Believing

When that old bully named “Difficulty” pops up, God wants us to see and hear something more – something beyond the difficulty. Camped on the edge of the Promised Land, Moses sent twelve scouts to scope out the land. Ten of the scouts brought back a negative report, but Joshua and Caleb kept their eyes on God, who was higher and bigger. Rather than being distracted by all that looked impossible, they saw all that was possible. And instead of fixating on the problems, they remembered God’s promise – a land of plenty for their people. They could see it, feel it, taste it. They knew that the same miracles God had performed to get the children of Israel out of Egypt would suffice to take them into the Promised Land. This task was no harder, and the miracles required were no bigger. The God who did that was the same God who could do this. It never was about what they could not do; it was always about what God could and would do if His people would only believe in Him to do it! Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” (Numbers 13:30)

Waiting

“For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3). If I have learned one thing in ministry, it is that most God dreams take longer than we think, cost more than we ever thought we would have to pay, and are far more painful to birth than we ever imagined. Nothing great happens overnight. If you have found yourself in this place, know this: God has a specific purpose and place for you. There are no throwaway runners, lanes, legs or positions in God’s divine relay. Every runner is important. Every baton, every lane, every position and every leg of the race is important. God not only has a place for each one of us, He also has perfect timing when it comes to moving us from one position to the next. Stay faithful in your pursuit of God and learn to embrace your place now; then His work in and through you will be UNSTOPPABLE! God is preparing you for the future He has planned, and it will happen perfectly in His timing.

Prayer for This Day

“God, you know the conflict in my life. I’m tired of it, and I want to make peace. I want to have your peace in my life so I can offer peace to others. So I accept your peace today. I open my life to you as best as I know how. Fill my life with love, not anger, and with patience, joy, and peace. Come in and fill every area of my life with your peace, and help me to be a bridge builder and not a wall builder. Help me to take the initiative and not wait on that other person. Help me to find the right time and place, and then help me to have the courage to confess my part of the conflict and to be humble. Instead of attacking the person, help me attack the problem. Help me to consider the other person’s perspective. Help me to speak the truth, fix the problem and not the blame, and to focus on reconciliation instead of resolving all the disagreements. I ask this in your name. Amen.” -Rick Warren

Miracles Always Come from Unexpected Sources

Amen!! Thank you Daddy!

Jun 27, 2014

Miracles Always Come from Unexpected Sources by Rick Warren “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the LORD. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.’”(Isaiah 55:8 NLT) Most of us have some need in our lives that we want met. And many of us try to figure how to get them fulfilled. You may be looking around saying, “Maybe God could do it that way” or “Maybe I could help God along with this” or “Maybe I could give a suggestion here.” You’re trying to manipulate God, and it doesn’t work! The source of a miracle will not be where you think it’s going to come from. It’s always unexpected. God told Abraham that he was going to have a son, and that son was going to be the father of a great nation. Abraham was nearly 100 years old and had a little trouble believing God’s promise. So he took matters into his own hands and had sex with a woman who wasn’t his wife, and they had a son named Ishmael. Bu God said, “No! That’s not the one I promised. That’s the one you came up with using your plan, but that’s not my plan. My plan is I’m going to use your wife Sarah and do a miracle long after she’s capable of having children.” The way you want to meet the need in your life is not the way God wants to meet the need in your life. Your way is second best. God’s way is always best. If you could understand God, you’d be God. But you’re not! Let me give you a little stress reliever. Repeat this 10 times: “God is God, and I’m not.” Isaiah 55:8 says, “’My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the LORD. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine’” (NLT). The path to a miracle is always through uncomfortable territory. The source of a miracle always comes in an unexpected way. So what do you do when you’re on this road? You don’t fret. You don’t fear. You don’t try to figure it out. You just have faith. You trust God, and say, “I don’t know how God is going to do it, but he will do it.” If God tells you to do it, even if it doesn’t make sense, you do it. Even if going in that direction, or to that location, or to talk to that person doesn’t make sense, you simply obey God and do what he tells you to do. And then, you get ready for a miracle.

God Provides

Feel like this is so much an answer to my prayers right now for His discernment in steps that have been presented. Thank you Daddy!

Jun 28, 2014

God Provides on the Way to the Miracle by Rick Warren “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:19 NIV) Some of you are in a rut, and it’s cold and dark and lonely. Some of you are on the road, and it’s scary and insecure, and you have no idea where you’re going or how long the journey’s going to take. And some of you are at the refinery, and the pressure is on. No matter where you are on the way to your miracle, here are some things you need to remember: God is all you need. You don’t need the government or even a job. If God wants to, he can have ravens drop food on you as his way of providing. If he turns off one job opportunity, he can turn on another just as easily. Don’t trust in your bank account, which changes daily. God is all you need. Where God guides, God provides. If God tells you to go to Zarephath, leave now! When God gives you direction, he will provide what you need to get there. You must trust him one day at a time. Why? Because something like a recession isn’t going to come at you all at once. It’s going to come one day at a time. God’s promises hinge on your obedience. God wants you to take a step, and then he’ll show you the next step. Take that step of faith. It may not seem logical, but you do what God says because God’s way is always best. The Bible says, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus”(Philippians 4:19 NIV). The first step of faith is asking Jesus to take control of your life. If you’ve never done that, then pray this prayer. Do you know Christ Jesus? If you don’t, you need to get to know him right now. “Dear God, thank you that you love me and want to keep me from depending on other things instead of you. Forgive me for when I’ve depended on my job and other people instead of you. Thank you that you haven’t forgotten me. Lord, the days ahead may be a little scary at times, but I understand now that the path to a miracle is through uncomfortable territory. I understand now that the source of a miracle will be unexpected, so I shouldn’t try to figure it out. I should just trust you. When you tell me what to do, and it doesn’t always make sense, I will still do what you want me to do. Help me to remember that you’re all I need and that where you guide, you’ll provide. I want to learn to trust you one day at a time. I want to go your way, not my way. I want to follow you, and I ask you to save me and come into my life. I claim your promise that if I trust you, you’ll meet my needs. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Path to Miracle: Goes Through Uncomfortable Territory

Path to Miracle: Goes Through Uncomfortable Territory by Rick Warren “Then the LORD spoke his word to Elijah, ‘Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have commanded a widow there to take care of you.’ So Elijah went to Zarephath.” (1 Kings 17:8-10a NCV) When you’re scared to death and vulnerable, you don’t know where you’re going, you don’t know how long it’s going to take, and you don’t know what’s going to happen when you get there, what do you do? You remember that the path to a miracle is always through uncomfortable territory. The Bible gives an illustration in 1 Kings 17:8-10: “Then the LORD spoke his word to Elijah, ‘Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have commanded a widow there to take care of you.’ So Elijah went to Zarephath” (NCV). God told Elijah to walk more than 100 miles during a drought through dangerous territory, where everyone knew who he was, and everyone knew King Ahab had a price on Elijah’s head. When Elijah finally made it to Zarephath, he met a poor widow who was going to feed him, but how could she help defend or protect him from a pagan town full of people who wouldn’t hesitate to kill him? Miracles don’t happen when things are comfortable. Miracles happen when things are uncomfortable. Elijah didn’t say, “God, there are three things wrong with this plan. One, you’re sending me in the wrong direction. Two, you’re sending me to the wrong location. And three, you’re sending me to the wrong protection.” Elijah just obeyed. The path to a miracle is always through uncomfortable territory. For instance — When Moses led the Israelites out of slavery to the Promised Land, they had to go through the Red Sea first. Before David could slay Goliath, he had to walk onto the battlefield. God told Jehoshaphat to put the choir before the army, and he’d win the victory. How much faith do you think that took? Miracles never happen in your comfort zone, when everything’s great and convenient. You don’t need a miracle when everything is settled in your life. You only need a miracle when you’re on the edge, when you’re scared to death, when you’re insecure, when you can get hit at any angle. Are you at a place right now in your life where things are a little uncomfortable — financially, emotionally, relationally, or physically? You’re a little nervous, a little on the edge, a little insecure. Congratulations. You’re on the path to a miracle! Just like Elijah, God wants you to obey, so you can see his miracle at the end of the road. Talk It Over What is God asking you to do that makes you uncomfortable? What do you want God to do in your life? How have you expressed your anticipation of his miracle in your life? Who are the people who can encourage you on the uncomfortable road you may be walking right now?

Trusting Absolutely

Such beautiful words today!  Father help me to trust You absolutely!!

Today, maybe you’re at a crossroads and need to make an important decision. I want to encourage you that it is not always about seeing everything perfectly, but more about trusting a perfect God absolutely. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. (Psalm 37:23, NKJV)  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. (Psalm 32:8, NKJV)

Don't Compare!

May 25, 2014

Do Your Work Well, and Don’t Compare by Rick Warren “Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of.  But don’t compare yourself with others.” (Galatians 6:4 CEV) Satan will try to steal your joy of service in two ways: by tempting you to compare your ministry with others and by tempting you to conform your ministry to the expectations of others. Both are deadly traps that will distract you from serving in the ways God intended. The Bible warns us never to compare ourselves with others: “Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don’t compare yourself with others” (Galatians 6:4 CEV). There are two reasons why you should never compare your SHAPE, your ministry, or the results of your ministry with anyone else: First, you will always be able to find someone who seems to be doing a better job than you, and you will become discouraged. Second, you will always be able to find someone who doesn’t seem as effective as you and you will become full of pride. Either attitude will take you out of service and rob you of your joy. Paul said it is foolish to compare ourselves with others. He said, “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12 NIV). The Message paraphrase says, “In all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point” (2 Corinthians 10:12b). You will find that people who do not understand your shape for ministry will criticize you and try to get you to conform to what they think you should be doing. Ignore them! Paul often had to deal with critics who misunderstood and maligned his service. His response was always the same: Avoid comparisons, resist exaggerations, and seek only God’s commendation. One of the reasons Paul was used so greatly by God was that he refused to be distracted by criticism or by comparing his ministry with others or by being drawn into fruitless debates about his ministry. John Bunyan, the author of “Pilgrims Progress,” said, “If my life is fruitless, it doesn’t matter who praises me, and if my life is fruitful, it doesn’t matter who criticizes me.”

Better to be Marked

trying to remember this!! 

I absolutely love this phrase . . . it is better to be MARKED by God than to be MARKETED by man! Today, you need to know that YOU are marked by God to do great things. And when God marks you, everyone else can get it wrong but HE will exalt you in due season. Remember, God opens doors that no man can shut! "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name."(Revelation 3:8, NKJV)

One Word at a Time

I so need this today! Help me to rest in you Daddy!  One word and one song at a time

Sometimes we have a huge task before us that seems impossible, but I have good news! We just need to start with step ONE!  I have found that if we break our challenge down into small, bite-size pieces, we are less likely to be daunted by the magnitude of the thing that is before us. If you are trying to lose 10 pounds, don’t try to lose it all in one day. Start with ONE pound. ONE pound is easier to tackle than 10! Maybe you want to write a book . . . start with the first word. This will lead to the first sentence, which leads to the first page, which will lead to the first chapter. Don't try to bite off all 50,000 words in one sitting. Start with one word.

I Will Not Be Afraid

i do not want to be afraid... help me to embrace you with open arms!

Have you ever . . . Put something off that was in your heart to do because you were afraid to fail? OR Felt you were not good enough, talented enough or gifted enough to succeed? I want to give you that extra push to TRUST God with whatever fear is holding you back from today! Trust God, learn to do it afraid and get back up if you fail. Friend, failure is NOT FINAL! If God has called you to something, then He will give you everything you need to succeed! And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8, NKJV)

Equip-God Can Use Anyone

http://www.ifequip.com/622?utm_source=IF+%3A+Equip&utm_campaign=90f8c9a3d1-Ticket_Registration_9_20_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3377dbada0-90f8c9a3d1-106001157

This Season

I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1, To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven . . . (NKJV). Maybe you are in a season you have prayed for and dreamed of for a long time! Or maybe you spend the majority of your time wishing you were in a different season. Perhaps you are frustrated because you are trying to do the right thing – the very thing that God has called you to do – in the wrong season!  I want to encourage you today to take some time and evaluate where you are. I have found that if we will simply do what we are supposed to do in the season that we are actually in, then God will bring the increase! So take the pressure off yourself. Do what you can, when you can, where you are, and then God will do what only He can do!

Salt of the Earth

The Christian life is exciting and transforming, never bland and boring!

Jesus said we “are the salt of the earth”(Matthew 5:13), and salt essentially does three major things:

• It adds flavor
• It preserves
• And it heals

Our task is to bring flavor, preservation and healing to the world around us!

This is why it is imperative that we ourselves be personally transformed from the inside out.If we have not been changed, we cannot bring out the “God-flavors” of this earth.

So my question to you today is, how are you seasoning the world around you?

-First Things First -Christine Caine

Oh, how refreshing!! Daddy help us to add flavor, to preserve and to heal!!! 

The Dry Ground

“The time is surely coming ... when I will send a famine on the land — not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the LORD. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. Beautiful girls and strong young men will grow faint in that day, thirsting for the LORD’s word.” (Amos 8:11-13 NLT) Father, this is my prayer today.... that you would take me... take us... and make us a vessel for you to pour out the life giving water of your word... Father I pray that we would be able to water your church! AMEN

ONE Word

"There is ONE word on my heart for you today . . . Perseverance If God spoke a promise over your business, your ministry, your life, and if it looks in the natural like that promise has expired, there is no way that your ministry can go forward, or no way you’ll see the breakthrough in that business—I’m here to say . . . continue to stand in faith because God is faithful!!! Galatians 6:9 (ESV) tells us, And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." -Christine Caine Father thank you for this reminder today! YOU GOD ARE FAITHFUL and I WILL TRUST YOU!!! AMEN

Reviving an Abandonded Dream

The following is an email that I recieve in the last few weeks and I just feel compelled to share (though I'm sure no one but me reads this) Anyways, God has long planted the dream in me for music, and I've struggled for a really long time with the visions that God has given me and my current circumstances.... struggling with feelings of inferiority, of just not being good enough to be used in "that way"... I don't know for certain the details of my future here on this earth, but I am daily more and more convinced that God IS leading me and that His plans for me ARE good!! And so I share with you. What dreams have you given up on? Reviving an Abandoned Dream Glynnis Whitwer "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Ephesians 3:20 (NLT) "I sat on the couch during small group, dabbed the tears dripping down my face, and hoped the others wouldn't notice my emotional response to the message. While watching a DVD teaching about God-given dreams, a tender, hidden spot in my heart was coming to life. It was uncomfortable. Scary, in fact. I wanted to move toward it and away at the same time. The teaching wasn't on nighttime dreams, but rather those dreams that often start in childhood when anything seemed possible. And we were unhindered by the realities of genetics or abilities. We were sure to be ballerinas or fashion models, ignoring the fact that we couldn't do the splits, or that our height/weight ratio might be less than desirable for the runway. Personally, I imagined the day my favorite band would invite me on stage. Hairbrush in hand, I practiced my moves and vocal range preparing for my big break. That day at small group, the dream fueling my simmering emotions wasn't the desire to sing. For years another dream had been stirring in my heart, a dream that had been dampened by doubts and the logistics of adulthood. My dream was to write. Pain and excitement mixed as I allowed the dream to come to life, much like a foot that's fallen asleep when the blood flow returns. Doubt whispered around every thought. Was this dream from God or me? Did I have anything worth saying? My heart felt vulnerable every time I pondered the idea. If I told someone my dream, would they give voice to the litany of taunts in my head? I wondered. And yet the more I prayed, the more convinced I became that God was asking me to write for Him. When I finally accepted that truth, my attitude changed. Writing wasn't just an interesting idea, it was an assignment. I wish I could say I immediately started writing. But I didn't. Tucking the dream in my heart, I procrastinated. For months. Which turned into years. Thinking about my dream was much easier than acting on it, because it was going to take a lot of work and sacrifice. And there was always a handy excuse. Until one Sunday, my pastor opened prayer time with these words: 'God has asked some of you to do something and you haven't done it yet.' The Holy Spirit was playing the drums on my heart as I shifted from foot to foot. There was no question; God was calling my name. A flood of people headed to the front alongside me to address their own abandoned assignments. My pastor's challenge was what I needed to shift from a passive to an active approach in my writing. To move from disobedience to obedience. To step into an unfamiliar world believing that if God had called me to it, He wouldn't abandon me. God often gives directions through dreams. Yet, those can be the hardest to embrace because they seem too big for us to accomplish on our own. And sometimes they seem downright selfish. So we let them drift away. But dreams are also how God increases our faith. When we step into active obedience of an audacious assignment, we see God move and do things only He can do. Our key verse shows that God has the power to accomplish any dream He gives us: "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20, NLT). It was 10 years ago when I embraced my dream as an assignment, and God has shown His power time and time again. There are still doubts and barriers to overcome, but my faith has grown each time God proves Himself faithful. Did God put a dream in your heart years ago? Maybe your dream was to adopt a child or go on a mission trip. Maybe it was to open your home to neighbors or lead teens at church. At the time your dream seemed too big or came with too many barriers. Now it's a hazy memory. May I offer the same challenge my pastor gave years ago? God has asked some of you to do something and you haven't done it yet. Will today be your day to accept your assignment? Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me a dream to serve You and others through my gifts and talents. Help me see this dream as an assignment from You, and I ask for Your power to help me take the next step. In Jesus' Name, Amen."