Waiting on the Lord to Lift me up!

Posted on by

“The Lord will take me up.” Psalm 27:10

confess our iniquityHe had actually called me to walk on a path called Righteousness. My desire to walk upright prior to God was not so that he would accept me because now I started to actually comprehend that He had actually already accepted me. As I continued on this course called righteousness and as His word continued to penetrate my heart I began to totally experience God in my life.

“When my dad and mom forsake me, then the Lord will take me up” (Psalm 27:10). If you were forsaken throughout your youth, ask the Lord to show you if you are still holding on to discomfort or if you responded in a sinful way. Maturation comes as w e are healed of the pain and then start to take duty for our own sinful response

Insights on Preparation – Get the Joseph Report

I matured without a dad’s impact; he was gone most of the time during my childhood. I was unaware that my heart had to be cleansed from the bitterness and anger from years of hurt and disappointments. From the hurt, I evaluated my dad. I was so concentrated on exactly what he had actually done to hurt me that I did rule out how sinful my responses were.

The Holy Spirit exposed to me that I had broken numerous spiritual laws. I dishonored my dad by judging him, and now I was due to reap what I had actually sown. The Lord convicted me that I should forgive him and repent for my sinful response, or I would do the exact same thing to my children.

I quickly repented. In His mercy He raised me up from the bad consequences that had begun to happen. Then He set my feet on solid ground and said, “This is the right means, now walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).

Every day, I tried to walk closer to the Lord. As He exposed Himself and I started to receive His truth, I began to feel like I was scaling a stunning mountain.

My desire to walk upright prior to God was not so that he would accept me since now I began to really comprehend that He had already accepted me. As I continued on this course called righteousness and as His word continued to permeate my heart I began to completely experience God in my life. “When my father and mom forsake me, then the Lord will take me up” (Psalm 27:10).

Do You Know God’s Will For Your Life?

Posted on by

Learning to Trust AgainHave you ever questioned what God’s will for your life is?  God’s Kingdom is distinct and a different way of life. Phil 2:13 says, “It is God in you that works to will and to act according to His excellent pleasure”.

I have actually discovered that I can pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done”, and afterwards resist the work of Christ in me. “Col 1: 27 says, To whom God would make understood exactly what is the riches of the glory of this secret among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”. I had to find out the difference between my will and His. My will includes doing whatever I wish to do, as much as I wish to do it. If I live according to my will, then I will consume all the food I want, invest all the cash I want, then whine since I am overweight and broke. When I abide and submit by His will, then I have criteria and borders. When I surrender my life to Christ and ask Him to be in charge, I am doing exactly what He desires me to do.

Your life will not be complicated if you surrender to God’s plan and will for your life. It is Christ working inside of you, changing your will to do the Fathers will. Take time to read His Word and you will quickly see who you are.

JOSEPH REPORT:  INSIGHTS ON PREPAREDNESS

You are His kid and a beneficiary. You are to live as a successor, a joint successor with Christ. It will alter your plan for the day when you get a look that you are here on planet earth as a beneficiary to develop and keep your Fathers kingdom.

Pray this easy prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in paradise.” Journal as you ask Him to reveal you His will. What does it appear like?

Have you ever questioned exactly what God’s will for your life is? God’s Kingdom is distinct and a different method of life. I am doing exactly what He desires me to do when I surrender my life to Christ and ask Him to be in charge.

Your life will not be complicated if you surrender to God’s strategy and will for your life.

God Prepares You for Your Blessing

Posted on by

“For You make him to be blessed and a blessing for life …” Psalm 21:6

rest in HimDavid said in Psalms 21:6, that God in fact makes you to be blessed. He makes you or simply puts, He prepares you ‘to get’ His blessings so that you can be a blessing to others. Think about it, today He is preparing you for His true blessings!

You resemble a storehouse that He should prepare to pour His true blessings into.   If you are a little 4 room residence He may require you to expand to get a blessing.  You cannot have the “us 4 and no even more” mindset and anticipate God to bless you beyond where you currently are. It could be that where you are right now in your thinking is not huge enough to hold all the blessings God has actually planned for you.

They had to comply with God in order to be prepared for the true blessings. Their storehouse had to be prepared so they would appropriately manage true blessings as God released them.

We are always blessed by God so we can keep the true blessings flowing and be a true blessing to God’s individuals. If you are blessed by God, as Joseph was blessed, it indicates you need to find out the best ways to regulate the true blessing and launch it to God’s individuals at the selected time. True blessings from God suggest He has actually left you with something, and all He asks of you is to be a great steward and correctly keep the blessing.

When God abundantly blesses someone, they are not to be storehouses that accumulate the blessings and state, “take a look at me.” He blesses us so He can use us to pour out true blessings out and share with others. This is completion of the verse from Psalm 21:6, You make him exceedingly delighted with the joy of Your Presence. As we bless others the flow of God’s true blessing continues to stream to us and this is how we become a blessing forever. “Give and it should be offered to you.” Be a blessing to others with the true blessings God has actually entrusted you with.

God prepares you ‘to get’ His blessings so that you can be a blessing to others. We are constantly blessed by God so we can keep the true blessings flowing and be a blessing to God’s individuals. Blessings from God suggest He has entrusted you with something, and all He asks of you is to be an excellent steward and properly keep and share the blessing.

As we bless others the flow of God’s true blessing continues to stream to us and this is how we become a blessing forever. Be a blessing to others with the true blessings God has actually delegated you with.

Pray this prayer…
Dear Lord, It is really my heart’s desire to be a true blessing to others. Help me to prepare myself ahead of time to receive Your blessings. I desire my life to be a storehouse that You fill out so I have plenty to offer to others who require. Show me today what I have to do to prepare myself for Your blessings.

In Jesus’ Name,.

IS YOUR LIFE PRODUCING FRUIT?

Posted on by

“Search me Lord and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting”. Psalm 139:23-24

living waterWe can determine the condition of our heart by observing the fruit of our life. To measure fruitfulness, you can look over the past season or over the past year and see what has been produced. In the fall a farmer looks over the previous growing season to determine the condition of the field.  We can also look at the past year of our life and determine the condition of our heart by looking at the harvest.

Jesus taught His disciples that their life should produce fruit – from 60 to 100 per cent. A fruitful Christian is one that receives God’s Word and the Word that is planted in their heart produces a harvest even up to a 100 fold return. You may have a Word from God, but if it is not given to another in love, it will not produce a harvest. This is why the condition our heart is so important; it determines the fruit we produce. By observing the fruit our life has produced, we can tell what condition our heart is in. Many people, even those in full time ministry, who have unresolved issues in their life, lose their love, joy, and peace and as a result their heart begins to harden.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus describes the various conditions of the heart and explains why each condition hinders a person from bearing fruit. Unhealed hurts and wounds of the past cause a stony heart to be formed. A stony heart blocks and hinders you from forming and maintaining relationships, in the present. It is through forgiving those who have hurt us that we are healed and the stones in the heart are removed. Forgiveness frees you from the offense, the pain, and all fear that come from a painful hurt or rejection. As a result your life will be more fruitful as you walk out your true identity in Christ.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I want my life to produce good fruit. Show me if I do indeed have a stony heart. I have been hurt in the past by___________. I ask You to cleanse my heart of all pain, resentments, and offenses I may have taken. Today, I choose to forgive_________ for ___________. I ask You to remove the stones and give me a new heart that can receive Your Word and become fruitful.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen

How to Find Perfect Love

Posted on by

“Perfect love casts out all fear, for fear hath torment.  And he that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:18

perfect loveWe are created in the image of God and designed to have intimate relationships bound in love.   I guess it would be safe to say we are created with a “need” to love, and be loved.

As an infant, the first time we are touched and held by our parent, our initial experience with physical love is activated.  But, only for a moment.  At the stage of infancy, the ability to hold-on to love has not been fully established.  The ability to hold-on when someone says they are holding you is what we label as trust.  Just as a baby will continue to cry until he/she learns how to trust, we as adults will continue to whine and complain until we mature and learn to trust God completely.

We first learn to trust through loving, nurturing parents.  Since they are our first source of nurturing, we begin to trust them as a source of comfort and “love”.  We trust them to return, even when they are away for a day.  Once trust has been established, they can be away for longer periods of time and we still feel secure and loved.  Their continual flow of love keeps our hearts soft and open to trusting.

Unfortunately, some people never fully experience that sense of trust.  A lack of love due to neglect, rejection or abuse is painful and causes emotions to shut down and their heart begins to harden.  Each time pain is felt, a stone is formed in the heart.    After a period of time, the stones form a wall around the heart for protection against further pain.  A person with a stony heart has a difficult time receiving love from God or others – and also have a tough time offering love to others.  Relationships are difficult, and unfortunately, the very thing that is needed to heal the pain is blocked out.

We all have areas of our heart that are stony due to the fact that we all have been hurt when love did not flow properly from early relationships in our lives.   Sometimes parents are unable to provide the relationship and unconditional love that helps build a soft, trusting heart.  Perhaps their own struggles caused them to have a hardened heart – and unable to love properly.

The fact is, as adults we need to understand that our example of love is Jesus Christ.  Through him our hearts can be softened in order to love others.  Regardless of hurts or lack of trust from early relationships, by opening our hearts to Christ we can love through hurts and disappointments.

Ask God for His perfect love to fill you; for God is the only one who has perfect love, (I John 4:18).

Imperfect love hurts; perfect love heals.

Living Life to the Fullest

Posted on by

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. – Matthew 22:37

fearfully and wonderfully madeI have a class assignment due in the morning. I found it extremely interesting and it got me mulling over some things at a depth I haven’t had “time” to do for a while. I think I’m moving too fast these days… I miss the times when I can just slow down and breathe. I miss abiding in Him, in His presence… resting with Him, being gentle and not SO intense about everything.

The assignment was to get each student to personally think and to then express what this specific statement meant to them. The statement was basically talking about living life to the fullest, having a good quality life, etc.

I’m in the healthcare field, but in a more specific type of field that approaches things more holistically (where every part of a person’s life is interconnected and certain ailments or impairments should not just be viewed as a singular separate issue). I like this approach because, to me, it’s valid.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. – Matthew 22:37 

We are complex creatures. Fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. So it’s no wonder we have to consider all of the complex areas of our lives and how they play into our health. I think the command to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind shows this. It makes me wonder…

Could we just love God with our mind? With just our hearts? With just our soul? Is that a possibility? Or is there something deeper going on that Jesus and God are trying to say?

I have no idea, nor do I want to let my mind try to fathom that at the moment.

I just think that what the point MAY be is simpler than where my complex brain likes to travel, simply… ALL of you. Yes, every element, every ounce, every aspect of your character, every part of you… God wants us to love Him with ALL of us. We have interconnected pieces of who we are. Mind, heart, body, and soul.

I want all of that to be captivated and caught up in who He is, loving Him and being loved back. A good quality of life and living life to the fullest only comes from knowing Jesus and letting Him teach me how to TRULY live, with every part of my little human life.

Preparation Call: A time for Fresh Beginnings

Featured

Posted on by

“Behold, I make all things new.”  Revelations 21:5

dealing with offensesGod declares it is a time for the new things.  Fresh beginnings are upon us.

Many yeast ago, I knew the Lord had actually impressed upon me the need to “PREPARE” and lead my family into what I heard as a “Preparation Call”.  This calling came during a time when things were fine in our Country and our economy was actually pretty strong.  I was perplexed as to why I was being led to prepare.

“I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, I will hold thine hand, and I will keep thee. Behold the former things are come to pass and the new things do I declare before they spring forth I tell you of them.” Isaiah 42:69

I struggled for a long time with what God had laid on my heart.  It just didn’t seem to make sense and I continually asked God for answers.   I didn’t fully understand, but I think part of this Preparation Call was to be willing to learn how to accept God’s instructions in FAITH – rather than by intellectual understanding.

So, I pressed on trying to just come to grips with what God was asking.  I wrestled with it alone not daring to share this crazy notion with my family or anyone else.  I feared that they would assume that I had gone off the deep end and had lost my sense of reality.

But… one day I finally surrendered my flesh as I realized that my job was to follow in Faith, and be obedient to what God had laid on my heart.  I didn’t know the future, but I knew that my steps were ordered by the Lord – and I knew that He would guide my path.

Shortly after that, I told my family that we were going to begin Preparing.  They didn’t know what to think, but figured we were on a new journey.  And for certain, we were.

That day, over 20 years ago, we surrendered to the Preparation Call.  I didn’t know what exactly to expect and certainly didn’t have an exact blueprint of what we would be doing.

There is much more to the story, but we will share more later.  The wonderful fact is… God has done some amazing things in our lives along the journey.   The Preparation call was nothing at all like I imagined but we are definitely understanding more of why God called us to Prepare – and His hand of mercy was on us ever step of the way.

“I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, I will hold thine hand, and I will keep thee.  Behold the former things are come to pass and the new things do I declare before they spring forth I tell you of them.” Isaiah 42:69

We found the Preparation Call to be a time for fresh beginnings.   A brand-new lifestyle, the abundant life of God’s love is feasible for every follower.  When we are obedient to His call and open our hearts to God’s unfailing love, He will bless our steps – even when things just do not seem to make sense initially.

 

 

Abiding in His Presence

Featured

Posted on by

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.   John 15:7

Abiding in His PresenceIn today’s fast-pace and hectic lifestyles we often strive to accomplish our tasks in order to feel accomplishment.   Unfortunately, those busy tasks often cause us to ignore the vital importance of spending time in the presence of God.

The word “abiding” means to remain continuously.  Our need is to abide in His presence continuously and allow His words to remain in us continuously.  Unfortunately, too often we replace  abiding in His presence with other tasks and priorities and become overwhelmed with things of this world – rather than living victoriously in Him.

We can find a deep, comforting delight that just arises from spending time with our Heavenly Father and abiding in His presence.  There are a lot of people who enjoy quite moments alone and perhaps sit by their fireplace in deep meditation!  They may be lonely and hurting.  They might sit alone, however there is someone who is hidden from view, but ever-present and waiting for their reach.  Yet, for some reason, people often do not completely recognize His presence.

Recognizing God’s presence can be limited by the stresses of mind, feelings, physical condition, or even the weather conditions outside.  The rainfall or thick fog outside, the lack of sleep or intense pain, seem to obstruct people from the ability to grasp the fullness of His presence.

We simply need to call upon Him and surrender those moments to really basking in His presence.  He is always faithful to meet us.  As we rest expectantly in God’s presence, the Lord takes control and starts to draw our attention to God’s word and His peace that passes all understanding.  We begin to sense His comforting love as His presence fills our hearts.

There is a deep demand in every one of us to be close to our God.  Abiding in His presence is something to be sought after and not to be stayed clear of. While many try to live our lives according God’s word, our experiences with God will make it all come alive.  The Bible is a book of experiences, of men and women of God throughout history, whose lives were changed with a divine encounter.   Our lives will also be changed as we seek to abide in His presence.

There is more than simply understanding His presence.  The higher important thing is to appreciate His presence and enjoy the precious time with Him.  He is close to you, and His presence is real.  He is always present, a warmhearted friend, and the all-powerful Lord.   He is there to listen to your hurts, fears and disappointments, as-well-as your joys and victories.

This is a joyful reality for hurting hearts everywhere… God is with you, and is closer than ever.  You are not alone, He is always there.  Abide in Him.

Finding Your Destiny

Posted on by

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it”. Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

Find Your DestinyMany people today are trying to find their destiny.  They want to know why they are here, and for what purpose.  Unfortunately, in their quest for answers people often look in the wrong places or seek counsel from the wrong people.

Did you know that your destiny was actually determined even before your birth?  There are many examples in Scripture where God revealed to the parents the destiny of their children.  Mary was told that her son Jesus would be the Savior of the world.  Hannah knew that her son Samuel was called to be a prophet, and she took him to live in the temple with Eli.  God told David that his son, Solomon would be the one who would build the temple.

Today, parents have the same awesome responsibility to call their children into their destiny.  David affirmed his son publicly.  Jesus was also affirmed by God publicly.  At his baptism God said, “This is my son in whom I am well pleased.”

God is our Destiny developer.  What He has called you to do, He will equip you to do.  Over time, as you experience His hand of mercy and grace, He will deposit into you the strength of character to carry out what He has called you to do.  What He has begun in you, He will complete.

Whether we like it or not, part of the journey is dealing with destiny distractions.  There are many, and we must seek God in dealing with these distractions.   These distractions are the things in life that get us off track.  These are the things that we do that lead us in another direction.  Here are some examples of distractions many people face:

  • Some people get easily turned away from their calling by pursuing their own grievances and enemies.  This will ultimately turn the direction of their life completely around from pursuing God’s high calling to their own cause.  This distraction can keep us pulled into a whirlwind for many years which will hinder or delay us from finding our destiny.
  • Another distraction is believing the lies of the enemy. Satan is the father of lies, and he plants lies in you so you doubt that you even have a destiny.
  • Fear is another distraction.  You will fear that you cannot do what God has called you to do, and then give up.

James 4:7-8 “Submit yourselves therefore to God; Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to”

Be bold and search for your destiny!  Ask God to reveal your destiny.

Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Expectations in Prayer

Posted on by

My expectations are from Him. Psalm 62: 5

what is my purposeThere are many examples in Scripture of where Jesus met the needs and expectations of people when they encountered Him during his earthly ministry.  Wherever He went, people would gather to meet Him as they knew and expected that He would meet their need.  We can trust and believe that when we come to God with our prayers in Jesus name, He will hear us and will answer our prayers.

When Jesus walked upon the earth, He reached-out to offer God’s love and mercy for all who would believe and receive.  Jesus always offers peace, love, grace, and healing.  Regardless of the circumstances we currently find ourselves, it is wonderful knowing that Jesus is ready to meet our needs.

The woman who touched the hem of His garment received, as she believed.  He was the answer to her prayer.

A certain nobleman encountered Jesus and pleaded with Jesus that his son would be healed.  The son was close to death.  Jesus told the nobleman to go to his son, and he would find that his body had been healed.  The nobleman left with faith knowing that Jesus had healed his child – and indeed the boy was healed.

Whatever our situation, we too must believe that Jesus will answer our prayers.  We must go to Him expecting that He will hear our plea.  I believe every single prayer, uttered in faith, and led by the Holy Spirit will be answered according to His divine will.

But, we mus also be careful to not reject an answer just because it looks different than what we assume we asked for.  His answer will come – and it will be covered in His love and grace.   We will know that our prayer was answered in God’s loving way.

Expectation is a powerful burst of hope that explodes on the inside to give you strength to hold on a little longer until you see with your own eyes the prayer answered.  So, be watchful with a renewed expectation that the answer to your prayer is almost here.

Above all, never give up!

Believe now that the answer to your long awaited prayer is almost here – maybe only minutes away.  Just hold on to His promise and you will surly see the answer soon.