God’s not Dead, Part 1

Why do people want God to be dead? Because they don’t like him, they don’t agree with him, they think he doesn’t care about them or the people in their lives. It’s much easier to say someone is dead then to deal with the hurt they may have caused us. People say it all the time ‘your dead to me’ but saying it doesn’t make them any more dead then you or I.

Avoiding or ignoring someone does not make them not exist, but that avoidance can cause bitterness to grow in us that will affect those around us.

That’s why forgiveness is so powerful. forgiveness isn’t about saying what the other did was right, but about freeing ourselves from allowing that hurt to control us.

If we walk through life always mad and angry about what others have done to us. What kind of a life is that?

That’s why Jesus died AND rose back to life. So that he could pay the price for our mistakes so that we could be forgiven and we could forgive others.

Written by: Rebecca Darga

You can’t do it on your own

‘We can’t love God’s way without being filled with Him. If we try it on our own, we end up exhausted and burned out. I’ve done it; it doesn’t work. Only when we let His love pour into us and let it spill out from deep within us will His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’

Except from Reckless Devotion by Heidi Baker

It’s exhausting to try to live the way God calls us to live without him in it, that’s why we all fall short when we try.

Why would we try to do it all on our own when we don’t have to. God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us, give us the words, the actions, the provisions, the energy and the wisdom and his love to do all that he calls us to.

His love is what needs to pour out of us when we talk to people, his love is what they need to see and hear in us. His love is what will change them, because its what changed us.

Photo by David Monje on Unsplash

Refresh

So many people fear being in the presence of God, some think it’s boring. But being in the presence of God has been the best times of my life. His presence is sweet and peaceful, and joyful and loving all at the same time. His presence is what ever we need at each moment. So why don’t we seek it more?

It’s so easy to be distracted by our responsibilities and obligations in life. We weren’t meant to live these jam packed lives that make us rush from activity to activity. What happened to the simple things in life. How often do we stop and enjoy the simple things?

When we rush around we miss the important things in life.

God wants to be with us in every moment of everyday. (Sounds overwhelming right?)

But his presence brings us what we need in each moment of each day. When were stressed he brings peace, when sad he brings comfort, when lonley, love.

Whatever is running through your head right now, give it to God, and let him be whatever you need.

https://youtu.be/FWXr4NuZOCM

Lift the Load and Find Freedom

You were dead in sins, and your sinful desires were not yet cut away. Then he gave you a share in the very life of Christ, for he forgave all your sins,  and blotted out the charges proved against you, the list of his commandments which you had not obeyed. He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross.  In this way God took away Satan’s power to accuse you of sin, and God openly displayed to the whole world Christ’s triumph at the cross where your sins were all taken away.

Colossians 2:13-15

Freedom from guilt and shame is amazing. We have all done something we regret in our lives or the word ‘sorry’ wouldn’t exist. We all have days where it feel like the world is ending either by choices we have made or choices others have made that affect us. But its when we dwell on those and let them consume us that we give it power over us.

Forgiveness is powerful; God’s forgiveness gives us freedom from the guilt and shame of all our mistakes and forgiving others takes away their power over us.

When you are forgiven its like a ton of bricks is lifted off your back, forgiving others gives us that same freedom.

Don’t let a simple choice keep you from lifting the load.

Photo by Lotte Löhr on Unsplash

Written by: Rebecca Darga

You can choose

People choose how they react. They choose either to be ruled by emotions or choose to be in charge of their emotions.

We have the power to choose how we will react to others and whether we will allow their choice to affect us or not.

You may feel a certain way but that doesn’t mean it has to be how you make your decision. You can make your choice despite your feelings.

Emotions are not bad, but if we allow our lives to be ruled by our emotions we would never for give each other.

It hurt when someone wrongs us and you may never feel like you want to forgive them, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t forgive people.

We are all human and we all make mistakes.

Jesus forgives us for all the wrong we have done so in turn he asks that we forgive others.

Choosing to forgive does not make what the person did right, but it does build a bridge for restoration in the relationship.

Forgiveness is a powerful thing and to not forgive is to give your emotions the right to rule you, instead of you ruling your emotions.


And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Mark 11:25


Photo by Vladislav Babienko on Unsplash

Choose your thoughts

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9

Your surroundings affect you.

If you surround yourself with negativity, anger, hate, and immorality, it will be hard to be happy and positive.

But if you surround yourself with good, positive, pure encouraging things being optimistic will be almost natural.

God is love, and if we want to follow him and live a life for him then we must put ourselves in an environment where we can focus on him.

We all have a choice in what we listen to, read and watch; and in our current society of constant media we are continuously being influenced.

Direct your thoughts by making choices that foster what you want.


Photo by Christopher Sardegna on Unsplash

There’s always HOPE

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
—Romans 12:12

Worrying about the future can cause so much unnecessary pain and frustration. But appreciating each moment for what it is can lead to a fuller life.

Enjoying the moment of hope and joy to the fullest instead of being distracted by what’s next makes the hard times in the future easier because you have those good moments to look back to and know that you can be patient in the hard times because you know they will pass and times of joy will return. If you live your life always looking for the worst to happen, it will happen and you will not find peace.

Being faithful in prayer is simply a reminder to stay in communication with God. Prayer is a two way conversation. By staying in communication with God all the time, he can change your perspective of your circumstances to see the hard times in a new light and to enjoy the times of hope even more.

No matter your current circumstances ask God to show it to you from his perspective.



Photo by Ron Smith on Unsplash

Help to grow your faith

I like books that stretch my faith and help deepen my relationship with Jesus. This Friday I would like to encourage in your faith by recommending a few books that have done just that for me.

As I said in my post Rejoice in others, Value the One it is good to rejoice in the success of others and to uplift our brothers and sisters in the faith.

Children and the Supernatural by Jennifer Toldeo is about real life accounts for healing, visions and miracles. I read this book as a devotional and it greatly encouraged and stretched my faith.

Heavenly Man is a account of the life and testimony of Brother Yun a leader of the Chinese underground church. His story really made me think about what I would be willing to go through for the gospel. It bolstered my faith and deepened my conviction.

Reckless Devotion by Roland and Heidi Baker is a great devotion that bolsters and expands your love for God. The stories of how God has provided for the Bakers and their ministry over and over again will make you laugh, cry and fall deeper in love with Jesus.

I hope you find these books encouraging in deepening your relationship with Jesus.

Rejoice in Others, Value the One

Yesterday I talked about Serving without Complaining in
Philippians 2:14-18. This passage also mentions rejoicing for others.

It’s easy to get distracted by others minisry. To say my ministry isn’t as big as their’s or I wish I could do that. But you don’t know where they started.

Every ministry starts small. No one immediately has a mega church or crusades to millions, no they started out small. Even Jesus started out small. He saw each person as valuable and stopped crowds, just to focus on one person. Like Zacchaeus, or the cripple lowered though the roof or the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus focus was always on the individual.

Ministry is about reaching people. So whether it be big or small if you have reached a person you have ministered.

So rejoice for others in their blessing to reach the multitude and know that they started just like you, by reaching one person at a time.

woman in white shirt raising her right hand

Photo by Harishan Kobalasingam on Unsplash

drive by blessings

On my drive to work I see lots of people walking on the side of the street to go to the bus stop or kids going to school. I get cut off by people and stuck behind buses. I could and have let this is get to me and frustrate me.

Until I started doing drive by blessings. Every time when I see a pedestrian instead of being upset that I have to stop for them to use the cross walk. I pray for them.

And when I get cut off or have to stop because the person in front of me is turning into one of the many business driveways that I pass. I pray for them.

When I get stuck behind the bus, I pray for the passengers getting on or off.

It’s not about being holier then thou. It’s about a perspective change.

Instead of seeing people as an annoyance I see them as God sees them. As his kids. He loves each and every person on the planet, so I should too. 

“When did we let evil become stronger then us?

In the Desolation of Smog, Tauriel asks Legolas “When did we let evil become stronger than us?

We should be asking ourselves this when we let fear or worry hold us back from doing what God has asked us to do.

We get to choose what we let have power over us. If we choose to trust God we can do amazing things for him, reach people we never imaged and find strength, peace and joy that we didn’t know that we had.

In 2014 my small group leader was taking a team to Uganda for a missions trip and he asked the group if any of us wanted to go.

I had been on several mission trips before to others countries but honestly Africa was the only place that I never wanted to go.

As the night continued I felt an overwhelming sense that God wanted me to go on this trip. I kept ignoring it but after our group ended as I was talking with my co-worker James who had been before. I couldn’t ignore the promoting I felt from God any longer. I decided to go.

The trip changed my life and perspective on so many things more than any other mission trip I had been on.

By allowing God to direct my steps he grew our relationship in leaps and bounds on that trip and I haven’t been the same since.

What fear are you letting keep you from doing what God has asked you to do?

Take a step of faith and don’t let fear rule your decisions.

 

A new way of gift giving

 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?  Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Mark 8:36-37

 

In this season of gift giving I want to encourage your to try a new kind of gift giving. The gift of a word from God for your friends and family.

This may sound scary or intimidating but it isn’t as scary as you may think.

God speaks to us in many different ways and one of those ways is through the prophetic. Giving a word for someone is simple. Spend some time in prayer and ask God to tell you a word, message or show you a picture or vision. Then write or draw what God tells you. If you are new to this I would suggest just asking for one word per person or an image.

Remember this is from God and should be free of your opinion or bias. To avoid writing a word that is your thoughts for this person I would suggest some randomization. I’ve done this many times in groups and as gifts to others. I find it’s best to ask God to give you the word without someone specific in mind. Try writing the words on unmarked cards then place them in sealed envelopes and label the envelopes with names later.

Photo by Kari Shea on Unsplash

Others ideas for prophetic gift giving:

  • Have your kids pray and ask God to give them a picture to draw and include it with your prophetic word
  • Buy journals or notebooks and write prophetic words on the first page and randomly place them in stockings
  • If your hosting a small group or gathering of believers, a prophetic white elephant gift exchange is fun (ask everyone to bring a gift and ask them to write a prophetic word to go with their gift) then play the white elephant gift exchange as usual, with the exception of not opening gifts til the swapping is over.

Giving the gift of a prophetic work last for eternity, it will never be thrown away, sold or returned. God’s word makes an impact on people, whether they receive it at that time or not.

Bless your family and friends this Christmas with a word from God.

The Jello effect

The deep intimacy you experience when surrounded by God’s presence can only be called holy. Holy by Jesus Culture perfectly describes how his presence can engulf us, how intoxicating it can be, to the point of never wanting to leave it.

I call it the ‘jello effect’

When his presence is so thick in the room you feel as if you suspended in jello.

Don’t you want to experience that? Don’t you want to know and be with a God that can melt all your cares away, who can give you such peace and joy that it feels as if it will never end.

That’s the God that I worship.

Yes, he is Holy!

And he invites us into his presence, to the place where our whole world changes because he is Holy.

All you have to do is open the door and let him into your life, and believe in Him.

Take a moment to listen to this song and open yourself up to God, take down all the barriers and just focus on him.

Blessing and Giving

Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Philippians 4:14-20

When we take care of others, God takes care of us.

So many times in my life when I have given to others God has provided for me and almost always above and beyond what I needed.

Giving to others is not supposed to be done out of compulsion but out of love.

Parents give to their kids because they love them, in the same way God gives to us.

He provides for other through us and many times blesses us through others.


Photo by Tom Parsons on Unsplash

Things above

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3:2

Focusing on God and heaven may seem like your taking a break from reality. In some ways you are; being in the presence of God can make you forget about everything else and just focus on him.

But it also helps us to change our perspective.

When we allow ourselves to get caught up in all the things in the world we can lose sight of God and what he has for us.

Focusing your mind on things above isn’t about being disconnected from reality its about changing reality.


Photo by Vignesh T on Unsplash

the restoration of God

This months guest post is from a friend who is is very open, raw and honest in his walk with God. ~Rebecca Darga

crumbled. defeated. weathered. hopeless. shattered.

none of these conditions are bigger than the power of God’s Restoration.

no matter how bleak or impossible it might seem, He can rebuild it.


it will not look the same as before. it will cost you more than you expect. but when you give up the fight for something to BE the way YOU want it to be, and let God RESTORE it to the way HE wants it to be, there is always hope, beauty, life, and when finished – an amazing story to be told.


we must continually remind ourselves that:


He is the author, and we are His pen.
He is the painter, and we are His canvas.
He is the architect, and we are His tools.

Geoff Rimshas is the author of The Recovering Hypocrite

“I considers myself first and foremost a sinner saved by Grace, and I write to share my walk of tension between the Hope of Jesus and the shame of past mistakes.

I am desperate to know Jesus more in both the exciting and mundane details of the incredible life He has given me. I am thankful for my beautiful wife, Sara, our two amazing daughters, and our safe haven of a home in Livonia, Michigan.”

God is all around us

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
—Psalm 19:1–2

 

God is all around us, he created everything and if we take the time to slow down and look and listen he speaks to us through his creation. Sometimes it’s through nature and sometimes through people. No I’m not crazy.

I’ve just found that if I take the time to ask God to teach me something, he often does it through his creation.

When I first made the decision to turn my life back to God I became an intern at my church. At the start of the internship we went on a retreat to a beautiful lodge in the woods. Once we got settled we each took sometime to be alone with God. I decided to take a walk in the woods.

 

Photo by Matthew Brodeur

I was walking down a slight hill, having to watch where I was stepping because there was no path.

As I walked I noticed all the dead leaves and broken branches. I asked God where he was when I had turned away from him, when I had let so many of the dreams he’d given me die.

He explained that even though I had chosen to ignore him,  he was there the whole time for every bad decision and wrong choice,  but he helped guide me from some major pitfalls, just like I was avoiding stepping into some deep holes in my walk in the woods.

Photo by Sérgio Rola

On my return walk back up the hill God showed me all the plants that were growing up through the leafs. He explained that even though I had chosen to ignore him for so long he had planted seeds along the way and that they would grow and produce now that I had turned back to him.

Photo by Andreas Vendelbo

 

God will use the circumstances around us to teach us if we simple take to the time to acknowledge him and learn.

Pain or promise, which one rules you?

“All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us.” -Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring

We all have moments and times in our lives that we wish hadn’t happened. But we can’t change the past. However we can choose how we react to it and what we do with what we have.

Its easy to say I’ve always been like this or you don’t know what I’ve been through. You’re right I don’t but God does and he’s the one that can heal your wounds.

When we let our past dictate our future, we let our past have all the power. But when we choose to let God heal us from our past. We choose to no longer let it affect us. Instead we can look to the future that God has planed for us.

Peace or anxiety

We often under estimate the impact of resting in Gods presence. When it’s what we need most.

When we are at our most desperate, when we feel lost or unsure. That’s when we need him most.

 We don’t need to fix our problems before we go to him. Going to him is how we fix our problems.

Instead of dwelling and worrying. We should be dwelling in his presence and letting him show us his perspective that melts away the worry and anxiety. For nothing is too big for him to handle.

Atmosphere matters

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:2

This is Pauls common greeting when addressing other believers. It’s easy to gloss over and say yeah ok, but it’s important. 

How we greet each other matters, it’s sets the tone for our whole time together. Nothing’s worse then coming into a social situation and feeling awkward, ignored or unwanted. 

When we greet each other we should make everyone feel at peace and that means giving grace. Grace to that person that might get on our nerves and that gives everyone peace because there is no strife or conflict.

We can choose what atmosphere we create.

What has God called you to?

And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

Colossians4:17

It’s easy to be envious of other’s ministries or success, but we are each called to our own ministry.

God made each of us unique and has called each of us to our own ministry. I can’t reach someone the same way you can and in the same respect; you can’t reach someone like I can. We are all special, all chosen by him and he has a calling for each of us. For some it’s to minister to thousands, for others it’s to reach the person no one notices. The point is we are each special and unique and we were all met God in different ways and now we are to be those different ways for other people.

We need to stop comparing ourselves to others and start seeking what God has special just for us.

What has he called you to? Who has he set on your heart? Seek him for how he wants you to reach the people he has given you a heart for and enjoy your unique calling.

Be a miracle to someone

The Christmas Candle is a great movie about miracles in many different ways. (I know it’s not December yet.) But God does provide miraculous miracles of helping and provision and sometimes we are the miracle to someone else.

As Thanksgiving is fastly approaching I want to encourage you to look outwards instead of inward, with your thanksgiving. Who are you thankful for? Is there something you can do for them that we be a miracle for them?

Talk with the Holy Spirit and let him lead you to someone you can be Jesus too and bless them with your help, time or service.

You never know the impact you can make till you let Jesus be a miracle through you.

https://youtu.be/v2fzS13Qdj0

Love is Contagious

This months guest post is from a friend whom I greatly respect . He has a unique and deep intimate view of God and expresses that in his life daily. ~Rebecca Darga

I recently attended a wedding of a close family friend. The whole day went without a hitch- beautiful music, a great sermon, beautiful decorations and great food- but there was one thing that stood out to me more than all of this. This new bride and groom were head over heals in love. They have no experience whatsoever when it comes to being married, yet they’ve chosen each other for a lifetime. I found myself reminiscing about my wedding and glancing over at my wife with pure joy and thankfulness to the Lord. Witnessing people in love is contagious.

Our spiritual life is not so different.

When someone is in love with God, you can see it; the joy is written all over their face.

Over the years if we’re not careful, it can feel that our walk with the Lord becomes stagnant. Prayer becomes pointless. Reading the Bible is a chore. Going to church becomes the place to see friends and to hear a helpful sermon. “Isn’t there more than this? Where is the excitement and passion I once had?” you might ask yourself. The good news is you’re not alone, and there is a solution.

In Revelation, Jesus has some instruction to one of the churches: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.

I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

Revelation 2:2-5  

Let us take this passage as a warning and take heed from these sobering words:

It’s not enough to do good and work hard.

It’s not enough to have sound doctrine. It’s not enough to persevere and endure hardships.

It’s not enough to hate wickedness.

It’s not enough to know truth.

We must come back to our first love: Jesus.

How do we do that? People say, “love is the matter of the heart.” Ironically Jesus is just as much, if not more, than concerned about our heart’s condition:

The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:23  

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Luke 6:45

So, how is your heart doing today? How has your heart been doing recently?

Do you feel like life has become stagnant, pointless, or a list of performing chores for God? Could it be that your heart has become exhausted, bitter, distracted, or infatuated with a temporary world instead of God’s purposes? Can you still remember the hope, love, and joy He once brought into to your life? Can you still see Him that way today?

Maybe you’re doing it right! That’s great! Keep your mind sober and your eyes fixed on Jesus.

Maybe you’re feeling far off from the Lord. Give Him your heart: the good, the bad, and the ugly. He loves you and is eagerly waiting for you. Today, there is an opportunity to repent and come back to Jesus, whatever the case may be. And know that when He comes, it changes everything. In a moment, He can provide all that you could ever need or hope for.

This is between you and the Holy Spirit. What is He speaking to you today? What is He telling you to do? How does He want you to respond? If you’re not sure, think back to the first time you had an encounter with the love of God. What were you thinking? What were you feeling? How did you respond in that moment? We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Our love should be an overflow of God’s love for us. There is no need to strive in His presence. Let everything you do be a response to God’s love, not a way in which to receive His love and salvation.

Fight for His presence. Forsake everything else at the cost of knowing Him. Don’t get tired and don’t give up. We must determine in our hearts and with our actions that God is the one who matters most.

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ (Colossians 2:2)

For the One who is worthy,

James Loruss  

James Loruss is an author, filmmaker and composer at Supernatural Truth Productions. Together with his wife, Connie, James ministers globally and locally to train believers, raise up leaders, and reach the lost with the Gospel. James serves as the Worship Pastor at Northville Christian Assembly of God in Northville, Michigan. He and Connie live in Novi, Michigan.

God is faithful, but are we

God is faithful, he will never leave us, stop loving us or abandon us. We are the ones who leave him, ignore him or straight deny his existence.

He always wants to love us and be with us.

We put him in a box or give him limits by saying he doesn’t care, he’s too busy, or he can’t do that.

Nothing is impossible for God.

For nothing will be impossible with God.”  Luke 1:37

This verse is Elizabeth who became pregnant in her old age talking to, Mary the mother of Jesus, about her miraculous concept of Jesus.

This verse gives me strength because we have been trying to get pregnant since we got married in 2015. And even though I have not been blessed with a baby yet. I still trust God, I still love him and I still worship him. Because he is a good, loving God and I know that he has given me the dream to have children and he will bless me with them. But that doesn’t mean that I abandon him or just curl up in a ball and become bitter and angry because I don’t have what I want when I want it.

Instead I ask him ‘What he has for me right now?’ What do you want to teach me through this?’ ‘What do you want me to do in this time?’

In the six years from surrendering my life to Jesus and when I meet my husband, I wanted a husband through out that time, but God used that time to teach me, to change me and to invest in the lives of others. I could of done all that I did within a marriage but we would of had a lot of issues, we would of fought a lot, hurt each other and I would not of had the time to invest in the others like I did during that time. God knew what he was doing, his timing is perfect.

So I trust him in his timing now. He’s given me the call to write, so I write this blog and I working on getting my first of many books ready to submit for publishing. I preach and speak at any opportunity given, because I love to share what God has done in my life and that he can do the same and more in others. I use the time he’s given me to do what he’s called me to.

What constraints have you put on God? Are you holding yourself back because you think God can’t do it through you? What does God have for you right now in this moment? Ask him.

Freedom from pain

Pain is something we all have somehow somewhere in our lives we all have been hurt and we all try to escape it. By avoiding, ignoring, overcompensating, deflecting and straight out running in the other direction regardless of what that is.

But what if instead of holding onto that pain we could be free from it. 

Forgiveness is powerful and it frees us from pain.

Many see forgiveness as excusing the one who hurt us or saying it was ok. But it’s not. Forgiving someone does that make what they did right, but it does free us from letting that pain control us.

Holding on to the pain of the past gives that pain power over us, to control our actions and lets it rule us, keeping us from things because we are afraid to face the pain. We give it the power to influence decisions instead.

Holding onto our pain instead of forgiving really controls us, not the other person.

But we can make the decision to stop letting that pain rule us and surrender it over to Jesus. He came to free us from our pain and free us from allowing unforgiveness to control us.

Stop letting your past determine your future and let go of the pain.

Locked in a cupboard

What do we keep locked away in a cupboard? What is the one thing that we are holding back from God? Saying you can have everything, but this. This hurt or this pain I’m keeping it because it hurts too much to give it to you.

Because we are afraid of where it came from, why its there or what we’ll have to do to let it go.

Pain can control us if we let it.

But some pain is good, if we control it. Working out can be painful but it helps build muscle and burn fat. It makes us healthier and removes toxins from our bodies through sweat.

Photo by Wolfgang Rottmann on Unsplash

But if we say it hurts too much then we allow those same toxins in our bodies to sit and stay and pollute our bodies.

When we let old hurts and pains stay locked away we allow them to have control. But when we surrender them over to God and say we don’t want to live with that pain anymore we find freedom.

Isn’t freedom from pain better then keeping it locked inside us.

The pain of letting go is worth it if we truly want to be free.

Tears are healing

When it rains the clouds come in and the sky turns grey. The plants are shaded from the sun while they get much needed nourishment. The grey clouds stay even after it rains to shield the plants from being burned by the sun while the water is still on their leaves.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Tears are like this for us they come during the dark gloomy times but they give us a much needed release of emotion all the emotions that are pent up inside us flows out and can bring some much needed healing.

I always tell people tears are healing.

Tears help us to acknowledge the hurt and/or pain we’ve gone through, they cleanse us and wash away what we’ve held inside. They are a release of emotions fear, sadness, anger, worry, frustration that if kept bottled up could turn into paranoya, anxiety, depression, rage and bitterness. Even Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus, even though he knew he would raise him back to life he still felt the loss. It’s the same with us when we lose someone it’s good to cry, to mourn their lose in this world but we must remember that we will see them in heaven. Or if we won’t we mourn that loss and let it be motivation to bring everyone else with us to heaven

So cry, let it all out but remember to not let it overcome you. The sun will come out and there are still people to reach.

Stop striving

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,

Colossians 1:9b-11

God does not ask us to go and bear fruit on our own. He provides us with knowledge, wisdom, understanding, strength, power, endurance and patience to do what he has called us to.

When we go out and do what God calls us to do he provides all that we need through the Holy Spirit. It’s when we try to do things on our own that we stumble and fall or achieve very little. But when we depend on him for wisdom , strength and direction he provides more then we asked for and produces way more then we ever could have on our own.

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How do you hear God?

Hearing God is something so many of us are looking for in our lives. What is he saying? Am I really hearing him? What does he sound like? How do I know when or if I’m hearing him?

Voice of God is a great documentary with real life testimony on how people hear God, how to know if it is him and if someone else is really hearing him.

We are all capable of hearing God if we listen, but we need to know what we are listing for.

God speaks in so many ways, through images, nature, others, audible, a still small voice within us, through emotions, feelings, impressions and so many other ways.

He is the creator of the universe and we cannot box him into just one way of speaking, we each hear him in different ways, but one thing is always the same the heart of his expression to us is always love.

God is love and he can never not be loving.

Test what you hear him saying against the bible talk to other believers and be willing to be wrong. But know that no matter what he will always be speaking in love.

Worry no more

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

Who adds a day to their life by worrying.

Worry accomplishes nothing but wasting time, aging you and ruining your day. When has worry ever stopped a crisis or improved your perspective?

If God can cloth and feed and take care of his creation then, why do you think he wont take care of you? He created you didn’t he, so aren’t you his creation too?

I have never regretted trusting God, but I have regretted worrying about something. It never solves anything and makes me edgy and irritable to others. So why worry.

Gives you concerns over to God and let him take care of them.


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While You Wait

Just because you don’t have what you asked God for right now, doesn’t mean he’s not giving it to you.

His timing is perfect. He know what we need when we need it. Trusting his timing can be hard if we focus on what we don’t have. But if we focus on what he is doing on our life right now, what we are waiting for won’t take as long as we think it will.

Unexpected blessings

Just because God doesn’t do what you when you and how you want does not mean he is not there for you.

God timing is better then ours.

If my husband and I had met sooner, before we learned how to be in a relationship, how to love and that God is the one who fulfills; us not the other person. We would have caused each other so much pain.

In the same respect as much as have wanted kids over the past four years and have not been blessed with them yet. We know that having kids with all of our moving around the country would have been hard on them.

God’s timing is perfect.

He knows what we need, when we need it and when what we want, would hurt us more then hep us.

I asked God for a husband for seven years, but I wasn’t ready. My heart may have longed for the relationship of marriage, but it was for selfish reasons. And selfishness is never good for marriage.

It wasn’t until I surrendered my desire for spouse to God and asked him to pick my husband, that my husband came into my life. I never would of picked him on my own, but God knew what I needed and I couldn’t have asked for a better husband.

Trust God in his timing and ask him what wants for you right now, instead of what you want.

I bet you’ll be surprised at his answer.


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Don’t limit your perspective

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.Their mind is set on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven.And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,  who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Philippians 3:17-21

Limiting you perspective to what you know and not being willing to believe or even conceive of something out side your current knowledge, limits your ability to grow.


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If we only dealt with what was around us and never looked for a solution outside our current knowledge we would never improve.

By seeking the knowledge and perspective of our creator we allow him to change things that we may have seen as impossible before.

Just because we can’t see the solution doesn’t men one doesn’t exists.

Trust that God has an eternal view and that his solution is beyond what we could think or imagine.

What would you sacrifice?

But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,  for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.  I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,whether by life or by death.  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Phillippians 1:18-21

Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash

Paul is in prison as he writes these words. What a bold prayer. He could of prayed for protection, but instead he prays that he will boldly continue to preach the gospel, the very thing that put him in prison. He offers up his life so that it may be used for God’s glory whether that be his life or death.

Where does this boldness come from?

He not only hands over his life, but he is rejoicing in his imprisonment.

How do you get to that point in your relationship with Jesus, where you are willing to sacrifice everything for him to be glorified?

It’s by knowing the character of God, by knowing who he is and who he’s made you to be, by knowing his love for you and through you. His love, his sacrifice builds confidence.

Some may say that was in the bible, try doing it now.

But there are people living this way now. A present day example of this is in the book Heavenly Man by Paul Hattaway. Heavenly Man is about Brother Yun, the Pastor of an underground church in China. This book will stretch and strengthen your faith more then you can believe. Brother Yun sacrifices everything to witness to those around him. He’s beaten he’s abused and imprisoned for preaching the gospel, but he rejoices in his suffering and preaches even to the guards and inmates that attack him.

What lengths are you willing to go to for sharing the gospel with others? Would you sacrifice your life?