Learning to Praise GOD for the thorns!

I know most everyone has something that is considered your 'thorn in the side", but God can make those thorn's a good thing if you will allow Him to. In the Bible, Paul's thorn brought him transformation (from Saul the persecutor of Christians to Paul the preacher), thankfulness (read 2nd Thessalonians 1:3), and a testimony (he was blinded on his journey down Damascus Road but his sight was restored). I didn't abandon ship during all of the storms with sickness, and God's grace is always sufficient to make it through. Those tough and painful experiences are what molds and makes you into a mature Christian, so you can praise God even during your pain. It is so hard to know we should pray for transformation but we pray for substitution; meaning we pray for God to take away all the bad and replace it with something good. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but how can we grow closer to God if we are always abandoning ship during the storms? Those unexpected storms will bring smooth sailing, just hold on and PRAISE GOD during the storms and during the thorns.

Listening to only God's Voice!

I tell you that stress and overwhelmness will come, when you allow the many voices in life to drown out the only voice that really matters, the voice of God. You can’t obey every voice you hear, because there are many people who are 'wolves dressed in sheep's clothing' without any idea that the devil is disguising himself as an angel of light and speaking lies through them. If you try to listen to every voice but God's, you will end up in failure, carrying a heavy load you were never created to carry. Obedience to God is not a heavy load, because you don’t have to carry it alone. God’s strength and power bear the burden of your obedience to Him. The more time you spend in God’s Word and in prayer, the easier it will be to recognize His voice. Praise God for the discernment He has given me over the years. I want and need to hear God's voice! I refuse to drown in the expectations of others, to the point that I am so confused about the next steps I need to take! God is the only ONE who will give me strength and direction to follow HIS PLAN (not mine or someone elses) for my life. ~ Psalm 32:8 (NLT) The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

The devil has no real authority!

The good news is that, although the devil is described “like” a “roaring lion,” in reality he has no actual authority over believers. The enemy is not really a lion, but roars “like” a lion to bluff his victims into fear and intimidation; satan is a liar and deceiver and uses deception as his weapon to gain advantage over those who are ignorant of the limitations of his power.

When Jesus gave His life on the cross as the sacrifice for the sins of the world, He also redeemed us from satan’s power and dominion over us. “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15). “...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Praise God! Satan is already a defeated enemy; his legal authority was neutralized by the finished work of Christ on the cross!

For every Negative there is a Positive!

In the middle of a mess it seems that we quickly forget just how blessed we really are... when the unexpected happens, of course it is our human nature to get antsy, anxious, upset, frustrated, and sometimes just have a complete meltdown... but my, my how different situations would be if we would truly take the time to pray instead of instantly turning our focus on things beyond our control... in instances such as this, the Lord never fails to teach me a lesson through it all, and each time a spiritual growth pain hits, yes it hurts, but oh how worth it when you come through it!

Examples:
It takes you double time to reach your destination because of a wreck... thank God you weren't in the wreck and He kept you protected.

Your food wasn't the greatest at a restaurant.... still you left full... thank God you didn't go to bed hungry.

An unexpected debit pops up on your bank account... after a meltdown, you stop to pray and by morning credits are back in your account... thank God that He promises to meet all of your needs according to His riches in glory.

You are sick during a trip, come home and go to the doctor but it is something a shot and five days of meds can take care of... thank God that you aren't in the hospital severely sick.

You get aggravated at your parents at times... thank God that your parents are still with you and have truly shown you grace, mercy, and unconditional love continually.

The devil fights you with past mistakes... thank God you aren't where you use to be, rebuke the devil and keep walking on. When the devil is running rampant trying to steal, kill, and destroy... thank God that He came to give you a more abundant life.

*The point the Lord was making to me is, focus on the good and on Him... for every negative, there is surely a positive!*

God Sees You As Beautiful!

I use to have low self-esteem several years back. Sadly, I could not look in the mirror and call myself beautiful. I repeatedly cut myself down in front of others without realizing not only was I hurting myself, but I was hurting them and God. Listen, we were created in the image of God. If you insult yourself, you insult God's work. I remember the year God started dealing with me about my self-esteem; I didn't need certain friends, a certain man, certain clothes, or a certain body size to be beautiful or see myself as beautiful. I only needed to see myself as God sees me, which is beautiful enough to send His one and only Son to suffer and die on the cross for me. Praise God, I got past that period of low self-esteem and gained confidence in myself. I look in the mirror everyday and I call myself beautiful, even if I am not put together, my hair isn't comb, or I am not wearing any makeup, jewelry, etc. I don't allow the enemy to let me dwell on someone's rude comments in the past, present or future. I plow my way through that because those comments do not define me. The Lord is pleading with someone to call yourself beautiful. Let the past hurtful words go. That is the work of the enemy. Just remember when you insult yourself, you are insulting what God created when He created you!

God can restore broken relationships!

GOD RESTORES BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS. PEOPLE CAN CHANGE THROUGH GOD'S RESTORING, MIRACLE WORKING POWER. Read 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. So, it is another early morning in which the Lord has awaken me to pray. At 4:00 am through sleepy eyes, I begin to listen to the Lord, and I knew what He was wanting me to pray about. 45 minutes later comes this word. Yes, it is long but if you are praying for a broken relationship to be restored, especially between parents and a child, please take the time to read and let it minister to you this day. People can change! Most people believe people can change in a general sense, but then they have the certain people in their life (or themselves) and it seems impossible. The message today: Never give up. Never give up. Never give up. People can change. If you get in a fight with somebody, and nothing ever changes, reconciliation is hard, maybe even impossible from the human mindset but with God ALL things are possible. But when there are changes, the most amazing things happen. Never give up on hope of a broken relationship. Do not doubt God's power to restore. "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (freedom)." 2 Corinthians 3:17 KJV ...Freedom to be obedient to God, freedom to do that which is right, freedom to change, freedom to live as a redeemed person who lets God mold and transform them. People can change. You want to know how to be more like Christ? As God never gave up on you, never give up on others. Some of you have a story of personal transformation. You are a “trophy of grace,” a living testimony that when the Spirit of God gets hold of you there is a transformation. Reading the Scripture from 2nd Corinthians... This is using the metaphor of Moses, to show us the veil has been lifted. This means you can change. This means the possibility of a transformed life is real. Never give up on anyone. Pray for God to change your view on the situation. Pray for the veil to be lifted, pray for the glory of the Lord to shine upon your family, your friends, and those in the community that are hurting and struggling. Pray for those who are angry over a broken relationship, bitter. People can change.  Believe it. Expect it. Pray for it. Pray for the veil to be lifted. Not only can people change, but God can and will use you to change them. Never give up on people to change, and let the Lord use you as an instrument of His glory. Let people see the Lord through you. You want to know how to restore a broken relationship: reflect the Lord’s glory and believe that people can change. The hardest heart can melt. The most stubborn person can soften. And if it happened to you, it can happen to others… The change we are looking for in others, a new behavior might be good, new patterns, new commitments, those are all good, but the lasting change is a relationship with Christ. It’s a sobering truth: the only Christ some people may see is you. Not that you are Christ, but that you reflect His glory. You want to restore a broken relationship, sure, others can change, but more importantly, you can change. Perhaps this is the greater insight. When I read this scripture, what I am hearing is that I can become more and more like Christ. The process of transformation is entirely the Lord. God sent his son, Jesus Christ, because we have no power to change ourselves. Salvation is an incredible gift, but the transformation of your life does not stop. The Lord will continuously mold you and change you; if you let him. People can change. Never give up on them. And so can you. Never give up on yourself. The Lord doesn’t. Do you think you are already as good as you are going to get? The Lord hasn’t given up on you, so don’t be so foolish as to give up on yourself. The Lord will continuously change you. Your age makes no difference. Your background does not matter. Your past is of no consequence. You cannot be so bad that there is no hope. With the Lord there is always hope. You can become that trophy of grace, a model of what the Lord can do to change a person. Change is possible. Transformation is necessary, if there is to be full restoration. The book of 2nd Corinthians is written by Paul to people who used to like him but now are troubled by him. Paul does not give up, he is saying you can be changed by the Spirit of God, and so can I. When a broken relationship is healed, it does not mean going back to the way things used to be; isn’t that what we so often have in mind?  If restoration means one or both people in the relationship have changed for the better, then the relationship will be better.  It means there will be more depth. I am reminded of that old saying, "absence makes the heart grow fonder". When God changes people, and relationships are healed, he never says, “as good as new.” God’s motto: “Better than ever." If you are going to go through all the heartache of fighting with somebody, or they being out of your life at this point with no communication, the reward when you come out the other side is depth. Somehow God will give you a new strength, a hope, a faith. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I am a firm believer that what the devil means for evil, God will make it good. I have had broken relationships restored in my life, but looking back I realize it was to change me, to make me stronger. Have you ever stopped to think, maybe God is changing you. Maybe it wasn't your fault that you have been cut out of someones life, but God has a reason. I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me". This Scripture was referring to the thorn in Paul's side. We know the Lord didn't remove it, but it humbled him (Paul), and the Lord gave him continued strength to live with it. That broken relationship surely must feel like a thorn in your side that will never be removed, but God will give you continued strength to deal with it. It hurts but God knows what He is doing. Never give up, because people can change. The transformation is a gift from the Lord. The Lord will use you to reflect his glory. Never give up on others, and never give up on yourself, because you can change too, becoming a trophy of grace. And the most amazing things happen when God changes people, the transformation is from bondage to freedom. And freedom is a gift from God, freedom to be different, freedom to choose right, freedom to live. When the Lord gives you his spirit, the Lord will pronounce, “Better than ever.” Broken relationships can be healed because God, through his spirit, has the power to change people. Even me. Even you. Even them.

Key of Deliverance!

Direct word from the Lord: If He gives you a key to victory, then use it to come out of some stuff... to come out of that depression, sickness, financial stress, emotional distress... just raise your hands in the air, and shout for your deliverance!! Use that key to lock the devil out, lift your voice and thank God for your victory, let God restore your joy and peace and get your praise back!!!

You're Gonna Make It!

There is a Christian song, with this chorus: "I'm gonna make it. He's already said that I would. I'll keep on trusting. That He's working everything for my good. He walks beside me, and Heaven is in my view. Oh, I'm gonna make it thru." * In 33 years of living it has been struggle after struggle with sickness for me, but I am still here. Since 2002, I have lived with over a dozen different conditions or diseases and here 2018 is fast approaching, and I have received healing from all of those issues but two, and I have survived over 30 surgeries/procedures. I have a list of those conditions/diseases that I have marked through because God has healed me; multiple diseases that could have taken my life at an early age, God had mercy on me and healed me, even without me praying most times, He heard and answered the prayers of faithful prayer warriors in my life. Some healings were instant and some were progressive. I know my ultimate healing will come when I step on the other side of glory. I don't know what you are struggling with today, but you are gonna make it; don't let the enemy tell you otherwise. God's word tells us that He is no respecter of persons, so what He has done for me He will surely do for you. It doesn't matter if you get knocked down 1000 times, as long as you get up 1001 times. I have no reason to doubt God. He is a God of order and He knows what He is doing. So, higher, higher, higher lift the name of Jesus higher. Lower, lower, lower stomp that devil lower.

Laugh A Little Or A Lot!

Knows that not everything in life is necessarily enjoyable, but I think we all need to learn to have more fun in our lives. And I bet if you took time to think about it every day, you could find a moment that brought you joy or you can laugh about it now. God wants His children to have some fun. The Bible says a merry heart does good like medicine. That is why the Joy of the Lord is our strength, for a discouraged spirit will zap a persons strength. I think we all need a healthy dose of laughter every day - many times during the day. You just cannot overdose on joy! I encourage you to deliberately look for something to smile or laugh about every day, and be sure to share a smile or a laugh with someone else and brighten their day! "Dear Lord, Your Word says that a cheerful heart is like good medicine. Thank You for helping me to find the joy and fun in life. Amen."

Thankfulness to God!

As I step into the last month of 2017, this year has made me stop and reflect on how much I have to be thankful for and how to thank God, not just after the blessing but before the blessing. I am so thankful and blown away at how my God provides for my family and me. He is so good to me! It is knowing and being thankful that God WILL provide all of our needs. We may not always get what we WANT …but GOD promises to meet ALL of our needs according to His riches in glory. And, I'm so thankful THIS world is not home. This place... this world is temporary and my citizenship is in Heaven. I am thankful for conviction by the Holy Spirit, JESUS in me, that tells me when I’m not glorifying my Savior. And, I am thankful that my Jesus loves me... HE loves ME... and I am not always easy to love! ♥
Psalm 100:4 ~ "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name."