Perspective

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7 Amplified Bible

Maintaining a right perspective is very important in life. A wrong perspective produces wrong actions, and a right perspective produces right actions.  It is our responsibility as believers to look at every situation from God’s view; by asking ourselves, “How does God view my life? How does God view this situation I am facing right now? What is the big picture?” Asking ourselves these questions will help us keep our minds sound so that we can make wise and sound decisions that we will be proud of later.

A sound mind is a level-headed and well-balanced mind that sees things under the light of God’s truth. Jesus was able to respond properly in every situation He faced because He maintained a right perspective, and the great news is, we have the mind of Christ as born-again believers.

Therefore, we too can do the same ;)

Of Value

“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” Ephesians 4:16, New Living Translation.

No matter how you may feel, you valuable in God’s Kingdom. You are an instrument in His symphony and a beautiful expression of Him in the earth. No more valuable than any other part, but valuable nonetheless.

You are vitally important to your brothers and sisters in Christ whether they realize it or even acknowledge it.

Standard

Dear Righteous woman,

This is our standard of living

Plain and simple!! 

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.”

Ephesians 5:1-13 KJV http://bible.com/1/eph.5.1-13.kjv

Decision

It's takes a daily decision to walk in the freedom we have received. 

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

Galatians 5:1 KJV http://bible.com/1/gal.5.1.kjv

Restore

Only God can take the most broken pieces, the most broken things, the most broken women, the most broken possibilities into something special, good and redemptive 

Peace of mind

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

99.9% of the time, whenever we assume something, our assumptions are usually wrong. When we assume, we are making judgements without knowing the real facts. 

Assumptions have a way in keeping our minds preoccupied all throughout the day, and if we aren’t careful we will create emotions about something that doesn't exist and hasn’t been proven to be true. 

Typically, assumptions are negative and can send a harmful message to our physical body and quite naturally, the body will respond as if everything it feels is real.

Don’t let assumptions ruin you. If you feel it’s important to know something, it is wise to ask. We can’t think on “whatever is true” if we don’t know what is true. We must get the facts so we can have peace of mind.

Escape temptation

To whom much is given, much is required

It's not just that God won't give us more than we can bear; we also, need to resist and flee (escape) from temptation 

#wisdom

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV http://bible.com/1/1co.10.13.kjv

Make the adjustment

“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” Ephesians 4:15 (NLT)

The smallest adjustments in life can make a world of difference. Accept the challenge to make the adjustment that the Spirit of God is challenging us to make. Whether it is in our attitudes, in how we view things, in how we approach things, or adjusting our focus from what we want to what God has said in His word, let's make the adjustment. 

That dynamic and mature woman that is truly living the God-kind of life is not far away. With His supernatural help, we can make the adjustments and be all that He’s called us to be for His glory!

Grace established

Let your heart be established with grace.... 

Such good word!!! 

“Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.”

Hebrews 13:9 KJV http://bible.com/1/heb.13.9.kjv

Daddy to Daughter

“For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song” Isaiah 51:3, ESV.

Take a moment and make every word of this verse your own.

For the LORD comforts me; He comforts all my waste places and makes my wilderness like Eden, my desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in me, thanksgiving and the voice of song.

These words are from God’s heart to encourage and strengthen you. 

If you only knew the depth of His love and how much He cares about every detail of your life. 

He has not left your side or left you comfortless and without hope. He will comfort your waste places. Every area that you may have wanted to give up on because it seemed hopeless, He will enrich and minister healing. 

Those dry and barren places in your life, He will cause them to flourish. He will turn your sadness into joy and gladness. You will see just how good your God is, and you will sing.

All of this, because you are His daughter, and there’s nothing you can do to change how He feels about you! 

Period!!! 

Every good gift

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning” James 1:17, KJV.

So many of us go throughout our entire life trying hard to make others happy, feeling a need to please, and never wanting to disappoint those we love. The reward may be their smile and gratitude, but the consequence is pure exhaustion.

God is the same way. Don’t try to work so hard to win the affection of a loving God that is already fully convinced of His love for you. Ease up on yourself and begin to enjoy the Lord, enjoy your life, and enjoy the relational treasures He has given you. They are rich blessings designed to enrich your life, not add sorrow to it.

Be of good cheer

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NLT)

Real Christians face real trials. If you are facing a real challenge in your life don’t think something is wrong with you or your salvation. Don’t think God has turned His back on you. He is with you and He is for you. 

"But be of good cheer” Jesus said, “I have overcome the world.” Take heart! Take courage! Believe! The Spirit of the living God lives within you and He will teach you how to overcome and how to walk victoriously. You can have peace that God has a plan. You can walk in joy despite your current circumstance. He will use everything you face to grow you, deepen you and strengthen your faith and trust in Him.

#forwardliving #hellofuture

Free to give and receive

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,” Isaiah 61:1, NIV

People with broken hearts will hurt you before you hurt them; reject you before you reject them; leave you before you leave them - All in attempt to protect their hearts from experiencing more pain. 

I’m so thankful God comes after us in our broken state. He’s not afraid of us hurting Him; He’s not intimidated; He heals our hearts, fills us with His love, and reassures us that we’re going to be ok. Then He sends us out to minister healing to others.

You can be healed and can be free to give and receive love. You don’t have to be a victim. You ARE victorious through Jesus. 

Courage

It takes courage
to tell the truth
to follow your heart
to do something alone
to make yourself vulnerable
to leave a longtime love
to trust again
to speak up
to wait on God’s best
to start something new
to admit your own ignorance
to believe things will change
to give expecting nothing in return
to be yourself

Often we find God saying throughout Scripture, “Be strong and courageous.” “Take heart.” “Take courage.” While negative situations come to deflate and discourage us, God gives us the necessary ingredient to face life’s challenges head on—courage. 

Even though you don’t express specifically what you need help with, He already knows. 

Let God give you the courage you need in order to do what you never thought you could do. 

Let Him give you the courage to succeed past your limitations, to face tomorrow, to enjoy life today, to face your fears, to change your world, to face your inner critic, and to embrace the truth of who you are in Him.

Be courageous!!

Relationship

Every real relationship with God begins with a quality decision to let Him into your heart and into your life. 

Your issues and problems don’t scare Him. Your fear and anxiety about everything in your life does not move Him. You are His and He is yours - and that's an everlasting promise... 

And from the moment He entered into your life, the Spirit of God rolled up His sleeves and went to work in changing you from the inside out. His ultimate goal is for you to look like Jesus on the inside and to behave like Jesus on the outside.

Get to know Him by reading His love letter to you—the Bible.
Get to know Him by spending time with Him in prayer, talking to Him as you would to a friend.
Get to know Him by continuing to let Him into every place in your heart and learning what He has to say about every issue of life.

Identity

How aware are you of your identity? If someone asked you who you are, how would you identify yourself? Are you identified by things you have done? By things others have said about you?

We all have made mistakes in the past, but we are not those mistakes....

Receive and abide

“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” (Ephesians 2:4,5, NLT).

God saw greatness when He was forming you and a future so bright. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us His thoughts toward us are of peace, not of evil, to give us an expected end.

So.....Anytime the enemy tries to convince you that God hates you and has it in for you, your confidence is, “No, God’s thoughts toward me are of peace and not evil”. 

It is true!!! God is with you. 

He is with you when you feel stagnant. 

He is with you when you’ve just behaved out of character. 

He is with you when you feel down and unlovable. 

God is right there and He’s not going anywhere.  He is committed even when you aren’t. He is faithful even when you aren’t. Nothing can separate you from His love and nothing can separate you from His plans and purpose for your life.

Now, receive that love and abide in it

Pleasing

“…O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand” (Isaiah 64:8).

I’m sure you have experienced in your lifetime disappointment, heart brokenness, hurt, anger, resentment or rejection. 

Hurtful situations can cripple us to the point to where our walk is no longer the same. Where our views on everything and everyone is now negative. Whether it was a person or a situation, we find that the negative experience has left us marred. 

So how does God respond? He keeps us on His wheel and shapes us until we are pleasing in His eyes. God is fully aware of your marred heart and He wants to make you into a beautiful vessel that He can fully use. 

It’s a gradual process that you may not see with your physical eyes, but with every act of obedience and every decision to cooperate with God, you will find yourself becoming a vessel that is well-pleasing to God.

Trust

Always remember God hears your voice and He knows what you’re going through and He cares about every detail of your life. 

He can and will open great doors for you that have seemed impossible. He will open doors in His timing and will respond to your voice 

Trust in Him.

No limits

“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (KJV)

There are no boundaries, no borders, and no limits to what God can do in your life.  

Just when you think there is absolutely no way out, God comes through for you and makes a way out of no way; He comes in and turns your life and your situation completely around.  

Just when you thought that it was over for your relationships because too many hurtful things had been said and done, God comes in and makes it better than before.  God can repair what’s missing in your life, can bring dead situations to life again, and can do the impossible for you!  

Father,
All things are possible with You.  Nothing is impossible for You to work out, no problem is too big for You to fix, no heart is too hard for You to soften, no life is too far gone for You to resurrect.  I take the limitations off of you now, and I put my trust in Your ability to make a way out of no way for me.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

He is with you, always

The Lord is with us in all circumstances, no matter what each day brings. 

Whether your day is full of health or sickness, joy or sadness, comfort or pain, God’s promise remains for all who believe in Him as Savior: “I am with you.”

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.  For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.   Acts 18:9-11 (NIV)

Instant gratification

What happens when we give in to instant gratification? We give up what’s important for what’s immediate. We want what we want and we want it right now. We don’t want to wait. Waiting’s boring, it’s passive, it’s more fun to get things now.

What this is really all about, is waiting on God. A lot of times God wants us to wait for things, wait on Him because He has something better in store for us

Waiting causes us to trust in God and depend on Him. When we wait on God and His timing, it causes us not to do things on our own, but instead we get the blessing of seeing God at work, His will unfold, and seeing Him make things happen for us.

So what areas of your life do you need to do better at waiting? Where do you need to be more patient and just trust God in His timing?

Purity

Purity is about being clean in what we see, what we say, what we think and how we feel. These things ultimately determine how we act (what we do). It’s an internal state of being “clean” that produces positive outward actions. Purity is what keeps us knowing and doing what’s right.

It's as practical as not getting angry or frustrated or jealous of others, but being patient and happy for them. Or choosing not to swear/speak profane words when you hear others do it, but being clean in the things you say. Or it also could be on the inside not thinking bad things, but keeping your mind clean and only thinking about good things. Or even not looking at or watching things that you know you shouldn’t.

Only you know the areas of your life that you need to clean up a little bit or a lot...

When we can figure out how to live our lives with purity, then we’ll start to act the way God intended for us to act.

Temptation

All of us will be tempted at some point in our lives. We know that even Jesus was tempted. But, it becomes wrong when we give in to the temptation and do something we know isn’t right.

Temptation, always looks good at first. It could tempt us toward something we actually want to do, but in reality, it promises something that it can’t deliver.

When we give in to it, we buy into a lie. Temptation will lead you to do wrong. 

We need to learn to recognize when we’re being tempted to do something that we know isn’t right, and give it over to God. Only He can give us the strength to overcome.

He knows and He cares

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

Way before you realize you have a need, God has already prearranged a provision for that need to be met. 

God knows what you’re going through and He cares. No matter what you have lost, you will see God’s Providence in your life. He will turn your deep sorrow into great joy. 

God desires to fill every valley, every emptiness, every hole that’s been carved in your heart. “No good thing will I withhold from you” says the Lord “I am your sun and I am your shield. 

Confidence

The truth is, you are stronger than you think you are and you know more than you realize. 

When you find yourself becoming unsure, let God give you peace and quiet assurance in your time alone with Him. 

You are who God said you are. You have what God said you have, and you can do everything God said you can do. 

Keep walking with Him and He will turn your uncertainty into confidence.

He loves you!!!

Pressure and decisions

Every decision you make is crucial to your next decision. They all tie in together in the end. 

If under pressure, what you may feel is right for the moment may in fact be a nightmare for your future; and may affect the rest of your life negatively. 

Slow down, pray, process, seek Godly counsel, receive the counsel, weigh the pros and cons, make sure it aligns with God's will over your life.... And then make the choice

It's important to put God first in all you do, so that your ways are directed properly.

There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. http://bible.com/1/pro.16.25.kjv

Rooted and grounded

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” Colossians 2:6-7(NKJV).

We have roots that dig deep into our knowledge of God and who He is in our lives. 

It doesn’t matter what the enemy is TRYING to do, all that matters is what Jesus has ALREADY DONE on the cross! Let us not uproot and give up! We must hold on and become even more rooted and grounded in God’s love. We must plant our feet and be rock-solid believers. We must let His words permeate our heart and soul to the very core of who we are. When we do this, we will see that the enemy will not be able to win in our lives. 

Through Jesus Christ, we are victorious! We are overcomers! We are champions! God is greater than anything we will ever face in this life and with His help we can do all things!

Living by faith

“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38, KJV)

God didn’t design living by faith to give you high blood pressure or to cause you panic attacks. Living by faith is not like a roller coaster that you just can’t wait to get off of.

Living by faith is like resting in a boat where it’s just you and God. He is doing the rowing and you are resting in His promises, resting in His Word, resting in His love as you let Him take you wherever He wants you to go.

The more you rest, the more He navigates you to victory. The more you entrust your entire well-being to God, the greater He can bless you and use you to be a great blessing.

Guard your heart

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (Proverbs 4:23, NLT).

When we read this, we may take the scripture to mean something that God had never intended. Because we have been hurt, we guard our hearts by building walls and not letting people get too close. We keep people at a distance as we put one hand over our heart and stick one hand out to avoid being hurt again.

To guard our hearts the way God intended is to protect something from entering and prevent something from escaping. God wants us to protect our hearts from anything that can come in and contaminate our soul and ruin our life: offense, bitterness, unbelief, pride, etc. All the bad and unhealthy stuff. 

He also gives us the responsibility to guard our hearts by keeping His Word hidden in our hearts. Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21)

He sees you!

Hear this, my sister. No matter what got you where you are, no matter how long you’ve been there, no matter what you see around you or how you feel—God has not forgotten you. 

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. http://bible.com/1/isa.49.15-16.kjv

Slow to anger

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15

Ladies, if we are going to fulfill every detail of God's divine purpose for our lives, we will have to learn to manage our emotions. And in order to manage those emotions, we would first have to confront them.

You may think real believers never get angry, feel afraid, lonely or depressed. Not true! And when you start to feel those emotions, you may begin to think it strange....Because after all Christians are supposed to always be loving and compassionate. 

The Holy Spirit helps us see the emotional side of God. God is slow to anger, which reveals He does get angry, but He doesn’t stay mad. Jesus felt lonely, but He knew God the Father was with Him. Holy Spirit is grieved when we’re disobedient, but it doesn’t change His love for us. Nor does our feelings change who we are in Christ! 

With God’s help we can learn to manage our emotions and operate in a degree of levelheadedness and temperance.

Father God, we thank You for speaking directly into our hearts. We know you have a plan. So, when we feel angry and frustrated, we know you are with us to help us confront those feelings and do the right thing no matter what. 

Faith

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 NIV

Sometimes our only available transformation in life is a leap of faith!

If we keep making excuses, one day we will wake up and there won’t be anymore time to do all the things we’ve dreamed of doing.

Sometimes in order for you to find your true potential you need to attack fear. Trust where God is leading you and move out of your comfort zone. Don’t make excuses. 

Do what you know is right even though it may not be easy. The choice is yours. 

Challenge: Will you remain in the confinement of your box or the endless possibilities with God?

Our refuge

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. http://bible.com/1/psa.46.1-5,7.kjv

Blessed and highly favored

Despite everything that she was about to endure, the Lord called Mary, the mother of Jesus “FAVORED”. Mary was an ordinary girl, but she was chosen, she was humble but very brave. Her tenacity, trust and perseverance was tested to the very core. All eternity was dependent on her response to God’s call. 

Every woman has a distinctive call upon their lives that only they can perform. 

I wonder how many of us would say YES to the call of God on our lives and say NO to the fear that tries to hinder us from becoming everything that God destined us to be.  

I wonder how many people would be positively affected if you would say YES to the assignment designed just for you to execute.

Food for thought... 

The power of release

"Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

When you are set on fulfilling God’s purpose for your life, you must remember to release people and situations to God. Why? Because it will destroy you and will hinder your spiritual progress if you don’t. 

Obey God and release them. You can’t free them by your power. You can’t deliver anyone in your own strength. You can’t change anything about that situation by yourself. You can’t, but God can.

Yes, it’s tough, but you must know that God cares for that person AND for you. 

Give it to Him and stand back and watch Him work.

Delightful living

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. http://bible.com/1/psa.37.4-5.kjv

Trust

“Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait I say, on the LORD” (Psalm 27:11–14, KJV).

Life is filled with ups and downs, hills and valleys, but God has been and always will be faithful to you. He has a specific path especially for you, and He will lead you on it.

Trust that!! 

Precious

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!”  Psalm 103:1 (ESV)

When we look at our flaws, imperfections, it is hard to be positive, isn’t it? Other people may see our good points, but we magnify those outward things we don't like about ourselves. 

Then there is the inside stuff: Our anger; our pride, which rears up when confronted; our stubbornness; and, our bad habits.

When will we realize that we are wonderfully and fearfully made by our Creator who desires relationship with us so much He even went to the cross so He could be with us. God sees us not as we are, but through the eyes of a loving parent. 

He sees the potential of who we can be when we use all the talents He has given us and when we choose to follow His ways. We are precious in His sight—no matter what! 

Trust Him

The hurt you feel today is temporary

It too shall pass

The sorrow deep within isn't going to last

It too shall pass

The pain you experience will soon expire

It too shall pass

You just have to trust and believe God and His word... 

“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully” (1 Peter 5:7, AMP).

Time

Great read:

Time may or may not be the most precious asset we possess. (If you’re scrambling to pay your mortgage or trying to figure out how to afford college, you can probably build a pretty solid case in favor of money.) But time is unique among our commodities.

Every day, every person who draws breath on this earth receives the same amount of time: 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds, depending on which denomination you prefer.

At the end of every day, every person’s allotment is depleted. Time cannot be rolled over or stockpiled. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

Time cannot be stolen or transferred into another account. It cannot be exchanged or refunded.

Time is extremely limited—yet insanely in demand. Think of the things that are competing for hours—or even a few minutes—of your time.

Your job, your commute, your workout, your responsibilities as a friend, neighbor, church member, and concerned citizen, your kids’ practices, games, recitals, and programs, your hobbies and pastimes, your body’s requirements for sleep and relaxation.

So many options, so little time to explore them all.

BUT in all of this, if you put God first, you immediately are maximized! 

Special

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6 NIV

It takes time to create a work of art. If you are a perfectionist, then you want it to be just right before you unveil it to anyone.

 God is no different. Every time He knits a new life together in a mother’s womb, a creation that has never been seen before or since is in progress.

Now you know the intention behind the masters' masterpiece.... Makes you special, right??? 

Face

God is both our King and Father. He is capable of meeting your needs and answering your prayers. But He also loves you more deeply than you can ever know. 

When you seek His face, you end up in a much closer posture to Him. 

Pray today that you will seek God's face and get closer to Him than you ever have before.

Praise

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

http://bible.com/1/psa.100.1-5.kjv

Complain??? No...

When we complain about our current situation, we remain in it; when we praise God in the midst of difficulty, He raises us out of it. 

The best way to start every day is with gratitude and thanksgiving. 

Fill your thoughts and conversation with good things. 

Praise and thanksgiving are good; complaining and grumbling are not good. 

Worship

Matthew 15:1–9 

Worship requires an alignment of our thoughts, attitudes and values with those of God. 

When we go through the outward motions of worship without a genuine inward response to him, we aren’t really worshiping. 

A true friend

Great read! 

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15, NIV).

A true friend defends you and is not ashamed of you. They have a strong emotional bond with you, believes in you and sacrifices for you. In this moment, it is important to ask ourselves, “Jesus calls me friend, but how good of a friend am I being to Him?”

Do you defend Him? While others are making a mockery of the Christian faith, it is important to God that you stand up for Him in this time in which we live. He expects His children to defend the faith. Jude writes, “defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people” (Jude 1:3, NLT).

Are you ashamed of Him? Jesus said, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38, NLT).

Do you have a strong emotional love for Him? When you are in the presence of close friends, you can see their love for each other. God wants us to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength (see Mark 12:30, NLT).

Do you believe in Him? Proof of belief is in our obedience. We must go beyond simply hearing to obeying God and doing what He tells us to do if we are His friends. Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:14, NLT).

Do you sacrifice for Him? The sacrifice God desires is the presenting of our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him which is our reasonable service (see Romans 12:1). Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13, NLT).

Our Prayer: Thank You Father, for making me Your friend. You are faithful to me, help me stay faithful to You. You are my defender, help me defend You. You are not ashamed to be called my God, help me never be ashamed of the gospel. I want to be the kind of friend to You that You are to me and I ask that You show me how. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wisdom

Nothing of value is obtained easily or cheaply. 

That applies not only to substances like precious metals and jewels but also to spiritual attributes like wisdom. If we want wisdom, we must turn our ears, apply our hearts, call out for insight, cry aloud for understanding and look and search for God's way and will.

God gives gifts to those who demonstrate their hunger for them. When we search for wisdom diligently, God rewards us.

Let it go

Back in the day, B.C, you remember getting angry and outraged over petty things and even looking to taking matters into your hands and getting the justice you deserve.... Remember that? 

Now that you've come over those things and now have a better understanding of what the fight is about, who the thief is, and that his intentions are to steal, kill and destroy you.....our responses ought to be different.

When things get tough, when someone wrongs you, when others are mistreated around you... There is no need to go back to that person, especially since the old methods leave you broken still.

Now that you know better, do better.

Pray, let go and let God

Really, it works! 

Yes and amen

God’s promises don’t depend on our being perfect. Though we try and some of us think we are... It doesn't change a thing about God's promise to and over is. 

But when we get tempted to run ahead of God's way and timing, we need to remember to rest in him instead. 

Our good God always keeps his promises.

Brag

Don't ever hold back from sharing what God has done for you. Don't water it down either. 

To believers, it's a moment of imparting faith and encouragement to one another. 

To the unbelievers, it's a gateway into the kingdom of heaven. 

Express your gratitude. Brag on God. Don't bother how weird it may sound....because if you are truly and wholeheartedly living your life for Him, it'll make perfect sense to the people around you.

Brag on God and see what it does with your spheres of influence. 

I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

http://bible.com/1/psa.77.11-12.kjv

Provision

But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

http://bible.com/1/psa.3.3.kjv

If we let this resonate within us, then, we have the understanding that we will never lack! 

My help

Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. 

Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. 

But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

http://bible.com/1/psa.3.1-3.kjv

Great expectations

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out” (Romans 7:18, ESV).

It’s the start of a new year and gyms all across America will see a spike in new memberships. Why? New year’s resolutions, of course!

Some New Year resolution lists include the following: getting in shape, losing weight, putting yourself first, getting rid of bad habits, finally leaving those bad relationships behind or quitting smoking. 

Unfortunately, most of these resolutions don’t last. 

Too often, we do the same thing as we follow Christ. We make big promises about the great things we plan to do for Him and we try to impress Him with our performances. In the process, we tend to forget two important truths:

1. God’s love for us is dependent on His grace and not our performance. 
2. This life is not about what we can do for God but what He can do in and through us.

In this new year, you do not need to ask what you can do for God. The better question is this: What does God desire to accomplish in and through me this year?

That's a much greater expectation! 

Purpose

God never wastes a hurt! 

If you’ve gone through a hurt, He wants you to help other people going through that same hurt. He wants you to share it. 

God can use the problems in your life to give you a ministry to others. In fact, the very thing you’re most ashamed of in your life and resent the most could become your greatest ministry in helping other people. 

Your pain often reveals God’s purpose for you. 

God's grace

Your circumstances cannot change the character of God. 

God’s grace is still in full effect; and He is still for you, even when you don’t feel it. 

For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

http://bible.com/1/2co.1.12.kjv

Don't give in

God is watching over you, so don’t listen or give in to your fears. This is a choice. Trust God!!!! 

God’s promise to believers is that, no matter what happens to us, He is working for our good — if we love Him and follow Him.

In that case, we can stop listening to our fears. There is no difficulty, dilemma, defeat, or disaster in the life of a believer that God can’t ultimately get some good out of. There is no need to fear the future. 
Your fears reveal where you do not trust God.

Trust Him, then sit back, watch to see how He comes through for you.

Persecuted but not broken

Do you sometimes feel lonely? Tempted to be discouraged, misunderstood and criticized unjustly? 

Of course! None of us are exempt from suffering, loneliness, discouragement, or unjust criticism, because God is developing within us the character of Christ, and, in order to do this, he must take us through all of the circumstances in life through which he took Christ. 

Does this mean God causes tragedies? No. God is good, and he will not cause evil or do evil. But God can use dark and stressful times for good. He'll use them to teach us to trust him, to show us how to help others, and to draw us closer to other believers. 

So, what should you do when you’re going through difficult times? 

First, you refuse to be discouraged. Then, you remember God is with you. Finally, you rely on God’s protection and guidance. 

We all go through difficult times. The difference for those who believe in Jesus is not the absence of the shadow but the presence of the Light.

Preparation

The Spirit of God prepares His people for the work with much care and love. He deposits His attributes of love, goodness, and mercy into us and conditions us to produce fruit to carry on in His power and might, preaching the Good News, setting the captives free, healing the sick and the brokenhearted. 

Romans 8:29 says; “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (NLT).

Our Prayer: Lord, Your Word is true and does not return to You void. We will wait for You and trust in You as You prepare us for greater works. For You who began a good work in us will complete it until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Waymaker

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1–2, KJV)

When life is not going well, there is a tendency to look downward. 

In those moments, remember that God is good all of the time and HE has a plan and a way out! We must look to HIS Word to see what He has to say about the situation.

Does it happen overnight? Nope. But every time the enemy reminds you of the trouble, remind him of your Helper and how our God is faithful!

Amen!!!!

Author and Finisher

“Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]…” Hebrews 12:2 (Amplified)

Don’t get bent out of shape wondering how God is going to finish something you had nothing to do with its beginnings in the first place. Rest in the confidence that if He authored it, He will finish it. 

Healing wasn’t on your mind until God promised He will heal you. Wealth wasn’t on your mind until God promised He will bless you.

Trust God and wait on Him. Wait in great anticipation, not anxiety. Wait in great expectation, not worry or fear. If God authored it, He will finish it!

May your faith be strengthened, in Jesus name, Amen.

Un-Deserving

Who is on your gift list this Christmas? Usually, we give gifts to family and friends. We want to buy gifts for people we love and people we care about. We tend to give gifts to those who treat us well, people who are kind and considerate to us. Some of us will even buy gifts for our pets. 

However, we generally don’t buy gifts for our enemies, do we? 

We don’t give a gift to the person who has slandered us in the past year, or to the irate neighbor who never has a kind word to say, or to someone who has tried to run us out of business, nor do we give a gift to that mean boss..

But think about this: when God sent Jesus Christ, His Son, and gave us this ultimate gift, He gave it to us while we were still His enemies. The Bible tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). 

We did nothing whatsoever to merit or deserve this gift. In fact, what we really deserve is judgment, because we all have sinned against God. BUT God gave us his gift anyway! 

Challenge: Will you give an “undeserving"  person a gift this season??? 

Abundance

Recognize the schemes of confusion, doubt, fear, disloyalty, pain, disappointment, rejection, loss of self, despair, low self-esteem, lack of, identity crisis, loneliness, competition, depression etc...

Jesus came to give us a good life and that we might have an abundance of it...that is a fact and a promise. Do not let the enemy rob you of that. 

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

http://bible.com/1/jhn.10.10.kjv

Christmas

Christmas can be a very hard and disappointing time for a lot of people, for many reasons. 

Unfortunately, a lot of people turn to alcohol and drugs, and suicide attempts go up at this time of year. 

Sometimes there is a deep sadness at Christmas because of issues and family problems. For some, their parents have divorced; or their wives or husbands are no longer at home; and some have lost loved ones. There is a real deep pain and their struggle is just as real. 

Remember, that while some are having fun at Christmas, others are going through it. 

Let's not turn away from them, let's show them the love of Christ and how He also has given them the same freedom you have. 

Promise

God will meet you in your everyday, nothing special certain places. While you're simply going through your common routines God wants to meet you. God wants to remind you of your purpose and to the specific promises He made to you.

God will turn your certain places into places of His inheritance, promise; places of His presence.  God will cause your certain places to be marked and named when He's done with you.

Surely the Lord is in this place....

Christmas

On one occasion, when Jesus was twelve years old, He went missing. Mary and Joseph (his parents) lost sight of Him, and it took three days of searching to find Him again. They had been in Jerusalem for the Passover, and as they were returning home, He was nowhere to be found. But here is the interesting thing: they traveled an entire day before they missed Him. It isn’t that they lost their love for Him or their faith. They just lost Him. 

Can this happen to us? The answer is yes. It is possible to go through an hour, a day, or even a week without a passing thought of Jesus. (That is, until a crisis hits.) 

This is the easiest thing to do at Christmas, .....think about it. We are so busy celebrating the birth of Christ that we can forget about Christ.

One way we lose Jesus is when nonessentials displace essentials. When we are busy, often our spiritual lives are the first things to go. We don’t have time to read God’s Word. We don’t have time to pray, even for a moment. We can’t afford to give anything to God because we have so many things to buy. We allow nonessentials to take the place of essentials. 

Whenever I lose something, I retrace my steps. Where did I have it last? I go back to that place, and often I will find it there. 

If you’ve found that you’ve lost Jesus in the busyness of life, then you need to go back to where you were before. And the good news is that even if we lose sight of Jesus, He never loses sight of us. 

#Christmas

Strength

“The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!” Habakkuk 3:19 (AMP)

When you lack courage and confidence, God is your bravery. 

When you feel weak and pitiful, God is your strength. 

When you feel like you are standing by yourself against the attacks of the enemy, God is your invincible army. 

Before the enemy can disqualify you, God has already qualified you. You are who God says you are, you have what God says you have, and you can do everything God said you can do.

Receive it!!!!

Be alert

The Fall is a great example of how the enemy’s lies lead to destruction. 

First, it starts with deception .... And that leads to rebellion ...and before we know it, our eyes are not fixed on Christ. 

We see in Genesis 3, that the serpent was able to shift Eve’s focus off God and his provision. In turn, the lust of the eyes took over and discontentment arose. 

The enemy maneuvered his way into her mind and deceived her. 

It is in the same way (if we give room to it), the enemy deceives us into following our passions or the lust of the flesh. He manipulates us into thinking that we are missing something that is pleasurable. 

However, outside the covenant of God, those things lead to destruction with grave consequences. It is a lie that sex outside of marriage will satisfy you mentally, physically, emotionally and it most certainly will not satisfy you spiritually. If the yearning for love is the basis for your sexual sin; recognize that no love will fill that void except for the love of God.

Prayer

“…The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].”

James 5:16 (AMP)

God hears us when we pray from our hearts. One way to strengthen our prayer life is to pray His Word. 

The Word in your heart

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name”. (John 1:12 NKJV)

There have been many times in your life that, you might have wondered why certain things happen to you; the things you’ve had to face or battle in life.

It is during those times, you will come to realize, that the only thing that will hold you up in such times is your “heart knowledge”. 

This is the word that you have hidden in your heart and meditated upon.  

Unique

Sometimes we find ourselves comparing ourselves to and striving to be like others for many different reasons. 

However, the truth is that God created each one of us differently and uniquely and we should accept ourselves as such. 

God’s glory and purpose is found in each one of our testimonies no matter what we look like or where we come from. And it’s all beautiful! 

Receive this reminder today that you are just fine the way He created you. 

He is within you, and you will not fall.

 

Forgiveness, not payback

It’s hard to forgive, yes....but know this, refusing to forgive those who have hurt you will only make you emotionally (and maybe physically) sick. 

Refusal to forgive keeps you trapped in an anger prison; it leads to a false sense of moral superiority; it poisons and embitters your spirit; AND it motivates Christ to withhold the forgiveness you need (Matthew 6:15). 

Instead, fill your temple with joyful praise and extend the same forgiving spirit He shows you. And know this--no matter how hard that may seem, the Lord will always give you the strength to do what is right.

To forgive is always much more rewarding than payback 

Living with purpose

Live out your life with purpose

Be intentional as to how you will live daily

Abstain from things that will potentially defile you

Learn from Daniel :) 

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

http://bible.com/1/dan.1.8.kjv

Confess

When we pray, most of us are able to take our problems to Christ, but what about our sins? 

If you are in Christ, believe that your sin is gone. (Matt. 27:46 NIV), he entered the wilderness on your behalf. He carried your sin away. Jesus did his part. Now do yours. 

Give God your guilt. Tell Him what you did. Place that guilt on the back of your Sin Bearer. Give it to Jesus with this request: “Will you take this away?” Do this as often as needed. One time, two times, ten times a day? Hold nothing back. No sin is too ancient or recent, too evil or insignificant. Be abundant and concrete in your confession. Go into as much detail as you can, as healing happens when the wound is exposed to the atmosphere of grace. 

Confession, you see, is not a punishment for sin; it is an isolation of sin so it can be exposed and extracted.

Invitation

An open invitation....

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

http://bible.com/1/rev.3.20.kjv

Prayer

As we begin our morning and week, we need to bring our focus to one place....prayer. 

As we commute to church, work or walk the hallways at our schools, we need help. As we wait in the grocery line, His people need help. 

Prayer is really a conversation with God throughout our day. It is our internal voice that directs the external action. 

As we cultivate our inside voice, may it move and shake mountains on the outside! 

Rest

A great thing about Jesus is that he is not just our teacher; He is our guide and our light on the way. Meaning, we will never get lost, because He will always be with us to show us the way forward. 

We may not know what lies a year, a month, a day or even an hour in the future. But it does not matter, for He will always be there, and so we can rest in that sure knowledge.

Amen to that!!