We are all adopted children to a heavenly King. #adoption #TheWord #inspirationfortoday #saved #lampandlight
Showing posts with label Growing your Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Growing your Faith. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
oh for grace to trust Him more
Have you ever had one of those "come to your senses moments"? When you
realize just how far God's mercy and grace extends? I've been reflecting
lately on His powerful hand of protection.
I've made lots of bad
choices, put myself in some scary situations but by God's wonderful
grace I'm still here, still standing.
I don't know how or why he loves
me so much but He does and guess what...?
He loves you too!
Every single bit of you.
I've read it before, "Grace is when God gives us what we don't deserve. Mercy is when God doesn't give us what we do deserve."
I've had this old hymn in my head that last few days:
’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
- Chorus:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
Isn't it crazy that we need grace, (we need help) to trust God more
How do you feel about that?
What do you think about it?
Saturday, November 15, 2014
reflections
A few weeks ago I posted this on my Instagram but now I wanted to re-visit it.
What do worship and working out have in common?
"Thinking about the story of Joseph in the Bible, he truly faced adversity. His brothers were jealous of him when he shared his dream and they wanted to kill him, instead they sold him as a slave, talk about betrayal by ones you love. Later, his boss' wife tried to get him to sleep with her and he refused yet she set him up as if he tried to take advantage of her, talk about being lied on. Then he was thrown in jail, talk about injustice. But even still, while, in jail he helped others out by interpreting dreams and doing what God called him to do. He wasn't focusing on himself and how he had been wronged, he focused on others and went about his business. Even as one of the inmates that he helped out was leaving he told that friend of his to not forget him, and guess what? That man forgot about him...quickly. Then one day, (when it was his time to rise) because of his gift to interpret dreams, he was let out of that jail and placed second in command over the land, talk about favor and wisdom from God! From the prison to the palace, Just. Like. That.
What do worship and working out have in common?
Focus. Perseverance. Commitment. Outcome.
"Thinking about the story of Joseph in the Bible, he truly faced adversity. His brothers were jealous of him when he shared his dream and they wanted to kill him, instead they sold him as a slave, talk about betrayal by ones you love. Later, his boss' wife tried to get him to sleep with her and he refused yet she set him up as if he tried to take advantage of her, talk about being lied on. Then he was thrown in jail, talk about injustice. But even still, while, in jail he helped others out by interpreting dreams and doing what God called him to do. He wasn't focusing on himself and how he had been wronged, he focused on others and went about his business. Even as one of the inmates that he helped out was leaving he told that friend of his to not forget him, and guess what? That man forgot about him...quickly. Then one day, (when it was his time to rise) because of his gift to interpret dreams, he was let out of that jail and placed second in command over the land, talk about favor and wisdom from God! From the prison to the palace, Just. Like. That.
When we surrender our lives to God and stop focusing on the negative going on around us, putting our efforts into what we're supposed to be doing we can find the benefit from every bad experience. Nothing catches God by surprise, He knows all things and He's always working things together for our good. We can also rise from the prison to the palace. #itsnotover #yourdreamsareAWAITING
#stayfocused
I'm excited for you dream chasers out there! Let's partner together to hold each other accountable to our dreams.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
What does Christ's love look like?
Getting to the end of my #lampandlight devotional journal and I can't help but share what is on my heart tonight. Based off Col 3:16
{Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.}
What is the message of Christ?
When I think about His ministry I came up with this:
1. always be about your father's business even if others don't understand
2. pray, fast and worship even if you're doing it alone
3. lay down your life for others even if they will betray you
4. love others unconditionally & pour into them even if they will deny you
5. and love God with all of your heart even if you feel that He has abandoned you
I'm trying Lord, I really am! Let Him work on your inside today.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Encouragement from Paul to the church
A little encouragement from Paul in Philippians 3:14 - 21
In my interpretation this is what he's telling the church:
I'm pushing through the obstacles towards my prize which is heaven, where I want to be, & Christ has made a place for me. All of us who understand the true purpose of our walk need to look at things in this perspective, be heaven minded! And if any of you lose focus God can get you back on track. Let us continue to keep up the pace and live worthy of the life we are called to & not fall back into evil. What we have already achieved live up to that as you press on and press forward. See my example, live that way too and keep your eyes on others that live right. It breaks my heart to see those who live and direct discord with God those who do not make Him known him or reverence his sacrifice, they don't take hold of the power that it has, they live as if what Christ did means nothing to them. Sadly, the Bible says that they are enemies of God. (An enemy is someone who is actively opposed to someone or something.)
Their end will be ruins, their focus is on things that will waste away. But we have set our hearts on heaven, we have made that our home, our place of belonging, our final destination, we have been stamped with the citizenship of heaven. We believe that our Savior is coming back for us and we wait for his return. We believe that God has given him the power to rescue us from our sinful nature and transform us to heavenly glory. Amen!
I'm loving my new devotional it's really helping me to dig deep in my spiritual walk.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Chasing Giants!
Chasing Giants (August 2013 Sermon notes)
Prepare yourself because this post is quite lengthly but it's so worth a read. It's a months worth of sermon notes but my goodness it's good. Push through & grow your faith!
A giant is an obstacle, something harassing us and chasing us. Giants are good because they show me that I'm in the promised land.
A giant is an obstacle, something harassing us and chasing us. Giants are good because they show me that I'm in the promised land.
Chase them, face them, conquer them!
Numbers 13:1-3
"God spoke to Moses: “Send men to scout out the country of Canaan that I am giving to the People of Israel. Send one man from each ancestral tribe, each one a tried-and-true leader in the tribe.” So Moses sent them off from the Wilderness of Paran at the command of God."
All of them were leaders in Israel, one from each tribe. There are 7,000 promises in the Bible, we need to find out which ones belong to us. (Claim what Has been given to us)
Numbers 13:25-27
"25 After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned 26 to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. 27 This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces."
God sent them to get a vision so they can be it. He gives us a picture so we can see it!
The land that flowed with milk and honey....it stands for health and wealth. Guess where the milk & honey are? They are where the giants are.
Numbers 13:28
"But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!"
"But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!"
child of Anak, Goliath came from Anak
Instead of facing the giants they focused on the giants. Focusing on the giants make us weak in our faith, it is cowardice.
Facing them is positioning you to conquer them.
Deuteronomy 7:1
"When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you."
7 giants...7 is the number of perfection...7 giants=the perfect storm
How do you kill a giant? With your faith b/c we are not fighting flesh and blood. People aren't the problem. There are the "We can" people and the "We can't" people.
Face them, chase them, fight them, beat them, and then possess your possession.
We kill a giant with our faith, a giant is a bully.
Giants aren't in the desert and we don't grow where it is comfortable. Either we chase giants or they chase us. We don't focus on our problems, family situations but we FACE it. The best relationships we've got to fight for....
Deut 7:1 (the seven 'ites') perfect storm
Hittite means FEAR
Deut 7:22
"The Lord your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you."
"The Lord your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you."
We conquer the giant little by little. Inch by inch it's a cinch by the mile it's a trial. Daily....
A giant is any obstacle that stands between where I'm at and where I am supposed to be.
In Number 13, when Moses sent the spies to check out the land, 10 came back with a negative report and 2 of them had a positive report.
There are giants in the desert & we don't want to stay in the wilderness forever.
Deut 6:23
"He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors."
"He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors."
Our focus is a determining factor of the achievements that we will accomplish in our life. If we focus on our problems then they grow. [What I am talking about is a reflection of what I'm thinking.] We can either be a lightbulb or a laser. A laser focuses and accomplishes. The Israelites died in the desert b/c it was "comfortable."
God wanted to bring them out to (of the desert) bring them in (to the promised land) but they died b/c they focused on the giants. Their focus was a determining factor of where they ended up. The wealth of the wicked is turned over into the hands of the righteous!
Are we focusing on the giants or God's promises?
There is a giant between the promise & the possession. God wants us in the land of more than enough.....the land of milk & honey. The giants are proof that we are about to enter God's best.
Numbers 13:2
"Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes."
As the leader goes so goes the tribe.
"Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes."
As the leader goes so goes the tribe.
People's number one giant is money.
Our giants are not people.
(Vs 6) Caleb of the tribe of Judah, Jesus & David were both of the tribe of Judah.
Joshua & Caleb were giant killers, they were optimists.
Judah means praise. A life of praise will change our focus, perspective. Praise is the voice of faith, the voice of a giant killer but complaining is the voice of unbelief.
Caleb is a praiser. He held on to the promises of God. He possessed his possessions, he made it through the desert. He ended up in the promised land. He held on to a promise And lived a life of praise.
Hold on to the promise, praise God for it & it will carry you.
Joshua 19:9
"Their allocation of land came from part of what had been given to Judah because Judah’s territory was too large for them. So the tribe of Simeon received an allocation within the territory of Judah."
"Their allocation of land came from part of what had been given to Judah because Judah’s territory was too large for them. So the tribe of Simeon received an allocation within the territory of Judah."
Praise will bring your promise, your inheritance, your possessions.
Praise will bring you too much joy, peace, blessings. A sacrifice of praise, when we praise him we make room for his goodness and when we can't see a reason to praise him then we need to reflect, remember what he has done.
Numbers 13:23
"When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs."
"When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs."
How to kill a giant:
with a grape= the blood of the lamb pomegranate=worship
figs=bread of life
Through the blood we gets new identity to go after our inheritance. We overcome by the blood of the lamb and word of our testimony. Confession proceeds possession. We find out our identity and our possessions through reading the word.
There are 365 times in the bible that God says "fear not" there is a FEAR NOT for everything we face.
Feed your faith & starve your doubt.
Numbers 13:1
"The Lord now said to Moses..."
"The Lord now said to Moses..."
Israel was in the desert b/c of disobedience. God raised up Moses and Moses' name means deliverer.
God's will for my life is to live fearless!
Just b/c I am a Christ follower doesn't mean everything will be given to me, I have to fight the good fight. God promised it but in between the promise and the possession is the GIANT.
How to chase the giant of fear from my life.
Deut 7: 1-2
"When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you.2 When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy[a] them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy."
Deut 7: 1-2
"When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you.2 When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy[a] them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy."
In the land of milk & honey, in the land of Canaan, the land of health & wealth there are 7 tribes:
Hittites is our English word for FEAR so our first giant we have to face in order to have everything God has for us. The first tribe that wants to sit on our inheritance is FEAR.
Changing our focus can chase fear out. Whatever we focus on grows. If I focus on the worst I build fear but if I focus on the best I build faith. [The law of displacement.]
David is of the tribe of Judah, he's a praiser. He reviewed, reflected, reminded himself of what God has done with/for him. The God that helped him kill the bear, the lion, etc.
We chase fear by changing our focus, we get our focus right with our praise life. When we change our focus we invite praise in our life and our fears are scattered.
1 Sam 22:1
"So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there."
"So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there."
The cabe of Adullam is 'refuge'. We can't hear God if we are in discontent. The devil wants us in doubt, in distress & discontent. In the scriptures there are about 400 men, in The Message translation it says 'losers'.
1 Samuel 22:2
"Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men."
"Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men."
Fear & failure are connected when we make a decision out of fear we will fail.
2 Sam 23:1
" These are the last words of David: “David, the son of Jesse, speaks— David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel."
Praise releases grace.
Grace comes as a result of praise.
Grace is what we need to chase giants away from our lives.
Praise & worship release grace.
David wrote Psalm 34 in the cave of Adulum when he was running in fear
David was writing & praising while he was in the cave he was not complaining about his circumstances but he was praising God! David was blessing The Lord!
What comes out of your mouth sets the tone for your house.
Nothing happens 'til I get happy....rejoice in The Lord always!
Psalm 34:1
"I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises."
What we talk about, and/or focus on gets bigger! He chased the giant of fear out of the cave through focus on praise! Faith is an act & action removes fear.
God wants us to live a fearless life.
There is a "fear not" in the bible for every day of my life. Grapes represent the blood or our identification we need to know who we are to use our authority. We don't know our authority 'til we are in Christ and we are only in Christ through the blood of Jesus, our identification. Pomegranates signify worship we chase giants with our worship, full of the spirit. Figs signify the Word, full of Him.
That's the 3 components to chase giants: the blood, worship & The Word!
Numbers 14:6
"Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing."
"Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing."
Milk & Honey= Health & Wealth
3 John 2 says health & wealth is God's will for us. Until we know God's will...faith can not be released. Giants help us grow, w/o them we will coast and not get bigger in God. We run towards our giant b/c we know that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. Giants are proof that I am in the promised land. Giants are my meat, they bring us nourishment. We are bigger & better on the other side of them.
The mindset of Joshua & Caleb....giant chasers, giant killers. We don't compare them to us but to God.
1. We reflect.
David says "the God who helped me kill the bear and the lion...." He was remembering and reflecting & thanking God for what he had done the victories we have overcome with him. Bring God's goodness from the past into the present and it builds us up.
2. We Respond, how we respond will determine our destiny
How would things have been if David ran away from the giant?
3. Readiness. How I respond determines my readiness to receive
4. Receive, receive what you believe
Through reflecting we count it all joy, my readiness determines how I respond and that shows God if I'm ready for a new level.
Numbers 14:8,9
"And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. 9 Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!"
"And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. 9 Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!"
We fight off fear with God's presence & we get God's presence through praise....
Deut 7:2
The 7 tribes that we will fight:
Hittites - Fear
Girgashites-Unbelief
David wrote Psalm 34, 57 while in the cave of Adulum, he was fighting his giants in that cave, he was overwhelmed, weary, fearful and on the run but when he praised God he was transformed he ran away the losers of doubt, distress, discontent
Praise will run out all those things. When Gods presence comes in fear leaves.
2 Samuel 23:1, 2, 16, 20
Benaiah, one of mighty David's men, chased a lion in the winter/snow he jumps in the pit and kills the lion. Transformation happened in his life.
Chase•Face•Kill giants
He was of the 300/30/3 men
Benaiah, his name means "built up in The Lord" How to chase a giant? Build your self up daily in The Lord!!
Colossians 3:16
"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts."
"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts."
*Confession leads to possession*
Joshua 14:6-12
"6 A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, 8 but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God. 9 So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’ 10 “Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. 11 I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. 12 So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said."
To kill a giant we need to know what The Lord says....what The Word says. We need the sword of the spirit. My praise life & holding on to God's promise will get me there.....
We've got to see what's on the other side of the giants, change my focus, see beyond the giants, see the promise because blessing, growth, influence & platform are on the other side of the giant!
David would have never been king without Goliath. How we respond determines our destiny. God won't give me more until I'm ready. Caleb was after hebron for 45 years. He held on to the promise. Hebron means fellowship, communion that births blessing & prosperity. We are going to have to fight for daily fellowship and communion with God but it brings us blessing & prosperity.
God's presence chases the fear out of my life.
2 kinds of unbelief: ignorance & reluctance
One is not knowing & the other is just disregarding.
Unbelief is a thief. It robs me of my future. The antidote for unbelief is speaking words of faith. My mind controls my mouth.
Find out what God has said and I must begin to say it.
I master/control my mind with my mouth. Speak words of faith which are the sword of the spirit. I release belief with what I say, I release unbelief with what I say.
Deut 7:1 [the 7 tribes in the land]
Girgashites means unbelief, unbelief kept them out of the promised land
Hebrews 3:12
"Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God."
"Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God."
Unbelief is evil, it's a thief that will rob me of God's best for me, it hits the door on my destiny. Unbelief, rejects and responds to God without faith. It moves me away from the living God.
Hebrews 3:13-18
"13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.”16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him?"
Kill unbelief with faith, an action plan
Chase the giant of unbelief by speaking words of faith. Get rid of fear with faith, get rid of unbelief with belief. You can start or stop a thought with your word.
My mouth controls my mind...the enemy targets my mind with fiery darts.
*Matthew 6*
He obtain faith by hearing and we release faith by speaking it.
Every morning & night say Phillipians 4:13 ten times
{I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.}
My self talk determines my self esteem/self portrait which determines my confidence which determines my choices.
Matthew 13:58 "And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief."
Mark 4:24 *what you hear*
"Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more."
To kill a giant we call those things that are not as though they were.
*Job 22:26* "Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God."
*Read 1 Samuel 17:7-45*
David declared to Goliath his future
Luke 8:18
"So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them."
"So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them."
Mark 5:25 "A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding."
*she heard* vs 26-28
*she said it* it's not enough to hear it...she had to say it. The woman was always told she couldn't, she would never, she was a woman...etc but she chose not to let the giant of unbelief win...she heard the word of God and said it......
*she believed* Mark 5:28 AMP & vs 29
We need to "say" until we "see" it. We don't need faith for what we've got! We need faith for what are expecting! We cannot pray for faith...it only comes by hearing. We need to continually hear it daily to build our faith.
She..Heard
She..Said
She..Saw
She...Felt
We are to pick up Gods aroma, His scent, his smell by being in His presence
Humility & honor/healing are connected
Deut 7:1-2 the 7 tribes
Hitites- fear
Girgashites- unbelief
Amorites- pride
Canaanites- to belittle or criticize, as Christians people will criticize or try to belittle you, humiliate
Perezzites- represent robbery, theft, the enemy comes to steal, kill & destroy
Hivites-stand for, their name means deception. The enemy is a liar. That's all he has...he deceives us into believing lies to destroy us.
Jebusites- means depression, discouragement
These 7 names/tribes represent spiritual warfare and what we have to deal with throughout our life if we want to pursue Christ.
*Faith never believes for less*
Romans 9:33 AMP
❤Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tested Stone, a precious Cornerstone of sure foundation; he who believes (trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone) will not be ashamed or give way or hasten away [in sudden panic]. [Ps. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11; Rom. 9:33; Eph. 2:20; I Pet. 2:4-6.] (Isaiah 28:16 AMP)❤
New Generation, new leaders, new time...Joshua 1:1-8
"After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ minister,
2 Moses My servant is dead. So now arise [take his place], go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, the Israelites.
3 Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given to you, as I promised Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river Euphrates—all the land of the [a]Hittites [Canaan]—and to the Great [Mediterranean] Sea on the west shall be your territory.
5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.
6 Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good [b]success."
Vs 3 is our authority
(We need to know what God has said)
We cannot know our authority if we don't know our identity in Christ.
Vs 8, meditation brings revelation, God's commandments. Keep God's word coming out of your mouth! Our mouth controls our mind! Our mind moves in the direction of my mouth. When I stop speaking scriptures I lose strength, get weak. Change begins with my mouth....believe in your heart but confess with your mouth. What I say I begin to think and what I think I will believe & what I believe I see & what I see is what I will receive.
When I speak scripture in the morning I gain strength.
2 Cor 10...spiritual warfare starts in the mind
*Numbers 14
*Joshua 1
A filled mind produces a fulfilled life.
But we must fill our minds with God's word through meditation.. Vs 8
There should not be a time when God's word isn't on my mouth b/c my mouth controls my mind which controls my action!!!
We obtain faith by hearing but we release faith by speaking!
Luke 17:6 (say)
"And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you"
"And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you"
*Mark 11:12-14 Jesus is answering the tree which represents giants, obstacles and obstructions in our life. When sickness, when lack comes. We speak to it, we don't listen to it!! We have more than enough, we are healed, we have enough money!
*1 Sam 17:45....Time to declare war!
We destroy our giants by focusing on the faithfulness of God, when we focus on His faithfulness it feeds my faith.
Vs 45-51
David released his faith with his mouth, he told Goliath that he would prevail & he took his weapons, and with God's anointing he prevailed.
2 Cor 10:3 "For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons."
*Ephesians 6:10-18*
7 pieces of the armor of God, 7 is the number of completion & God has given us all the weapons that we need to fight our giants.
1. Loins represent my emotions-truth
2. Breastplate of righteousness
3. Shoes of peace
4. Shield of faith
5. Helmet of salvation- renewing my mind
6. Sword of the spirit- God's word
7. Praying
Pray this armor on daily
Pray much=much power, pray little=little power
Psalm 103:20
"Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word."
"Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word."
Angels harken to God's word being prayed.
Exodus 33:2
"I will send an Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite."
God will send an angel before me to destroy all the tribes against me. When we pray God's word we release warring angels to go before me and release angels.
The angels will fight fear/unbelief/pride/criticism/theft/deception/depression before me! Amen!
"I will send an Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite."
God will send an angel before me to destroy all the tribes against me. When we pray God's word we release warring angels to go before me and release angels.
The angels will fight fear/unbelief/pride/criticism/theft/deception/depression before me! Amen!
Hitites- fear
Girgashites- unbelief
Amorites- pride
Canaanites- to belittle or criticize, as Christians people will criticize or try to belittle you, humiliate
Perezzites- represent robbery, theft, the enemy comes to steal, kill & destroy
Hivites-stand for, their name means deception. The enemy is a liar. That's all he has...he deceives us into believing lies to destroy us.
Jebusites- means depression, discouragement
This is a read and re-read! A constant tool. I hope it blesses you like it does me every time I read it.
Love, Melissa
Thursday, February 27, 2014
What your children need from you...
Romans 1:24-28
{Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.}
Priorities should be:
1. Your relationship with God that comes first
2. Your relationship with your spouse
3. Your relationship with your children
4. Your relationship with your unborn generation(s)
We affect the generations to come with the way that we live now.
What we should pass down to our kids:
-Who God is
-What God has
-What God can do
-Who they are in Christ
-What they have in Christ
-What they can do in Christ
When God was taken out of schools people started putting Him out of their minds. He was no longer a priorty. We must have a relationship with God because we can't take people where we haven't gone, or tell them what we don't know.
God accepts us as we are but loves us too much to keep us that way.
People must feel liked, loved and accepted before they are open to change.
Our self esteem is affected by our relationships both good and bad.....as children of God we need to get our self image, self worth, self esteem from our primary relationship JESUS CHRIST! Not other people in our lives.
When we have an attitude of acceptance in our home that opens the door to something powerful in our children. Growth..
Isaiah 59:21
{As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.}
Teach your children to: Love God's word, Learn God's word, Live God's word and leave a legacy.
You can be a Christian/parent/spouse and not know your word but you can't be a VICTORIOUS Christian/parent/spouse and not know your word.
God has a covenant and wants it to be known. Parents are the best teachers/trainers!
Influence might come into our children's life but when they have a good foundation from what we teach them as parents, they will thrive. They do what we do, not what we say.
Proverbs 6:20-22 AMP
{My son, keep your father's [God-given] commandment and forsake not the law of [God] your mother [taught you]. [Eph. 6:1-3.] Bind them continually upon your heart and tie them about your neck. [Prov. 3:3; 7:3.] When you go, they [the words of your parents' God] shall lead you; when you sleep, they shall keep you; and when you waken, they shall talk with you.}
Proverbs 7:1
{My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.}
The Word...Put it in when you don't need it so that when you do need it, it comes out of you naturally. Don't wait for a problem to happen in order to get into God's Word. Develop a habit of exalting God, learning His Word, treasure it and store it up! We prepare for battle in times of peace. We are to love God's word, learn God's word and live God's word before our children.
Deut 6:1-7
{These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.}
When we have the word on our lips, our children will have it on their lips.
If we praise, our children will praise!
If we talk the word, our children will talk the word.
It's a way of living. It's not duty or drudgery it's a delight.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
When dealing with people.....
..I wrote this about 2 weeks ago and have been chewing on it for a while (gathering my thoughts) and now I feel like this is ready to be posted....
People are like flowers, they might look alike on the outside but, each one has its own beauty on the inside.
We say things that we don't mean.
We commit to things that we don't want to.
We lie to avoid hurting someone's feelings.
We stay shut when we need to speak up.
We lie to avoid hurting someone's feelings.
We stay shut when we need to speak up.
(Is it just me that has struggled with this, ever?)
I'm being real here. I need peace too.
But I've gotten better at it. I realized that it starts with setting boundaries for yourself.
Dig deep to find out what it is that you really want from relationships/friendships.
What are you willing to put up with, stick through and be influenced by?
Be honest with yourself. Not every relationship can be or will be the same.
Be honest with yourself. Not every relationship can be or will be the same.
Does this make sense to anyone out there?
So back to my initial thought.
I've learned that you cannot expect too much from people because we all have the ability to let down, hurt others, and frankly, if we are being honest, we put way too much pressure on our relationships when we expect perfection.
So here is my solution, take it or leave it...
Love hard and love unconditionally.
Do things for people that they wouldn't do for you.
Expect nothing in return (but really).
Expect nothing in return (but really).
Believe the best about people.
Forgive quickly.
Choose gratefulness.
Show grace.
After all, a "problem" could really be just a misunderstanding, a fluke, an accident.
Give grace.
Get grace.
After all, a "problem" could really be just a misunderstanding, a fluke, an accident.
Give grace.
Get grace.
Because when it comes down to it, every relationship in our lives will hurt us, disappoint us, let us down and possibly even end.
But where does that leave us? Shaking our head in disbelief? Tisking the person while saying, "Well, I would never....."? Don't do that to yourself.
But where does that leave us? Shaking our head in disbelief? Tisking the person while saying, "Well, I would never....."? Don't do that to yourself.
That just leaves us upset and bitter.
Don't look for a reason to be mad.
And don't do to others what they would do or have done to you.
I'm reminded of 1 Peter 3:9 "Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it."
Don't look for a reason to be mad.
And don't do to others what they would do or have done to you.
I'm reminded of 1 Peter 3:9 "Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it."
As I like to say, "Don't sling mud!" When someone mistreats you don't retaliate, instead step back, think and respond wisely.
When we choose love, grace, optimism....etc. We release ourselves of the pressure and pain of disappointment.
When we choose love, grace, optimism....etc. We release ourselves of the pressure and pain of disappointment.
Choose to see the person for what they are.....a human made of flesh & blood with the same ability to disappoint as you have.
I read once, "expect anything from anyone....even the devil was once an angel"
It's true, we are created beings, we will never master perfection.
So choose love. After all, the reason why we react instead of respond to a situation is out of pride or out of fear, fear of rejection, fear of being mistreated, fear of being taken advantage of, fear of not having the upper hand, etc. When we respond in love, that changes the game.
So choose love. After all, the reason why we react instead of respond to a situation is out of pride or out of fear, fear of rejection, fear of being mistreated, fear of being taken advantage of, fear of not having the upper hand, etc. When we respond in love, that changes the game.
Even the Bible says that perfect love casts out all fear....so love HARD!
Are you catching my drift?
Are you catching my drift?
Trust me, your life will be a whole lot happier and a lot less stressful.
[Quick testimony] I am writing about this because I have struggled with this for SO LONG. I was sick of feeling the pain of disappointment. I have been used, burned, lied to and left feeling empty in relationships/friendships in my own life, but guess what, I've done it to others too. So one day I sat and prayed and truly evaluated my feelings/expectations and that was when I cried out to God to forgive me for my terrible attitude and for feeling like I was "owed" an apology or something. I promised Him that I would love others regardless of what they had done. I started praying for them in areas of their needs and I began to thank God for healing my heart and restoring relationships in my life (fake it 'til you make it, right?) Haha!
But GUESS WHAT....it happened, one day I felt as if something had literally broken off of me. I was released of pain, guilt, hurts and ill feelings. I felt a peace that I can't even put into words. Prayer really works and if you will listen to God as He guides you through the healing process, you will come out better than if those relationships had fixed themselves...it's a miracle.
What will you choose?
What will be your legacy?
What would you like to have said about you once you leave this world?
Love like there is no tomorrow and today is all you'll ever have.
That's what Jesus did.....that's what we ought to do.
Praying the best for you all & that you could experience God's peace in every area of your life!
Hold on....your healing will come.
Push through....you'll make it too.
[Quick testimony] I am writing about this because I have struggled with this for SO LONG. I was sick of feeling the pain of disappointment. I have been used, burned, lied to and left feeling empty in relationships/friendships in my own life, but guess what, I've done it to others too. So one day I sat and prayed and truly evaluated my feelings/expectations and that was when I cried out to God to forgive me for my terrible attitude and for feeling like I was "owed" an apology or something. I promised Him that I would love others regardless of what they had done. I started praying for them in areas of their needs and I began to thank God for healing my heart and restoring relationships in my life (fake it 'til you make it, right?) Haha!
But GUESS WHAT....it happened, one day I felt as if something had literally broken off of me. I was released of pain, guilt, hurts and ill feelings. I felt a peace that I can't even put into words. Prayer really works and if you will listen to God as He guides you through the healing process, you will come out better than if those relationships had fixed themselves...it's a miracle.
What will you choose?
What will be your legacy?
What would you like to have said about you once you leave this world?
Love like there is no tomorrow and today is all you'll ever have.
That's what Jesus did.....that's what we ought to do.
Praying the best for you all & that you could experience God's peace in every area of your life!
Hold on....your healing will come.
Push through....you'll make it too.
Love hard....you never know who's watching you.
Be an example in all you do.
Philippians 4:7-8 "Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."
xoxo.....Be Blessed....xoxo
Philippians 4:7-8 "Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."
xoxo.....Be Blessed....xoxo
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