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Yoke Breaking – Burden Removing

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God is the same yesterday, today and forever. There is nothing too big or too small for Him to tackle on our behalfs. We might be experiencing difficulties within our own lives or feel some aches and pains within our bodies; however, if we can turn on focus and see Jesus in every situation…life will take on a whole new meaning and outcome because everything has already been defeated.

It is important to remind ourselves that Jesus is healthy, kind, humble, loving, forgiving, rich, truth, filled with wisdom and has more than enough. Let’s break it down and look at it in it’s simplest form…

  • Is Jesus plagued with cancer, diabetes, or any illness? NO! So as He is, so are we in this world!
  • Does Jesus have aches and pain in His body? NO! So as He is, so are we in this world!
  • Is Jesus weak or concerned? NO! So as He is, so are we in this world!
  • Is Jesus worried about paying bills or where the financing will come from?  NO! So as He is, so are we in this world!
  • Is Jesus just barely getting by in life? NO! So as He is, so are we in this world!
  • Does Jesus worry about what others think or say about Him? NO! So as He is, so are we in this world!
  • Is Jesus worried about what He looks like or have any image problems? NO! So as He is, so are we in this world!
  • Is Jesus worried about who the next President will be? NO! So as He is, so are we in this world!
  • Does Jesus fret over where His next meal will come from? NO! So as He is, so are we in this world!
  • Is Jesus barely making ends meet? NO! So as He is, so are we in this world!
  • Does Jesus worry about His past or worry about something He did? NO! So as He is, so are we in this world!

Jesus loves us completely. He is full of truth and wisdom; and that truth and wisdom lives within us. Jesus is our water-walker! He is our yoke-destroying, burden-removing love that overcame everything on our behalf. Don’t let another moment go by without seeing Jesus’ victory. For there is not one thing that can come against you that hasn’t already been defeated. Let go and let Jesus’ victory replace your situation. Speak His truth in your life for His word will not return void. Victory is yours today, tomorrow and forever! As He is, so are we in this world

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Perspective Is Everything

Faith_HearingWhat is going on in your life right now? Are your finances dried up? Are you unemployed? Have you lost friends or family members? Have you found yourself battling sickness, depression or loneliness? Do addictions have control over you? What circumstances do you find yourself in?

I bet everyone reading those questions came up with a long list of things that are happening in their lives right now that they would like changed. What’s worse is how quickly those things popped into your head, right?!?! I’m guessing you didn’t have to think too hard on those questions before coming up with the list.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to focus on the problems than on the solutions? Why is that, do you think? Mainly because when we find ourselves battling the “issues” of life, we seem to focus on them non-stop until we figure out how to solve them. But what if I could show you that there was an easier way? Would you be willing to give it a try?

Well the good news is that there is an easier way! God tells us in Romans 10:17 that our faith comes from hearing. That is a very powerful statement if you really stop to think about it! Why should we need to grow our faith? What is faith really?

Let’s say you lost your job and are about to lose your home. What do you do? You are probably sending out your resume and talking with every person you know in trying to land a job that will provide enough funds to keep your home. Right?!?!? Not only that but you are probably under tremendous stress, worry and on the verge of being sick because of the pressure. If you don’t land a job with a high enough salary, you will lose your home. Then it will snowball to where am I going to live, how will I survive, what will I eat and on, and on, and on. Trust me I know…I’ve been there and it’s a terrible, stressful and unhappy situation to be in.

See the thing I learned throughout my difficult situations is to listen to the Word more. Building your faith is the most crucial and most important thing you could ever do when things are up against you. When you build your faith and remain strong in the Word, it won’t matter what the outcome is because you will still have the victory. Your perspective changes.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

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When we change our perspective, we might start to realize that God is asking us to let go of something. He may be trying to change our circumstances but we have to allow things be released in order to get there. See, God knows exactly what we need, when we need it and how to get it to us. When we focus on His word it will tell us the exact opposite of the difficult situations we’re facing.

It’s all about perception! Think about it this way…

  • If you are broke…the Bible says you are prosperous!
  • If you are sick…the Bible says you are healed by His stripes!
  • If you recently buried a loved one…the Bible says they are asleep and you will be reunited in heaven.

The whole key here is to saturate yourself in the Word and get the right perspective. Listen to what God says, not what you see! You might not see the answer yet, you might not feel your healing yet…BUT whatever “it” is, I can tell you…YOU WIN!!!

And that’s the perspective you must hold onto at all times!

 

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Shakened Confidence?

Angry_God's PromiseHave you ever notice that when you choose to follow Jesus…instead of finding life like a bed of roses, you seem to encounter some of the most difficult times in your lives? Is it coincidence or something else?

This year alone, two very special people in my life were called home to heaven. First, my amazing grandbaby. My son had just surprised my mom and I with an unexpected visit. His purpose was to visit mom (aka grams), pray over her and just spend some quality time with us. We had all just started getting ready for bed when his cellphone rang. The next thing I knew, we were rushing him to the airport as my daughter-in-law had been hospitalized. Unfortunately my first grandbaby, Christopher Lamar Tovar was not going to get a chance to live his wonderful life as he was called to be with the Lord instead. Within a few months, my mom was rushed to the hospital on Mother’s Day. To add insult to injury, she too was called to heaven. She had battled cancer for four very long years. She wasn’t going down without a fight. She had a warrior spirit within her that gave her courage, strength and much love through it all. She was the epitome of “fighting the good fight of faith”. But none the less, God chose to call her home.

It’s during times like these, we are reminded how valuable and special life really is. However, it’s also a time when you find yourself battling to remain rooted in faith. It’s the ultimate battle of the mind where you feel your confidence shaken to its very core? It’s about all the “why’s” in life that seem to go unanswered? It’s when doubt creeps in and you can’t seem to find stability or grasp the reasoning.

Life is a very precious commodity and none of us know how long God has us planned on this earth. It is during the unpleasant and heartbreaking situations that we can find our confidence shaken. Not just in ourselves but also in the Lord. You find yourself wondering why God did not miraculously heal them or why He didn’t show up when you expected and in the way you expected.

It’s easy to believe God is a good when everything is going our way. It’s when your faith and confidence is shaken so badly you truly find out what you believe. You will either believe He is truly there no matter what you face, or you will believe that you must being doing something wrong because things aren’t working out, or worse…you will begin to wonder if God really exists.

We will have trials and tribulations in our lives. Good and evil happen to us all. However, our God is a loving and caring God. He wants our lives filled with love, kindness, happiness and wholeness. He wants the absolute best for you; actually more than you can imagine. We might not understand why bad things happen…BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS…when you find yourself in battles that are beyond your comprehension…you have someone who understands it even when you don’t. You have someone that will provide you the strength and perseverance to get through it when you’re struggling to get your head off the bed.

God’s plan is bigger and higher than we can imagine. We don’t have to understand it. We don’t have to go through it alone. Instead, we can tell God exactly how we feel and He will understand. He wants you to enjoy life. Stop trying to figure it all out! Some things we may not understand until we find ourselves in heaven. Our loved ones will be waiting for us. They have been blessed to be called home sooner than we are. They have completed their course no matter how big or small their time was here on Earth. They no longer have the cares of this world. Instead they are with the Creator of the Universe and that’s a pretty amazing thing, isn’t it?

We must choose every day if we are going to believe every word of the Bible or just pick and choose scripture that we like. Will you follow God’s lead and choose to walk it out no matter what you face? Will you be bold against all odds? Will you be like David, Job, Joseph, Paul or Ester who went through difficult times yet found the strength to overcome? Just because things don’t seem to be working out like you thought, it doesn’t mean God has turned His back on you. Don’t fall into the negativity traps of the mind. Your faith is a necessary component to manifesting and healing. Choose your path wisely and choose to stand on the Word of God. You are more powerful than you think! There is always a time to mourn, to dance, to love, to care, and most importantly, a time to fulfill your destiny. Be an overcomer today! You are a child of the Most High!  Your confidence is not in your circumstances but in the Lord Almighty!

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Hebrews 10:35-36 “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.”

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

1 Corinthians 2:3-5 “And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

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Enemies Don’t Stand A Chance

abuse-clipart-verbalabuseLast week, we discussed what to do when you’re facing insurmountable odds and tipping the scale into your favor. Well, I would like to expand on it a bit this week as this topic isn’t discussed enough in my opinion yet it affects us all!

When people mistreat you, what’s the first thing you do? If we’re honest with ourselves, most of us immediately get angry and want revenge. Anger tends to linger until you are so full of rage that the situation is the only thing you can think about. If festering is allowed, it will affect your mind, thoughts, and temperament. This in turn, could easily lead to depression and sickness.

If we allow anger to fester, it is giving the person total control over your life. They don’t deserve that control and you don’t deserve the pain and suffering they’ve caused. So, how do we turn these situations around?

I know most people are going to cringe when I say this…but…PRAY FOR YOUR ENEMY! I know, I know, I know…how dare I say that, right?!?!?

We all have things happen that we don’t understand or things that make us so angry where you just want to punch them out. And yes, that’s not very Christian to think but hey, we are human and there are many times in our lives that we either think or feel un-Christianly. Let’s get real, we are human and those are human traits. Even Jesus got angry in the temple and against heresy. Having those feelings are normal. However, how we react to the feelings determines your future path. Do you give into those feelings or do you follow God’s way of doing things? Now that is the real question, isn’t it?

As we discussed last week, we will encounter trials in this world. We will come up against evil in the craziest of times. That is a part of life. But God gives us such a profound outlook as to how we are to deal with the pain and anger. Let’s see…

Matthew 5:43-45: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.…”

Romans 12:19-21: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

From these passages, you get a real feel for what God says. He tells us to love and pray for our enemies. He knows that isn’t the typical humanly response. So why does He tell us to do it? Because He wants to take care of it for you. He wants us to focus on Him and not the unfair situation. PERIOD!!!!

See, our true battle isn’t the situation or the person. Our true battle lies in how we react to the unfair situation and what we will focus upon. We must strive to keep our eyes on the Lord at all times. If we can do that, then it gives God free reign to help us in all situations. So today, I ask that you begin praying and doing good towards your enemies and watch God resolve the issues into your favor!

HAMG-IN-THERE

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