I am sitting here this morning reading my Bible and the word “change” keeps coming up in my spirit. We are in the middle of change right now with our seasons going from Summer to Fall. The changes of Fall is what takes us from summer to winter. See, I have always loved Fall. Some see Fall as a season of death but I have always seen it as a season of change. I particularly love the colors associated with Fall all the reds, oranges, and yellows. These are my favorite colors so, I always look forward to decorating my home for Fall. People’s mindsets begin to change as well. As we begin to prepare for the Holidays we tend to spend more time with family or thinking about our family. You will see home decor change to things that say “Thankful”, “Blessed”, and “Grateful”. We tend to think of others more so acts of charity and giving to those less fortunate increases in the Fall. As I look out the window this morning in my office I see the changes of Fall around my home. The leaves are beginning to change in color and fall to the ground. The temperature has changed making it a cool morning here in Alabama.

I began to think about change in a spiritual sense. The word “change” in the dictionary has many meanings but the one that stood out to me this morning was to replace something with something else, especially something that is newer or better. Isn’t that what God is so often trying to do in our lives? He is trying to replace something in us with something better something new but we keep holding on that old something. I was reading in Isaiah 43:19 NKJV Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. That new thing God wants to do in us can be scary because it is unknown to us. We tend to like what is familiar and that is why we hang on to it. I have a huge pecan tree in my yard and this time of year it gives up its leaves and makes my yard a mess. That tree in the next season is not pretty but when Spring comes that tree that has looked dead for the past few months will spring forth new leaves and in just a short time it will be full of beautiful green leaves giving shade to us and home for the squirrels and birds.

Just like that tree when God starts to change us, he will often start by removing things from us. This process may not be pretty but in time the new growth will spring forth and that purpose you were created for will spring forth and you will provide what is needed. In Isaiah 43:10 says we are chosen an verse 13 says “Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?”

God has made so many changes in my life in the past couple of years and I will be honest and tell you I held on to somethings he was trying to change way to long. He was bringing these changes to my mind this morning and so many that I didn’t understand then and wasn’t happy about prepared me for situations I knew nothing about then. God is still making changes in me and I pray for strength to not hold on to those things. I pray for strength to allow God to do what He wants to do in my life even when it makes me vulnerable. Even when the process is ugly and I can’t see what will come out of this change. I pray that I stand firm and know that He knows. Just like that pecan tree it may look dead and ugly on the outside when change comes but the inside of that tree is very much alive. The roots are still growing deeper and deeper in the soil. Those roots are preparing for changes and the new harvest of pecans that are coming in the next season. I want to be like that pecan tree. The process may not look pretty but on the inside God is preparing me for what’s to come. My spiritual roots are growing deeper and deeper preparing for the harvest that is coming.

Today if God is trying to make changes in your life, let Him. Let’s stop hanging on to things that prevent God from making the changes that He wants to make. We say all the time that we were created for a purpose and that is true but we have to allow God to shape us and mold us to be able to fulfill that purpose. So often we want our harvest right now but truth is we spiritually can’t handle the harvest God has for us because we are not mature enough. We don’t want to go through the ugly process that allows God to prepare us for the harvest. We as Christians have to get to a place where we are willing to vulnerable, willing to go through that ugly unknown process because we know something greater is on the other side. We have to stop fearing change and embrace it. I am speaking to myself on this as well. I love to look like I have it all figured out and remain in control of me and my surroundings and that is what God is showing me this morning is holding me back from the next level of change. It is my unwillingness to be vulnerable to tear down my walls, that I see as protection, but are actually hindering me.

Our personal walls of Jericho that we put up around our hearts and our minds keep God from making the changes He so desperately wants to make. The process of breaking down these walls are ugly but what God has on the other side I know will be beautiful. Let’s start today allowing God to make the changes needed in our lives.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you all have a great day in Jesus Christ!!

I take my grandson to daycare two to three times a week and I take backroads from my house to get there.  It is about a 20-minute drive one way, so I use this time to worship on the way there and my grandson who is 18 months old enjoys the music, so we worship all the way to daycare.  On the way back home, I use this time to pray and just have some alone time with God before I start my workday.

 In our area there are a lot of trees being harvested right now.  Along my route there are hundreds of acres being harvested right now.  The land that was once full of trees is now open and bare.  It is unrecognizable even though the land itself has not changed.  As I was driving back home last week, just looking at all this open land, the Holy Spirit began to show me that we as Christians are like this land covered with trees.  Sometimes we cannot be seen or used because of all the stuff growing in us and on us.  God is wanting to remove these things from us.  He is wanting to take us back to this open and bare place so he can start something new and fresh for you.      Isaiah 43:18-19 But forget all that – it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.  For I am about to something new.  See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Sometimes we can’t see the new that God is trying to do in our lives for hanging on to what God is trying to remove to make way for the new. 

These trees that were harvested were not all bad, damaged, or dead trees but their season was over.  Their purpose on this land was over. These trees will now go on to provide lumber and paper products used by people all over the world. See, God is not just removing bad stuff from us but sometimes the season is over for certain things in our lives.  We often want to hang on to things, people, relationships, jobs and while these may not be bad, their season with us is over.  We often assume that if God is removing something it is because it is bad and that is simply not the case.

When God is removing things from our lives, we often feel vulnerable and bare during this time.  As Christians we have to get to a place in our walk with God that we recognize that it is God, and we allow Him to do what needs to be done.  During this time, we have to trust Him and while the experience may not be pleasant, we have to trust God and take Him at His Word. He has even greater plans for us than we can comprehend. We say all the time that God is in control well, today we need to give Him total control and allow Him to work freely in us.  I pray today that each of us find the strength and courage today to allow God to create something new in us.

Thank you for reading and please share!!

 

During my prayer time yesterday the word “vessel” kept coming to my mind and all throughout the day and into last night this word would randomly come to my mind. This morning I decided during my bible time to do a little research on this word. I looked this word up in the dictionary and the definitions that stood out to me were a hollow container such as a pot, bowl, or pitcher. The definition of a person as a vessel means a person regarded as a holder or receiver of something nonmaterial. I then began to search scripture to see what God says about the word vessel and that is when it got good to me! As I read these verses my mind became so flooded with thoughts that all I could do was sit in total awe of Him for a few minutes. I am going to write it as it was given to me and I pray it touches you the way it did me this morning. God is so Good!!

2 Timothy 2:20 -21 NJKV But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

In this passage Paul is talking to Timothy when he uses this illustration of the different types of vessels used in those days. The gold and silver vessels were kept clean and used for honorable purposes such as dinner parties. While the wood and clay vessels were used for dishonorable purposes such as garbage. In this illustration, we are all born wood and clay vessels. You can paint the outside to look like silver or gold, but the inside is still full of garbage and waste. You can cover the outside with jewels of good deeds and good works, but the inside is still full of garbage and waste. You can cover it with the fragrance of self-righteousness and the inside is still full of garbage and waste. Some people spend their entire lives trying to externally fix and cover up the garbage and waste that is on the inside. The good news is I know the one who can change us in an instant from wood and clay vessels to silver and gold vessels. Jesus Christ is the only one who can change us to silver and gold vessels. The day you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you are a new creation or a new vessel. He washes away our sin which is our garbage and waste on the inside. He restores what is broken and cracked and fills us with the Holy Spirit. We then become a vessel of honor. Ready to be used by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Silver and gold vessels were used to serve, so an empty vessel was not much of use. These vessels were constantly being refilled to continue to serve others. I began to think what God gives us to refill us so we can continue to serve. He gives us the bread of life. John 6:35 NKJV And Jesus said to them, I am the the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believe in Me shall never thirst. He gives us water. John 4:14 NKJV but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. He gives us the ability to sow seeds that we may reap the harvest. 2 Corinthians 9:10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness. Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 9 that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. We as his vessels are the laborers that need to go out and harvest the souls for God. Seeing people get saved should have our cups running over. We should get so excited and energized from seeing this that we are out everywhere trying to reap a harvest of souls for Christ. God gave each of us a gift or talent to fulfill our purpose on this earth.  The end result of our purpose should be souls being saved and set on fire for Jesus.  God have given us everything we need to do this. He has changed us from wood and clay vessels full of garbage to shining gold and silver vessels. He has equipped us with the Word, talent, gifts, purpose, and prayer to keep our vessels full that we may serve others. That we may show them the fruits of the spirit mentioned in Galatians chapter 5.

Today I encourage each of us to think of ourselves as His vessels here to serve and ask yourself what am I doing to serve? Are there areas in my life that I could do more and if so, what is holding you back?  Are you being led to do something outside of your comfort zone and you are letting doubt hold you back?  If we can begin to see ourselves as just stewards of this vessel and God as the owner of the vessel then we can let go of all the things we hold on so tightly to.  Let us all make a commitment today to do more to serve so that we can see souls saved. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day in Jesus Christ!!

 

 

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During my prayer time yesterday the word “vessel” kept coming to
my mind and all throughout the day and into last night this word would randomly
come to my mind. This morning I decided during my bible time to do a little
research on this word. I looked this word up in the dictionary and the
definitions that stood out to me were a hollow container such as a pot,
bowl, or pitcher. The definition of a person as a vessel means a person
regarded as a holder or receiver of something nonmaterial. I then began to
search scripture to see what God says about the word vessel and that is when it
got good to me! As I read these verses my mind became so flooded with thoughts
that all I could do was sit in total awe of Him for a few minutes. I am going
to write it as it was given to me and I pray it touches you the way it did me
this morning. God is so Good!!

2 Timothy 2:20 -21 NJKV But in a great house there are not only
vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some
for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be
a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every
good work.

In this passage Paul is talking to Timothy when he uses this illustration of
the different types of vessels used in those days. The gold and silver vessels
were kept clean and used for honorable purposes such as dinner parties. While
the wood and clay vessels were used for dishonorable purposes such as garbage.
In this illustration, we are all born wood and clay vessels. You can paint the
outside to look like silver or gold, but the inside is still full of garbage
and waste. You can cover the outside with jewels of good deeds and good works,
but the inside is still full of garbage and waste. You can cover it with the fragrance
of self-righteousness and the inside is still full of garbage and waste. Some
people spend their entire lives trying to externally fix and cover up the
garbage and waste that is on the inside. The good news is I know the one who
can change us in an instant from wood and clay vessels to silver and gold
vessels. Jesus Christ is the only one who can change us to silver and gold
vessels. The day you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you are a new
creation or a new vessel. He washes away our sin which is our garbage and waste
on the inside. He restores what is broken and cracked and fills us with the
Holy Spirit. We then become a vessel of honor. Ready to be used by the King of
Kings and Lord of Lords.

Silver and gold vessels were used to serve, so an empty vessel was not much
of use. These vessels were constantly being refilled to continue to serve
others. I began to think what God gives us to refill us so we can continue to
serve. He gives us the bread of life. John 6:35 NKJV And Jesus said to
them, I am the the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he
who believe in Me shall never thirst. He gives us water. John
4:14 NKJV but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never
thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of
water springing up into everlasting life. He gives us the ability to
sow seeds that we may reap the harvest. 2 Corinthians 9:10 Now may He
who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the
seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness. Jesus
said to his disciples in Matthew 9 that the harvest is plentiful, but
the laborers are few. We as his vessels are the laborers that need to
go out and harvest the souls for God. Seeing people get saved should have our
cups running over. We should get so excited and energized from seeing this that
we are out everywhere trying to reap a harvest of souls for Christ. God gave each
of us a gift or talent to fulfill our purpose on this earth.  The end result of our purpose should be souls
being saved and set on fire for Jesus.  God
have given us everything we need to do this. He has changed us from wood and clay
vessels full of garbage to shining gold and silver vessels. He has equipped us
with the Word, talent, gifts, purpose, and prayer to keep our vessels full that
we may serve others. That we may show them the fruits of the spirit mentioned
in Galatians chapter 5.

Today I encourage each of us to think of ourselves as His vessels here to
serve and ask yourself what am I doing to serve? Are there areas in my life
that I could do more and if so, what is holding you back?  Are you being led to do something outside of
your comfort zone and you are letting doubt hold you back?  If we can begin to see ourselves as just stewards
of this vessel and God as the owner of the vessel then we can let go of all the
things we hold on so tightly to.  Let us
all make a commitment today to do more to serve so that we can see souls saved. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day in Jesus Christ!!

My husband is an avid deer hunter. From mid October until mid February his focus is on deer. He monitors them on his trail cameras to learn when they are moving and in what direction they are moving. He knows what they eat, when they eat, and even where they eat. His goal in doing this is not to change their habits but to learn their habits. Knowing their habits gives him an advantage of being able to sneak in and out of the area without them noticing. He uses camouflage clothing or stands to cover him, so unless a deer is alert and focusing on him, they never even know he is there. Some hunters even use decoys to distract the deer and bring them into range for a perfect shot. We were watching a hunting video last night of a guy using a decoy of a buck or male deer. As we watched a large buck came into view and he was focusing on the decoy. The buck watched him from the edge of the woods for a few minutes and then returned to the cover of the woods. He did this several times before he let his ego take over and he left the covering that he knew he needed to remain safe and was taken down.

I began to think about this decoy and this buck in the spiritual sense. I thought how many times do we as Christians leave our covering, because of our ego, to attack a decoy set by the enemy. The word decoy means someone or something used to lure or lead another into a trap or someone or something used to draw attention away from another. The enemy often sets decoys in our paths to distract us. I believe one of the most successful decoys he uses is one that attacks our ego. Ego means a sense of self-esteem or self-importance. Ego in Latin means “I”. Ego causes us to focus on what we want and what we feel we deserve rather than what God has for us. Now, I am not saying that we should not know our worth and have a sense of self in Christ. It’s when we think our self worth and who we are, is because of us that we get in trouble. When someone starts throwing around the “I” word and leaving out Christ; their ego is taken them into the danger zone just like that deer. There are many types of decoys the enemy uses to attack our ego but I want to talk about one of them today.

1. Spirit of Pride – Pride means a high opinion of one’s importance or superiority. The state of being proud.

The bible warns over and over about pride. As Christians we are often mindful of pride and arrogance in the natural, but what about spiritual pride? This is a decoy we fall for way to often. Proverbs 16:18-19 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil of the proud. NKJV. The definition of spiritual pride is your idea that you are more spiritually advanced or closer to God than the next person. It is watching or seeing someone else struggle in an area of their life and thinking; I would never do that. It is thinking if they were a true Christian they wouldn’t struggle with that. The spirit of pride often keeps us from seeing or acknowledging the areas in our lives that we may struggle in. Instead of using our struggles to encourage others we hide them because we don’t want others to know we had or have an issue with anything. It is the mindset that if they know I struggle with this, then they are going to think less of me. When we operate with a spirit of pride we spend all of time examining and judging others and their walk with Christ, instead of being open and honest with God first about our weakness. He already knows our weaknesses and the areas that we struggle with, but He wants us to openly talk to him about these areas and ask for His help to overcome them. He is not asking us to pick apart our fellow Christians, but to pick apart our on lives to ensure He is Lord in every single area of our lives.

Do you know why the enemy loves this decoy? Because this decoy destroys our churches. Church doors are closing because this spirit is running rampant from the pulpit to the congregation. It becomes all about how much I do at the church and I do so much more than the next person. How dare church leadership make a decision without consulting me, because I give more than anyone else or I have been in this church longer than anyone else. No one else does as much as me or loves the church the way I do. Why would they ask them to lead that instead of me. These are just a few examples of pride in the church, but do you see why it is so affective? Do you see how this mentality tears churches apart? With thoughts and comments like this going on in the church; how do we expect it go grow and flourish. Do we really think God is going to usher in His presence in a place that is being consumed with pride and arrogance. See, without this decoy in the church we wouldn’t be looking down on others for their struggles but we would share our struggles or past struggles to encourage them. We would show each other love and compassion and when one of us is going through something we would know we are not alone. Church should be to equip us and build us up to take the gospel to a lost and dying world. We shouldn’t be under attack or starting an attack in the church.

Eliminating the spirit of pride would bring everyone closer together and form a stronger bond within the church because we aren’t keeping up the walls that pride builds. We would show our vulnerabilities to each other and pray over each other more intimately to God. We wouldn’t be gossiping about others in the church to make ourselves feel better. We would all be operating freely in our callings and ministries without comparison or compromise. We would build up and encourage each other.

When I started writing this early this morning I didn’t plan to write about the church but I was led in this direction. Our churches today are under attack in so many ways but the most detrimental attack to the church is coming from the inside due to decoys set by the enemy. Pride is just one of the decoys used but I do feel it is the root of the majority of the decoys used in the church. We need to pray for our churches as a whole but you need to pray for your individual church. Pray, Pray, and pray for your church this week and against the schemes and decoys of the enemy.

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day in Jesus Christ!

As Christians we often say things like I could never do that or my ministry will never be that.  I have been guilty of saying these very things and God really convicted me over this during the past few weeks.  He has shown me when we set spiritual limitations it is due to a lack of faith not a lack of ability.  Hebrews 11:3 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. NKJV   We can only go as far in our spiritual journey as our faith is deep.   Hebrews 11:6 says But without faith it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  I want to break this scripture up into 3 sections this morning.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him” The natural mind has limitations and boundaries that it sets to protect us.  There are things in the physical that we cannot do and the mind lets us know our limitations.  For example, if there is a concrete wall in front of me my  mind knows I can’t physically walk through that wall so it sets limitations and tells me to stop.  Without faith the same thing will happen in the spiritual journey.  Our minds will set limitations, commonly known as the I can’t syndrome.  The entire chapter 11 in Hebrews is about faith.  It gives us example after example of how powerful faith is from Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses.  Even the walls of Jericho came down by faith.  Those walls didn’t fall because they marched around them for seven days.  Those walls fell because they believed with all that they were that if God said those walls would fall then those walls would fall and that is how we need to be today in our spiritual journey.  If God has called you to do it then you have to believe with everything that you are that it will come to pass.  Don’t let your mind limit you and cause you not to fulfill your purpose or calling.  Read each of the stories of the people listed in Hebrews and know that the same exact God that they served it the same exact God you are serving.  He didn’t do anything for them that he won’t do for us if we have faith and believe that he will do it.

“For he who comes to God must believe that He is,” We have to believe that God is _________.  I put a blank line there because you have to believe God is whatever you need in that moment to continue on in your spiritual journey.  If you are feeling weak, uncapable then you fill in the blank with strength.  God is your strength.  You don’t have the means to do what God is calling you to do then fill in the blank with Provider.  God is your provider.  You feel lost and unsure of what direction to take.  Then you fill in the blank with Shepherd.  God is my shepherd. This is where we so often mess up because we allow our minds to set limitations out of fear, doubt, and skepticism.  If our faith is strong enough then we may not see how we are going to do it but we know that God will do it.  He just wants our faith in Him to be so strong that we accomplish everything He has called us to do.  A lot of us will never accomplish everything God has for you because of our lack of faith.  Today, let’s put those blinders on to everything around us and just focus on what God has for us and believe that no matter what if God has called you to do it then you will do it.  Don’t let anything hold you back from what God is calling us to do.

“and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  The word diligently means constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything. If we diligently seek Him and follow Him by faith knowing that He is never going to leave us nor forsake us.  That we continue to seek Him and follow Him by faith when things are hard in our lives and when things seem to be falling apart that He is going to bring us through it.  God never called us to be failures but to be successful in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Yes our reward is heaven but I also believe there will be some earthly rewards by diligently seeking Him.  I believe we will see souls saved in record numbers.  We will see people get on fire for God and we will see God begin to move in this world like we have never seen.  God will begin to move in us like we have never seen.

Hope you all have a great day in Jesus Christ!!

 

I woke up with the Luke 16:10 on my mind this morning.  It says He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. NKJV.  The title “Little Things” has been on my mind for a few weeks now and I have been praying for God to lead me in the direction He wanted me to take on this topic.  I have been hesitate to write on this topic because I didn’t have a scripture to go with this topic until God gave this one to me this morning.

God has been really working with me on keeping Him number one in the little things in my life.   The mundane parts of my day those things I do out of habit that takes little thought to accomplish.  The things that I basically do on auto pilot each day.  I’m not going to lie at first I was a little offended.  I begin to give God my resume or checklist of all the areas of my life that I do serve Him and keep Him number one, as if He didn’t already know this, but it just kept gnawing at me.  Then, I went to bible study last week and my pastor spoke on the offended spirit.  I thought okay Lord I get it.  On the way home I repented for being offended and I began to pray and ask God to show me these areas.

I started doing research on this and found studies that show most people spend almost 47% of each day on auto pilot.  That means almost half of your waking hours each day is spent on auto pilot.  Not such a little thing anymore, huh?  This study described it as sleep walking through your decisions when you are in this state.  It said that you make decisions out of habit and comfort because you are in self preservation mode so you do what is easy.  I realized in that moment that God wasn’t trying to tell me that I wasn’t keeping him number one in washing dishes or dusting but He was warning me of my mindset while doing those things.  If 47% of my day is spent doing what is easy and comfortable because I am on auto pilot then how am I ever going to accomplish my purpose in this life for Jesus Christ.

God tells us in the bible over and over to be alert or be sober.  I believe he was showing me the little things I do each day on auto pilot can be an open door for Satan.  I stay alert and focused on God through the big things but 47% of my day is open for attack if I am on auto pilot through the little things of my day.

Thank you for reading and Please Share!

 

This question came up as I was reading Ephesians chapter 4 this morning. While I read the entire chapter more than once, I kept going over verse 1 in my head. “I, therefore the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,” NKJV. To walk worthy of your calling from God you must be walking with God. So, the question is what hinders you in your walk with God?
As I pondered on this question, I realized my greatest hinderance is Tressie. It’s not Satan, the world, or others it’s me. It’s my mindset, my actions, and my mouth that are my greatest hinderances. This stung a little to admit and even to type because it is easy to lay the blame on others but not so easy when it’s you.
Our minds are our internal computers. Every memory, every thought, everything we see, and everything we hear good or bad is stored in our minds. How we see ourselves is based on the data we have stored in our minds. There are numerous scriptures on the mind and the importance of keeping our minds on Jesus Christ.

• • Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
  • Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
  • I Peter 1: 13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Over thinking or as my pastor calls it stinking thinking hinders us from moving forward in God. Some of us can’t move forward in our calling or gifts because of our mindset. We often let doubt, insecurity, and fear run rampant in our minds until we convince ourselves that we can’t do what God has called us to do. Our mindset is directly tied to our actions. Once we believe we can’t do something then we stop trying. Our mouths begin to speak more about what we can’t do than what God can do. What we tell ourselves can do more damage than what others tell us. Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue. James3:8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

I encourage each of us today to stop speaking negatively over ourselves. Our minds are transformed, protected, and set on things above by staying in the Word. When that “I can’t” speech starts in your mind, you fight back with the Word. Remind yourself to whom you belong. Tell yourself that you are the head and not the tail, you are above and not beneath. We are often good at encouraging others with these verses but not ourselves. The Bible says we are going to do even greater things than He. We may face trials and tribulations in this life, but we know how this story ends. We know we are VICTORIOUS in the end. Don’t forget today how special and important you are to God. Don’t downgrade or belittle yourself or your calling today. Instead stand firm in knowing that the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings is your father and He paid a high price for you because He thought you were worth it.

 

I was reading Mark chapter 12 this morning during my bible time and as I got to the end of the chapter verses 41-44 stood out to me.  I went back and reread these verses a few times until I could picture this in my head.

Mark 12:41-44 NKJV – Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money in the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them. Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury.  For they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.

I can just picture Jesus sitting there watching as the rich, with pride and arrogance, put large amounts of money in for everyone around them to see.  Each one trying to out do the other for bragging rights on how much they gave, when Jesus spots this woman in line.  I see her as being almost ashamed of how little she had .  I see her almost dreading getting to the front of the line to put in what she had.  It says she threw in two mites.  She didn’t lay it out for all to see but I believe she hurriedly through it in out of embarrassment of how little it was.  She had no idea in that moment she had gotten Jesus’s attention.  Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, focused in on this one poor widow not for what she had, but for what she was willing to give.

Jesus even called His disciples over to Him because He wanted to make sure they understood the importance of her giving.  Jesus knew they were looking with their human eyes and would miss the one true giver there.  The person who gave their all, the widow. I wonder how many times we have missed the truest giver among us because we placed no value on their giving.  Only in the human eye did the scribes give big because we often place value on quantity. Jesus places value on our quality of giving.

We as Christians often give easily and in large amounts the things that we have in abundance but what about the things we have little of?   This does not apply to just money it can be anything up to and including our time. Are we willing to give our all?  Sometimes we look at others and wish we could give like them never realizing that when we are giving all we have that we are getting Jesus’s attention.

Jesus just wants our all.  He wants us to give all we have knowing that He is true to His Word and He will take care of us.  There are areas in my own life that I give freely to God but He is pointing out areas in my life that I don’t give my all.  Areas that I hold back out of fear or doubt because I have little in those things.  I pray today for the courage, strength, and faith to give Him my all in all areas of my life not just the things I have in abundance.

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We all know the importance of eating healthy.  Our physical body requires food and water for nourishment to survive.  We as adults have a choice as to what type of food we put into our bodies and that choice typically shows on our bodies.  The healthier we eat the healthier we look and feel on the outside. The same is true with your spiritual body.  What you eat and drink spiritually is more important than what you eat and drink physically.

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

There are a lot of Christians who are starving to death spiritually.  They get so busy that instead of feeding on the Word of God they begin to eat the junk food of the world.  We have become a society of convenience and the world is ready and willing to force feed you the junk food of the world.  Just like our physical bodies what you put in shows on the outside.  If you wonder why you can’t speak the Word of God then maybe you need to look at how much of the Word are you putting into your body.  Are you truly feeding on the Word of God?

How many times do we read the Word because it is what we are supposed to do? We pat ourselves on the back because we read a verse or two or did a quick devotional and an hour later we can’t tell you what we read.  Why? Because we didn’t truly eat or absorb anything we simply did it as part of our daily routine. I have been guilty of reading the Word and my mind is full of other things that I’ve got to do.  I have had to ask for forgiveness for this many times because I wasn’t truly feeding on the Word I was merely reading it.  There is a big difference between reading the Word and feeding on the Word.  When you feed on it you absorb everything in that Word.  You meditate on it, you ponder it, and you pray on it to get everything out of it that God has for you.  We sometimes get so preoccupied with everything else going on in our lives that we forget the most important thing in our lives, God.  I hear people all the time saying they are addicted to sugar or caffeine but I never hear anyone say they are addicted to the Word. We should crave the Word of God like we do sugar or caffeine.

You can’t speak the Word if you don’t know the Word and you can’t know the Word if you don’t spend time digesting the Word.  The Bible tells us to seek Him and the only way to seek Him is in His Word.  You want to know what Jesus would do His Word tells you what He would do.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

We all know people that are spiritually solid and these are typically the people we go to when we are in trouble, scared, or need advice.  Sometimes just being around these people you feel a calmness and a sense of security.   That is because they have the true peace of God.  They have not only read that He is the God of peace but they have digested it and when you digest something it becomes a part of you.

We have all heard the saying ”  You are What you eat.”  So what are you eating today?

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I had no intention of writing today but during my own bible time this morning this came up in my spirit and I had to share.   Sitting at my kitchen table I became so filled that I couldn’t hold it in today, so here goes.

I am studying in John and as I read chapter 15 and verse 16 I had to stop and go back and read it again.  I have read this verse many times but there were 2 words that jumped out at me this morning that I had never really noticed before.

John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose and appointed you that you should go bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

The first word was chose.  It says I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. The definition of chose is to pick or select someone or something as being the best or most appropriate of two or more alternatives.  Whatever your purpose or calling is the objective of that is to bear fruit for God.  Sometimes we down play our purpose or calling because it doesn’t look like someone else’s.  We think our purpose is not as important because we view it that way. When you stop and think that God selected you out of every Christian on this earth for your purpose and way of bearing fruit.  Just that thought took my breath a way for a moment.  Honestly, I had to stop right there and ask God to forgive me.  I am so guilty of thinking my purpose or calling is not as important as someone else’s. I have down played my purpose or let the opinions of others make me think my purpose was not as important.  Then this morning to read this and think that God almighty chose me to do what I am doing.  It may be small to others but He chose me to do what I am doing.

The second word that jumped out at my was appointed. The word appointed means predetermined or arranged; set. Wow! not only did He chose me but it was predetermined and arranged for me to bear fruit by my purpose or calling. This made me think of the scripture in Jeremiah chapter 1 and verse 5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you: I ordained you a prophet to the nations. NKJV. The NIV version says I appointed you a prophet to the nations. God was speaking to Jeremiah here about his purpose and calling. Jeremiah, just like us, was making excuses in the beginning saying I am young no one is going to listen to me and I don’t know what to say.

Think about it our purpose and calling was predetermined or set in the womb and we want to down play our purpose?  The Creator and the Great I am thought  your purpose was important enough to create a human being, you, to get it done.  So who are we to think our purpose is not important to God when he created you and I to do that very thing to glorify the kingdom of God.  Sometimes we say we can’t find our purpose because we think it has to be preaching, teaching, or missionary work and if it doesn’t fall into one of these categories then we put our blinders on and miss our purpose.

Your purpose may be to just love others and be kind.  Your purpose may be to serve by helping those in need.  Don’t limit yourself.  Your purpose can be anything that let’s others see God in you and that gives you the opportunity to tell others about Jesus Christ.

Start feeding your purpose with the Word daily.  Pray over your purpose and what God is leading you to do.  Take that step in faith that you are terrified to take if God is telling you to do it.  As Christians we have to stop holding back out of fear and doubt.  We are mighty warriors of Christ and His Word says no one can’t stop Him or defeat Him.  His Word says no one can pluck us out of His hand.  We serve a powerful God that deserves more than we could ever give Him and yet all He wants is all of you.  He just wants the very thing He created, you and I, to love and serve Him fearlessly. He wants us to know our power and strength not by our hands but by His.

Thank you for reading and please share!!