Look Out, God’s Grace Is With You

Mar11

His Word Is TrueNo matter who you are, everyone finds themselves going through some tough circumstances and difficult situations in their lives right now. Satan is not a respecter of persons. He loves to attack anyone he feels threatened by and…YOU, YOU CHILD OF GOD are a threatening force to be reckoned with!

Whether you find yourself with an addictive behavior, a frayed relationship, in deep depression, a financial mess, or a huge mixture of them all…I want you to know that GOD’s GRACE IS SUFFICIENT for whatever you are battling. Take a couple of the key people in the Bible for a moment. Job found himself in a terrible mess. He went from being a very rich man with a great family to losing everything he owned. He had absolutely nothing left. In an instant…He lost his home, his family, his flocks, and his wealth. Look at Paul. He was snake bitten. Shipwrecked. Thrown into jail. Stoned. Whipped. And thrown over a cliff being left for dead. He had absolutely nothing left.

At first, they both had an incredible life. They felt like they were on top of the world. They had so much going for them. And then…a major crash came. Everything they knew was gone in an instant. In a blink of an eye. It looked like their situations were so huge and massive, that there was no way they were going to get out of them. Does that sound like your situation? Does your circumstances look like there’s no way out? Are you so overwhelmed that you just can’t see any solutions?

If that sounds like you…take heart because I have TREMENDOUS NEWS FOR YOU!!! GOD’S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT! HE HAS A WAY WHEN THERE ISN’T ONE!

“2 Corinthians 12:8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”God is Bigger than problems

No matter what you face, no matter what you find yourself going through, no matter how weak and helpless you might feel…God’s grace is sufficient. See, when we find ourselves in a difficult situation…instead of murmuring or complaining about it; we should THANK GOD FOR HIS ABUNDANT GRACE! His grace is more than enough to handle the problem. Sure, it may not look like you will get out of the situation but you will have VICTORY! GOD SAYS SO!

Maybe you are just like Job or Paul. Maybe you find yourself broke, busted and disgusted. Maybe you lost everything. Maybe that addiction has such an intense hold that you can’t seem to break free. Well the best thing you can do is PRAISE GOD THAT HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT. Job and Paul ended up being some of the greatest men in the Bible. They knew that God was all they needed. They prayed, they believed and they praised Him no matter what they found themselves going through. Maybe you are down to your last dollar and have bills to pay…PRAISE GOD THAT YOU HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO PAY YOUR BILLS! Maybe people are talking badly about you…PRAISE GOD THAT HIS GRACE OVERCOMES YOUR HATERS. Maybe your marriage is in turmoil…PRAISE GOD THAT HIS GRACE RESTORES MARRIAGES.

I CANThere is absolutely no way you can lose. Sure, it may not look like anything is happening. It may look like you are defeated. It may seem impossible. It may seem like there is absolutely no way you are going to get out of this mess. It may appear that your healing will never come. You might have been holding on for years and nothing seems to be happening in your favor.

But today you can declare…VICTORY THROUGH CHRIST! It’s His grace, His love, His healing, His peace, His restoration that will make sure that you are the VICTOR not the victim, the HEAD and not the tail, ABOVE and not below! You are more than a conqueror through Christ! You will succeed no matter what you face! God promises that all good things come from Christ and that “no weapon formed against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:17)

VICTORY IS YOURS!

DECLARE IT ~ ACCEPT IT ~ EXPECT IT!

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The Pain of Stress and Worry

Mar10

Many of us struggle with stress and worry.  With all the “What Ifs” in life and all; life can be overwhelming at times.

  • Maybe your child is heading in the wrong direction.
  • Maybe you received a bad report from your doctor.
  • Maybe you are having financial problems.
  • Maybe you have too many things to accomplish and not enough time.
  • Maybe you have experienced a major change in your life recently.
  • Maybe your in a difficult relationship.

Whatever the case may be, worry and stress are very destructive.  When we over analyze or over think things, we become consumed by them.  Your daily life becomes “one-way” thinking, so to speak.  You eat, drink and live that particular situation until you simply can’t function correctly and you become irrational. That is a sure fire way for the devil to create chaos in your life.  He loves when you become “stressed out” or “too concerned” about something because he will take advantage of that very situation and make it worse than ever before.

John 10:10 tells us “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”

So, as you can imagine, the devil loves when we give him an opportunity to mess with our lives.  Stress and worry is one such way.  When we stress and worry, we tend to react too quickly and without analyzing the consequences of those actions.  The devil can use that against us.  He may tell you to go one way, when in all reality, you should have went the opposite direction.  That’s his style, taking advantage of anything he can and making life a living hell during the process.  So, what can we do about it?

Well, Jesus understood how destructive stress and worry could be.  He knew that we would be setting ourselves up for physical illnesses if we allowed these destructive emotions to rule our lives.  They can easily develop into migraines, pains in your body, difficulty in sleeping, digestive problems, obesity and even heart disease.  These are all very good reasons to take Jesus’ advice in this matter.  He specifically tells us not to worry, but instead, He says to look to God’s unfailing love and provision.  Bottom line, TRUST IN HIM!

The goal is to overcome the issue.  By putting God’s word into practice; you will become victorious over stress and worry.  It helps us to keep our focus on Jesus, no matter how we feel.  This in turn, allows Him to take care of the situation for us.  For He knows what the best outcome is, so why don’t you allow Him to be your healer, provider and protector.  Simply put…Whatever you need…HE IS!

The best way to use scripture is to have them handy.  Every time you become worried or feeling a little anxious, stop what you are doing, and state the scripture.  What this does is help you align yourself with God’s word and keep your focus on Jesus at all times.  This releases the pressure of stress and worry because no matter what, Jesus has got you covered.  He knows that it may feel like a setback to you, but in all reality, it is a setup for something greater.  Repeat after me…”God is handling all of my problems today and does not need my help.”  So, relax and have a Great Day!

KEY SCRIPTURES TO OVERCOMING STRESS AND WORRY

Matthew 6:25-27  “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, that they do now sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not worth much more than they?  And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”

Matthew 11:28-30  “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

John 14:27  “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

1 Corinthians 7:32  “But I want you to be free from concern…”

Proverbs 12:25  “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad.”

Philippians 4:6-7  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 5:6-8  “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Good Deeds or Distractions?

Mar9

pie-in-the-skyThere’s so much to be said about “destiny”. So many people think it’s “pie in the sky” or just “hopeful thinking”. But in truth…it’s so much more.

God doesn’t call everyone to be a preacher or have a huge congregation. No, God calls some to be a plumber, an electrician, a writer, a singer, a songwriter, a classroom teacher, an accountant, a construction worker and on, and on, and on.

When you truly know what God calls you to do, you quickly realize that even if it’s a small part in the big scheme of things, it brings you so much joy that it’s undeniable that you are where you are meant to be. Now at the time, you might not realize how many people you have impacted by your daily work. However, your love, smiles and joy could be the very thing that impacted them the most. You might not have ever spoken a single “Biblical” word but your impact was far greater than if you did.

I see so many Christians these days running every which direction, being so stressed out, thinking that they are doing good by participating in everything. But in all reality, they are missing their true calling. Now don’t get me wrong, we are all supposed to be loving, helpful and making a difference. But if you have over committed in too many places or in too many activities than your joy will be diminished and not as effective.

What’s worse is seeing Christians compare themselves to others. I’ve seen pastors wonder what in the world is wrong with them when their congregation only has 100 people while someone else has 5,000 each Sunday. First and foremost, never compare. God works in all of us differently and it doesn’t matter if you have one person or 10,000…it’s God who makes the difference and you might have impacted that one person far greater than the other pastor did with the 10,000.

See, when you become stressed because you’re doing “good deeds” every night of the week, how can you possibly be taking time for a deep-committed relationship with Jesus? The answer is…you can’t. You’ll be too busy thinking about all the things that need to be done in order to be here or there. You’ll be wondering how in the world you’ll get it all accomplished. You’ll wonder how you’re going to get your own laundry done or go to the grocery store. At this point, these are no longer “good deeds” but have become “distractions”.

Being overly committed is not God’s design. He wants us living balanced lives, not chaotic ones. When you are so committed to all the external works, you will not have time to work on your own “true destiny”. Your true destiny comes in many forms as outlined before. God may ask you to help out in a specific church function or become a choir singer or participate in a charity event. And that’s okay. If God leads you to participate then by all means, walk out in faith and follow God’s guidance. However, the sole purpose of this writing is to say…walk in your destiny not in “good deeds”. There is a huge difference.

If you are overly committed, the real question is why? Are you truly walking out your calling or are you trying to fill a void that only God can fill?

Christian illustrations for the whole family“The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever”

(Isaiah 32:17)

Your destiny has a real sense of purpose. It’s not just to be busy or being a good person or doing good things. Start questioning the true motives of all your “good deeds”. Take a real hard look at why you are filling your day with so many activities. Begin to listen to your still small voice and then make your decisions. As you start listening to the deep peace within, you’ll begin to declutter your life and things will become more balanced.

God wants you to be successful and walking into your destiny. Let God guide you every step of the way. Learn to say “No” to the distractions and say “YES” to God! For when you do, you will know you’re on His right path and you’ll accomplish much more than you ever dreamed possible.

Note: Please disregard any advertisement you may encounter under this posting as the author does not endorse them. Thank you.

Faith of a Mustard Seed

Mar8

In today’s society, most people need to see things in order to believe in them. But for those of us who follow Christ, we are told to believe in things unseen. The Bible explains this point very well.  In Hebrews 11:1 “NOW FAITH is the assurance of things hoped for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality.”

So the bottom-line here is that we must have faith and trust in what we can not see; therefore, making it a reality within our lives; BELIEVING IN OUR BIG GOD and HIS PROMISES!

From my own personal experience, I can say that when I started thinking and saying things that didn’t exist in my life yet, I felt like a hypocrite. If I was feeling sick, I would think and say…”By His Stripes I am healed“ (Isaiah 53:5). Or when my funds were low, I would think and say, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack.” (Psalm 23:1) When you begin practicing this simple tool, it does feel awkward or out of the norm. But the truth is…this should be our NORM!

Even if you have faith of a mustard seed (Luke 17:6), God will begin transforming your dreams into reality. The more you focus on Him while being grateful for His promises, the more you will see His beautiful provisions in your life. His blessings are all around us, every moment of every day. Make it a point to be grateful for all the small things in your life because He will see your gratefulness and trust you with so much more. The best thing you can do is keep your faith aligned with His word. DO NOT LOOK at your current circumstances. LOOK AT GOD and HIS PROMISES!

No matter how bad things might be in your life right now; be grateful that you are a Child of the Most High God and have faith in HIM. There is always light at the end of your dark tunnel. Everything will turn out for your good because HE knows exactly what you need, when you need it, and the best way to get it to you.

He won’t let you down. Get up every morning and know that you are going to have a GREAT DAY because God is already there!

NOTE: Please disregard any advertisements you may see on this website as the author does not endorse them. Thank you.