Archive | March 2020

Time for Some Decluttering?

Mar31
Master Closet Makeover...Part 1 | Master closet, Messy bedroom ...

The one thing I have decided to do during this time of self isolating is to declutter. I am decluttering our home. Closets that have been packed for years are finally being tackled and cleared out. Some things are being tossed, some will be given away and some will be kept for another season.

Cupboards are getting organized. All those unmatched containers and lids are being matched or repurposed for something else. Drawers are being cleaned out and sorted and reorganized before being put back. Clutter is being tackled everywhere!

This is also a great time to tackle our spiritual clutter. All those negative thoughts and areas of our lives where we allow unbelief to remain need to be cleaned out. Too much time being wasted on mindless tv viewing and entertainment need to go. Feelings of self pity and discouragement need to be shaken off.

Instead why not use your time to get back into worshiping and praising our Savior and King? If you are spending the day by yourself sing shamelessly out loud! Why not begin to keep a daily gratitude journal of all the answered prayers and blessings you have in your life? Taking the time to acknowledge all that God has done already for you and continues to do for you is a sure fire way to see self pity go! Why not ask friends and family if they have any needs that they would like you to pray for or over? Spend time in prayer interceding for them! This is the greatest gift you can give anyone!

None of us asked for the situation we currently find ourselves in, where we are required to self isolate, however let’s not waste the time! Why not declutter the outward and the inward! Make the time count for something good!

Ephesians 1:21-32 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

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Purpose in Your Heart

Mar30
3 Reasons Why David Was a Man After God's Own Heart - Guarding the ...

The direction of our day is going to be determined by the “purposing of our heart.” As followers of Christ, we are not to be lead by feelings alone. We our to be lead by the Holy Spirit who will not impose Himself on us. If we want to have a day where we will walk in victory and glorify God we must begin our day by purposing in our heart to do the will of God.

Our flesh does not desire to yield to the ways and things of God. It is always happy to reach out and grab those things that make us feel good for the moment. However, those same things are often the things that draw us away from abiding in Christ and our peace. If we want to walk in peace and true joy it is only achieved through walking in obedience to the will of God, regardless of our circumstances.

So if you want to have a day of true peace start your day by “purposing in your heart,” to walk in holiness being lead by the Spirit of God. Invite the Holy Spirit to lead you throughout the day. Seek the Father’s will in all you do. Talk with Jesus, thank Him for all He has done and ask Him to use you as His hands and feet while you live your day for Him!

Be like Daniel, a man with an excellent spirit! Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Scripture verse for Sunday March 29, 2020

Mar29
love like Jesus Archives | Page 4 of 8 | Redeeming God

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” ~ Matthew 22:37-40

For the Child of God, There is NO Need to Fear

Mar28

The Bible is full of the promises of God. When we find ourselves feeling out of sorts, alone or most of all afraid, we should dive into the Word of God. It is there the LORD speaks to us. Spend a few minutes today meditating on Psalm 91. It is a Psalm of wonderful promise and security for those of us who love Christ and follow Him!

Psalm 91

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
    and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
    to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
    you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”

Let His Word transform your thoughts from those of fear to trust and reliance on Him. Do what is wise within your power and trust the Creator of the Universe to take care of the rest. He is for you, Child of God, not against you!

Be blessed!

Are you Excited for His Appearing?

Mar27
Will Jesus' second coming be in the clouds? I'm not so sure...

Did you know that one day Jesus is going to appear and those of us in Christ will be caught up to ever be with the LORD?

1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.  Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

This should be the “blessed hope,” of every follower of Christ.

Titus 2:11-14 This is our “blessed hope,” as the Bible calls it! For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,  teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Each morning we should prepare ourselves that today may be that very day! We need to live every day waiting on His glorious appearance! So whatever you do today, do it well, do it with excellence as you live your day honoring God. Regardless of your responsibilities, you can pray as you carry them out. Find time to read the Bible. Even a few verses that you can meditate upon throughout your day.

If you live every day waiting on His return it will keep your heart tender and sensitive to His voice and leading and that dear friends is exactly how Jesus Christ wants us to live!

Have a blessed day!

Whose Voice Are You Listening To?

Mar26

Have you noticed that when you make a decision to allow God into every area of your life that you find yourself battling negative thoughts and feelings? Suddenly things you thought were long past conquered rear their ugly head again. The more you press into the Word of God and prayer the hotter the battle becomes in your mind.

You are not alone. This is why we are told to fight the good fight. The battle must be won in the mind. Every thought must be taken captive! To start we must realize that many of these thoughts are not even our own. They are provided by the accuser of the brethren, Satan himself. He has a vested interest in you not abiding in Christ. He wants to keep your mind preoccupied with thoughts that draw you away from your intimacy with the King of Kings. Many Christians begin to discontinue their push for intimacy with God when they think the thoughts are their own. How can I love God when I think such negative, bad thoughts? Well my dear friend, many of these thoughts are NOT your own. They are used to make you feel shame and fear and that is to keep you from pressing in with God!

When you find yourself battling negative thoughts you must begin to refuse to give them any credibility. You must replace the thought with scriptural truth. For example when you are trying to pray and the thought, “God doesn’t really care about my needs. This is a waste of time..” you must counter that thought/feeling with TRUTH. This is where it is vital that you compose a list of Scripture verses that speak truth over the lies you have been believing and listening to. So in this case you would speak out, Ephesians 1:4-8 “ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.  So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son  He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.  He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Does that sound like God doesn’t care about you? NO it is a declaration of just how much He does care about you. Before he made the world He already knew YOU would be part of His family! That is amazing and truth!

I believe much of the church is walking in defeat because we are spending too much time allowing the enemy of our souls to whisper, speak and shout lies and we accept many of them as truth instead of replacing the lies with the truth of God’s word. ANY area of your life that you are believing lies in will cause you to walk defeated. This is not God’s plan for you. To begin to walk in victory is is absolutely vital that you take the time to write out the thoughts that plague you the most. Those negative thoughts of defeat and discouragement. Then search your Bible for the verses that counter those lies. Write down the negative thought/belief and beside it write down the TRUTH of God’s Word that addresses that very lie. Next time the thought comes counter it with the Word of God. Use the mightiest weapon we have, the Word of God.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.  We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ

Any thought, belief or idea you have that causes you to distance yourself or feel unworthy of God’s love is never from God. The exception to this is if you are walking in rebellious sin and haven’t repented of it and are still giving it place in your life. In this case you MUST confess your sin, renounce your sin and turn from your sin. God will not ignore your sin but He will forgive it once confessed! Praise God for His mercy!

So during these days of self isolating why not sit down and ask God to help you compose a list of the lies you have been believing over yourself and to show you the TRUTH in His Word that will counter those lies. Use this time to lean in to Christ and to begin to walk in victory in the areas you have up till now, walked in defeat!

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Things Are SHAKE, SHAKE SHAKING

Mar25
Image result for God is shaking the world

We are living in some extraordinary times right now. It would seem everything around us that has been familiar and secure in the past, is no longer available to lean upon. The Corona virus has literally stopped many from being able to continue to worship so many of the idols of our culture such as sports, live entertainment, celebrities, activities and gatherings etc. Instead people are finding themselves at home self isolating from the rest of the world.

This is a wonderful time for the saints of God to use social media to share the truth of God’s WORD. We recognize what is happening all over the world. Things are being shaken. We were told things would be shaken. It is no surprise to those who study the Bible. Though it can be a terrifying time for those who fear death, for us that are followers of Christ we need not fear. We know where we are going when we pass from life to death and that that day will not come one day sooner than what God has destined for us.

We should be wise and heed the advice of those medical professionals and self isolate when possible. We should take care of our bodies and our families. This is submitting to authorities that are not asking us to do anything against God’s will. It’s the right thing to do. But we need not fear during these days. In fact for many, the situation has presented a wonderful opportunity to spend time in His Word and in prayer interceding for those who need our prayers at this time.

While you may be holed up in your apartment, house or residence you still have the opportunity to let your light shine to others. Call those that are alone and maybe lonely, pray for those who need it during this time, pray for the worldwide persecuted church, spend time in worship throughout the day, be an example to your children, grandchildren and others. Encourage those who may need it right now. In other words let your light shine!

We may be experiencing the same shaking as the rest of the world but we are not to let it shake our faith. In fact why not use this time to press in closer to the ONE who holds the universe in His hands?

Be well, be blessed and use your time wisely while the distractions are minimal! He will soon appear and the time you spend with Him now will keep your heart ready for His appearing!

See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,  whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”  Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.  For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:25-29

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