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!! 

Jesus Wept.

Jesus Wept.

In the story of Lazarus (John 11:28-44), the women are all gathered together, moaning and weeping and mourning the loss of Lazarus.  And when Jesus arrives on the scene, and sees Mary  and the Jews with her weeping, "He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled" (vs 33)  Then Jesus asked to see where Lazarus was laid, and they replied, "Lord, come and see." (vs 34) and  "Jesus wept."(vs 35)  

There is something special to me about this verse.  "Jesus wept!"   Can you picture that?  Can you imagine Jesus weeping?  His dear friend is dead.  His other dear friends are suffering because of the loss of their brother. And Jesus wept!  

Jesus knew that in just a short time, He would call Lazarus forth from the grave, and Lazarus would come back to life.  Jesus knew how the story would end, the good things coming soon.  But when His friends were mourning, Jesus wept with them.  Why? Why would He weep when He knew that Lazarus would come back to life?  Jesus wept for His friends, the ones living, the ones grieving, Jesus wept for Mary and Martha.  Because Jesus loved them and had compassion on them.  

I believe that just as Jesus wept for Mary and Martha, Jesus weeps for us too.  Jesus knows the future, the good things coming...but when we go through hard times and we find ourselves weeping, Jesus weeps with us! Why? Because Jesus loves us.  Because Jesus has compassion on us.  In our time of loss, in our struggles, in our brokenness, Jesus comes on the scene, and He weeps with us.  

In verse 38 it says, "Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb."  After weeping with Mary and Martha, Jesus went to the place of their sadness.  The source of their pain and He did something incredible!! 

In vs 39, He asked for the stone to be removed and Mary speaks up and says, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Many times we do the same thing...Jesus comes to the place of our pain, our suffering, and He ask us to "remove the stone" or open the door so He can have access to that area in our life, and we are quick to come up with a reason not to remove that stone..."But Lord, there will be a stench!"   "But Lord, it hurts too much!"   But Lord, it's too bad" "But Lord, _________!"fill in the blank with whatever excuse we can find.

Jesus' response to us is very similar to what He said to Mary..."Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  In other words, If you just have faith, if you just believe, you will see the glory of God! 

   

Once the stone was removed, Jesus prays, and then cried in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!  and Lazarus came out of the tomb bound with grave clothes...and Jesus said "Loose him, and let him go!"  When we remove the stone, open the door and allow Christ access to those dark, hurting places of our lives, He calls out to us and brings us back to life.  The areas where we struggle with losses, hurts, sins, or failures, become new with just the sound of His voice.  Then as we struggle with the baggage left over, our "grave clothes" wrapped about us...Jesus says, "Loose him and let him go!"  and Jesus does what He does so well, He sets us free!! 

I don't know what your situation is, what area in your life you find yourself weeping, or hurting, or struggling...but Jesus knows, and Jesus is weeping with you, loving you, and asking you to remove the stone, open the door, and allow Him to bring new life to those dark corners of your heart and life.  Will you remove the stone today??  Will you give Him access?? 

Let's Pray!

Heavenly Father, we thank You that You love us! Even though we fail and fall, though we are broken and scarred, though we make mistakes and mess things up so quickly...You still love us!  You weep with us, You see our mess, our pain and our failure, and You are moved with compassion. We are so thankful!
Today we choose to open the door, to roll the stone away and give You full access to those areas of our lives that are so hurt, broken, sinful and just plain stinky!  No more excuses, no more holding back, today, Lord we give those areas to You, and ask You to bring about new life and set us free from the "grave clothes" that entangle us.  Thank You Jesus for your love and forgiveness.  We love you, Lord! 

In Jesus Name, AMEN

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!!

The Story Of Lazarus

John 11:38-44

Lazarus Raised from the Dead 

38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” 

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said,“Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 

42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 

43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 

44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

I love this story! I remember an old song by Carmen...it tells the story from a little different perspective...Lazarus was dead, he arrives in paradise and he starts telling Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Daniel, King Solomon, King David and many more about how he knew Jesus...but then Jesus starts calling "Lazarus, Lazarus, Lazarus, Come Forth!"  What an amazing and wonderful story...of Jesus' love and compassion, but also of His magnificent power!   

Here is the song by Carmen from way back in 1984 - and oldie but a goodie...Enjoy!

Good Morning Holy Spirit - Chapter 12

Good Morning Holy Spirit

Chapter 12: Heaven On Earth

1.  Do you believe in healing by faith? Why, or why not? If not, state your reasons, not your feelings or emotions.

Yes! It is through faith that we are saved, and it is through faith that we receive healing.  Jesus said, "If you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move!' and it will be thrown into the sea".  Faith (even if only the size of a mustard seed) is an important part of the Christian life, without faith, you will not do anything, including receive salvation!

2. Whom does the Holy Spirit promote through His works? Is it you, God, Himself, or Jesus?

Jesus! The Holy Spirit always promotes Jesus, because believing in Jesus is the key to receiving all that God has for us.

3. What is the source of the Holy Spirit's gifts?

God is the source of all gifts, Jesus is what gives us access to God's gifts and the Holy Spirit is the one who delivers those gifts to us.

4. How do you know when the convicting power of the Holy Spirit is working in your life?

When you find yourself feeling the need to pray...that's the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life.  When you find yourself convicted of sin...that's the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life.

When you are full of joy and just can't help but sing praises to God...that's the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life.

When you find yourself facing a mountain far too big, and you find yourself on your knee's calling out for God's help...that's the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life.

He is the One who prompts us, nudges us, and constantly calls out to us, following us through our darkest hour and even into our brightest day...always making known to us that Jesus is the answer to all of life's problems.

5. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit has been given to you as a guarantee of ____________.

Eternal Life!

6. What is the greatest purpose of the Holy Spirit?

The greatest purpose of the Holy Spirit is to draw people to Jesus...then once we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and lives, to help us to daily die to ourselves, and live in Christ.  He strengthens us, teaches us, comforts us, leads and guides us, anoints us, helps us pray, gives us rest and a whole lot more!!

7. Have you asked the Holy Spirit to come into your life? Have you asked Jesus Christ to come into your life? If not, you can do so right now by praying, "Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner.  I believe that you are the Son of God and You shed Your precious blood on the cross for me.  Forgive me of my sin. Cleanse my heart from all unrighteousness.  I thank you for saving me now. Amen."

If you prayed that prayer just now, you are a new creation, and God and all the angels in heaven are celebrating today because you have become a part of the family of God.  You will never walk alone, your heavenly Father loves you more than words can say...I am so glad I get to call you my brother or sister in Christ! Welcome to the Family!! 

I encourage you to find a local group of believers to fellowship with regularly, and start studying God's Word daily... God has great plans for you!! :o)

Good Morning Holy Spirit - Chapter 3

Good Morning Holy Spirit

Chapter 3: "Tradition, Tradition"

1. What is God's plan of salvation for you?

God's plan of salvation for me and for you start with His only Son, He came and lived a perfect life, then died on the cross, He took the sins, burdens, and sicknesses of the whole world on Himself, and once and for all He paid the price for our redemption.  Because of Jesus' gift, we have the ability to stand before God, to know God personally, and to walk with God daily.  God created each of us for one purpose...to be like Christ.  Once we accept God's gift of salvation, then we start to  learn and grow through spending time in God's Word, and time in His presence, and each day we become more like Jesus.  That is the goal, that is God's desire! 

2. Have you asked Jesus to be the Lord of your life? Have you publically accepted Him as your personal Savior? If so, hallelujah! If not, what is holding you back?

Each one of us, has a need for salvation.  Doing good things, going to church, and trying to be a good person will not save anyone! Our good works are as filthy rags...the only way to be saved is through Jesus.  I remember an old song...

"He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay, 

I needed someone to wash my sins away.  

But now I sing a brand new song, Amazing Grace! 

Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay"

3. Have you been ridiculed because of your Christian beliefs? How does your embarrasment or humiliation compare with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, dying for you?

Yes, I remember times that people who were supposedly friends of mine, would ridicule me and make fun of me because of my beliefs.  I also, have had people choose not to be my friend because they wanted to go and do the things they knew I believed were wrong...so it was easier for them to end the friendship, than deal with the reminder of, the conviction they felt, but were trying to ignore.

4. If your family members reject your Christian beliefs, what can you do? Name three things.

First off, I would pray for them continually...our prayers can accomplish things we could never do.

second, I would make sure to continue to love those family members, despite the mean things they may do to me.

and Third, I would be ready and willing to talk to them about my faith when they are ready.

5. Is there a physical presence of the Holy Spirit that can be seen and felt in addition to a spiritual presence? What would be some signs of that presence?

Yes, the Holy Spirit is very real.  Just as God the Father or Jesus the Son is real, so is the Holy Spirit.  In my life, I've found that the Holy Spirit brings a peace, and healing...when someone spends time with the person of the Holy Spirit, just being around that person, other people feel different; they find themselves suddenly aware of their sin, or their broken heart begins to mend, a person going through a rough time, may find complete peace.  I compare it to the wind...you cannot physically see the wind, but you definitely can see the effects of the wind.  The Holy Spirit is much like that.  Things start happening miraculously, and though you may not see the hands causing these miracles, you know that you have been in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

6. Do you believe the Holy Spirit can heal any affliction?  What is the scriptural proof of this?

Yes, I believe that we are healed by through Christ body, that was broken and bruised for you and me. His sacrifice on the cross not only paid for our sins, but brought healing and restoration to our mind, body and spirit.  We can not only be right with God spiritually, but we can be healed and restored physically and mentally.  

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed."
Isaiah 53:4-6

"who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed."
1 Peter 2:23-25

Friends!

" A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away."

- Arabian Proverb

I had the privilege of joining a fun group of ladies for a girls weekend at the coast.  We laughed, we cried, but more importantly we sat down face to face, we looked each other in the eye, we got to know each other personally, and we grew together.  It was so incredible to see how God would put two women together for a game or project and then to see how their lives connected and touched each other.  The scripture "two are better than one, for if one falls down the other can help him back up" comes to mind.  God is so good to bring people into our lives who can encourage us, and come along side of us to help us along the way.

You see, God doesn't want us to go through life isolated and alone.  He created us to have friends! Some may only be in your life for a short time, others may be there for all time.  Either way, God has put those people in each of our lives for a reason and with a purpose.  

One of the things I realized this weekend is that we can't go through life expecting the friends to just come to us.  Relationships are hard work, we need to be willing to take that first step and reach out in love.  If you are struggling with the friendships and relationships in your life, or the lack of, remember to go the extra mile, send a card, go out of your way to say hi, be the best friend you can be. Just a simple smile may brighten someones day, and that person may just be the good friend you are looking for! 

Unshakable Faith - Day 45:Calling On The Lord

Unshakable Faith

Day 45:Calling On The Lord

1.The Lord knew the end from the beginning, and from the beginning He planned and prepared for our ultimate redemption and restoration from sin. Isn't this amazing?

One of the most humbling and awe inspiring things is sitting down and thinking about all God has made, all He has done to provide, and sustain humankind...His love for us is so great, He is so good.  Here is a song that tells it all so perfectly.

2. Have you been deceived by satan, but realize that the Lord is the author of all good things and repentance is the way back into His mercy?

Absolutely, we all at one time or another fall for a lie of satan, and no matter what the lie, or how great the sin seems to be, Jesus has paid the price, and all we need to do is repent of our sin, and run to God.

3. What are the true riches of the Kingdom?

True riches of the Kingdom are the truth and knowledge of God's ways.  God's ways are so much greater and higher than our ways, we will spend all eternity exploring the riches of His love and mercy!

Unshakable Faith - Day 41: Sin and Depression

Unshakable Faith

Day 41: Sin and Depression

1. Have you suffered from depression?

No, I've never had to deal with depression, though I've had family members and friends who have dealt with it at times.

2. To be delivered from depression is not by having someone accept you the way you are, but by someone loving you enough to correct you so you can do what is right.

Loving someone enough to take a stand and tell them the truth even if it is not what they want to hear is one of the greatest ways you can love someone...Just remember to always speak the truth in love, if it is not said in and with love, it will do more harm than good.

3. Do you know of someone, or the family of someone who committed suicide?

I have heard many stories but I don't know anyone personally who has committed suicide.  It breaks my heart every time I hear about someone who thought the only way to make things better was to end it all...If they only knew that they could turn to Jesus and that God would help them work through the troubles and issues, if they only had the hope that comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus, it would have made a huge difference in their life and the lives of their loved ones.  If you are dealing with suicidal thoughts, please tell a loved one, a pastor or a counselor, get into the Word of God, talk to God, tell Him your doubts, your hurts, your troubles, ask God for guidance, healing and provision...start working on making good choices and decisions...There is hope, and it is found in Jesus!!

Unshakable Faith - Day 40: The Offering

Unshakable Faith

Day 40: The Offering

1. Are you giving to God from your own works or through the blood of Jesus?

No matter how hard we work, nothing we could ever come up with on our own would ever be a good enough gift for The King of Kings...It is easy to get into the mind set of trying to fix things and make things right before turning it over to God, but this never works.  We must come to Him just as we are, and let Him do the work for us.  When Jesus went willingly to the cross, and His innocent blood was shed for us, the price was paid.  It is only through His blood that we can dare to stand in the presence of a most holy God. 

2. The true root of almost every division within the Church is jealousy. Have you seen this happen?

Yes, I have seen jealousy cause great divisions, even close friends turn on each other when jealousy takes root.  We all need to be careful, to recognize jealousy for what it is...and ask God to work on us, to help us to find our worth in Him, not in how we see ourselves compared to others.  We can not go through life trying to be exactly like other people...we need to get to the place where we know who we are in Christ, and we live our lives to please Him, not to compete with someone else.

3. Do you trust in the cross for the ultimate victory?

Most definitely YES! I know myself well enough to know that without the cross, I would be a complete mess.  There is no way I could ever succeed without the work of the cross in my life.  Victory will only come through Jesus!!

Unshakable Faith - Day 38: The Covering

Unshakable Faith

Day 38: The Covering

1. Had you before considered that when the Lord made a covering for Adam and Eve by shedding the blood of an innocent animal, that it was a prophecy of the atonement that Jesus would make by shedding His blood for our sins?

I have read that portion of scripture multiple times, but I never made the connection...what a beautiful way for the Lord to show us His plans and provisions generations before it was to come.  This is a great reminder to me, that God is in control, and He is working in every situation to bring us all to the place of close communion and fellowship with Himself, He loves us enough to go the distance and do the hard work on our behalf, because He wants to be with us for eternity...What a wonder God's Love is!!

2. Have you ever refused to go to the cross and tried to carry the guilt of sin yourself? If so, you are saying that the cross was not enough.

Accepting the gift of forgiveness and salvation through the cross of Jesus, at times can seem almost to easy.  The office supply store known as Staples, has the red "easy button" in all their commercials, in fact you can buy little toy "easy buttons" to put on your desk as paper weights.  But the idea is that when some task seems like too much, or you don't have the time, you just hit the "easy button" and the task is done for you.  Many times in life we think it would be nice to have a real "easy button", but we don't realize that Jesus has given us the best "easy button" ever...all we have to do is call on the name of Jesus...He is enough, He will cleanse us, restore us, heal us, provide for us, and protect us.  I encourage you to accept the gift He has given to you...and stop struggling and trying to do it on your own...We can never do enough, all our good will never out weigh all our bad...We need Jesus!

3. You can have confidence to enter into the very presence of the Lord, not because of anything you can do, but because of the blood of Jesus.

It is only through the blood of Jesus that we find restoration, and redemption...Allow Jesus to cleanse your heart of sin, you will never be the same, those burdens that weigh you down, the cares and worries, the sickness and pain, give it all to Jesus, and let Him make you whole today!

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 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 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 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 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!

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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 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 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 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.