God Knows Best

“…But those who ·follow the true way [do what is true; live by the truth] come to the light, and it ·shows [may be seen] that the things they do were done ·through [or in the sight of; or in obedience to;  in] God.” (John 3:21 EXB)

It seems God has placed this specific verse on my heart; unable to sleep I woke at 3am and after watching the clock, trying to convince God that I needed sleep. I was avoiding what God had been stirring in me for the past few days (to write my blog) but at 430am I finally gave in and turned on the light. I grabbed my laptop and Bible, sat down and started to pray for direction, I needed a verse so I could know what He wanted me to write and immediately ‘John 3:21’ was given to me. I know John 3:16-17, but didn’t even know what John 3:21 was about.

After opening my Bible and reading the verse, I was reminded of one of the prayers we had today at our Ladies Prayer meeting – about having a purpose given to us by God, and fulfilling that purpose. In my Bible I read from the New King James Version - Jesus said, “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” The bolded ‘been done’ has a note that says this is from the word ‘ergazomai’ compare to the word ‘energy’, to work, be busy, accomplish something, carry on a trade, produce things, be engaged in, toil, perform, to do business – ‘ergazomai’ is the opposite of idleness, laziness, or inactivity.

I’ve been praying for guidance and specific direction with my business and recently God has shown me what I was seeking. When I first started with Scentsy, it wasn’t meant to be anything more than just getting discounts on warmers and wax for our home, but God has used my business to change me. I’m a shy person, I do not like to step out of my comfort zone, but I soon learned that when I shared Scentsy with people, I was sharing more than just wax – I was witnessing to people. Since I had been writing my blog for a few months when I started with Scentsy, I  felt that God wanted me to have my business cards two-sided with information on my blog and FB page on the other side. I was nervous about sending the business cards for approval, but of course with prayer, my two-sided cards were approved. I took that as further encouragement and began to share more boldly than I had before and began to notice that either I was good at selling or I was blessed (here’s a hint, I’m not good at ‘selling’).

This weekend I went to my first Scentsy event and even though it seemed I shouldn’t go, I had to drive by myself over 300 miles and my husband wasn't comfortable with me going by myself – but God had a plan for that trip. I had some great worship time alone with God, just talking and thanking Him for all He’s done – trusting that He had a plan for why everything worked out as they did. I soon was shown how God wanted to work this event for His glory - sowing seeds and watering seeds among other consultants. I had thought His purpose was just witnessing to customers, so sharing with other consultants hadn’t even occurred to me! I had a guest ticket that I didn’t get to use for the event, so that morning I had posted on the event page that I wanted to bless someone with that ticket. A consultant requested the ticket and when I met her, we talked and she mentioned she homeschooled – so I of course told her I was homeschooling my children as well and felt the need to give her my business card, where I quickly pointed out my blog on the back. She was immediately excited and said she didn’t know we could do such things, she said she wanted to share a scripture on her business cards and catalogs as well. I told her that my card was approved through compliance, so she should have hers done as well! I didn't see her again after that, but I believe that was the whole purpose of our meeting, allowing her to know she can share a verse on her cards so she can sow and water seeds also. Next I met two wonderful ladies, whom I was able to share and talk with over the next 7 hours – I believe I was able to sow seeds with them and it was on the trip home that God shared with me that He can use anything, even my Scentsy adventure for His glory.

What does this all have to do with John 3:21 you might ask, well – everything! God gives us a purpose, He doesn’t change His mind, that purpose stays the same. God wants me to raise our sons as men of God, He’s allowing me to show them how to be a witness to others, how to care for others, and how to walk in the light. Of course, I’ll make mistakes, but I have two boys watching me – keeping me on my toes, so I’m getting much better at apologizing when I do make those mistakes because I want them to learn to do the right thing, even when it’s the last thing you want to do.

Sharing God isn’t about going to church on Sundays, it’s about living for God 24/7, so when I’m ‘working’, I’m still sharing God. I want them to know Colossians 3:23 “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”  We have a purpose, my purpose isn’t Scentsy, my purpose is raising our sons – my work is Scentsy, and I’m doing that as if I was doing it for God and not for me. God is using Scentsy as a vehicle for sharing His message, He is using it as an example of how God can use ANYTHING for His glory, and God will bless us when we put Him in all that we do.

Day 9 of 40 Days of Prayer

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that you sent your son to take our place on the cross. Thank you that although Jesus was without sin, he carried our burdens and died so that we could be made righteous. Thank you for saving us when we were dirty, sinful, and unlovable – transforming us into new creations, cleansed by the blood of your Son and made right-standing, when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We ask for forgiveness of those sins we still make today, sins against you and each other. We pray that each and every child that has been bought and redeemed through the blood of your son Jesus would recognize their God given purpose that you have for them. We pray that every believer would recognize the authority they have in Christ and to receive the blessings that you have already prepared for them. We pray that every nation’s leader would bend their knee and confess that you are their Lord. We pray for the protection, favor and blessings of our country and ask that you would continue to give us your mercy and grace. We pray that as your church, we would go out and make disciples of all the nations, continuing to share the message of your Son and his Salvation. We want to give you all the praise and glory, so thank you God for the love you lavish on your children and thank you for your mercies that are new every day. In Jesus’ name we pray ~ AMEN

Day 7 of 40 Days of Prayer

Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion;

    they will not be defeated but will endure forever.

 Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,

    so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.

 The wicked will not rule the land of the godly,

    for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.

O Lord, do good to those who are good,

    whose hearts are in tune with you.

But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord.

    Take them away with those who do evil.

May Israel have peace!  (Psalm 125:1-5 NLT)

Dear Heavenly Father,  we thank you for your never ending love and your Word that guides us and teaches us. We thank you that you offer your wisdom to those who seek after you and that your Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Lord, we ask for forgiveness of our sins, sins against you and each other. We know we fall short so very often, so thank you for the mercy and grace you freely give us anyways.  We thank you for the protection and blessings you have poured out on your nation, there is a new hope stirring among your children and we know that to you, all the glory is due! We pray for our leaders, for their hearts to be changed, and that your will would be done in their lives. We pray for all the people of our nation, the people who don’t know you as the one and only living God, the people who have abandoned you as their Lord and the people who don't even realize they've left you; we pray that they would seek you out and make you the Lord of their lives again or for the first time. We pray for our nation to awaken from their slumber and arise as a true child of God – humbly seeking your face, repenting of their sins and running to you. We pray that all the people would be stirred by your Holy Spirit, desiring to be in your presence, to share your love and compassion with others. We thank you Lord, we praise you Lord, we want our hearts to be pure before you, we want to honor you and do your will and not our own. Thank you for sending your Son to save us, thank you for the new creations in Christ we have become, we love you God, in Jesus’ name we pray ~ AMEN

40 Days of Prayer

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.    (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT)

I believe God is calling out to His church, calling to His children, calling to the hands and feet of Jesus – a calling to seek God’s face, to humble ourselves, to pray for forgiveness, to turn from the world’s way to God’s way. This call is a stirring in all of our hearts, the tugging of the Holy Spirit to seek God for restoration -not man or the government.

This country was founded on Christian principles, blessed by God because the people sought after God to free them from oppression. In the time since the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, our country has sought refuge in our government instead of God. We have allowed the ‘freedom from religion’ instead of the original purpose ‘freedom of religion’, by remaining silent.  It’s time to declare Jesus as our Lord and not our government; we must seek God as a people, united in the body of Christ.

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT)

Choosing life and blessings means we seek God’s holiness, that we are turning from the world’s way and following God. We make the choice with not just our minds, but with our hearts, we have to turn our hearts to God to receive the blessings He has for us, our children, and our country.  So choose this day, to live for God and not for ourselves, make the heart choice that the Lord will be our master and not this world we live in.

Join me in my ’40 Days of Prayer’ for our nation, beginning September 28 through November 6, 2012 – Election Day in the United States. I believe this is a pivotal event, not just in the USA, but in the world! I will be posting a prayer everyday during the 40 days on my Facebook page, Stir Me UpLord – if you have not Liked my page, please do so and join the event of prayer and share with others.

Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people). (Ephesians 6:18 AMP) 

Standing Up to Your Goliath

45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.46 Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!

47 And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (1 Samuel 17:45-46 NLT)

Talk about motivational speeches, this just gets me ready to conquer the Goliaths in my life! I’m so tired of being attacked by the enemy, he’s relentless in his attacks on God’s children, because he knows we already have won and wants to trick us into thinking we can still be defeated - BUT the truth is, we can’t!

4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.  5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:4 NLT)

Once we have believed and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for mankind’s sins, rose again on the third day and is now seated in Heaven at God’s right hand – we became children of God! We have an inheritance and we are made righteous because of Jesus – not because of us (we could never achieve that on our own).

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.t Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. (Romans 8:14-17 NLT)

That suffering is what the devil brings upon us, but because of Christ we can defeat the devil and the suffering he brings us. Jesus bore the cross, the misery and death for us – but he defeated the devil when he rose again on that third day! So anything the devil brings to us, we can refuse it and kick it back to him. David stood up and without fear told Goliath that he was going to defeat him, not because of who he was, but because of WHO his GOD was! And that’s exactly what we need to do! When the devil attacks, grab a scripture and defeat him with that sword, say it out loud!  When we speak God’s Word over the enemy and the circumstance, we are calling on God’s truth over the devil’s lies and there’s no greater power than the name of Jesus – so believe it and use it!

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 NLT)

So stand up to your Goliath now, whether it be finances, illness, or relationships – speak the Word of God over that circumstance and be free from the bondage that the devil is trying to trick you with.

Jesus has already won, claim the victory and receive the blessings, favor and grace that God has for you!!

10 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11  And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts.12  And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:10-12 AMP)

Lay Those Burdens Down and Pick up GOD's Promises

How often do you pray to GOD to help you with a burden and then after you lay it down, end up picking it back up when something else is added to it? Do you ever pick it up and start worrying over it again, pick it up and think GOD’s too busy for this, I’m sure I can figure something out… Part of the faith walk is leaving those burdens behind and keep trusting in GOD, trusting that in HIS time it will be taken care of.

‘For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’ (Matthew 11:30 NLT)

Walking by faith means trusting GOD no matter the circumstances around us. GOD didn’t put those road bumps, difficulties and pitfalls in our path, but HE can use any situation to teach us what we need in our journey with him.

‘Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from the beginning to end.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT)

Some people insist that their problems are too small for GOD and they don’t want to bother HIM with their ‘stuff’.

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)

In the Greek translation, the word used for ‘all’ is the Greek ‘pas’ and this word is literally translated into ("each, every") means "all" in the sense of "each (every) part that applies." The emphasis of the total picture then is on "one piece at a time."  (ananeóō) then focuses on the part(s) making up the whole – viewing the whole in terms of the individual parts.

Do you see that ALL our cares, ALL our anxieties, EACH and EVERY little detail that makes up our anxieties are to be cast upon Jesus – there is no tiny detail that JESUS wants left out, HE wants us to bring HIM everything to HIM!!

Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). (Psalm 55:22 AMP)

What’s good about starting with the small stuff, is that when we see GOD’s faithfulness in answering those smaller issues, we have built our faith up enough that bringing HIM the bigger issues are second nature and without thought. The faith walk is a trust walk, we trust that GOD will answer our prayers; we lose our worldly way of thinking and begin to think in the Kingdom of GOD  way.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus spoke of the faith of a child? Because a child doesn’t question when they are told something, they believe it, it is fact - period: “You stole my nose!” and/or “Santa/Easter Bunny/Tooth Fairy is coming”.  We are given a whole Bible filled with GOD’s Word and we still have doubts. Doubt is what happens when you’ve lived in the ‘world’ too long – we learn to doubt and we learn to distrust. This world is ruled by Satan and that’s his job, to keep us from receiving all that GOD has for us. When we buy into the enemies lies, ‘miracles are of the past’, ‘GOD doesn’t heal today’, ‘that’s prosperity teaching and it’s not for us’.

If you are a Believer and you believe the Bible is GOD’s Holy Word and that GOD is truth and GOD is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow – then you don’t need to be concerned with the devil’s lies because our GOD is a GOD of miracles, a GOD that heals, a GOD that wants to bless you with an abundance!!

Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. (Luke 10:19 AMP)

In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides] (Ephesians 6:10 AMP)

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. (1 John 4:4 NLT)

There’s our authority, we have Christ in us, we are empowered by the same Spirit of GOD that raised Jesus from the dead! With the Holy Spirit living in us, we are given the Authority of Christ, with that authority we can do all that Jesus told us we could do!

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! (Matthew 10:8 NLT)

Did you see that Jesus told us to heal, HE didn’t say, ‘go pray to GOD for healing, HE said go and heal’! The devil’s greatest deception has been using ‘wolves in sheep clothing’ to tell Believer’s that we can’t have what GOD’s Word ALREADY told us we have!

Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves. (Matthew 7:15 NLT)

Our minds have to be renewed to GOD’s way, not the world’s way, that’s why we HAVE to immerse ourselves in the Bible, immerse ourselves in the promises of GOD and refuse to listen to the lies of the enemy. The devil can’t take from us what is already ours, but he can lie to us and keep us from experiencing the promises that GOD has for us.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.  I will be found by you,” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NLT)

GOD’s promises are so great that the enemy wants desperately to keep us from them, because when he keeps Believers in bondage from his lies, we aren’t able to fulfill all that GOD’s wants to give us and all that GOD has planned for us to bless and encourage others.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge (Hosea 4:6a AMP)

If you renew your mind with the Word of GOD, it will become second nature to you speak out the Word of GOD and to believe it without fail. Faith walking and trust walking can only happen if you keep the Word flowing from your heart so that it pours out of your mouth! Alter your thoughts to GOD’s will for your life, there you will find all the promises that GOD has for you and that is when you see those promises come to be!

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34 NIV)

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. (Romans 12:2 AMP)

Write Your Blessings in Stone and Your Troubles in the Sand

You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me,

For you, O God, are my fortress.

In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me.

He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.

But as for me, I will sing about your power.

Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.

For you have been my refuge,

A place of safety when I am in distress.

O my Strength, to you I sing praises,

For you, O God, are my refuge,

The God who shows me unfailing love.

(Psalm 59: 9-10, 15-16 NLT)

What I enjoy about this Psalm so much, is that even though David is trapped and surrounded by his enemies, he doesn’t dwell on his circumstances. David chose to praise GOD and sing of GOD’s love and acknowledge that GOD is the one who protects him and that he doesn't need to worry.

How often do we need to have that mindset? The famous saying, ‘Don’t tell GOD how big your problem is, tell your problem how big your GOD is’ is perfect for this Psalm. David was surrounded by Saul’s men and they were waiting to kill David, David was trapped, no way out, but he didn’t focus on that; no he focused on his GOD. He sang of the strength of HIS fortress, he sang of the safety of GOD’s refuge, he sang of GOD’s unfailing love.

“The trials of his people will end in joy and praise. When the night of affliction is over, they will sing of the Lord's power and mercy in the morning. Let believers now, in assured faith and hope, praise Him for those mercies, for which they will rejoice and praise him forever.”  (Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary)

I know it’s sometimes easier said than done, focusing on the good instead of the bad. That’s why  this Christian life consists of renewing our minds. 

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NLT)

We had so many years to learn the world’s way of doing things; the world tells people to complain about what’s wrong instead of focusing on what isn't wrong.  Renewing our mind is a one day at a time task, it will take time and it’s something we’ll be doing until we meet Jesus, but each day we can become better at renewing our mind than we were the day before!

The battle begins with our mind, our mind is where thoughts of the enemy are whispered, our mind is the battlefield. We need to daily work on renewing our mind, so we can prevent the enemy from gaining a foothold. The key to renewing our mind is getting GOD's Word into us. GOD's Word is HIS way, not our way; GOD's Word tells us how we ought to think, say and do; it's the instruction manual for our walk with GOD. When we’ve allowed our mind to be renewed and transformed into the way of GOD and not of the world, we will stand out, we will seem different to the world.

    “You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

     We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

     We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.  Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” (2 Corinthians 4:5-9 NLT)

With our fragile and broken clay jars, the light (Jesus’ love) that is within us, will shine through the cracks of our imperfections but illuminate the love of Jesus to those around us.   When the world is living in such darkness, the world can’t help but be drawn to the light! We will stand out;  use the light you’ve been given to draw others to break out of the darkness they are living in.

When we become new creations in Christ, our lives change, we are not the same. We cannot go back to the way we were before, we have to leave the old and renew the mind with the ways of GOD. We can’t go back to despair and emptiness and living in a world so filled with darkness. When we are in Christ, we will have troubles, but we must not focus on those troubles, our focus has to be on GOD. If we stay focused on GOD we will see HIS strength, HIS fortress, HIS mercies, HIS grace, HIS love and then those troubles will seem less and less because of where our focus is; on the GOD who created the Heavens and the Earth, who gave us life, who sent HIS Son so that we would have life and have an abundance ~ that is where our focus needs to be. 

If you'd like to know more about this topic, I found this resource while searching the scriptures for renewing the mind on the 'Christ in You Ministries' website.

Our Words are Either Blessings or Curses

Last year my husband and I decided to build a new house, our oldest son was going to be starting Jr. High that fall and we knew if we didn’t move to another area he would be going to a school that had many gangs and a lot of drug problems. We found the lot in the neighborhood that I had been dreaming of moving into, we found the perfect floor plan and put down our earnest money. Once my husband returned to work (he works overseas) I was having a hard time sleeping, thinking of not being able to sell our current house, finance issues, etc. I woke up one night and sent my husband an IM and by ‘chance’ he was in his room and asked why I was awake, I explained my mind wouldn’t turn off and we began to talk, after a few minutes I realized what was really bothering me – we had never prayed and asked GOD if buying this house was HIS will, and we needed to repent (you see we had come to an agreement a few years prior, that all major purchases we would seek GOD’s will and not ours, to help keep our flesh under control). So we both prayed and like a weight lifted off me, I felt peace, I knew GOD was going to bless us with this new house, I knew that no matter what happened during this process, that we had GOD’s blessings and that we were to get this house.

I had decided that as a new stay at home Mom (I had always worked and just ‘retired’ a few months prior) that our new house would be the home that all the kids could hang out at. I would know what my kids were doing and who they were hanging out with. I would take the neighborhood kids to church with us on Wednesdays and Sundays, our house was not only going to be a blessing to us, but to those around us.

We put down almost all our savings on the house after the financing was approved, but after we put that money down we started having issues with financing the closer we got to completion of the house, it became very nerve wracking. Everybody we talked to said we couldn’t finance because of my husbands income was foreign income in a war zone (lots of technicalities about the laws changed that January). We didn’t have a single showing on the other house either, now our other home was beautiful, we loved it and it really was a great home, but not a single person inquired about it from January until May. So here I have a few major issues going against us in the buying of our new home, but I had that promise from GOD, so even though the world was telling me NO, I remembered GOD had told me YES!

When people would ask how the showing was on the old house or how the new house was, I just kept speaking words of faith and saying everything was going to be perfect, this house was going to be a blessing to us and we were going to be blessing whomever bought our other house. We had already decided we were not trying to make a profit on the other house, we listed it only for what we owed on the house and were going to be giving them all the appliances and some furniture as well.

At our final walk through of the new house, I received a call from the loan officer and was told that they wouldn't be able to help us get the house. Well, I didn’t believe that was the final word, so my husband and I went up and talked to him, and he went to the President of the bank and he signed off on the loan for us!

We moved into our new home and blessings were still abundant, we decided to rent out the other house and maybe do a lease to own financing. It took a few months, but we found the perfect family for our other house, but at this point my words changed. People would ask how the new house was and I stopped blessing it and began cursing it – I would say, "well, it’s great, BUT you know we put all our savings into it and we still have the other house and now I’m making two mortgages, two electric and water bils, it’s really draining our finances."

At first I had the neighborhood kids coming over, I took them to church, I did all that I had said I would…but then my words began to put me in bondage. I was depressed over our finances, I didn’t want kids over, I didn’t want to do all that I had told GOD I was going to do with our blessing – because now I was speaking curses, even though I was still believing in GOD to change our circumstances, even though I was praying and serving GOD, my words were destroying all that GOD had given us.

Just this past week, I learned the power of my words, and the power I had given those words over our situation. The situation we are in will only improve or get worst, depending on the words we speak over it. When we were in the process of buying the new house, I had stood firm on faith and cast out all those negative words before they could get into my thoughts; but once we were in the house, my words changed, I began listening and worrying, and I would speak out negative, a foothold became a stronghold. I even knew when I spoke those words, that they were death and cursing and not blessing and life, I felt that check from the Holy Spirit in me, telling me that I ought not say those things, but I did anyways. I’m a full disclosure kind of person (obviously) so I’ve learned that sometimes, I don’t need to say everything, I don't need to say what 'is', but speak out in faith of GOD's blessings. I should have been saying, 'The house is great, GOD blessed us abundantly, we are going to be a blessing to others and GOD will continue to bless us through our new home and the selling of our old home!'

Our situation just received new life, GOD is good like that, HE breathed new life and blessings into our finances after my husband and I joined together in prayer over our finances, and I confessed the cursing of my words. I honestly couldn’t believe how fast GOD blessed us with this, literally days after I confessed the cursing and prayed with my husband, GOD gave us mercy (I’ve been told before, when we confess, that the faith channel is unblocked and that mercy flows quickly and I believe it did for us). The bondage of the last 8 months has been huge, but the freedom from it has been life changing!

I honestly believe the breakthrough in our prayers and receiving mercy, grace and blessings from GOD concerning our prayers was due to alignment of our words with GOD's Word and our prayers without ceasing. Below is what I learned concerning the power of our words, I hope it blesses you and encourages you!

GOD created the heavens and the universe with HIS Words, HE spoke and it became. GOD created us in HIS own image, we are in HIS likeness. Then Adam corrupted that likeness, and our spirits were given death instead of life .

But the Lord warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden – except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (Genesis 2:16-17 NLT)

When HE sent HIS Son to die for us, and we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we became ‘new creations’ – we no longer were born to death that Adam brought on us, life was breathed into us again from GOD, our Spirits were new and full of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)

As a believer you know, that all it took to be a new creation in Christ was to confess with your mouth and SPEAK the words that Jesus is the Son of GOD, that HE died on the cross for our sins and that GOD raised HIM from the dead on the 3^rd day and that HE sits at GOD’s right hand in heaven – those words spoken, that confession; made you an adopted child of GOD, gave you full rights to GOD’s Kingdom, gave you the authority of Christ. So those WORDS breathed new life into you and gave you the power of GOD’s Word.

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations (or peoples), baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)

Wow, you see, we are disciples of Christ, Jesus gave us this authority. Why did HE give us this authority, because HE knew we would need it to fight the enemy. Satan is the ‘god of this world’ (2 Corinthians 4:4) but his powers are limited to this world, we have Christ’s authority to fight Satan and defeat him!

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. (1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT)

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. (2 Corinthians 10:4 NLT)

Those false arguments are those whispers of the devil, the lies and deception that the enemy tries to convince us of.  The weapon that is our main defense against the enemy is the Word of GOD, we can speak out GOD’s Word and claim the promises of GOD and defeat the enemy with the words we speak!

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians 6:17 AMP)

We have to have salvation to be able to use the Word of GOD to defeat the enemy, we have to be believers to speak out and win against the devil, without salvation, we don’t have the Holy Spirit and we are not new creations with the authority of Christ.

For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 AMP)

Words are the key to blessings and cursing. The Bible is full of scripture that warns us about our words and almost every chapter of Proverbs has at least one scripture related to our words, this isn't by chance, no it's because our words are that powerful!

My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live. (Proverbs 4:4 NLT)

The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain…(Proverbs 10:11a NLT)

Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. (Proverbs 12:18 NLT)

The tongue can bring death or life..(Proverbs 18:21a NLT)

For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart and always ready on your lips. (Proverbs 22:18 NLT)

By keeping GOD’s Word in our heart and on our lips, it is easier to speak out the truth that comes from GOD instead of the lies of the devil.

…For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. (Matthew 12:34b NLT)

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can SAY to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.  (Mark 11:22-23a NLT)

I capitilaized the word ‘SAY’ because Jesus told us that we have to have faith and then SPEAK out, it’s a two part process, believe what you say and when you say it, it will be. I’m going to end this with James 3, there’s a whole lesson in our words because they are so powerful, I cannot do it all justice, but wanted to share with you a part of what I have learned. If you want to, do a study on Words on Bible Gateway, it’s amazing all the scripture for our words, GOD has given the power and the authority to defeat the devil, we just need to know our weapons to be able to use them effectively!

Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.  Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.  And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.  In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.  And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish,  but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.  Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.  And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!  Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?  Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.  (James 3:1 – 12 NLT)

Since we started building our home, this scripture was impressed on me to be on our entranceway, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. " Joshua 24:15

My husband, me, my oldest son - Hunter, Max and my step-daughter Celina outside our new beautiful home

Pray Without Ceasing

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16b NLT)

Sometimes answered prayers can take you by surprise, not that they came to be, but that they came so fast! In my joy and excitement of winning one of the faith fights that have been occurring my life, I wanted to share what I’ve learned during this ‘Battle’ I’m in.

If you haven’t had a breakthrough in your prayer, do a self evaluation and make sure you haven’t missed something. I recently learned that taking offense was a sin and that I cannot expect GOD to answer my prayers when I haven’t forgiven someone else of an offense they’ve done to me.   An offense is a stumbling block, it’s a trap and a snare of the devil, don’t let that grudge keep you from receiving what GOD has for you; seek forgiveness and be blessed!

 “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” (Mark 11:24-25 NLT)

After you’ve done your evaluation, ask a friend to pray with you and stand in agreement for your request, Jesus told us that…

I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. (Matthew 18:19 NLT)

GOD will answer our prayers, it might not be the answer we expect, but HE does answer them in three ways 1) with a ‘Yes’, (2)  ‘Yes, but you need to grow your patience’, (3) ‘No, I’ve got something MUCH better planned for you’. I wonder how people go about their lives without GOD, I can get totally bogged down with stress and feel like I’m dying from all the physical symptoms and yet, I have GOD with me, I know HE will not allow any harm to come to me….

No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord. (Isaiah 54:17 )

No weapon means any worldly force, you see the devil can only use what’s available to him on the earth, he doesn’t have the ability to use anything supernatural. BUT remember we have the Armor of GOD, we have the Authority of Christ, we are adopted children of GOD, we are the brothers and sisters of Christ, we are the Body of Christ –we have a supernatural GOD that can ‘make’ anything happen.  The phrase ‘shall prosper’ means that for a time, things might happen to us, we might go through more ‘fights’ in our battle, but remember the VICTORY is already ours, Jesus already won.

Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. (2 Chronicles 20:15 NKJV)

So why do we worry, why do we let fear sneak in and gain a foothold, that foothold can become a stronghold and then we can end up hanging on to the lies of the enemy instead of the promises of GOD. It doesn’t come about overnight, no, the whispers begin as soon as we get bad news or if something happens that disrupts our plans, then if we dwell on that news and then start speaking out the negative from those whispers; well our spring shower can turn into a Tsunami.  We have to learn to block those thoughts when they enter our mind, and speak out GOD’s Word and promises, before those whispers become something bigger than the lie the devil is deceiving us with. That’s why it’s so important to get into GOD’s Word, HIS Word is full of HIS promises for HIS children, GOD wants to bless us. We need to change our focus, tell the devil to shut up and remember that GOD sent HIS Son to die on a cross that we might live and live abundantly, free from sickness, burdens, and depression. GOD never changes and HIS Word is always the same.  So don’t stop praying, keep believing and you will receive your blessing!

Rejoice always;  pray without ceasing;  in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10 NIV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV)

For I am the Lord, I do not change. (Malachi 3:6a NKJV)

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8 NLT)

Words

I watched a sermon yesterday that suggested we be more selective with our words and we'll become more effective. After which I considered a fast from talking - but due to my family situation, I wouldn't be able to do a complete fast from talking, so I've decided to speak LESS and let those few words be MORE.

Instead of writing my thoughts, I'm only going to include some scriptures that I am trusting in right now - when GOD's Word is in you, HIS Words will come through you!

Words

Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. (James 3:2 NLT)

Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. (Proverbs 18:20, 21 NLT)

When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you. (Ephesians 4:29 NCV)

Speak FAITH not fear

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT)

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. (1 John 4:4 NLT)

But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken! (Isaiah 54:17 NLT)

If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom. (Deuteronomy 28:13 NLT)

Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. (Psalm 91:5-7 NLT)

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8 NLT)

**(Revised 2/15/12) At the top of my Blog are tabs, one tab has a "Prayer Confession for our Words" by Kenneth Copeland, if you would like to take a type of 'Fasting of your Words' please read Copeland's book and then confess this prayer he wrote.

Healing by the Authority of Christ

Our beloved family dog, Jedi, was diagnosed with cancer this week and only given a month or so to live. BUT that diagnosis was from a human and I have a heavenly Father in heaven that created this universe and nothing is too difficult or too small for him! I’ve had to take a lesson from my blog’s title here and stir myself up, I’ve had to spend some time digging in scripture, singing praise and worship to my King and praying in the Spirit in between sobs, but I’ve stirred myself up, I’m fired up and I’m ready to battle!

I believe in healing, I believe in miracles, I believe that as child of GOD and sister in Christ and part of the body of Christ, that I have the authority of Christ, and as the Mother in our household, I have dominion over my children and our pets. I believe that GOD loves me and my family, and that he loves all HIS creations, I also believe because we care about our dog, as he is like one of our children; that means that GOD cares for him as well.

Here are a few of the scriptures we've been declaring over our Jedi:

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. (Luke 9:1 NKJV)

Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. (Luke 10:19 NLT)

God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. (Ephesians 1:22, 23 NLT)

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16 NLT)

The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace. (Psalm 29:11 NKJV)

Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good  things,  So that  your youth is renewed like the eagles. (Psalm 103:2-5 NKJV)

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great  is  our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding  is  infinite. (Psalm 147:3-5 NKJV)

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. (Proverbs 4:20-22 NLT)

He gives power to the weak

and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired,

and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:29-31 NLT)

"No unbelief or distrust made him (Abraham) waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised." (Romans 4:20-22 AMP)

This is the prayer we prayed over our Jedi today:

This victory is ours, the devil has no power over me or my household! He will depart and he will not be allowed back in, we have claimed victory in Jesus name, there will be no sickness and there will be no fear, with God at my side and the power of Christ, we have already won!! Thank you Jesus, the victory is ours and the people will see a miracle and many will believe, because we can do all things through Christ strengthens us!!

Expressing the Blessing by Guest Blogger: Heather Yanta

Heather Yanta is my guest Blogger today, a friend from school that I’ve been able to reconnect with and create a new and improved friendship through Facebook and the mutual love we share for GOD. Heather is also an admin on my Facebook page, Stir Me Up Lord, and has helped me personally through a trial I have been battling recently. She is a passionate believer in God's word, Wife and homeschool Mom from south Texas. I know you’ll enjoy her blog today and I promise you’ll be blessed!

  

In May of 2008, God brought me back to a place of actively seeking Him and the Kingdom through a book by Watchman Nee.  It was called Breaking the Outer Man and The Release of the Spirit.  As I read this book, I became increasingly aware that there was something IN ME that needed to come out.  It really opened my eyes....for all these years; I thought God needed me to submit my intellectual, mental and physical talents to Him for His use here on earth.  But as I read this book, God opened my eyes that He didn't need any of this and neither did others around me....He needed something on the inside of me, something deposited there by Him.

Well, this really piqued my interest.  I decided I wanted to find out what it was on the inside.  I realized that for so many years, I had been trying to give God my mind or other talents but had little knowledge of what precious deposit He had placed in my inner man, the real me, my spirit. Stirred by this new pursuit, I began seeking earnestly the Word of God.  Then I forgot about this book and what had sent me on this pursuit of knowing who I really was. 

Over the years, though, I have begun to learn a lot about who I am in Christ, about this Kingdom we have been translated into and the blessings & tools God has given us to complete His call. (at the end of this blog, will be a listing of the books & teachings that have marked me profoundly).

After almost 4 years of an intensive searching & researching of God's word, and seeing so many answers to prayers, miracles and changes in my life & in the lives of others, I can say this has been an awesome journey - and I know it's only the beginning. 

Recently, I cracked open that same Watchman Nee book....mainly out of nostalgia for this book that had shaken me so much and changed what I thought about me and my relationship with God.  As I re-read the book, I was overwhelmed in remembering the questions it had put in my mind about what exactly is it that God is trying to get out of me and what others need from me that will truly bless them.  However, this time, I knew that I had many (I'm sure not all) of the answers!

God has placed within me - Himself.  He has invested everything He is in me!  He has blessed me with dominion, authority and the ability to plant seeds and determine the future in the harvests my seed brings.  He has given me the ability to speak.  Words are how we express our dominion - our authority.  Words are a major source of the seeds that we plant in our hearts and in the hearts of others.  He has given me an imagination that can dream big and words that can speak those dreams into existence! 

Oh, how many of us use these very gifts He has given us against ourselves and others!  How many of us use these amazing imaginations to imagine every sort of bad thing that might happen while we worry, fret and ponder the circumstances of our lives.  Jesus said as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.  Yet we pay little attention to the thoughts we allow to float around in our mind. 

How many of us use words to tear down rather than build up, to plant seeds that bring negative harvests rather than life giving harvests!  Our words have the power of life and death, yet we just let words fly out of our mouths as if they don't really matter.  Worse yet....when a situation would benefit by a child of God opening their mouths with authority and dominion to bring life - we remain silent.

Or how many of us just don't think about or appreciate these gifts at all.  How many days we do go through our lives as if we are 'mere' humans facing life and situations with no hope, no authority, no ability to imagine and speak and change things.

We are filled with power.  Yet so many of us choose to not express that power or ignore it altogether.  Our words are filled with the creative power of God, yet we don't use them as we should. 

Out of our hearts flow the issues - the boundaries, the forces - of life.  How many of our hearts are stopped up with worry, unable to forgive, bitterness, strife, the cares of this world?  Oh, to remove all those things and let LIFE FORCES rush out of us and change situations!  To lay hands on the sick and they recover in the name of Jesus - whose we are and who we serve!   To see our prayers answered, our loved ones saved and God's kingdom expanded all around us.

I challenge you to not think so lightly of yourself any longer.  I beg you to begin to meditate on the word of God concerning all the blessings, power, life, and LOVE He has placed in you.  (Romans 5:5, Ephesians 1 and 3)  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure He wants us to yield our natural gifts & talents to Him as well....but those pale in comparison to the spiritual blessings He has invested in us.

Then watch how life changes as you YIELD all God has placed within you to Him - using your words, your imagination, your sowing & reaping, your love, your life forces - for His glory.  As we focus on doing this, we are truly seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.  All those other things that we worry about God will take care of Himself!  (Matthew 6:33)

God has deposited Himself and all He is inside you.  Will you Yield these gifts to Him and watch how He can touch others through you, change you, and bring you into your destiny?

I will.  I refuse to live as a mere human any longer, but live to fully express the blessings within me.

Expressing the Blessing ~ that's my new focus in life!

Books Recommend by Guest Blogger, Heather Yanta

Contact with God: The Amazing Power of Prayer by Jeanne Wilkerson

Unseen Forces Beyond This World by Phillip and Fern Halverson

The Master is Calling by Lynne Hammond

The Blood and The Glory by Billye Brim

Any & everything by Charles Capps!

Love: The Way to Victory by Kenneth E. Hagin

The Believer's Authority by Kenneth E. Hagin

The Blessing of the Lord Maketh Rich by Kenneth Copeland

Mercy by Kenneth Copeland

The Law of Confession by Bill Winston

The Kingdom of God in You by Bill Winston

Transforming Your Thinking, Transforming Your Life by Bill Winston

Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick

To Know Him by Gloria Copeland

Blessed Beyond Measure by Gloria Copeland

Tell Them I Love Them by Joyce Meyer

The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word

You've Already Got It by Andrew Wommack

Blessings

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you, “ says the Lord.”… (Jeremiah 29:11-14a NLT)

GOD wants good things for HIS people. HE wants to bless HIS children. Do you know any earthly fathers who lavish their children with gifts, who want only the best for their children? I’m not talking about just wealthy parents;  I’m talking about a parent who would do anything for their child, because they love them so much. They have so much love for their child, they want to make sure they never experience pain or hurt, they want to protect them from all the bad things in the world, they want to give their child unconditional love…I’d say the majority of parents feel this way about their children. It’s a natural protective emotion, so now that you’ve got this idea of a natural unconditional love for your child, lets multiply that times a zillion; now we have an inkling of GOD’s love for HIS children. "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give..." (Luke 11:13 NLT).

 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33 NLT) Jesus was explaining about how everything we need, we will have, all we have to do is, seek the Kingdom of GOD first, when we put GOD first, everything else falls into place!

 “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full – pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”  (Luke 6:38 NLT ) GOD wants to bless us, HE’s told us how we can be blessed, we just have to receive the blessings HE has for us. Imagine what Jesus was trying to tell us right here, GOD has so much HE wants to give us, it’s going to overflow, and it’s going to be more than anything we’ve ever even imagined!!

People are caught up on never being good enough, and this is true. We can never be good enough, that is why Jesus died on the cross for our sins. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17 NKJV)

Grace is getting something we don’t deserve, and GOD has given us grace in the form of Jesus. HIS selfless sacrifice was the atonement for all of mankind’s sins, we didn’t deserve the gift and we cannot earn it. If you are trying to earn grace to be good enough to deserve blessings and healings then Jesus didn’t need to die on the cross for you. Jesus’ sacrifice was for all mankind, each and every one of us has the free will to accept and receive, or reject. If you are going to accept Jesus as your savior then all you have to do is receive.  Jesus Himself, was the one who said that HE came to save us, not condemn us.  It’s a lie of the enemy that healings and blessings aren’t meant to be ours, people have been deceived into thinking that they can’t be healed or they aren’t good enough to receive anything better than what they can earn themselves. This was never GOD’s plan for us, GOD’s plan for us has always been to bless us, HE’s waiting on us to receive these blessings by faith, just step out and receive your blessings!

GOD gave Moses this blessing to give to His people in Numbers 6:24-26 (NLT), “May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.”  Doesn’t that sound like the kind of blessing a father would give to his children, so here our Heavenly Father is giving a direct blessing for us, and HE is more than capable of fulfilling all of this blessing, after all HE did create the Heavens and the earth!

Every morning, before my day gets hectic and I lose sight of all I’ve been blessed with, I always pray over my sons.  So while praying this morning, I was thinking of how much I love them, and my oldest son being 12, would one day be driving, which caused me to have a bit of fear.  I knew GOD would protect him, but at that moment, I knew that between my son’s free will and the devil, there was a lot of room for ‘something’ to happen. You see, the bad things that come our way in life, they are either: our own doing, someone else doing bad to us (probably with a bit of nudging from the devil), maybe even some bad judgement on someone's part and/or the devil.

GOD doesn’t do bad to HIS children, just like a good earthly father wouldn’t willingly do ‘bad’ to his own children. GOD gave us free will and it belongs to everyone. Once we are saved, we continue to  have free will, to rebel or to follow GOD. So even if our children are protected by GOD, which means that the bad decision they make can lead them outside of GOD’s protection, but that’s not the end, just like after the crucification, three days later, Jesus rose from the grave and is now seated at the right hand of GOD. Anything that the devil can do to us, GOD can then cause to HIS glory (and don’t you know HIS Glory is awesome!) “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT).  This is the game winning scripture reminder for us, no matter what we do to ourselves, no matter what someone else does to us, no matter what the devil does to try and destroy us, GOD can take that situation and bring GLORY to HIS name through it and then cause BLESSINGS to us.

Have you seen the movie or read the book, ‘Soul Surfer’ by Bethany Hamilton? I’m  going to try and sum up the whole book in just a sentence (although I won’t be able to do it justice)…a young girl growing up in Hawaii who lives for surfing, loses her arm in a shark attack, and is able to overcome this tragedy with her faith and trust in GOD. You know the devil thought he had her good at this point, lost an arm, young girl who hopes to be a professional surfer, not much left she can do now, go feel sorry for herself maybe, never going to be able to further the Kingdom of GOD….ha…so the devil thought!! Bethany is now a professional surfer, inspirational speaker and her experience is a major motion picture and through all of this, she has inspired so many people through their own tragedies and have led multitudes of people to learn about Christ!  GLORY TO GOD!! 

Whatever your situation, whatever you are going through right now, if you believe you are stuck and cannot get out of that rut, put your trust in JESUS. Thank GOD for all that you do have, and cling to these promises from GOD, HE will get you out of the mire and muck you are in now, your job is to receive HIS blessings by faith.