Iceberg

Iceberg

For the past few months, our church has been having "Encounter Services" every Wednesday evening.  These have been amazing times of coming together in prayer, seeking God, and asking for Him to do great things in our lives and the lives of those in the city of Salem.  

Here are the four main points of prayer we've continued to pray for:

1. Boldness in speaking the Word
2. Healings
3. Signs and Wonders (Miracles)
4. Move of God, the lost saved

These points are found in the lives of the new testament church in Acts 4:29-31

29 "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly."

I am so excited about what God is doing already, but even more excited about what He is going to do! As I've spent time praying and studying God's Word, over and over again, I've come across scriptures that speak so clearly on the power of prayer.  Here is just one example:

Psalm 6:8-10
"Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; 

For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my supplication; 

The Lord will receive my prayer.
Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; 

Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly."

In my study bible, the commentary at the bottom of the page, says this about these verses...

"Vs 7, 8 - As vultures gather around a wounded prey, so enemies gather to rejoice over the calamities of the struggling and take advantage of any weakness.
Vs 9, 10 - Prayer is seen as the prescription that not only heals the body, but strengthens the weakened soul, so that the villains are the ones who become greatly troubled and must flee."

Isn't that incredible!?!?!  When we pray, it not only brings about healing in a physical way, but also heals our mental and emotional pains and issues.  Then to top it off, after bringing about healing, prayer has the power to make those who oppress us - our enemies -  cower and run.

Promises, like the one from Psalms 6:8-10, are great reminders of just how great God is and how important prayer is in our lives.  I had this thought the other day, while reflecting on our "Encounter Services" and it was just so powerful!! 

 "Even though I know that God has done some great things, I fully expect that we have only begun to touch the tip of the iceberg" 

and then the Holy Spirit corrected my thought, 

"No, you can only see the iceberg in the distance, you aren't even touching the tip of it yet!!" 

I am so excited about what God has in store...let's keep pressing in, praying and seeking God...

God is so good! 

The Not-so-Super-Mom

The Not-so-Super-Mom

Last night I was laying in bed trying to sleep, but I was so wide a wake.  My mind was running 100 miles per hour...thinking of all the stuff I did, or didn't do, and what I should have gotten done, during the day.  In the the midst of my mind's running through the day, I started to think about what type of parent I am, and what my girls will turn out like.  I know how I want them to turn out, but I also know that I in and of myself am in no way able to get them to the place where I want to see them.  I make mistakes, huge ones, over and over again.  How am I, in the craziness of this world, supposed to somehow keep my girls on the right path, and protect them from all the evil that surrounds us?  As I lay there pondering all these things, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and I'd like to share it with you today.

Daughter, you aren't good enough, you can't protect them from the evil in this world.  You are not all knowing, ever-present, or all powerful.  You, daughter, are not perfect, you are human, you make mistakes.

But, I know your limits, I know your heart and your love for your children; and I love them more than you are even capable of, and I love you.  Don't fret that you can't be with them everyday to protect them and guide them, because I Am!   I Am able!  I Am all knowing! I Am ever-present! I Am all powerful!  I will uphold you and help you to be the best parent you can be, and when you can't go any further, where you stop, I will make up the distance.  In your weakness I Am strong...trust your little children to Me.  I will be with them, I will guide them and protect them.   Trust them to Me!

As I laid there and these words washed over me, I felt a sweet sense of peace and hope.  

The pressure is off. 

I don't have to be super-mom! 

I can just trust in the Lord...He has got this.  

Let these words sink in... 

Think about it for a few minutes... 

God. has. got. this.

You don't have to do it on your own, in fact it is pretty much impossible to do it on your own...

Trust Him. 

God is so good! 

Just Wait!!

Just Wait!!

We pray, asking God to step into our circumstances, to lead us in the way we should go, and to do the miraculous when it seems impossible.

But after we've prayed, what do we do?

If you're like me, you tend to try to figure things out while you wait for God to step in.  But I have realized lately that when the answer we expect doesn't come about right away, or it is not what we were hoping for...trying to figure it out while we wait for God's plan and timing only hinders things.   If God is asking you to wait...then just wait!  There is no requirement that you know exactly how things are going to go...or that you figure out the answer and then present it to God.  God already has the answer, and when we try to help we are like a three year old who spilled milk and tried to clean it up with the whole basket of clean towels, making more work than is necessary, instead of going to mommy to let mommy take care of it with just a couple paper towels.  

I read a scripture this week in Joshua that just hit me. 

Joshua 3:5

"Joshua told the people, 'Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"

When we've prayed and asked God for His guidance, protection, miraculous hand, a healing or whatever we may need...we need to follow Joshua's instructions.  Instead of trying to do it on our own, we need to make sure we are right with God, confessing our sins, our disbelief, our temptations to try to figure it out on our own, and we need to prepare ourselves to receive what God has in store...because God will do amazing things among us!! 

The Desires of the Heart

The Desires of the Heart

As I was talking to the Lord about a situation we are dealing with, where plans just aren't going the way we'd hoped, the Holy Spirit showed me some things that just really hit me right where I needed it. So I thought I'd share them with you...

When we delight ourselves in the Lord...not only does He give us the desires of our heart, but the desires of our heart come from our delight in the Lord. Or to say it another way... When we delight in the Lord, God creates in us the "desires of our heart" - the very desires of our heart stem from our delight in HIM...then God grants us the desire of our heart, because they not only are our desires, they are God's desires...they align with His heart!!  

"Delight yourself also in the Lord,

 And He shall give you the desires of your heart."  

(Psalm 36:4) 

The desires of our hearts, guides us as we make plans for the future (these are big picture plans).  However, it is required that we truly lean on and depend on the Lord, staying close to God...because not only do our desires come from our delight in Him, but we can't be lead by Him (in the fine details) if we are far from Him. We must delight in Him and then continually remain close to Him to allow Him to lead us in each and every step we take.  

"A man’s heart plans his way, 

But the Lord directs his steps"

(Proverbs 16:9)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct[ your paths."

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

Our God is more than able.  There is nothing impossible with God. But He requires that we are dependent on Him.  Sometimes things look impossible for one reason,  that reason is that God wants to step in and do the impossible,  so that we will see how great and powerful He truly is.  

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,

 according to the power that works in us," 

(Ephesians 3:20)

"But Jesus looked at them and said to them, 

'With men this is impossible, 

but with God all things are possible.'”

(Matthew 19:26)

When things look impossible...that is when God says, 

"With man, this is impossible, but for the great I AM, all things are possible!"   

 GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!

Sweet Dreams!

Sweet Dreams!

There are times when my dear hubby has to travel for work.  I do not, DO NOT do well when he is gone.  Last time he was gone for just one night, I ended up sleeping in the recliner, with a couple lights on throughout the house.  I've always struggled with fear, and it seems to quadruple when JC is gone.  I have many stories of times when JC was gone (I'll save them for another post!), and how God settled my fears and showed me that my protection and shelter is in Him and Him alone.  Every time, God has been faithful, but in my human weakness, I tend to fear over and over again.  Here in the next couple months my hubby will be traveling once again for just a few nights, and once again God has shown Himself to be so faithful!!  As I've been spending time in my daily devotions, over last few days, reading the Word and praying...God has lead me to read many different scriptures that all speak of our safety and shelter being in God and God alone, but more than that, He has lead me to scriptures that specifically speak of sleeping in peace and protection, without fear.  

I wrote down a list of these scriptures for me to reference when those fears try to come in...and I thought I'd share it with you. I am so thankful for these scriptures, that give us promises of peace, protection, and safety.

Psalm 3:5

I lay down and slept,

yet I woke up in safety,

for the Lord was watching over me.

Psalm 4:8

In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

Psalm 34:7

For the angel of the Lord is a guard;

he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

Proverbs 3:24

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; 

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

God is sooooo good!! 

When My Heart is Overwhelmed

When My Heart is Overwhelmed

Psalm 61:2-4

"From the end of the earth I will cry to you,

When my heart is overwhelmed; 

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For you have been a shelter for me, 

A strong tower from my enemy.

I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;

I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

Selah"

This scripture is just so good! God is a rock, a shelter, a strong tower, and we can trust in Him to continually protect us under the shelter of His wings.  What a great promise of protection!! It is also a great prayer to pray in those times when we feel overwhelmed.   Our hearts get overwhelmed by so many things in this life, but no matter what it is that is overwhelming us, we can cry out to God to lead us to the rock, shelter, and protection that can only found in Him.  

God is so good!!

Are You Ready???

Are You Ready???

This morning as I am studying from the book of Revelations, and I read about all that will take place at the end of the world...I have an urgency to ask one question.  

Are You Ready??  Ready to stand before the Holy God of Heaven?  

God loves each one of us.  He wants us to know Him and have a personal relationship with Him.  God could make the things written in the book of Revelations happen whenever He wants...But He is waiting. Why? Because, He is patient,  He wants to give everyone a chance to turn from their wicked ways, and have a personal relationship with Him.    

  

The Bible tells is in Romans 3:23, that  "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God".  And in Ephesians 2:8&9, it says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

In other words, this is saying that no one is good enough. We cannot go through life trying to do it on our own, we all need a savior!
 

In Romans 6:23, we see that, "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

All of us have sinned (made mistakes) just as Romans 3:23 says; and just as Romans 6:23 says, the wages or penalty for sin is death. But the good news is that God made a way for us!

Look at Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." and John 3:16, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Someone had to pay our debt, so God sent His own Son to set us free. Jesus has paid it all; as a gift for us, for you and for me! All we have to do is receive that gift! It 's there, we just have to accept it. God will not force us to take it...we have to willingly accept the gift of salvation...and here is how to do it:

Romans 10:9-13
"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, 'whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

So to sum it up:
We need to confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead.

If you realize today, that you don't have a personal, everyday, walking hand in hand with God, relationship. And you want to begin that kind of close relationship with God today...I encourage you to pray this simple prayer.  Basically we are doing just what the above scriptures say, we are believing and confessing our belief.


God, I am a sinner, and I know that I cannot save myself. I believe that You sent Your Son to pay the price for me. And I thank you for making a way for me, when there was no other way. 

I believe what You say in Your Word; that Jesus Christ came to earth and lived a perfect life, so that He could die in my place and pay my debts, and I also believe that it didn't end there...three days later He rose from the dead conquering death, and setting me free. 

Today, I want to start my personal relationship with You!  Lord, I ask you to forgive me of my sins, and make me a new person. Lead me as I start out on a new path and help me as I strive to live everyday in a way that shows Your love to the world around me. 

I love you Lord!  

In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!

If you just prayed that prayer, I want you to know that you are now a part of the Family of God...and that there is a huge celebration going on in Heaven, over YOU!  God loves you so much, never ever, forget that!! I encourage you to find a local group of believers, let them know that you are a new Christian, and get plugged in...study God's Word daily on your own, and with your local church...ask God to teach you!  God is so good!! I am so excited to know that you are now walking with Him!! 

He's Pleading For You!

Romans 8:34
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 

 

 Here are the definitions I found for t

he word intersession:

1. an act or instance of interceding. 

2. an interposing or pleading on behalf of another person. 

3. a prayer to God on behalf of another.

Jesus Christ 

the only begotten Son of God, who died and then rose again on the third day, and ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of God...this same Jesus intercedes for us!   What an amazing thought!  No matter what is going on in this world we live in, no matter the situations we face...there is hope because we have the very Son of God pleading on our behalf!   WOW!   

God is so good!! 

Life Lessons

Life Lessons

Here I am about to turn the big 3 0 in a few months, and though I realize I still have much to learn, and many things left in my to do list...I also realize that there are so many lessons I have already learned.  

So here is a list:

• Banging your head on the counter from a hard sneeze, hurts really bad.
• Breaking your toe while doing the chicken dance, also hurts really bad.
• Being made fun of, hurts worse than either of the previous two things.
• The pain of loss, never quite goes away.
• Life is hard!
• When we hurt, God brings us comfort.
• When we are broken, God is our healer.
• When we are down and out, God lifts us up and draws us close.
• When we deal with loss, God becomes our strength, carrying us when we can't walk.
• When life is hard, God is our shield, our protection in every storm.
• God is good! 
• God's love is so amazing, unfathomable, bigger and better than anything we know. 
• God is the creator of the universe, He holds everything together; Yet He also knows the very number of hairs on our heads. 
• God wants to have an everyday, every situation, walking together, personal relationship - with us.
• We were created to love and praise God.
• When we put God first in our lives, everything else will fall into place.
• No matter where we are, what we've done, how good or bad life seems...We all need Jesus!  

I am sure I could put many more things down on this list, however, you don't really want to read that long of a post, and I think I've covered most of the important things already!  :) 

God Is So Good!!

"Help Me Find It"

"Help Me Find It"

There are times in life when you know what you want, you have an idea of how things will probably go, but you don't know the whens, wheres, whats, and hows, of it all.  It is in times like these when we tend to try to figure things out and make things happen on our own.  

I have trouble with this! Especially when I know what the end goal is, but do not know how everything is going to go. More often than not, it is because half of the things that need to take place for the goal to happen, are completely out of my hands.  

But one thing I've come to know, is that the best thing we can do, when we don't know what to do, is call on Jesus! 

God has a plan for us! 

God will work everything out for our good if we are loving and serving Him. 

That is a promise, and God is always faithful to uphold His end of the deal, when we uphold ours! 

So where does that leave us?  

It leaves us with one important job.  

Loving, serving, trusting, and leaning on Jesus.   

As I was driving down the road the other day, praying for guidance and wisdom, I heard this song.  While I am sure I've heard it before, I'm not sure that I've paid much attention to the lyrics.  But I found that this song echoed the cry of my heart, giving me words for the thoughts and feeling I held inside.  

If you find yourself searching, trying to figure things out, I hope you will listen to these words, and make them  a prayer over your life for today, tomorrow and everyday to come! 

Standing In The Threshold!

Standing In The Threshold

Over the past month I've been trying to not only read my daily portion of scripture, but to adjust my schedule, and truly spend time with the Lord...waiting on Him, praising Him, and allowing Him to speak to me.  I've found that life gets crazy.  We all tend to be way too busy!! And all too often, we let the stuff on the to do list crowd out our time with God.  It easily becomes just another thing on the list, something we mark off and feel good about.  

As I've taken more time to spend with the Lord, I've come to realize that every minute spent with Him is so precious. Even just a few moments in God's presence will have a huge impact on your life.   The sons of Korah, wrote a Psalm that says it so well!!

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else]; I would rather be a doorkeeper and stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell [at ease] in the tents of wickedness.

Psalm 84:10

Time with God, is time well spent!  You may feel like it isn't making a huge difference at the moment.  However, when you take time to get into His presence (into His courts), The power and glory of the Lord will make a huge difference in your life.  Your life will be changed even with the smallest touch of God's presence...the glory and all encompassing power of God, is still so amazing even if you're only standing in the threshold.

Part of my inspiration to start placing more of a priority on spending time with the Lord, is from a great book called, "Secrets of The Secret Place", written by Bob Sorge.  Bob makes a statement about our time with the Lord, that I find so inspiring and true: 

"I never consider time invested in the secret place to be wasteful;

and even if it is, I gladly waste it upon my Lord!"  -Bob Sorge

Even when there seems to be a thousand other things pulling at us, needing our attention...spending time with the Lord is always a great investment, with huge rewards!! 

Today I encourage you to find time, make time, do whatever you have to do...to spend time with Jesus!

Which Way Do We Go???

Which Way Do We Go???

My husband and I have been walking through a time of planning and preparing, only to stop at the wait and see.  We have seen door after door closed and are hoping one will open soon for our dreams to become a reality.  As we've walked through this journey together God has taught/reminded us of many things.  

1. He is in control of all things.

2. Everything has a season and a purpose

3. God's timing is always better than ours.

4. No matter what the situation, we can, and should, always trust that God is at work for our good.

5. If you ask Him, He will answer!!

Over and over again we find ourselves praying for God to give us direction, guidance, and wisdom. Especially of late, we find ourselves praying this more and more...and this morning God answered...

As I read my daily Bible reading for today, this scripture just popped off the page, and I knew God was
speaking it to us!

"I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you."  Psalm 32:8

If you are walking through a situation and you just need some help, guidance, direction, or wisdom, go to God!  He is so faithful, and His goodness is beyond words!! 

Fire Drill!

Fire Drill!

This morning a few minutes after arriving home from taking my daughter to school...I heard the familiar sound of  the schools fire alarm...I watched out the back window of our home, as all the teachers and students filed out of the school to their predetermined locations in the field behind our house.  I could recognize the teachers from my daughter's kindergarten class, and knew that among all the kids dressed in bright colors, my daughter was there...learning what to do in the event of a true emergency.  

As I stood there and watched, until they all gradually went back inside...I thought about a couple things.  

1. I was thankful that today's alarm was just a drill, a practice, there was no fire, no true emergency...my kiddo is safe! 

2. I felt gratitude to all the teachers and staff who work so hard to prepare our young children for a true emergency if/when they have one. 

3. I thought about life.  Every thing we do, everywhere we go, the good times and the bad, and how we even as adults could learn much from these kids who are practicing how they will react when the emergency comes.  

We never know what today holds, or how tomorrow will go.  We can however work today, to be prepared and ready for whatever life may bring.  

How? How do we prepare and get ready for something that is unknown?  

By getting to know the One who holds all of our tomorrows. By learning to trust, and lean on God, even in the good times. We must make sure our source of strength, and our source of hope is God and God alone. 

We cannot place our trust and hope in this world, in money, in our job, in the roof above our heads, in the food we've packed into our pantry, or friends and family we love and depend on daily. All of these things are great, and wonderful...but we must realize that all of these things can fail...they can run out, wear out, disappear, or leave us wanting...Only God, the creator of Heaven and Earth...the one who formed the stars, and knows the number of hairs on our head...He and He alone can be our everything. 

 When we come to the place of trusting Him completely, of making Him the source for all we need...the things of this life, the good and the bad, the known and the unknown, past, present and future, will not shake us, will not wear us down, or knock us out. We will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in it's season, our leaves will not wither, and whatever we do will prosper. (Psalm 1:3) We will mount up with wings like eagles, we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) 

Today, right now, this is the time to get ready, to be prepared...to start working on a growing, and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.   Let's dig our roots down deep into God's Word, so that when the storms of life come, we will be planted  so deeply in Him, nothing can move or shake us! 

Build on the Rock!!

Build on the Rock!!

"24 Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." 

Matthew 7:24-29

As a young child I remember learning the wise man and foolish man story, through the children's song...

"A wise man builds his house upon the rock. 

A wise man builds his house upon the rock. 

A wise man builds his house upon the rock, and the rain come tumbling down. 

The rains come down and the floods go up. 

The rains come down and the floods go up. 

The rains come down and the floods go up, but the house on the rock stands firm.

A foolish man builds his house upon the sand.

A foolish man builds his house upon the sand.

A foolish man builds his house upon the sand and the rain come tumbling down. 

The rains come down and the floods go up. 

The rains come down and the floods go up. 

The rains come down and the floods go up, but the house on the sand goes splat."

The incredible thing, is that in all my years of singing this song, and hearing sermons preached on this scripture, and reading this scripture in my own study times, I don't ever remember hearing anyone say/point out, nor did I ever notice, that this scripture doesn't just talk about building the house on the rock. It gives specific instructions on what building your house on the rock means. Look again at the beginning of this portion of scripture, at verse 24.

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:"

So how do we become like the "wise man"?


By listening to Jesus' words and then doing what He said.


It is such a simple concept, and yet so hard to follow through and do everyday.


Just before Jesus spoke these words, He gave specific directions on how we should live our lives. Starting back in Chapter 5 He goes through the Beatitudes; then being salt and light. Next, He talks about how He is the fulfillment of the law; and then on to murder; Adultery; Marriage; Oaths; going beyond the call of duty - the second mile; and loving your enemies. The in Chapter 6, Jesus continues teaching on, doing good; how to pray; fasting; laying up treasure in Heaven; the lamp of the body; serving two masters; worry; And in Chapter 7, judging others; asking, seeking & knocking; the narrow path; knowing people by their fruits; doing the will of the Father; and then building on the rock.


The third verse of the song goes on to say, "So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ." If you ever wondered how to build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ; Or if you ever want to be likened to a wise man...these teachings from these chapters are the sayings of Christ, the very things He wants us to hear, and then do. There is so much in these three chapters... So i encourage you to read them, and pray asking God to help you to see what areas you need to work on. We all make mistakes and fall short, but with God's help, and through the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can study these scriptures and start working to living our lives to honor and serve God!


I don't think there is anything we could do that would please Him more, than living our lives to honor and serve Him.

Romans 12:1

[ Living Sacrifices to God ] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

1 Peter 2:5

you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

A God Near At Hand!

"'Am I a God near at hand,' says the Lord,

'And not a God afar off? 

Can anyone hide himself in secret places, 

So I shall not see him?' says the Lord;

'Do I not fill heaven and earth?' says the Lord."

Jeremiah 23:23-24

In this passage the Lord is talking to Israel and all the false prophets, through Jeremiah.  He is telling them all the punishment their bad choices and false worship will bring.  And He reminds them in these few verses that He is a God at hand, and not a God afar off. 

Today I believe this scripture is for us as well.  So many times we go to church put on the facade that everything is honky dory, but if those we try to deceive could see into our daily lives they would be forced to see just how good at acting on Sundays we really are.  

God is not just a God we sing songs about on Sunday, and forget about the rest of the week.  God wants to have a personal, real, daily relationship with each one of us.  God is not a God afar off! God is right there beside us when we

spread 

that nasty bit of gossip. He is right there with us when we watch that show that uses His name in vain over and over again.  God is with us when we lie to our boss about being sick.  The list could go on and on...All of us make bad decision, all of us have fallen short...and no one is perfect.  Even so, we should do our best to live our lives to honor and serve God.  Not because there is some law, or rule about it in the Bible; but because we are so in love with God.  When we love someone, we want to please them...Are you living your life for your own pleasure? Or are you living your life for God's pleasure?

My hope is that my life, the part seen by all my friends, family, and church family, and the part only seen by God, the secret, hidden parts will all bring pleasure to God.  

How about you???

Let's Pray!

 Father God, I am so thankful that You are not some God afar off...I am so glad that You are here with me every single moment of every single day.  You see the good, the bad, and the ugly, yet You still love me and call me Your child!   Your love is amazing...it is too much for my mind to even comprehend...but I accept it and I thank You for it!  Today I ask that You help me to live my life worthy of Your love, I want every part of my life to bring You glory an honor.  Show me, Lord, the areas of my life that aren't pleasing to You, and give me the strength to make the necessary changes.  I love You so much! You are so good! My words could never express how great You are! Holy, Awesome, Mighty, Gracious, Loving, My Provider, My Healer, My Joy and Strength. You are my all in all! 

Thank You Lord!! 

In Jesus Name, AMEN.

One of You Is a Gossip - By Francis Frangipane

When I read this, I knew I just had to share it! Such a great word!!  If you would like to share this message please make sure you give credit to Francis Frangipane and link back to the ministries website. Be Blessed!!

The following message is adapted from a chapter in Francis Frangipane's book, A House United. 

Available at www.arrowbookstore.com

One of You Is a Gossip

A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends. --Proverbs 16:28

Jesus made a remarkable statement concerning Judas: "‘Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?’ Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him" (John 6:70-71).
To what was Jesus referring when He identified Judas Iscariot as "a devil"? Was He speaking figuratively or factually? Is Jesus saying that a human being could not only have an evil spirit living in his soul, but that a person could actually become a demon?
Some teach that Judas had become so perfectly possessed by Satan that he actually lost his humanity. Before we accept this interpretation, let us remember that after this fallen apostle delivered Jesus up, he felt such remorse for betraying Christ that he committed suicide. Could a demon feel such remorse for sin? I do not think so.
What I believe Jesus is identifying in Judas Iscariot as a "devil" is something that, today, exists unchecked among many Christians:slander. In the New Testament the Greek word diabolos, which is translated "devil" in this text, is translated impersonally elsewhere as a "false accuser," "slanderer" or "malicious gossip." In fact, 1 Timothy 3:11 and 2 Timothy 3:3 both translate diabolos (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, #1228) as "malicious gossip(s)."
In other words, Jesus is not saying "one of you is a devil" in an organic or theological sense, but that one of you is "a slanderer, a malicious gossip." So while the disciples were almost bragging about their loyalty to Christ, Jesus corrected them, in effect saying, "Yes, I chose you, but even among you there is one who is a malicious gossip, whose words will eventually betray Me to My enemies."

Gossip in the Last Days
This problem of gossip in the Church, Paul tells us, will continue right into the end of the age. Listen carefully to what Paul wrote to Timothy about the last days: "Men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips" (2 Tim. 3:2-3), and the list goes on. In the midst of this list of great sins of the apostasy, the apostle includes "malicious gossips." This is the exact same word translated "devil" in John 6:70.
Perhaps you know people who always have something negative to say about others, who always bring negative information about people into their conversations. I pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal to us how "malicious gossip" is kin to the nature of Satan himself!
The Scriptures say that we will be justified or condemned by our words. Yes, our words---even those spoken in secret with a spouse or friend about others---are used by God to measure our obedience to His will. James writes, "If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man" (James 3:2).
Words have power. Scripture reveals that "death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21). Our words, expressed as a confession of faith, bring us into salvation; but words without faith can lead us and others with us into destruction and heartache.
James 3:8 warns, "The tongue . . . is a restless evil . . . full of deadly poison." "The tongue," he says, "is a fire, the very world of iniquity" (v. 6). And James reveals a most profound thought: "The tongue . . . sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell" (v. 6).
Satan gains access to our world, to destroy all that is good and holy in it, through our tongues. The very course of our life, the direction and quality of our earthly existence, is "set on fire by hell" through the words we speak. If we talk negatively about someone or maliciously gossip, the destructive fire of hell itself is released through our words. Lord, help us to understand the power of our words!
I believe God wants to break the power of gossip and negative speaking from the Church. We may have a perfect analysis of what is wrong and why it is evil, yet if all we do is talk about it, we have yet to disavow our allegiance to hell. God calls us to be a house of prayer for all nations---a spiritual community that is mature, fully capable of seeing what is wrong, but positioning itself to release redemption into the world.

If Paul Visited Your Community
Imagine if the apostle Paul came into a typical American city. Do you know what he might say about our divisions? Probably what he told the Corinthians: "I am afraid that perhaps when I come . . . there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances" (2 Cor. 12:20).
Does that remind you of any churches anywhere? Strife? Jealousy? Slander and gossip? How can we approach God with these things existing in us? I believe God desires to give the Church a whole new approach. But we cannot lay hold of the future unless we first let go of the past.
Perhaps you are thinking, "So and so should hear this." Yes, but we must start with ourselves. Pastors must stop talking negatively about people; they need to refrain from "leaking" problems with people into their sermons. Intercessors must stop negative gossip about the people for whom they should be praying. If we discuss what is wrong for ten minutes, let us pray for redemption for twenty.

Judge Not
How do you respond to life’s imperfections? Do you gossip? When you hear of someone’s failure, are you quick to spread the news? If Jesus was looking at the Christians with whom you fellowship, would He say to you what He spoke to His early apostles, that "one of you is a malicious gossip?"
Even if you are not a gossip or slanderer, you must be careful to avoid "fellowship" with gossips. Criticisms incubate. Paul warned that "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" (1 Cor. 5:6). If we walk with the wise, we will become wise, but if we open our hearts to the cynical and critical, then we become like them. That is why Jesus said we were to "take heed" to what we hear. For whatever we intently focus upon, we absorb in abundance (see Mark 4:24).
Thus, we must not even listen to gossip. When God shows us what is wrong in life, it is so we can pray for redemption, not spread the bad news all over town. Prayer has a positive focus. People with Christ’s love have a spiritual vision that causes them to see beyond the imperfections and limitations of the present world into the potential awaiting in the future---and they pray until what they see comes to pass.
Remember: None of us stands perfectly upright. Every time we judge someone, we position ourselves to be judged as well. Indeed, we each continually lean in the direction of our weakness. Only by the grace of God are we kept from falling. The moment we begin to self-righteously judge or gossip about another for their failings, we lean a little closer toward our own fall.
Our actions and words should be motivated by mercy. If we must discuss the situation or individual, let us harbor no malice or ill will. Let redemption be our guide, not revenge. Let us keep ourselves from becoming those who betray the working of Christ on earth. Let us keep ourselves from the realm of the malicious gossip.

Lord, purify my lips with fire from Your holy altar. Father, forgive me for my words that have not always been redemptive. Lord, deliver the Church from the realm of spreading gossip to the work of spreading grace. Help us to be a house of prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.