Overcome the Changes!

As I've been in the Word and listening to a sermon, this message has really poured into my spirit. We have to stop adapting to the changes of the world, and we have to learn how to overcome the changes of the world. For Christians and churches at large, it will never be as it once was but that doesn't mean we should adapt and get comfortable and complacent with the compromise that's slipped in and slowly chipped away at what use to be... that's why we aren't seeing results and why some just brush off the rapture because it doesn't fit into their schedules and programs anymore. Let me tell you that ready or not, the rapture will happen whether you're looking for it or not... so you better get ready, be ready, and stay ready!! I do believe another move of God will come to His people before His return to get us, but not only do we need to remember our first love and get back to Him... we need to overcome the changes instead of allowing them to overcome us. We have made it this far, we are gonna keep moving onward, if we get excited and stay focused on being rapture ready. I'm setting my face and sights toward Heaven. We have to stand up and boldly proclaim to the enemy that we aren't the labels he's placed on us, and command him to get his slimy and sinister hands off our family, our mind, our body, and our church and take his mess back to hell where it belongs. The Lord says to look up for your redemption draweth nigh. I don't want to live under the manipulations of the enemy; I want to live under the miracles of the Master until He returns to get me!! 🙌❤

Have We Left our First Love!

Have we left or lost our first love? Are you (we) spiritually distracted? Has something else replaced your love for Jesus? We are responsible to act in a way that glorifies God. The Lord has reminded me how important it is to focus on Jesus rather than the battles the enemy labels us with. Sometimes fighting the spiritual battle before us can become so consuming that we take our spiritual eyes off God. Do not allow anything to come between you and your love for Jesus. Return to your first love lest you fall away and miss Heaven.

We want a move of God in churches, we want revival, but we have become too complacent and compromise has slipped in. The enemy of your soul won’t try to change your heart overnight. A church on fire for Christ doesn’t suddenly change in one day. It happens slowly. It may take a generation. Israel turned away from following the Lord in a matter of one generation. The church in Ephesus was doing all the right things, and yet they needed to repent. They had left their first love. (Revelation 2:4) I believe the church in Ephesus began to focus on the battle rather than Jesus. They focused on battling sin, rather than on loving the Savior. I feel they focused on what they thought they should confront rather than focusing on Jesus. Slowly, duty replaced love. Slowly, religious actions and hard work replaced their love for Jesus. The believers had forgotten what drew them to Jesus in the first place: the love of God. May we never forget the love of God, and may we never take our spiritual eyes off of the One who first loved us, and continue to love Him first. The believers in Ephesus were doing all the right things but their love for God was missing. They lost their first love. 

The foundation of the church was based on faith in Christ. However, over time and because some individuals drifted spiritually, the church drifted spiritually, and they all needed to be reminded to focus on Jesus and repent when necessary. Jesus spoke to John to call on the Ephesians to consider their actions and repent. We must learn to focus only on those things that are of God, allow that to consume us, and get back to our love for Jesus; those spirits not of God will flee in Jesus name. We will learn to magnify and praise Jesus in a way to where our battles don't consume and overcome us. I feel this all the way to my toes. May something posted or shared in this video bring encouragement and reminders to you like it has me. ❤🙌

Here is a link to my YouTube video devotion: Have you left your first LOVE?

Too Desensitized!

There is so much power in prayer, but have we become so desensitized to prayer that we don't even comprehend there is power in it anymore? Have we decided there is not power in prayer anymore, because our prayers haven't been answered like we think they should be or in a timeframe we think they should be? It will take persistent prayer, faithful prayer, and genuine prayer to see the Hand of God move. When the enemy is doing his best to destroy things in your life; yourself, family, or church... you can become so desensitized to it or you can stand up and proclaim what thus says the Lord; "greater is He Who is me than he who is in the world". Not today or any day satan; you can't have me, my family, or my church! You can become so desensitized to the moving and operating of the Holy Spirit, that He's no longer moving in your life or the life of the church! But, in these bleak days were are living in, now is the time to pray and believe for that special, supernatural covering over your mind, the minds of your family, and the minds of your church. Now is not the time to push God away, but to push into Him closer! Over the last few weeks, I've had every reason to fall in and stay in a state of depression, I could've let the enemy drop a covering of anger or oppression over my mind, but I've positioned and prepared myself to stand up and fight for God's glory! Much clarity has come to my mind, and my heart breaks for those who have a claw of satan's spirits over their minds; those chokeholds and strongholds that only desire to keep someone's mind troubled with lies and anger of the enemy. I've been there more than once, in my 25 years of living for Christ, but someone(s) prayed me through. I want to do my best to not take it lightly and pray others through. God has not forgotten you, and you are loved. It seems like it has become so much easier to hold on to stuff of the enemy than to let go of it... but oh Lord, hold on to us! Hold on to me, to my family, and to my church! I'm fighting and praying for His glory!! 🙌❤

There is a GOOD Apple!

This has really been heavy on my heart today. I was reminded this week of the several years I was under the care of a doctor who didn't have my best interest. I didn't realize, until after the fact, that the medicines he was giving me were what were causing the very problem he was treating me for. I could've come home, laid down in defeat, and given up... but God. I didn't give up on doctors because of one bad apple. I found the right doctor that helped give me my quality of life back from that issue. I had "friends" that didn't have my best interest at heart, and only used and took advantage me. Still, I didn't give up on finding those true friends in my life... but God. He helped me find the good apples amongst the bad. There were difficult teachers or professors I had; still I didn't quit school because of them... but God. He helped me shift my focus to the ones who truly cared about their students and wanted to help me succeed. There were seasons at certain churches that I knew if I stayed, it would only continue to lead me down a winding road of not growing in Christ... but God. I didn't quit church because of those hurtful and broken years and God led me, in 2014, to what I now call my "church of completion" until He calls me home. Even when I stepped away for 3 years to help at another church, my heart never left. There were years I didn't have the greatest experience with pastors, but I didn't quit praying for the pastor (because they are human too). I didn't quit church all together because of "church hurt". There have been so many times I could've prevented myself from going through a lot of hurt, because I wanted to be the "fixer" and "people pleaser"... but God. I now realize that those were needed lessons that helped me continue growing in Christ. There were times in my life that I know I was set up for hurt and threw under the bus, lied on and criticized... but God. In the middle of my pity party, that "still small voice" urged me to keep on going. There were years I was angry with God and trying to run from Him, because I blamed Him for my sickness all the time... but God. He never quit running after me, He never quit loving me, He never gave up on me even when I was that "bad apple". I don't know who this is for, but let me tell you one thing... don't you give up, don't you quit, don't you throw in the towel because of that bad apple. God still has a plan and purpose for you life. He's leading you to the right place with the right people "the good apples". I've truly learned in my life, what it means to focus (and how to focus) only on the good apples of life when you keep Jesus at the core of everything. He has your back through it all; you are truly the apple of God's eye! He is bringing you to a place of victory, healing, and restoration! 🙌❤🍎

Not My Battle!

"The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still"... tonight, during my quiet time with God and after talking to Him... He reminded me of this once more. Maybe someone else needs this very reminder as well. We all fight and face battles that maybe no one else knows about but you and the Lord, but isn't it great to know He will fight for you and give you the strength to endure and go on?! He sees and understands what no one else can, and at the end of the day it's a comforting thing to know God has your back through it all. In your tough moments of life, He is your comfort and assurance to keep on going. In your attacks of life, He is your fighter and defender. In your moments of silence when you don't know what to say/can't say or what direction to go, He is your mouthpiece and guide. In your battles of life, He takes over and fights for you. 🙌💛