Preparing For Lifes Battles

Joshua 7:10-12 NIV

In Joshua 7 the Israelites were going through a hard time...one of those times when they thought for sure they would win the battle, but instead they were defeated, and discouraged.  The end result being, Joshua and the elders of the camp, laying on their faces crying out to God.  Let's pick up the reading in vs 10...

The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

First off, I want to make sure to point out that Israel was going to fight this battle, the sin in their camp, was not the reason for the battle.  However, the sin in their camp, kept them from victory!

We all have battles we will face.  God has promised to be with us, and to fight for us.  But there is one thing we tend to do, that causes us to loose the battle.  That one thing is sin.  You see when we choose to disobey God, we forfeit God's help in the battle.  

Our pastor has been talking about repentance,  and what it really is. Repentance is deep godly sorrow for what you have done, confessing that sin, and then turning in the opposite direction, no longer continuing in your sin.

We all sin, make mistakes, but when we choose to continue in them, and not truly repent, we are sure to be defeated in the battles of life. 

I encourage you today,  to ask the Lord to search your heart and mind, to show you where there is sin in your life.  God is faithful, and He will show you where the sin is, just as He did to the Israelites. 

The battles of life are tough, we need God's helping hand, so let us prepare ourselves for battle by making sure we are in right standing with our great defender. 

God is faithful to forgive our sins, by His grace and mercy, then He immediately steps into our situation to fight for us. 

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! 

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!!!!

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

Today as I was listening to worship music, the old song Amazing Grace came on...as I sang along suddenly verse three stuck out, as if suddenly someone directed a spot light at it.  These words are so incredibly powerful!! 

"Through many dangers, toils and snares 

I have already come; 

'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far 

And grace will lead me home."

As I sang these words, suddenly I could see how God through His "amazing grace" had brought me through everything up till now.  Some of the "dangers, toils and snares" I know about...I can recall them like they just happened yesterday, some of them were yesterday!  But there are even more "dangers, toils and snares" I don't have a clue about.  Those things that Satan tried to use to bring about harm, only to have God shield me and protect me, without me even knowing about it.  Or those time when Satan set traps to make me fall, and God saw them and redirected my steps.  Times when maybe I didn't understand why I had to go the long way about an issue, but God knew the long way was the best way.  And just as God has been faithful to lead, guide and protect me for the last 30 years, I know without a doubt that He will be faithful to lead, guide and protect me until I finally walk those streets of gold and see my Jesus face to face!! 

God is so good!!

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

Keep The Faith!!

Habakkuk 3:17-19

A Hymn of Faith

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls-

18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The LORD God is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer's feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.

As we go through life we all go through rough places or times...Habakkuk was going through one of those rough times, when he wrote these verses.  Israel was under attack...and when he cried out to the Lord for help, God informed him that the Chaldeans, "A bitter and hasty nation" would come and overtake Israel.  As you might imagine, this was not what Habakkuk was wanting to hear...but the Lord told him to write out the vision and wait for it's fulfillment, for "the just shall live by his faith".  In other words, God is saying, though it may be a long time before you see these things come about, keep watching, keep believing, keep your faith, because "the just shall live by his faith" - If you lose your faith, you surely won't make it!!    

Habakkuk's was afraid when he heard all that God was telling him.  Chapter 3:2 "O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid;"  But in the following verses Habakkuk reminds himself of the glory and power of God.  After 15 verses of remembering the greatness and fullness of God...Habakkuk suddenly is filled with "A Hymn of Faith" And wrote out verses 17-19.   

What can we learn from this? 

God always has a plan, and though we may not always like it, God will get us through the rough places if we keep our faith!!

When the circumstances around us cause fear to rise in our hearts, we need to remind ourselves, of the God we serve, and turn fear into faith.

When we turn fear into faith...we will find the Joy of the Lord, and God will be our strength to get us through the rough spots in life.  

I am so glad we serve a living, powerful, merciful and loving God!!

God is 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!!

Creator, Redeemer, Lover, and Friend...God is good!!

Creator, Redeemer, Lover, and Friend...God is so good!!

God is faithful! 

God always follows through.

God's love never changes!

There is nothing we can do to make Him love us less.  

There is nothing we can do to make Him love us more.

His love for us is constant!! 

All of God's promise (and there are a lot of them) are sure! 

He never fails, He will never give up on us! 

God is bigger than anything we can imagine. 

Greater than anything we can ever comprehend. 

And yet He loves each of us with a love that is so powerful...He sent His son to die for us. 

 So that we could walk with Him and have a personal relationship with Him everyday. 

The God who holds the universe in His hands, wants to walk through each and everyday with us! 

Every circumstance.

Every trial. 

Through the valley and up on the hill top. 

Wherever we find ourselves, we can know that God is right there with us. 

God is waiting for us to turn to Him and include Him in all we do.

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!

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! 

Psalms 91

Psalms 91

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

I love this chapter! God is mighty to save us, protect us, and provide for us.  Not only is He more than able, He wants to do all of this for us.  

Today, I am so thankful that when we place our trust, and hope in God, choosing to take refuge in Him and Him alone, dwelling daily in His presence...all of the promises in this chapter become ours!  

God is so good!! 

If God Is For Us, Who Can Stand Against???

If God Is For Us, Who Can Stand Against???

Exodus 14

The Red Sea Crossing

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. 9 

So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, 

and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. 

So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. 

11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

13 And 

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.

For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 

The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the 

Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.

22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24 Now it came to pass,

in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty;

and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 

Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh 

that came into the sea after them. 

Not so much as one of them remained. 29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.

I absolutely love this chapter!! I have read this story of the great exodus out of Egypt many times, but as I've read through it this last week or so, I could not help but focus on this chapter!  

I can't get past how God lead them to a place where they couldn't continue without His help. And then God used the situation to not only show the Israelites His might, power, and authority...but He also brought down the Egyptian armies and all their chariots and horses in one fell swoop.  

Most of the time when you hear this story the focus in on the parting waters and walking across on dry ground...but there is a lot more that God did, than just part the waters...He shielded the Israelites from the Egyptians with the pillar of fire and the cloud...so that the Israelites had light, and the Egyptians had only darkness.  God cause confusion in the armies of the Egyptians, and He took the wheels off of their chariots.

God in His great goodness, worked such an amazing miracle here, I just can't even comprehend what it must have been like for the Israelites.  It is clear in this passage that they were fearful, and not sure that God would come through.  But that didn't stop God from working on their behalf.  I believe the same is true for us today...God will guide us in the path that is best for us, even when we question why, and don't see how it could work out for good.  God has a plan, and when we can't continue on our own, when we are stuck with no way to go back and  no way forward...The Lord says that same thing to us today as He did to the Israelites, through Moses,  "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today....Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."  

God will make a way, and I believe with my whole heart, when He does, His power and glory, His mighty hand in our lives will be so clearly evident, no one will be able to deny it!! 

So thankful to be a child of God!

What a joy and a privilege to be counted among the sons and daughters of the Most High God!

Where Are Your Thoughts???

Where Are Your Thoughts???

Today as I read in the book of Mark, there is one thing that really stood out to me. Jesus is conversing with His disciples, asking them who people say He is, and Peter boldly states, that Jesus is the Christ. and then just a few minutes later in the same conversation, Jesus and Peter's conversation takes a major change in direction. Read it with me...

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”

28 So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”

29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”

30 Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.  

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 

32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 

33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

It is amazing to me how one minute Peter is speaking words of truth, something that could only have been revealed to Him through the Holy Spirit...and within moments he makes the mistake of rebuking Jesus.  

When I read Jesus' words, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”  It hit me, this is an area we all struggle with!  We worship and praise God with our lips, we declare who He is, and then when we find out His plan is different than how we think it should go, we quickly try to change His mind.  We argue with God, trying to persuade Him that our way would be better.  We very quickly go from Holy Spirit inspired, to speaking words contrary to God's will.  

How do we make that switch?  How do we go from inspired thinking, to contrary thinking?  It's simple, we focus on the things of this world, on our own wants and desires, instead of on God's Word and God's ways.

If we want to make sure that we don't make the same mistake that Peter made, we must be mindful of the things of God, not mindful of the things of man!   

So where are your thoughts today?  Are you focusing on God's Word, God's promises, on things of God?  Or have you allowed the things of this world to come in and distract you?

Let's pray!

Heavenly Father,  We need Your help! We tend to so quickly loose our focus on You, and tend to focus on worldly things.  It is our desire to please You, we want to think on Your Word and to see things from Your perspective.   But we can't do it on our own.  Father, please open our eyes, open our hearts...speak to us and show us your ways.  Lead and guide our thoughts, our words, and our every decision.  You are a great and might God!  We put our trust in you completely! We lay down our own wants and desires, because we know that whatever you have planned for us will far exceed anything we can hope for or imagine! 

Thank You Father!

We ask this in Jesus name!  AMEN.

God Has a Plan!

God Has a Plan!

So these last few weeks have been kind of crazy at our house, and now my oldest is settled into the big girl routine that come with starting Kindergarten, we are almost done with the canning/preserving season, and the new ministry for mom's, we are starting at church, has finally started. It seems like the past few months couldn't have been any crazier or busier!  But out of it all, there is one thing that I just can't get out of my heart and mind, and to be honest, I don't want to!  

No matter what plans we make, or how we think things should go, and no matter how far reality strays from our so neatly laid plans...we can always count on God!  

God has a plan!  He is never surprised by the events, circumstances, trials, frustrating issues or any other thing we may be surprised by.  He knows all about it, and knew way in advance it was coming.  I can guarantee you that though you may think, that you had no warning or preparation to deal with these surprises, God in His great love and mercy, prepares the way. He straightens the path. He makes the mountains shrink, and the valley's rise up.  When you can't see your way out, you can know that the ground under you is firm, solid and level.  God will even carry you when you can't seem to go any further.  

God's love for you, is greater than you can imagine or grasp! Our minds can't even start to comprehend how great God's love is.  

So when God says in Jeremiah 29:11, "I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."

We can trust that He means it! God will go whatever distance is required, just to show you that you are special, beautiful, and loved.  

When we know how much God loves us, it is a whole lot easier to trust and lean on Him.  So, if you get just one thing out of this blog post, I hope it is this - That you are loved, and your life is precious! Whatever you have going on today, give it to God, and trust Him...He knows what He is doing, He has it all planned out.  He will not abandon you.  He wants to give you the future you hope for!

God is so good!!

It's a Good Thing to Hope for Help from God

It's a Good Thing to Hope for Help from God

Life can be rough. We don't always know how we will make it. Things don't always make sense.  But I am so thankful that God is our source, our help, our shelter, our provider, and our healer.  Whatever we need, we can trust God to come through.  I love this portion of scripture, Israel is at it's lowest low...there didn't seem to be any hope, and in the midst of listing out all of the bad things going on, the prophet just had to share the hope that comes from trusting in God.  Whatever is going on in your life, remember "It's a Good Thing to Hope for Help from God".

Lamentations 3:19-36

It’s a Good Thing to Hope for Help from God

19-21 I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,

the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed.

I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—

the feeling of hitting the bottom.

But there’s one other thing I remember,

and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

22-24 God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,

his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.

They’re created new every morning.

How great your faithfulness!

I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).

He’s all I’ve got left.

25-27 God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,

to the woman who diligently seeks.

It’s a good thing to quietly hope,

quietly hope for help from God.

It’s a good thing when you’re young

to stick it out through the hard times.

28-30 When life is heavy and hard to take,

go off by yourself. Enter the silence.

Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:

Wait for hope to appear.

Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.

The “worst” is never the worst.

31-33 Why? Because the Master won’t ever

walk out and fail to return.

If he works severely, he also works tenderly.

His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.

He takes no pleasure in making life hard,

in throwing roadblocks in the way:

34-36 Stomping down hard

on luckless prisoners,

Refusing justice to victims

in the court of High God,

Tampering with evidence—

the Master does not approve of such things.

"Feet Like Fine Brass"

"Feet Like Fine Brass"

Revelations 1:12-17 (vs 15)

12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,

13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.

14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;

15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;

16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last."

Deuteronomy 33:25-27 (KJV)

25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.

26There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. 

27The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

Here are two different scriptures that talk of shoes/feet of brass.  The first one (from today's bible reading) is in Revelations 1 verse 15.  In this verse it is the description of Jesus' feet, as seen by John in his vision while on the island of Patmos. The second one, is from Deuteronomy 33:25. This one is a description of God's protection and provision to help us make it through the rough times coming in our lives. It is a promise!  

I have read both of these scriptures many times over the years, but today the Holy Spirit showed me that the "shoes of brass", in Deuteronomy, are a picture of Jesus working in us, making us more like Him.  This promise in Deuteronomy  is a foreshadow of Jesus' triumph in Revelations.  In Revelations, Jesus has conquered death, He doesn't need "shoes of brass" He has "feet of fine brass". God gave us the promise of "shoes of brass", or victory through Jesus, the one with "feet like fine brass", thousands of years before John had the vision on the Island of Patmos.  What an incredible promise, a promise not only of protection and strength, but the promise of Salvation through Christ, and the ability to become more like Jesus as well!

We don't need to try to go through life on our own strength, Jesus is our strength and He is giving us feet just like His!  Hallelujah!!

Heavenly Wisdom and A Controlled Tongue!

Heavenly Wisdom and A Controlled Tongue!

This week I have truly enjoyed reading from the book of James!  Today, I'd like to focus on James chapter 3.  What great words of wisdom and instruction...I love how James doesn't beat about the bush...He just says it like it is and gives great insight as he instructs us in how we should control our tongue as well as make sure we are lead by heavenly wisdom, not demonic wisdom.  

I think many times we say things without thinking about the effect our words have.  I am reminded that we have the power of life or death in our tongue.  The words we say can help someone to become who God wants them to be, or they can cause a person to get discouraged, and give up.  

We don't always, in fact I dare say, we rarely know what another person has been through and all that is going on in their life.  We may not understand why they are doing things the way they are or why they think the way they think.  I truly believe that the only way we can control our tongue is to use the heavenly wisdom James talks about in this chapter.  I don't believe he was addressing these two things as separate issues, but instead I think he was stating a problem, and then giving the solution.

How do we learn to control our tongues, and make sure we are speaking words of life and not death? The only way we possibly could do this, is through the help and leading of the Holy Spirit.  It is only when we are tuned into the Spirit, listening and leaning on Him to lead us, that we will have the heavenly wisdom and the self-control to control our tongues.  

Lets look at this section from 2 Corinthians...

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 

casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 

and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."

This verse starts out stating that "we walk in the flesh but we do not war according to the flesh"...in other words...we may be dealing with a real down to earth issue with someone or something, but we cannot go about fixing it in our own way.  We cannot depend on our own wisdom or start speaking about the situation without first letting the Holy Spirit lead us. With His leading we will say what God wants us to say, words based on heavenly wisdom not on our own fleshly desires.  We must rely on God, for our weapons are "Mighty in God", not mighty in man, mighty in finances, or mighty in anything else we may try to rely on or fix the issue with...they are only mighty in God!  When we do things God's way, and let Him lead us, even in the little things we say...can have a powerful effect on the final outcome.  Paul goes on to say that the weapons that are mighty in God will "pull down strongholds, cast down arguments, as well as everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God". What is the purpose of all of this? The purpose is to "bring every thought into obedience to Christ"...If every thought is brought to the place of obedience to Christ, then every word will also be spoken in accordance with God's will and God's plan.  Once we have used our Mighty in God weapons to pull down and cast down the things that don't align with God's Word, we will the be ready to help discipline or punish all disobedience, but only after our obedience is fulfilled.  We cannot try to tell other's what they are doing wrong if we ourselves are making the same mistakes. If we want our words to be full of life, to encourage others and to have a positive effect, then we must work to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, in all things.  It also requires that we be willing to let go of pride and admit where we have failed, and ask God to help us to do better next time. We must ask for heavenly wisdom. James says it this way: "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." James 3:17

I don't know about you, but I know that deep down, somewhere is the center of my being, is the desire to always speak out of Heavenly Wisdom, and to allow God to use my words to uplift, encourage, and build up  other people.  I know that I will fall and fail, but I also know that God's grace is enough, and with His help, I can make a difference in the lives of those around me.

Let's Pray!

Heavenly Father, I am so grateful and thankful that you didn't give us a whole bunch of rules and regulation and then leave us on our own to falter and fail.  No, you gave us the law to help us see our need for a Savior, and then you provided that Savior, by sending Your only Son to die in our place.  We are so unworthy of your love, mercy, forgiveness.  But you love us so much, that it doesn't matter.  Your love makes up for our lack.  And You have given us the ability to lean on Your Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance, to help us as we walk this earth.  We can walk daily in the wisdom and grace that can only come from You! What a marvelous gift!! Lord, I pray today that you will daily remind us how much we need to lean on You.  Help us to tap into that Heavenly Wisdom, and speak words of love and life.  Use our lives to show Your love to a lost and hurting world. 

In Jesus Name we pray, AMEN

In Whom Do We Trust?

In Whom Do We Trust?

This week people all across the United States of America are celebrating Independence Day.  As American's we all have been privileged with the freedom and security found in a nation founded on biblical principals...a nation whose money states "In God We Trust".  

So my question today is this...In whom do we trust? Are we trusting in God?  When life has different twist and turns? When life is great and all seems right with the world? or when life as we know it seems to be crashing down around us?  

Who is it we are turning to?  Who do we look to be our healer? Provider? Shelter? Strong Tower? Shield of defense? When we've gone as far as we can go on our own, and there's nothing left to give...Who is it we are really trusting in? 

I've found in my life, that even those times when my faith falters, and I stumble and fall...God is Good, and He always Always ALWAYS is right there beside me just waiting for me to call out to Him.  

Here is a great Psalm that gently reminds us, that our help doesn't come from the hills...you see in Israel the high places, or hills, is where the idols and man made gods where placed.  The Israelites would go up to the hills and high places to worship and burn incense to the false gods.  Here in this Psalm the psalmist is reminding us that nothing man made, nothing set up on the high places in our lives will ever help us or save us...it is God, the creator of heaven and earth, He is the one we should look to for help in every circumstance or situation.

Psalm 121

New King James Version (NKJV)

God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

A Song of Ascents.

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—

From whence comes my help?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore.

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.

Overcome - By Jeremy Camp

Overcome - By Jeremy Camp