize sin for what it is and to make right decisions.  But the temptation to understand the depths of evil, opens us up for more sin.  We do not need to know everything about sin, once we know it as something we should keep ourselves from, we need to do just that...getting involved just to say you have the knowledge of what it really is, opens the door for further temptation.  If Eve had seen Satan's scheme and had turned away instead of sticking around to find out more info, she might have saved herself and her husband and everyone from the sinful nature we all are born with because of the fall.


3. Have you learned to discipline yourself and your thoughts?


Yes, I have learned to discipline myself and my thoughts.  When I was younger I used to always put myself down...constantly I was saying things like "I'm so stupid." or "I can't do anything right." just little put downs that I never even realized I was doing, until I started dating my husband...JC quickly realized the damage I was doing to myself, by not disciplining my thoughts and words.  So. he started calling me on it every time he heard me say something negative about myself, and then he would make me come up with and say out loud something positive.  It only took a couple months of reprogramming myself and disciplining myself this way to notice a huge change in my self-confidence.  
The same principle applies to our thoughts, not only about ourselves, but about our relationships, our jobs, our finances, our church, our children....everything! We need to think on the positive, wholesome, good things...we need to focus on our blessings and on how God is working it out for good.  We need to refocus on God, not on the circumstance, and soon the circumstance will not be as bad as we think it is, and we will see that God is at work in ways we never imagined.

Unshakable Faith - Day 27: The Trap

Unshakable Faith

Day 27: The Trap

1. When you face temptation, are you more like Eve or Jesus?


That is a hard question...my first thought is to say more like Jesus, but I am by no means perfect, so then I think maybe I should say more like Eve, but I don't find myself constantly being deceived by Satan and his schemes, so I guess I am somewhere in the middle, but I'd like to think I am closer to being like Jesus than being like Eve. 


2. What is sin?


Sin is disobedience to God.  If God's Word says we should so or should not do something and we act contrary to what it says, we are in sin.  It is really that simple!


3. Do you desire understanding for the sake of becoming more perfect in your obedience?


Yes, I want to better understand God's Word, to find new nuggets of truth and to get a deeper understanding, so that I will be able to have a better understanding of who God is and His characteristics...I want to learn from the mistakes of others, and continually grow in my walk with Jesus! 

Unshakable Faith - Day 26: The Question

Unshakable Faith 

Day 26: The Question

1. Are your questions motivated by faith or by fear?


Most of the time my questions come out of faith, I ask God to lead and guide us, I ask Him for clarification on something I am studying, etc.  But there have been times when Satan has tried to cause my questions to come from fear, and it always leads to a time of doubt...but God has always been faithful to help me find the truth, and set me back on the right path, with my faith fully in tact.


2. Have you been allowing the Lord's delight to turn your weaknesses into strengths?


Weaknesses into strengths, that is something God is very good at.  There are lots of things about me that I consider weaknesses, but God has used them for His glory.  Many times the things I see as my strengths, must become my weaknesses, and then God can use them...it is all about others seeing His work in my life, so that He will be glorified.  If I am able to do it on my own, what would cause people to see God's hand at work? Why would they give God the glory, if I'm the one who seems perfectly capable and I'm the one who did it?  So God takes the areas where I am weakest and He causes great things to be done through my weakness, and then there is no question of who should receive the glory, because without God's hand at work, it would have never happened.


3. Are you avoiding the faultfinders and the stumbling blocks that the enemy send?


I certainly try! It is so easy to let your guard down and find yourself stumbling over a stumbling block, that you should have seen from far off.  That is why it is so important to daily be in God's Word, to daily spend time in God's presence, daily ask the Lord for guidance and protection.  


Put on the whole armor of God so that when the fiery darts come flying in, your shield of faith will quench them, when Satan tries to attack your mind with thoughts of doubt and sin, your helmet of salvation keeps you sound and righteous.  When the stumbling blocks come out of nowhere, your feet are protected by the gospel of peace, and when the enemy tries to knock you off balance, with lies and deceit, your belt of truth stabilizes you and keeps you steady. When the arrows of hurt and despair try to pierce your heart, your breastplate of righteousness protects you, keeping your heart, safe from harm. And take the sword of the spirit (the Word of God) - this is your one offensive weapon...it is powerful, a double edged sword, dividing down to the bone and the marrow...It will help you see right from wrong, it will lead you and guide you into all truth, it is infallible, perfect in every way.  When we use this armor daily it protects us from anything the enemy may try to use against us.  

Unshakable Faith - Day 25: Openness

Unshakable Faith

Day 25: Openness

1. You can have love, and you can have forgiveness, but if you do not have trust, it will be a shallow relationship.

Trust is such an important part of all relationships.  I know that in my walk with Christ, there have been times when God has required me to step out in faith, and lean fully on Him even though I knew the answer might not be what I wished or hoped for, but I needed to trust that God knew what was best for me.  Trust is part of what makes a relationship work, without trust you really don't have much!

2. Is there something you are ashamed of?

Here is the deal, we all make mistakes, John 3:16 says, "ALL have sinned"... So we need to realize that to be ashamed of our mistakes is just what Satan wants...his goal is to make us feel like we have done something worse than anybody else, and that everyone would condemn us for our mistakes, but God looks on us with love, and Jesus came to give us life, not to condemn us. If there is something in your life that you are ashamed of, ask Jesus to forgive you, and stop doing that thing...repentance isn't just saying you are sorry, but turning away from the sin all together.  


"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," Romans 8:1

3. Is there something in your life that you are afraid will be uncovered?

The truth will set you free! Talk with a close friend who you can trust, be open and honest ask them for their support and prayer.  Trying to hide a mistake will keep you in your own prison, but getting the truth out in a trusted environment will set you free...Satan can only hold over you the things you have hidden, once the truth is out, it takes all the wind out of his sails.

Unshakable Faith - Day 24: Leaving and Cleaving

Unshakable Faith

Day 24: Leaving and Cleaving

1. Are you "the man of his own home" or did you "establish her own household"?


When my husband and I got married, it was at the young ages of 18 and 19, so it was difficult for our parents to let go and know that we would be okay...But I am proud to say that my husband learned how to be "the man of his own home" and I learned how to "establish my own house".  I think it helped us to live a ways away from both sets of parents, it forced us to depend on each other, and not on them.


2. Are you guilty of interfering in your married children's lives?


At this point in life it is hard to imaging having my girls fully grown and married...I find the idea of trusting someone else to care fully for them hard...but I pray that by the time that stage of life arrives, God will help me to let go. I find myself thinking about those two boys who will one day win the affections of my daughters, and I pray for God's guidance, and protection over them, for God's will to be done in their lives, so that when that time comes, I'll know that God has been working in their lives, just as He has been working in my girls' lives. I hope that will make it is easier to let go, when I know it is all orchestrated by God, and His loving hands are working in all of their hearts and lives.


3. Are you having trouble honoring your parents yet not allowing them to interfere in your marriage?


When JC and I were first married, we immediately moved about 6 hours away from my family and about 5 hours from his.  This helped us to break the ties, but we still had issues with parents wanting to know everything about our finances, or wanting to give advise when we didn't want or need it.  I understand now looking back, I see kids who are 18 and 19 and I think, "Wow, we were married at that age?!?"  So, I know why it was tough for our parents to let go.  But sometimes the interference made it difficult, we had to sometimes just not answer a question or tell them that it wasn't their business.  It always made us feel bad, but we knew that we had to do it on our own and that there was just somethings we weren't going to share with other people.  Over time our parents grew to know and understand that we were adults and that we weren't going to share everything with them, and we also grew to realize that there are times when it is okay to go to our parents for help.  I think we all grew in the process, and we have a good relationship with both sets of parents.  Which is a huge blessing! 

Unshakable Faith - Day 23: Marriage

Unshakable Faith

Day 23: Marriage

1. Have you experienced a spiritual sensuality that is released through the love and union of the spirit and soul that physical sensuality can never compare with?


It is a beautiful thing when a husband and wife have a connection of the spirit and soul...The physical connection is beautiful too, but it is meaningless when the other two are missing.  God created marriage,  and He created man and woman to need not just the physical, but more importantly the spiritual and soul connections with each other.  


2. Can you attest that it is the devil's strategy to turn your strengths into weaknesses and use them against you?


Satan is crafty, and sly, if he can take something God has given us for good, and make us use it in a bad way, he will do his best to try it.  We need to be careful to recognize Satan's schemes and to also recognize what our strengths are and how God intended us to use them.


3. Do you understand that the perversion of you nature is Satan's tactic to keep you from unity?


From the very beginning when Satan deceived Eve into eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, his goal has been to separate us from our heavenly Father.  Misery loves company, and Satan is miserable because of the choices he made, that caused God kick him out of heaven. So now his goal is to keep as many people as possible from getting to enjoy Heaven, when he knows it is not an option for himself.  The discord he sows is all a part of that goal, and when we come together in unity and serve God as God intended us to do, it makes Satan's skin crawl...it puts fear in him, because the power of the Body of Christ is directly correlated with the unity of the Body of Christ.  That is why unity is one of the things Satan tries to defeat first... without unity we are lot easier to defeat in other areas.

Unshakable Faith - Day 22: Fellowship

Unshakable Faith

Day 22: Fellowship

1. What do you think of the statement that "God alone was not enough for man"?


It seems a little odd to me.  God is more than we could even describe with words and yet he wasn't enough?  It makes since to me that God saw that man needed someone of his own kind to be a helpmate but I don't think it is true to say that God wasn't enough, giving Eve to Adam was all a part of the big picture, God's plan from the beginning.  Eve was God's provision, just as a food box from a local church could be God's provision for a hungry family.  God takes care of all of our needs, our hopes, dreams, and desires.


2. Have you chased many fruitless endeavors because you wanted to prove something to your self?


I am guilty of chasing fruitless endeavors at times but I don't think it was always to prove something to myself.  I, by nature, am a people-pleaser... I will go to great extents to make someone happy, even if they never even take the time to notice all the effort it took on my part.  I am learning to be a God-pleaser and not a people-pleaser, it is a hard habit to break.


3. Have you reached out lately to someone who is lonely?


Yes, I have had times in my life when I was the lonely person...so when I see someone else going through the same thing, I want to do all I can to help them know there is someone out there who loves them and is there if they need them.

Unshakable Faith - Day 21: The Test

Unshakable Faith 

Day 21: The Test

1. Have you taken the freedom without taking the responsibility that comes with it?


No, I don't think I have.  If anything I have been closer to the living under the law, but not in grace.  God has shown me over the years that this is just as bad as taking the freedom without the responsibility.  


Taking the freedom without responsibility is choosing to live under grace to the point where we forget about the law and act like it was not meant for us.  Living under the Law without grace is the opposite extreme...where we try to be perfect, abiding by the Law, without any grace for the times when we make mistakes.  God gave us the Law, but He also made a way for us to receive grace.  One without the other is a huge mistake! We are to do our best to obey the Law, but to know that no one is perfect, we all will make mistakes, and God gives us grace to cover all of our failures. 


2. Has it been true for you that the most fulfilling experiences have come when you took the initiative, made a good choice, and saw the fruit?


Absolutely! When we decide to step out in faith and try something that is out of our comfort zone, it is scary.  There is a huge potential for success, but also for failure.  But taking that step, and making the right choices, allowing God to lead you...and then seeing God's blessing on your endeavors, and seeing how that good choice effects you and all those around you, is such a rewarding experience.


3. Have you allowed God's Word to bind you or free you?


Both! There have been times in my life when I pictured God as a all powerful judge just waiting to catch me in a mistake, so that He could punish me, and so I did everything I could to try to be perfect...perfectionism is a rough road, and it is a sin to think you could ever be good enough on your own.  As I have grown in my walk with Christ, He has shown me that the opposite is true.  God loves us, Jesus didn't come to condemn us, but to save us and to free us.  God is not waiting to bring down His gavel in judgement on us...no, He is waiting hoping that we will turn to Him, He is gently calling us and beckoning us to come to Him, to lean on Him and allow Him to do what we could never do...save us, redeem us, set us free, forgive us for our mistakes, make us into a beautiful bride that will one day spend eternity in heaven with Him.  When we come to Him and allow Him to work in our lives and we trust Him for our salvation, it is then that God's Word sets us free instead of binding us.

Unshakable Faith - Day 20: Labor

Unshakable Faith

Day 20: Labor

1. Is it in your nature to look for ways to add your own touch to things, to improve them, and to be protective of domains with which you are entrusted?


I don't always feel creative, but I do have my moments of creativity, and it is always so much fun to find these fun and creative ideas flowing through your mind...Sometimes when that happens, I just have to stop and take notes, because I could never do it all and keep up with the ideas and thoughts.  If I write them down, I can work my way through the list of ideas to see what will work and what needs more thought and preparation.  Creativity may not always be my strong suit, but being protective of the people and things I love is very much my nature. I don't always have the skills needed or the ability to protect, but I do what I can, when I can, because to not protect goes against the grain of how God created me. 


2. Because you were created with your purpose in mind, what you are called to do will also be what you love to do the most.


For a long time I struggled with knowing exactly what God's will was for my life.  But I've come to realize, that if I am loving Him, serving Him, and being obedient when He speaks to me, He will be faithful to open the doors that need opened, and close the ones that need shut.  We don't have to understand exactly where we are going, or exactly what we are going to do, as long as we are fully trusting in Him, He will provide, protect, and direct our every move.  It is then that we will find ourselves loving what we do, and doing what we love, with God's blessings all around.


3. Are living waters coming from your heart, that which is your deepest love?


I'm not sure I know exactly what this question is asking, but I think it is asking if we are doing the things we love and finding God's blessing and anointing flowing out of our lives as we follow after God, and do what we are called to do.  And my answer to that is yes! I am trusting God, doing my best to be obedient, and I am blessed to be able to do the things I love.  God is so good, He provides for the things we don't even realize we need, and He works everything out for our good, He blesses all we do, and protects us in every way! I couldn't ask for more.

Unshakable Faith - Day 19: God and Man

Unshakable Faith

Day 19: God and Man

1. If your spiritual hunger for the supernatural is not filled with a relationship with God, the void will be filled with spiritism and the demonic supernatural.  Have you witnessed this experience in yourself or others?


Through out my life I have seen many people who, lacking a relationship with God, tried to fill the void, and when one thing didn't work they would move on to another, and another. Generally speaking, the things they try progressively get worse and worse, until they are doing things they never thought they'd ever do.  It is so sad to see a life destroyed, when the answer they are looking for is right in front of them.  You see God made us all to have a God shaped hole in us, so that we would long for and desire to be with Him.  But He also, made it easy for us to be with Him...We don't have to get cleaned up first, He loves us just as we are. His love will help us and direct us if there are things we need to change.  But we will only be able to know what needs to change, and have the ability to change them when we are walking with God.  God is right there waiting for us to turn to Him, He is not some far off God we have to go dig out of some hidden cave. He is right here! All we need to do is call out to Him, and He will answer!


2. Have you learned that it is better to loose everything than to lose your relationship with Him?


Yes, There is nothing in this world that compares with Him.  It is through Him, and for Him that I live.  If God were not, none of us would be either! 


3. Christ fully functioning through you is confirmed when all of the gifts are functioning through you.

1 Corinthians 12
The Gifts of the Spirit
1 "Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 

2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.

3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 

5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 

6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 

8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 

10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 

13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 

14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 

16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 

18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 

19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 

20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”

22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 

23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 

24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 

25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 

26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 

28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 

29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 

30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 

31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way."

Unshakable Faith - Day 18: The Sabbath

Unshakable Faith

Day 18: The Sabbath

1. Do you know peace and rest in the midst of any situation?


Having Peace and rest in the midst of any situation can only come from fully leaning on God, and you can only do that if you completely one hundred percent trust Him. God is working on me in this area.  I tend to say "Yes, Lord, I trust You!"  and then pretty soon, I am trying to take the situation on myself and figure it out on my own.  God only wants us to trust Him and be obedient to His Word, and then He will cover us with His umbrella of protection, and will carry us when we don't have the strength to make it.  Just in the last few weeks God has really been speaking to me about trusting Him when the future is uncertain, when we don't know how things will go, or what will happen.  He has promised us His guidance and protection, but that only comes with our decision to trust Him.  I want to be like Job, to trust the Lord enough to say, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!"  That is the only way to have true peace and rest!


2. Are you living in obedience and abiding in Him?


We all make mistakes, and we all tend to lean on our own understanding of things.  Even King David, made huge mistakes, and leaned on his own understanding to try to fix it.  But the important thing is to always come to God with a repentant heart, in humility, and to give God the glory when He brings you out of that situation your choices got you into.  David wrote the Psalm "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and take not Your Spirit from me." David's desire to keep in good fellowship and to remain in God's presence, brought him back to God even after the terrible mistakes he had made, and God called David a man after His own heart.  I'd say David even with his failures figured out how to abide in God.  In my life I do my best to obey, and abide, but like David I have my moments of failure...I've learned to always run back to God, repent and turn from my sin, and God is always faithful to welcome me back into His arms of love and forgiveness.


3. Have you humbled yourself before God and cast your anxiety upon Him?


It's not always easy, in fact I'd say it is rarely easy to humble yourself and to cast your anxiety upon Him, but it is always worth it.  Once again, this is an area where God is still working on me.  But each day He is showing me that it is really the only way to live!

Unshakable Faith: Day 17 - The Commission

Unshakable Faith

Day 17 - The Commission

1. Do you think people are filling the earth, subduing it and ruling over it, just as God originally planned?


Yes and No! Yes, the human race is filling the earth, subduing it and ruling over it.  But No, we are not doing it just as God originally planned.  When man fell, and sin came in to bring death and destruction, it changed everything.  We have much to learn about how to fill the earth, subdue it and rule over it in the right manner...as we draw closer to God and become more like Him, He will teach us and help us to fill, subdue and rule as He desires.


2. How does reading Isaiah 11:6-9 make you feel about the present and the future?


Isaiah 11:6-9
6 "The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea."

It almost seems impossible! It is hard to imagine a world where there is complete and total peace...even the animals are at peace with each other, and with mankind too!  Amazing!!! The cool thing about this scripture is that it clearly shows us just how far we have fallen and the effect our fall has had on all creation.  So when Jesus paid the price for our restoration, He also made a way for all creation to be restored to this beautiful, peaceful and completely enjoyable state.  

3. Is His Bride close to proving Herself worthy of great authority before the angels and principalities and powers in the heavenly places?


I believe with all of my heart that the Bride of Christ is still a work in progress.  The Bible talks about the Bride being beautiful without a spot or wrinkle.  The church as a whole today has many spots and wrinkles.  Divisions between the churches and denominations. People who claim to be Christians, but live defeated and sinful lives, and more...  I'm not saying we should be perfect, that is not even possible, that is the reason we need a Savior! But I do believe that as the body of Christ we should be striving to grow more like Him daily, and as we do, it will have a great effect on our daily lives and on the church as a whole. 

Unshakable Faith: Day 16 - Unity

Unshakable Faith

Day 16 - Unity

1. Do you agree that women have strengths and perspectives that men do not have, and men have strengths and perspectives that women do not have?


Yes! I believe that God created men and women with different strengths and perspectives, so that when they work together they compliment each other...where one is weak the other is strong and where one might view the situation one way the other can view it differently to help get a better view when they work together.  God did not make any mistakes when He created us, we just need to learn to appreciate our differences and learn to work together, instead of trying to change each other.  


2. How have the roles of men and women been severely challenged in this time?


The roles men and women have today are much different than they were even 200 years ago.  Some of the changes are good, and others are not so good.  Since the focus of this blog is on helping women grow in their daily walk with Christ, I am going to focus on us girls for a moment.   Today it is not uncommon for women to act as the leader in the home, however, God created us to submit to our husbands...this doesn't mean that we are not as important as our husbands or slaves to our husbands.  What it means is that the husband should be the leader, making choices and decisions for the family based on what is good for everyone involved.  And then we, as the submitting wives, come naturally under the protection of our husbands.  God set it up this way, to protect us.  When we stop doing things God's way, and try it our own way, we end up with huge problems.  I encourage you today to start allowing your husband lead, God wouldn't have set it up the way He did for no reason, so trust God and submit to your husband, and just see how the Lord blesses you both!


3. Have you witnessed or heard about great churches and movements that have died with the death of their founder(s)?


It is sad when someone spends their life working and building something they hope will make a difference for many years to come, and then as soon as their gone, it slowly dies and soon it is just a long lost memory.  I think many times this happens when the church members expect the leader to feed them, and they never grow up to feed themselves.  God did not give us pastors, prophets, and teachers, to hand feed us all of our days.  God gave them to us as leaders to help us as we read and study and grow on our own.  If you depend on your Pastor to feed you each Sunday and hope that it is enough to get you through till the following Sunday, you have missed the point.  Just as our bodies need physical food each day, our spirits need spiritual food each day...once a week is not enough!!  We need to make sure we are taking responsibility for our own spiritual growth and not constantly depending on our Pastors, teachers and leaders!

Unshakable Faith: Day 15 - Authority

Unshakable Faith

Day 15 - Authority

1. Godly authority is not a privilege, but a responsibility.  What does this statement mean to you?

When we are using Godly authority, it is not all about how people see us, it is not all about making others do things for us, it is not about us at all.  Godly authority is about those whom we are ruling over...we are there to serve them, to honor them, to do for them what we would want others to do for us.  

2. Are you exercising authority as He does, for the sake of and service to those who are ruled over?

I am no where near perfect, and so I am sure there are times when I choose to rule in favor of myself, instead of for others.  But I continually work on becoming more Christlike, and with that I am slowly learning how to rule as He would want me to rule.

3. Faith is the basis of authority for miracles.  Are you ready for a miracle?

Yes! I have many areas or situations that are going to take a miracle in order for them to work out well...But like the man in the new testament who said, "Yes, I believe, and help me in my unbelief!"  I have areas where my faith is not as strong, and I have to pray the same thing, "Lord, help me in my unbelief!"  And God is always faithful to do just that!!

Unshakable Faith: Day 14 - The Crown

Unshakable Faith

Day 14 - The Crown

1.  Have you overcome the Fall by your faith in the cross of Jesus Christ? If so, you are an heir to the Throne.

This question is so important!  If you are not able to answer with a definite "yes!" I encourage you today to come to Jesus.  The only way to overcome the fall (sin) is to accept the gift of salvation and forgiveness of sins, through the gift of God's only Son, Jesus! Jesus came and lived a perfect life, then died on the cross. Jesus took all the sins of the world, all the illnesses and pain, and he bore them on the cross so that we wouldn't have to.  All you need to do is simply talk to God...tell him you believe in His Word.  That you believe Jesus is His only Son, Jesus died on the cross for you, and rose again on the 3rd day.  Then ask God to forgive you, make you new and whole, and to come walk with you and lead you every day.  It may seem like that wouldn't be enough, but Jesus did all the work on the cross,  now you just have to accept His gift!

"The End of The Beginning" - tells the story quite well, I hope you enjoy!

Watch Christian Videos and Read the Online Bible at GodVine.com

2. Have you fallen into the trap of trying to change yourself? Did it result in looking at yourself instead of Him?

God is faithful to teach us and lead and guide us in everything, if we will just listen! I've found that it is very easy to hear from the Lord about something in your life that needs to change, and then to get so distracted by trying to change it, that you forget that it is not you, but God who can make you new!  I am so thankful for the faithfulness of God, when we forget to let Him be in control and try doing it on our own, He doesn't get angry, He doesn't say "Well, I tried and they obviously don't want My help, so I'm through!"  No, He continues to speak to us, to nudge us and to gently remind us of where we should be, and that He is the only One who can help us get there.  His patience with us, is incredible! 

3. When you sin, do you run from the lord or to Him?

I think we all naturally because of our humanity, tend to run from God when we are in sin.  But the only way to make things right and get back on the right path is to run to God.  He is willing to forgive and to restore what was lost to us, but we have to take the first step, and turn to Him.

Unshakable Faith - Day 13: Diversity

Unshakable Faith 

Day 13: Diversity

1. What are your thoughts about evolution?

Well, I learned a little about evolution in school, and I've had some conversations with people who believe it as a fact.  But nothing I've seen, heard or read has ever made me question my firm belief in a Creator who lovingly and thoughtfully created everything that lives and breathes, every rock and stone, every drop of water, every molecule and atom, all in just six days.  

2. Do you agree that the mingling of races brings forth new revelations of His creativity within the bounds He has set?

Yes, I think each and everyone of us, whether or not both parents were of the same race, have been made special, unique and beautifully.  God never makes a mistake, no one is created better or higher than another person, we are all equal, we are all loved by God.

3. Do you harbor religious racism? Have you been a victim of religious racism?

No, I don't harbor religious racism.  We are all a part of the body of Christ...does an elbow have any right to think it is better than the knee...they are two different parts of the same body, and they both have their purpose.  We may be different, or believe differently about this or that, but as long as we are trusting in Jesus for our salvation, we are a part of the same body.  We need to learn to love each other and come together in unity. We need to learn to focus on the things that we have in common.

I can't say that I've been a victim of religious racism, but I have seen it and the effect it has had on people.  I believe this is something that breaks God's heart...God wants us to love one another, not tear each other down because of some petty differences.  

Unshakable Faith - Day 12: Fruitfulness

Unshakable Faith 

Day 12: Fruitfulness

1. Do you agree that abortion is one of the ultimate forms of the depravity of humankind?

Yes, God loves us and forms us in our mother's womb.  Every child conceived is special and loved...God has great plans for their lives before they even take their first breath.  Who are we to determine that that life is not worth keeping?  I believe that every child has the right to life.  The day that a mother and father choose their own happiness, or what seems to be the easy way out, over loving and protecting the gift God has given them is a very sad day indeed!

2. What does "take care of your own" mean to you?

"Take care of your own" can mean different things...I've heard people use in a selfish context, "Hey, I gotta take care of me and mine, if I don't no one will!" - Here the only thought is about me, myself and I, it doesn't matter what other people need or that I could possibly help them, the only focus is on taking care of myself.  This is the exact mindset that allows people to feel like abortion is a good decision.  But then there is the opposite meaning...the focus is on others, on serving, loving and caring for those around them or those given tothem to care for.  Whether it is fun and easy, or sad and very difficult, this person will choose to care for the others who need it, before caring for themselves. 

I can't say that I am always selfless, but I definitely aim to care for and love others, not focus on me and what I may need or want.  God gave us one commandment that is greater than all the others...Love one another. That's what "take care of your own" means to me.

3. Are you leaving behind a trail of life and fruitfulness?

I certainly hope so! I hope that when other people's lives cross with mine, whether for just a short time or for a long while, that their lives are touched by God's love flowing through me.  

Unshakable Faith - Day 11: Life

Unshakable Faith

Day 11: Life

1. Are you a devoted conservationist, counting precious what your wonderful creator has given you to enjoy?

God gave us this beautiful earth to live on, the plants and animals for food, water to drink and the absolute beauty of all creation to enjoy.  But with that gift comes a high level of responsibility...we need to be thoughtful and respectful, always doing our best to take care of this beautiful gift God has given us.  Just as I would expect my children to take care of a nice gift I've given to them, so God expects His children to take care of His gifts to us.

2. Have you ever had to "eat your words"? Was it a sweet or bitter experience?

I've had both, it is definitely more pleasant to have to eat your own kind, positive, and sweet words, than it is to have to eat your mean, negative and bitter words.  The things a person says, may affect other people, but the words will always affect themselves. 

3. Do you speak words of life and hope, determining to overcome death by bearing a fruitful life?

I certainly try! It is not always easy, and it definitely doesn't always come naturally, but it is a part of the high calling God has for all of His children,. So we all should strive to speak positive words, of life and hope as often as possible.

Unshakable Faith - Day 10: The Lights

Unshakable Faith

Day 10: The Lights

1. Just as the sun is the source of your physical life, so Jesus is the source of all life.  Is He your source of life?

Yes, Jesus is everything, without Him I would be so lost and messed up.  Jesus has saved me from not just the sins I have committed, but He has walked with me helping me to make better choices and decisions, saving me from making huge mistakes.  Jesus is the reason I am who I am, and He is continually working on me to make me more like Him. 

2. The Church has been a great influence on events in past ages and this age.  Is there more the Church could be doing?

Yes! God created us in His own image, for one purpose, to be like Him, to be a reflection of Jesus.  

When others around us look at us, they should see Jesus...and when God looks at us He should see the reflection of His Son.  

If the only thing I am reflecting is Kayla, then I am not fulfilling my God given purpose, I hope that when others see me, they see something more.  I hope they see Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Hope, Life, Faith, - JESUS! I want others to see Jesus in me. And that is what God wants from the Church as a whole as well.  

When God looks at the Bride of Christ, we should all be a reflection of Jesus, without a spot or wrinkle (the only way we can be without a spot or wrinkle is through the blood of Jesus, When we fully reflect Jesus, then God will see Jesus' righteousness in us, instead of all our own mistakes and failures).  We as the Church need to strive and work to reflect Jesus in all we do, everyday!

3. Are you always seeking to walk in the greater light of Christ?

Yes, walking in the Light of Christ is the only true way to live.

Unshakable Faith - Day 9: The Seed

Unshakable Faith

Day 9: The Seed

1. One of the basic strategies of the enemy is to destroy life and blur the distinctions that God created.  Are there examples of this in your life? Your community?

Satan, our very real enemy, works to blur lines in the church, in relationships, in just about everything.  Young adults feel it is okay to be rude to their parents because the lines have become blurred.  Married couples end up in divorce, because the lines have been blurred.  Everywhere we look we can see problems that all stem from this one scheme of the enemy.  But we need to remember that though Satan is busy trying to defeat us, the battle has already been won, and we have the victory through Jesus Christ.  He has conquered death and the grave, He holds the keys to the gates of Hell, and one day soon, Satan will be bound and the gates of hell will be locked with no chance of him ever getting out.  I think of the words of an old Carmen song, "God is exalted, Satan is defeated!"  - AMEN!!

2. Are your words filled with faith, hope, and love? Are you planting trees that will one day bear the fruit of faith, hope and love in the earth?

My hearts desire is to always speak words of hope, faith, and love, but I cannot say that it is always true.  I have found myself at times guilty of speaking and thinking negative things, in what seems like a negative situation.  And God is faithful to remind me of the power in our words, so I am striving and working on letting the love of God flow through me so that it will direct my thoughts, words and actions to respond to negative situations based on His love, instead of my own limited understanding and limited love.

3. Are you determined to always speak words that will edify and build up one another?

Yes, I am not always great at doing this, but I am determined with God's help to continue to work on it and to do better about watching what I say and how I say it...there was wisdom in the words of Thumper (a little rabbit from the movie Bambi) "If you can't say something nice, then don't say nothin' at all."  What a difference it could make in so many lives, if words of encouragement were spoken instead of words pronouncing defeat.

Unshakable Faith - Day 8: The Nations

Unshakable Faith

Day 8: The Nations

1. God created the nations, the different cultures and peoples, and they each have a specific and glorious purpose in Him.  Have you considered seriously the gift of different cultures and people regarding the corporate Church?

The different cultures and the diversity they bring help to round us out.  The Bible talks about the church as the Bride of Christ, and that we are one body, just different parts or members.  I'm from America, born and raised... someone who was born and raised in Africa is going to see things differently...their experiences and hardships are different from mine, and so they will notice things, maybe appreciate things that I might over look and vise-a-versa.  When we connect and share the things we are learning from God's Word, we will each teach the other something...Our differences are a good thing!!

2. You were not saved just so you can sit in the heavens, but so you can go forth with the glorious message of the cross.  Will you start today?

God wants the whole world to know the good news...it is up to us to share it, spread it, to teach it.  I am committed to do my part, Are you?

  

3. You have unique gifts that reflect God's own nature. Our differences are meant to complement one another.  Can you think of examples when this has happened?

I am currently on a women's ministries team at my church.  In this group of six ladies, we have much in common, but we all have our differences too. Different opinions, likes, dislikes, family situations, etc.  But God has brought us together, and is using each one of us in a special way.  What one of us lacks, another one has, and when you put together our strengths, it is amazing to see how God has orchestrated it, so that we complement each other, and are able to do things as a team that we'd not be able to do on our own.  

Unshakable Faith - Day 7: Heaven

Unshakable Faith

Day 7: Heaven

1. When did you first behold the glory of the heavenlies where Christ is seated, and realize that you have been placed with Him by the power of His cross?


I have not ever thought of it in this way before, but as I think about it, I know that I first beheld the glory of the heavenlies as a small child.  I grew up seeing God do miracles and working in peoples lives...then as a teen I was filled with the Holy Spirit and came to know God in a completely new way.  I have known most of my life, that because of the power of Jesus' cross, I have a heavenly home, and that this earth is not my real home.  I can't say that I have seen the heavenlies with my physical eyes, but I have seen them with the eyes of faith.  And I can tell you that Heaven is real, and I have a mansion waiting for me there!


2. Have you heard - or said - "Don't become so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good"?


I think I have heard that saying at some point in my life...but I never really gave it much thought.  I have to question the logic behind it...how could being heavenly minded ever hurt anything here on earth...there is nothing bad, or evil in heaven...Heaven is a wonderful place full of God's presence...if anything people should want more people to be heavenly minded as it would cause some major changes to happen here on earth...and I'm talking changed for good!


3. The true good that you can do on earth is dependent on the degree to which you have attained the heavenly treasures.  How full is your treasure chest?


The Bible says to store up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust and thieves can't kill steal and destroy...How do we do store up treasures in heaven? Well, certainly not by spending our time and money on things that are only temporary...things that will perish and will not last for eternity.  So then the opposite is how to gather and store up treasures in heaven...by sharing God's love with everyone, by spreading the good news of the gospel, by being a light in the darkness around us, by investing our time and money into things that will last for all eternity, by being heaven minded, not earthly minded.   I think my heavenly treasure chest has quite a bit in it, but I am also sure that I could continue to store up treasures in heaven for the rest of my life, and there would always be room for more...I guess I imagine that the treasure chest grows with the amount of treasure put into it. 

Unshakable Faith - Day 6: The Day

Unshakable Faith

Day 6: The Day

1. Great saints have gone through periods of darkness before they were brought forth into the purposes of God. Can you say the same?

Yes! In various forms, situations and circumstances...God has allowed trial or times of darkness to surround me.  But He has always been faithful to bring me out stronger and better than before.  Sometimes the trial brought about a change in the way I look at things, which then prepared me for the next task God had for me.  And other times, it brought out a compassion in me, so that I could understand a little more what someone else might be going through.  Always it was with a purpose, and always God was in control and working things out for good!

2. If you would go to the cross daily with all that you are and have, in what ways would your life change?

If we could learn to go lay down everything at the foot of the cross, everyday, even multiple times a day...it would change just about everything.  We would be free to love without worrying about being let down or hurt.  We would give without needing someone to give back to us.  We would be free! 

Rick Joyner said it like this, and it is just so good, I have to copy it here for you: 

"We are also assured that there is a way of escape with every trial. The way of escape is always the same, and that is the cross.  If we would go to the cross and die to ourselves, our own ambitions, and the cares of this world, which are usually the roots of our trials, we would immediately find a peace that goes beyond human understanding,  We are called to be dead to this world (see Gal. 6:14). What can the world do to a dead man? It is impossible for a dead man to feel rejected, abused, taken advantage of, or be concerned with loss.  If we would go to the cross daily with all that we are and have, we would be the freest people the world has ever seen."

3. Do you see every test as a great opportunity?

No! I know that every test has the potential to be a great opportunity, and I wish I could say that when the testing comes I always see it as that...but the truth is I don't always see it as an opportunity. Here is the great thing is...even though I may not see it for what it is, God is always faithful to work it out for good...as long a I continue to obey, trust and have faith in Him.

Unshakable Faith - Day 5: The Separation

Unshakable Faith

Day 5: The Separation

1. Keep your attention on the Lord, especially when the Holy Spirit is convicting you of sin or revealing people or situations to avoid.

When we are convicted of sin, or when we are warned to be careful of certain things that may be stumbling blocks for us, we must make sure that we accept the information the Holy Spirit is giving to us, and then move right back into communion and fellowship with God...we cannot let our focus shift to the darkness that surrounds us, we must focus and continue to focus on the light and love found only in Jesus.

2. When the Light reveals sin, you must either turn the light off and go back to your old life or remove the sin. There can be no compromise. Are you in a compromising situation?


I am so glad I can honestly say no, I am not in a compromising situation.  But there have been times in my life when I didn't always follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and therefore ended up in a compromising situation.  Here is the deal...if you know that you should or should not do something, and you do the opposite, even if it seems like some small insignificant thing, you have entered into a compromising situation.  Disobedience is sin. There is no way around that fact...the only thing you can do, if you find yourself in a compromising situation is to repent and ask God to show you what you need to do now.  

3. It is painful to have your sin exposed, but you have relief and comfort at the cross. True?


The cross is the place that Jesus shed His blood and gave up His life for our sins.  Jesus paid the price at the cross, so that we could be forgiven.  Also, it was only after Christ died for us and rose again, after He returned to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, that the Holy Spirit was sent down to comfort, teach, guide, and convict us...So the cross is the intersection that connects us to forgiveness, and salvation; it brought Jesus into His rightful place at the right hand of God; and it brought the Holy Spirit who is our comforter down to us.  So yes, I'd say that's a true statement!

Unshakable Faith - Day 4 -The Light

Unshakable Faith 

Day 4 - The Light

1. In Everything that was created, the Father looks for the reflection of His Son.  Does He see His reflection in you?

My hearts desire is to reflect Jesus, I want others to see Him in me.  I'm not sure that, that is always the case, in fact I'm sure it's not, but that's okay because... 

"He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be.

It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars,

The sun and earth and Jupiter and Mars.

Oh, how patient He must be, He's still working on me."

2. The Lord created His Church so people would need one another.  No one will get to their destination in Christ alone.  Write what this means to you.

When we are in Christ and walking in His truth/light, we cannot help but become connected to the body of Christ and walk with them on this narrow path...so if you separate yourself from the body of Christ you also move away from the light and start walking in darkness.  God created a need in all of us for fellowship not only with Him, but also with other believers...when we fall they help us up, they encourage us in hard times and rejoice with us in the good times. and we do the same for them...without these vital relationships being filled by other believers we start connecting to the things of the world and looking for support in the wrong places.

3. To have fellowship, you must start by looking for things to agree about rather than disagree.  Think of the last time you disagreed with another Christian.  Could it have been avoided?

Sometimes we need to agree to disagree and then move on to find some common ground.  When two people disagree, it is not a reason to break relationship, it actually can be used to help the relationship to grow and become stronger. Once when I worked at a local church I had some ideas of how things should go, and other people in the office had ideas that were completely contrary to mine, and eventually it started to come between us, our friendship went through a rough patch as neither of us would budge on what I considered an integrity issue.  In this situation, I maybe could have tried to go about things a little different, but I strongly feel that no matter how I handled it, one thing was clear, I had to take a stand on what was right and what was wrong.  I dearly love these friends and it was hard to watch us grow apart, but since that time the relation has mended, and though we aren't as close, we all love each other and still keep in touch.