Inspire: 2013

Thursday, June 13, 2013

A New Thing

"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth;shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."
Isaiah 43:18-19 (KJV)

It has been a long time since I have written, and my does it feel good. I have been through a valley, looking for clarity of what Yahweh desires of my life and how to get there. The circumstances in which I was placed to be aligned with His vision, was harsh, to say the least. There was much disappointment and discouragement, but as always Yahweh prevails.

It is very refreshing when His view becomes yours and all that mess that seemed so big, becomes smaller compared to His love. The path that Yahweh mark's for each of us is unique because our relationship with Him is unique. His deepest desire for His children is to know and love Him for who He is-Faithful, Compassionate, Merciful, Loving, Forgiving, Holy, and Just. To really get to know these divine attributes takes much stripping, a stripping that He only orchestrates. He knows what we need in order for our knowledge and love for him to be pure. He knows the fight that we will put up while under construction.

When Yahweh takes us from one point to another, it is easy for us to recall all of the hurt, disappointment, shame, and ciaos of our past. This paralyzes our faith. It's can also be tempting to put Yahweh's former interventions in a box, which limits us from learning new things about Him. In the above scripture we read the prophet Isaiah speaking the words of the LORD. He is instructing the children of Israel not to look back on the former ways of the LORD, not to remember His past miracles. The LORD is going to do a new thing! How comforting.

Our current situation can be so overwhelming, so depressing that out of sheer habit we can begin to pray the way we did before, expecting our LORD to show up in the same capacity. However, our LORD wants to move us from glory to glory. He wants us to grow up and bear much fruit, and again that takes pruning. Pruning does not feel good and we can begin to question what kind of a compassionate Father would allow His children to go through such turmoil? A just one would.

The LORD wants to be kept out of the box of our little minds and put on the throne of our decietful hearts so He can reign and not us. Our hearts that believe what our little minds tell us about our LORD. He is doing a new thing in us everyday, everyday. No matter what we are in or where we've been, the LORD is making a way for us and when He get's through with us, the former things will be transformed to a new thing.

Father, thank you for making all things new in our lives everyday. Despite what we feel. Despite what we see, You are still LORD. You are moving in situations and You are changing situations everyday. Thank you for walking with us through the flood and fire (Isaiah 43:2). Our vision is limited, but You see everything. May we this day and everyday, rest in the arms that knows how to love and bless us. In Jesus name, Amen.

(If you have been blessed-leave a comment. I would love to hear your heart.)

Disclaimer:The information contained in these blogs are for reflective purposes only, and may not apply to your situation. The author, publisher, distributor and provider provides no warranty about the content or accuracy of content enclosed. Information provided is subjective, but it contains an objective source. Keep this in mind when reviewing this blog and when considering using content for other purposes outside of this blog(http://www.easywritingtemplates.com/disclaimers/sample-disclaimer-statementss/). Plagiarism is strongly discourged. Studying the scriptures is highly recommended.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Hold On

"Hold on, to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you're not alone
Cause I'm going to make this place your home

Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you're not alone
Cause I'm going to make this place your home"

-Greg Holden, Andrew Pearson

Greg Holden and Andrew Pearson wrote a song that I just believe truly inspires the soul. Life is indeed filled with so much pain and turmoil, but it the midst of it all there is Someone on our side that is cheering us on and telling us to "hold on." Those words that are spoken so softly to us in a battle can bring such courage and peace. It can swing open the doors of our souls, that we almost believed was locked shut by doubt and fear. Yahweh is so precious to us in so many ways and when He takes the times to speak to us in our worst circumstances, we have assurance that we are indeed loved.

Yahweh is saying today to us, "Hold On!" "Hold on" even while under heavy persecution. "Hold On," even while faced with sickness, rejection, disappointment, and a broken heart. Yahewh is ready to turn our bitter water to sweet (Exodus 15:22-27) and our mourning to gladness (Psalms 30:11). We don't have to run or change locations, Yahweh is going make a difference right were we are today and we will see it with our eyes and not believe it, but we will rejoice just the same.

So wherever we may find ourself at this moment, "we are not alone" Yahweh is going to make the place where we are, our home. He is only asking us right now to "Hold on."

Father, thank you so much for encouraging us in many various ways. The road can get rough and it is often tough. Even when we have what we assume is everything, the peace does not stay. Thank you for coming to us today and giving us a word of encouragement to "Hold On." You are the strength of the believer and Your love envelopes all of Your creation. As we Your people take courage in You today, when the storms of life rage, help us to remember to "Hold on," You are here. In Jesus name, Amen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94fTAsCDrGQ

(If you have been blessed-leave a comment. I would love to hear your heart.)

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Falling Over Distractions

"For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief."
-Proverbs 24:16

I really cannot recall learning how to ride a bike per se; I'll blame that memory lapse on the mileage, and not age. But I do recall falling a lot. I mean I fell a lot. Not too sure if it was due to the size of my bike or being easily distracted. Somehow when your young it doesn't matter the cause of the fall, just the impact of it. Sometimes I could shake it off and keep it moving, other times the bike was put up for another day. Now that I have grown in experience I can now conclude my source of falling was and is distraction. I don't fall off bikes (as much), but I do in my walk with Christ and knowing the source helps me to work on laying aside this weight with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Distraction is a big stumbling block for many of us. I think of Peter who at one point was so focused on Jesus that he stepped off the boat into the water and begin walking towards Him. Steady he was, until he got distracted by the bolstering winds and begin to sink (Matthew 14:22-23). Steady we are until we get distracted by the circumstances surrounding us. Circumstances will forever be changing, it is something we can count on, but it is during these times that we must remind ourselves that Jesus is with us. We don't have to check to see if He is. Unlike our parents that held on to our bikes for a short while before letting go, Jesus will never let go, never. Even when Peter begin to sink, Jesus was right there with His hand extended ready to save.

We are going to fall in our walk with Christ, this does not surprise our Father one bit. The enemy would like to use our falls to heap guilt on us, but these tactics are distractions to keep us from confessing our sins and finding mercy with God. If we want to continue moving forward with more ease, we must push aside the distractions and make more room for God. He wants to be first in our lives. The more room He occupies, the more lighter our weight becomes, that's because He is carrying it all. Does this mean we won't fall anymore? No. But what it does mean is that our falls will become less and less as we lay aside the weight.

So let's not allow discouargement to set in when we fall. It's just another distraction. Let's just start practicing falling on our knees and looking up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Father, thank You so much for being right there to pick us up when we fall, and we fall a lot. We thank You for taking the time to "perfect those things concerning us."(Psalms 138:8). We thank You for maturing us in the areas that causes us to fall. Thank you for how You teach us to focus our eyes on Jesus so that when distraction comes, we can remain steady. You are the reason for all good and perfect gifts-they all come from You and we are blessed. Forgive us for everytime we have fallen and did not look up to You, but looked to self. Continue to strengthen us against distractions and may Your mercy and goodness continue to follow us all the day of our lives (Psalms 23), In Jesus name, Amen.

(If you have been blessed-leave a comment. I would love to hear your heart.)

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Jesus in the Community

"But You ,O LORD, are a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter of my head."

~Psalms 3:3

I got off work on Friday and drove myself to a retail store to pick up a skirt for Sabbath service the next day. The weather had become increasingly warm and the only skirts that I had available were for fall and winter. So I drove into the parking lot and noticed a small, but focused crowd surrounded around a car that had been driven over the side of a steep curb and was now trapped. The driver, an elderly women sat there looking with disbelief and embarrassment; while the focused crowd, mostly men, studied how they were going to free this car with minimal or no damage.

I parked my car, my back facing the crowd, and begin to think of the selflessness of these men. These community of men making themselves available to assist a person in distress. I looked back at them through my side back window thinking, "that's Jesus." Jesus took the time out to assist many in need, many in distress. Here He was now doing it again, through these selfless men. Jesus, the community builder and healer. Jesus, always focused and always deliberate.

Those men with clothes undone and sweat blinding their eyes, got the car over the hump-together. They all burst out in shouts of jubilee, giving each other high five's for a job well done. They even went as far as checking underneath the car to be sure nothing was knocked loose or damaged. The women shook each of their hands and I am pretty sure began thanking God in her heart, that He showed up through community.

We are the hands and feet of Jesus, so the community of believers are now saying. Together we make a difference. Together we get cars over humps, feed the poor, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, defend the innocent. We are the community and Jesus is in us changing our lives and the lives around us. Jesus is in the Community and we are that community.

Father, thank You for Jesus. Jesus who taught us how to make ourselves available so that we could make a difference in our communities. There are many who are in distress, many who are looking for You. You know the needs better than we, so we praise You for leading us and guiding us, and opening up our eyes to these endless opportunities to serve in love. Forgive us for every oppourtunity we ignored, and we confess there has been many times this has happened. Forgive us for judging without knowledge. Father, make us more like Your Son. Place us where Jesus is-in the community. In Jesus name, Amen.

(If you have been blessed-leave a comment. I would love to hear your heart.)

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Stop Hiding

"And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord."
~Judges 7:2

I like the above verse, in fact I like the entire story of Gideon. I often find myself going back and reading bits and pieces, if not all of the story for insight, encouragement, direction, and solace. A story of an ordinary man, his family, and nation, burdened under the weight of oppression and given no peace. Life is hard and it's even harder when we have our sins and the sins of our "father's" resting on us. The weight can be unbearable, put us into hiding and often time just waiting to die. But God...

God know the history of His people, He was there from the beginning. He knows all about us and not one iota is hidden from His eyes-EL ROI (YAHWEH SEES). In the beginning of the story you find Gideon is threshing wheat behind the wine press to avoid the Midianites from consuming it. It's the way of life for him and the rest of the children of Israel. The Midianites have rearranged their whole lives and have made them miserable. Gideon has chosen to hide to avoid scrutiny and abuse, but God shows up where he is and calls him courageous. What a paradox.

We may be hiding today from something or someone to avoid rejection, disappointment, or failure. But God sees and is calling us out of hiding. He is calling us courageous, because with Him all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). We may believe that God does not care, but He squashed that belief when He sent His only Son to die for you and me. He loves us and He desire liberty for us.

Our lives are indeed improvised without God. No matter how much we try to tailor our lives to counteract this, it only brings more poverty, not just to ourselves but to others. We need God. We need Him in the center of our lives. Not just sometimes, but all of the time. There is not one single act outside of believing in His Son that will draw us closer to Him. God has made a way for peace. God has made a way for us to rise above the fears of our souls. The world may have its way of dealing with pain, but God wants us to cry out to Him like the children of Israel did. We don't have to hide from anyone or anything for any reason. Let's be what God knows we are in Him-courageous, and let's stop hiding.

Father, we cry out to You today, right now. Save us! We have been impoverished by our sins and often times by the sins of others. We have allowed these sins to put us into hiding, but we ask in Jesus name, that You will forgive us, as we forgive them. We ask that we will come forward and live according to Your word. We want to be who You say we are, we want to be courageous. We want to live an abundant life, the life that Your Son died for us all to have. We want that life and we ask that You will fulfill that desire today, In Jesus name, Amen.

(If you have been blessed-leave a comment. I would love to hear your heart.)

Monday, February 25, 2013

What About Them?

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

~Ecclesiastes 11:5

The world is made up of some pretty amazing people. All around the world there are men, women, boys, and girls doing some incredible things-living above the odds and taken on some monumental feats. As spectators we look at these people wondering were we can improve or maybe at least touch a small portion of what they have taken a hold of. Some of us have enough on our plates, some of us want more, some of us are trying to push off our plate what has been allotted to us, but no matter our position we still are amazing. Why? Because God created us.

Often times we can look at life through such a small glass when we try to define it and its quality. We can even lose our peripheral vision not even spotting the lives that are around us. This is a huge problem, one that needs to be worked on consistently in order not to push people out of the way because of our limited vision.We should always be careful not to assume that other's see us so they should move, for if our vision is limited what does it say about others? We must not forget there are those who are completely dependent on others for everything. Like a fetus or infant, most young and older adults need assistance in the same manner. When we think of great achievement we tend to think of the caregiver. Do we ever think of the life that needs to be cared for? What about them? Is the fetus or infant not as important as the parents? Are the mentally or physically challenged not achievers in their own right?

When we convince ourselves that a life that does not contribute is not life at all, we have just found ourselves living dead smack in a warped zone.Every life has purpose, every life achieves something great in it's time, whether it's broadcasted or not. Every life brings elements to our lives that would not have transpired in otherway. Every life contributes something of value to our society in some capacity. Life is not brought forth for us to decide the quality of it, but to value it and cherish it in all of its many forms. What we may consider a burden can be a time of great relief as we learn to see broader and deeper into the lives that are all around us. It may hurt many of us to be stretched to this capacity, but what about them? How do they feel? How do they relate to pain? We can't bypass these real and serious questions. They must be asked, they must be remedied in a way that brings healing. As long as we live life in a place that carries our own view we will have to ask the question-what about them?

Father, our wonderful Creator, thank You for changing our vision to see life the way you see it-precious, valulable, and simply amazing. Up to now we have not been the best at sharing and sacrifising, so we are asking for Your forgiviness. We confess our lives have been lived with a limited vision and if any one can broaden that vision it is You. Streatch us Yahwah, make us to behold others in a way that brings new life and restoration no matter the state. You know how to relate to Your creation better then we ever will be, show us how to make a difference with those You have placed in our proximity. For Your honor, for Your praise, and for their liberity. In Jesus name, Amen.

(If you have been blessed-leave a comment. I would love to hear your heart.)

Monday, February 18, 2013

Mindy McCready

"The thief comes not, but for to steal, kill, and destroy; I come that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

~John 10:10

As I read the article of Mindy McCready(http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=791263) death and the battles that surrounded her during her career and after, it brought my mind to the above scripture. I thought of Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and many before them, who lost the battle to their inward struggles. The enemy of our souls is relentless and comes not only but to steal, kill, and destroy. No matter how much talent, money, status, family, and friends we have the enemy still preys on us. He is very familiar with the weak, simple, desperate, prideful, and bruised. He studies us and offers us what we believe at that moment will grant us peace, happiness, approval, and acceptance. We receive his poison as Snow White did the red delicious apple, but once we bit into it our lives are forever changed. Like Mindy McCready, the more battles that come the more we try to hide behind what the enemy once offered us to quiet our souls, but it only brings more disruption, more noise. The enemies delicacies can never satisfy, it drags us deeper and deeper into despair and desperation. We long for peace, but the enemy keeps us busy and distracted so we believe that we finally have captured it. His ways are strategically designed to kills us, to keep us on an abusive roller coaster of denial and confusion.

We as human beings are no match for the enemies tactics, we will never win against his ploys-never. No matter how many great ideas we come up with, how many scientific breakthroughs, how many rallies, marches, technology advancement, government assistance, or church's we build, the enemy will always have us where he wants us-deceived. Understanding this one fact, shows us why we need Truth, why we need Jesus. Why Jesus came. Why He died. He did not come to give us a bigger house, a better job, more money, fame, more friends, status, a perfect spouse, He came "that we might have life, and have it more abundantly." Jesus' life is not found in what the world deems life, it is found in knowing Him and believing on who He says He is-"the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Everything outside of Jesus, the enemy controls and he comes to kill us. Nothing and I mean nothing the enemy will ever offer us will save us nor grant us peace. He will lie to us, he will abuse us, and he will blame us for it all.

Mindy McCready life was stolen. She may have had a choice like so many before her and like many of us today, but when we don't choose Jesus, every other choice we make will always be the same-death. Jesus wants us to know today, that His love is available and the life we are living is not the life He died for us to live. He wants our hearts and He wants to heal them and He can and will-just believe. Anything and I mean anything that we do apart from Christ means nothing and that even includes our best intentions. Let's not be like Mindy, Whitney, or Michael, covering up our pain with what the enemy offers, let's choose Jesus and find everything our heart every wanted and so much more.

Father, oh how we need You. Oh how we desperately need You. More than money, more than fame, more than friends, more than family, more than comfort, we need You. The enemy has lied to us and we have believed him. We have accepted his lesser ways into our lives and today we are paying for it. Our family, friends, community, and world are paying for it. Your Son came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Forgive us O Lord for living below this standard, forgive us for doing what we wanted to do in order to maintain our idols. Father I am asking You today in Jesus name to take away everything and everyone that is not bearing fruit in our lives. We know that whatever you cut out of our lives, You replace with eternal blessings beyond our imaginations. Show us the areas that still need to be confessed and help us to turn from those things once they have been revealed. Thank You Father for sending us Your Son, so that we no longer live unto ourselves or the enemies lies. Thank You for setting us free in Jesus. Amen.

(If you have been blessed-leave a comment. Would love to hear your heart.)

Disclaimer:The information contained in these blogs are for reflective purposes only, and may not apply to your situation. The author, publisher, distributor and provider provides no warranty about the content or accuracy of content enclosed. Information provided is subjective. Keep this in mind when reviewing this blog and when considering using content for other purposes outside of this blog(http://www.easywritingtemplates.com/disclaimers/sample-disclaimer-statementss/). Plagiarism is strongly discourged. Studying the scriptures is highly recommended.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Sorry

For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death."

~2 Corinthians 7:10

I was in elementary when I got caught stealing, red-handed. I remember the consequence better then the actual item that brought me to sorrow. I remember the security person who was a part of my fate, she was a women and I remember the look on my mother's face-murder. I also remember my heart beating so hard against my chest I could hear it. Every thought possible raced through my head, but the one thought that gave me the most chills was having to face my dad. I just knew my mom was going to tell him, and she did. My mom and I left that store in silence, but it was my first lesson in being sorrowful, not for hurting my mom and dad, but for getting caught.

Does this sound familiar? Many of us have been here, or still is here. We go forth in doing or saying things that we know goes against the laws of God, but we press anyway. When we get caught, we are immediately stunned that it even happened. Our first thought is not about the hurt we have caused God, but rather on how we are going to redeem ourselves from the current situation. We think of what we are going to lose-reputation, position, family, opportunity, etc., but God is no where in our thoughts, only self. When we sin, the first offended is God. They are His laws, they are His precepts that we violate. We tend to get our wires criss-crossed in the process. We work harder to salvage self, then we do trying to make things right with God.

King David (2 Samuel 11 & 12), after committing adultery and murder, found it impossible to have right relationship with anyone, not even himself, until he confessed his sin before God. There are many of us that have bypassed this crucial step and do not have peace of mind. We are full of guilt and the result is anger, overcompensation, and denial. Some of us have become hard and truth is no longer permitted into our hearts. Both of these places need to be confessed in order for us to have peace with God and our fellow man. When David's sin was brought before him by the prophet Nathan, David did not try to salvage self, instead he confessed His sin to God and allowed God to rectify the situation His way.

God wants to see us free today. If we don't have the godly sorrow that brings about true repentance we can ask God to give it to us. He wants us to ask. He wants to see us healthy and whole. We don't have to live a life trying to preserve self, God wants to preserve us and can do a better job doing it then we ever could. Let's set ourself free today, let's confess our sins and repent, and find the rest our soul so desperately needs.

Father, thank You again, for all that you do in us. Thank you for what You desire to do in us. We know that more than we like to admit, we don't consider You when we sin, but just ourselves. We don't even think of how what we did hurt Your heart-Jesus. He who gave His life, so that we may have life more abudant (John 10:10). Forgive us O Lord. We confess that we have tried to cover our sins, deny our sins, justify our sins, blame shift our sins, but You know the truth. Thank you for showing us how much You love us by showing us our sins, so that we may confess them and find rest. You desire to heal us, heal us now O Lord as we confess our sins and repent. In Jesus Name, Amen.

(If you have been blessed-leave a comment. Would love to hear your heart.)

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

STOP

"...Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads." And I said, "Who are you, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting"(Acts 9:4-5).

Have you ever wonder why as human beings when told to do something we tend to be tempted to want to do the opposite? This desire starts at a very early age. Tell a toddler not to touch something, not to eat something, not to go out there, to sit,..yeah very early. This behavior grows right up with us and the older we get, the more unwise we seem to become, because for some reason we now believe we know better. I don't know better then what, but we really believe we know better. Do we?

Looking a little more closer at the life of Saul, later named Paul, we see that in all of his zeal he really believed that his actions were justified, even got a stamp of approval from the synagogue itself to take out all follower's of Christ(Read Acts 9:1-2). He was moving right along strongly in his resolve only to come to a complete stop. That ever happened to you? Your moving in a direction that you believe is right, you even have the approval of others, and then BAM?! That's what happened to Paul and that is what has happened to many of us. Our resolve was shattered. Our ideas were smashed. Our plans got stopped dead in their tracks. It happened so suddenly to us, that all we could do was submit, and that was just the right posture for us to receive instructions.

Paul's life was never the same after Jesus stopped him in his tracks, never. His mind was made up and he knew whom he believed(2Timothy 1:12). That same resolve he had in self, was now rooted in Christ and what an amazing change was made in him. When Christ stops us we will be forever changed as we submit. There are many who try to "kick against the goads" only to find themselves more exhausted, bruised, and depleted. The image of us trying to fight against God after He stops us reminds me of a Broadway musical, "Your Arms Too Short to Box with God: Soaring Celebration in Song and Dance." I did a little research and found out where that title originated from, and it was taken from published sermons by James Waldon Johnson titled, "The Prodigal Son" in "God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse"-1927. It reads like this:

Young man-
Young man-
Your arms too short to box with God.
But Jesus spake in a parable, and he said:
A certain man had two sons,
Jesus didn't give this man a name,
But his is God Almighty.
And Jesus didn't call these sons by name,
But every young man,
Every where,
Is on of these two sons

God loves us too much to keep us moving in a direction that was never designed for us to travel on. If you been fighting against God, just stop, you are no match for Him. Sooner or later you will stop and may Jesus be the one you meet on that road.

Father, thank You for stopping us. Thank You for caring enough to stop us. Thank you for your arms that are opened wide and for Your love that runs deep. There are many of us who are kicking against the goads and don't want to submit, but I pray that submission will soon come and fighting will cease against You. We need You, and I thank You that You know this, and that is why You tell us today-STOP. May we submit to Your word, so that we will receive new instructions and be forever changed. In Jesus name, Amen.

Disclaimer:The information contained in these blogs are for reflective purposes only, and may not apply to your situation. The author, publisher, distributor and provider provides no warranty about the content or accuracy of content enclosed. Information provided is subjective, but it contains an objective source. Keep this in mind when reviewing this blog and when considering using content for other purposes outside of this blog(http://www.easywritingtemplates.com/disclaimers/sample-disclaimer-statementss/). Plagiarism is strongly discourged. Studying the scriptures is highly recommended.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Change

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

~Ecclesiastes 3:1

Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall-the season's that affect the world in more ways than one. Depending on what region you abide, the season's can be celebrated or dreaded, but either way they come and it is something that we all have no choice but to accept. Some have the means and the flexibility to move to the area where their season is at its peak, but that is marginal. No matter the choice that is made, one thing is for sure, the season's will continue to change and we can adapt or move.

Like the season's of the earth, so is the season's of our lives. As long as we live we can be sure of one thing-change. Change will come and we can accept it or move to our desired places, but even within that choice, there is change. We can not avoid, run, hide, or deny change, it is inevitable, and we can be sure we will be affected. How we respond to the change is what helps the season's of our lives become amazing opportunities. We all have read or heard the statement, "our attitude determines our altitude," well I would like to put a spin on that statement and say, "change gives altitude to our attitude."

You see we can't see where adjustments need to be made within us, unless change comes, season's if you will. When change enters into our sphere our attitude will be based on what has always been within us, change will reveal that. Change will bring the bubbles to the top and it is how we deal with these surfaced attitudes that will give way to celebration or dread. Indeed some changes can blow us over, make us want to "run for the border," but the attitude that will navigate us into acceptance is the one that will lead us to greater peace.

Yahweh uses change or circumstances to speak to us. He knows that until we are trained well in the area of "walking by faith and not by sight" (2Corinthians 5:7), that He's message of love and grace can easily be overlooked and rejected. So changes are opportunities Yahweh uses often to share His heart. The season's of our lives can be great blessings if they bring us closer to the One whose arms are always open to us. Yes, we do see moral growth in many that go through great change, but the change that brings eternal good to any life, is a change worth celebrating.

Many of us are in different season's in our lives. Change has come and choices must be made. Our real attitude has made its way to the surface, now we see a little clearer the content of our hearts-bless the LORD. Now what to do? May I suggest we Stop, Look, and Listen. Yahweh is speaking to us and His message is of love. He wants our hearts, but our sin will not allow Him to abide. He has remedied that through His Son and wants us with Him through every season of our lives. Change can be a good thing if it leads to eternal blessings. Change can be celebrated if it gives us a new heart.

Father, thank You for speaking to us through change. We know that some change is harder to accept then others, especially the change that causes us to see the real attitudes of our hearts. We are fallen human beings and You knowing this have made the perfect sacrifice for our souls-Jesus. For every change that made us harder, forgive us. For every change that made us run, forgive us. For every change that caused us to turn from You, forgive us. We need You Father and ask that You will forgive us and make us whole again. Build us up, so that no matter what the season we will stay faithful to You, our Strength and Redeemer. Thank you for the change that has brought us closer to You and has brought more compassion into our heart's for other's. May Your holy name be forever glorified through our lives, in Jesus Name. Amen.

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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Focus

"...Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"~Philippians 1:6

Walking with Christ requires complete focus. There is so many things around us to distract us, making us oblivious of the changes that are going on inside of us. God who called us into this new life knows all about what we are up against, that is why His work in us is so divine, because what He can do in us, we cannot. What He can do in us, lasts forever.

Distraction's are going to come, this we can bet on. What we must learn in the midst of them is deliberate focus, this is something that God requires of us to do. He at anytime can move these distractions, but He would rather us master the skill of focus so anytime and anywhere we can access peace and find Him already at work in us and around us. Focus is defined as-a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity. When we focus our minds on Jesus, the central point, we can actually see our distraction being turned into opportunities. The opportunity to forgive, serve, love, teach, learn, embrace, release, the list goes on and on.

As we focus more and more on Christ deliberately, we find ourselves being transformed into His likeness. Our thoughts become established in His word, our work becomes joyous, and soul's around us become liberated. This is the work of the servant of the Lord-to liberate souls we come in contact with. If our focus is anywhere but on Christ, the service we do for other's becomes more of a stumbling block then a divine exchange. Does this mean we have to be focused a 100% of the time? My answer is, we need to strive to focus a 100% of the time. 1 Peter 5:8 admonishes us to, "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" We must stay focused. Our lives depend on it. Our future generation depends on it.

Focus does not come easy for some, for years our minds have been free to roam in territory that was designed to hold us captive. Now through the wondrous richness of Yahweh's grace we see how much of a slave we really are to thoughts that are lies. For most of us our whole life has been built on one big lie, and through the work of God in us, little by little he is untangling us so our focus is established under a new order. We need focus on this journey. We need to focus on the truth that Yahweh at all time is working unceasingly in us. He wants us free. He wants us holy. He wants us living unto Him and not unto our lusts any longer. By the grace of God and with every bit of focus you have choose today to focus your mind on things above (Colossians 3:2). Yahweh desires our focus let us give it to Him today and everyday He grants to us.

Father, forgive us for losing our focus. With so many distractions it so easy to do so, but you have given us an opportunity through Your Son to learn deliberate focus so that our minds become renewed and always ready for action. We thank you today that You are always at work in us, doing great and mighty things that only You can do. We ask today for the focus we need so that we can cooperate better with Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for sending Your Son and giving us a new life through Him. If not for His great sacrifice we would never know what true freedom is. Thank You for Your love, grace, and forgiveness through Jesus, may we learn to use what You have given us that pertains to life and godliness, so our lives here on earth will not be in vain. We have much work to do. I ask You, in Jesus name that we will get busy focusing on You so that other's may become liberated and grow continually in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Thank you again and again. I ask You to help us to live as thankful servants everyday. Amen.