I’ve been humbled. Again. Apparently, this journey of dying to my flesh and living only for Christ is on-going and never-ending! This time, it has to do with hearts. People’s hearts; empty, shallow, missing some huge part of themselves. These people are the outcast, the forgotten. They are kept by the force of the enemy in their desperate lives, consuming substances to fill their driving need for something more. They are sad-eyed, loveless and alone. I am talking about the women and men of the “ghettos” in our towns, cities, countries. The precious children of God who haven’t chosen yet to embrace His massive outpouring of love and provision for them. They can’t see Him with their flesh eyes, and they haven’t opened their heart eyes yet.
Oh, God, give me more compassion for these, your creation. They are just as precious to you as I. They may be lost right now, but you have stored up salvation and freedom for them just as I have been so graciously given. God, make me softer in you.
As I watched the beloved couple who run this ministry to the forgotten tenderly embrace, lay hands on, and laugh with these, I was overwhelmed by the visibility of Christ’s love in them. I could see it, the people in need could feel it, and those precious pastors didn’t even stop to analyze it. They just kept praying, kept giving, kept loving.
So I am severely wrecked, once again, by God’s mercy and grace. By His unstoppable forgiveness and compassion. By His preciousness, His glorious love so easily and freely demonstrated yesterday in those lives. Oh, may this overwhelming new understanding never grow dry in me. I no longer desire the comfortable way, I want to continue down this road of the unknown in Him.
He’s getting me ready, I know it. He’s preparing me for a lifetime ministry of His love to His people. Whether those people are the rich or the poor, the remembered or the forgotten, the old or the young. They are all His, created in His image, needing His hand of love in a tangible way.
This is just the beginning, and I’m already a mess. Humbled. May I stay in this place as He grows me.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
"Takeaway 2010" - Lessons Learned, Memories Made and New Dreams Cast
In all of the excitement of the New Year and all the looking ahead we do, I wonder if we sometimes forget to look back. Not for long, I mean, but just a glimpse, almost like a life review. I’ve done that this year; maybe because it was such a good, full year in 2010, and I don’t want to close the proverbial door on it until I’ve grasped every bit of what I was supposed to take away from it.
I’ve realized recently (like earlier today!) that I had a meaningful and enriching year of life in 2010. My family and I experienced many things here in Texas we never expected we would when we were still living life back in the desert southwest. Like playing at the ocean, not just once, but over and over! We mowed a lawn all year long! The kids have seen alligators, cottonmouths, and the world’s largest water park. Oh, and the friendships we’ve developed here in Katy are really unbelievable to me. In the one year we’ve been in fellowship with some believers here, we’ve bonded in ways I’ve never experienced in the body of Christ. You know, friends who are like comfy slippers – they fit perfectly, and they don’t mind being stepped on every once in a while!
Not that those things are what life is all about, but it really helps to live life surrounded by warmth. Good days are bathed in sunshine, love from family and friends, and really good cookin’!
So, one of the lessons I learned was to stretch a little more in life, even if where I’m at feels comfortable. It never hurts to try something new, go somewhere I’ve never been, or make a new friend in a person I’d have never thought could feel like a sister! In the career area, I learned that I don’t make a good working-outside-the-home mom and it’s ok. I make a really great work-at-home-mom, and the kids and hubby are so glad I figured that out! I also decided I am a well-rounded person, but don’t like being a “round” person, and I am pursuing health in a new way in 2011!
So as I walk through the doorway from 2010 and step over the threshold of 2011 into newness, I carry the treasures of my memories and lessons learned with me. They will be cherished, revisited, and inevitably recycled into new ones! I have nothing but the best expectations for this brand new year in front of me. I’ll do some things right, and probably lots of things wrong, but the dreams that I’ve dreamed for 2011 will be pursued, and I am, and will be, blessed!
What about you - what are your feelings on beginning 2011? Are you excited about something new in your life this year? Tell me about it, I’d love to share in your enthusiasm!
I’ve realized recently (like earlier today!) that I had a meaningful and enriching year of life in 2010. My family and I experienced many things here in Texas we never expected we would when we were still living life back in the desert southwest. Like playing at the ocean, not just once, but over and over! We mowed a lawn all year long! The kids have seen alligators, cottonmouths, and the world’s largest water park. Oh, and the friendships we’ve developed here in Katy are really unbelievable to me. In the one year we’ve been in fellowship with some believers here, we’ve bonded in ways I’ve never experienced in the body of Christ. You know, friends who are like comfy slippers – they fit perfectly, and they don’t mind being stepped on every once in a while!
Not that those things are what life is all about, but it really helps to live life surrounded by warmth. Good days are bathed in sunshine, love from family and friends, and really good cookin’!
So, one of the lessons I learned was to stretch a little more in life, even if where I’m at feels comfortable. It never hurts to try something new, go somewhere I’ve never been, or make a new friend in a person I’d have never thought could feel like a sister! In the career area, I learned that I don’t make a good working-outside-the-home mom and it’s ok. I make a really great work-at-home-mom, and the kids and hubby are so glad I figured that out! I also decided I am a well-rounded person, but don’t like being a “round” person, and I am pursuing health in a new way in 2011!
So as I walk through the doorway from 2010 and step over the threshold of 2011 into newness, I carry the treasures of my memories and lessons learned with me. They will be cherished, revisited, and inevitably recycled into new ones! I have nothing but the best expectations for this brand new year in front of me. I’ll do some things right, and probably lots of things wrong, but the dreams that I’ve dreamed for 2011 will be pursued, and I am, and will be, blessed!
What about you - what are your feelings on beginning 2011? Are you excited about something new in your life this year? Tell me about it, I’d love to share in your enthusiasm!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
New Year's Confession for 2011
What follows is my personal confession for 2011, as I am excited about increase in my life! Increase in the depth and hunger in my relationship with Jesus, and through my pursuit of Him, increase in finances, wisdom, health, and knowledge of all things godly! I pray that your 2011 is richly blessed, that you seek Him more, and that you are touched in a new, supernatural way by His love this year!
Jeremiah 29:11-14a ESV
“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes…”
Prayer:
Father, your love overwhelms me. It is awesome to know that you are always thinking of me. You see past my shortcomings. You choose to see the end from the beginning. Your intention for my life is to prosper me and not to harm me. You give me hope and a wonderful future. The things I presently endure are nothing compared to the glory that awaits me.
Declaration of Faith
All of God’s thoughts for me are for good and never evil. His plan for my life is to make me prosperous, give me hope, and provide for me a glorious future. He has handpicked everything that is best for me in life and presents it to me with great joy. His desire for me is to live in His abundance.
Other Scriptures to reference:
Deuteronomy 4:29; Colossians 1:13; 2:15; Romans 8:32; Psalm 50:15; I John 1:3
Used excerpt from the Complete Personalized Promise Bible on Financial Increase - compiled by James Riddle
Jeremiah 29:11-14a ESV
“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes…”
Prayer:
Father, your love overwhelms me. It is awesome to know that you are always thinking of me. You see past my shortcomings. You choose to see the end from the beginning. Your intention for my life is to prosper me and not to harm me. You give me hope and a wonderful future. The things I presently endure are nothing compared to the glory that awaits me.
Declaration of Faith
All of God’s thoughts for me are for good and never evil. His plan for my life is to make me prosperous, give me hope, and provide for me a glorious future. He has handpicked everything that is best for me in life and presents it to me with great joy. His desire for me is to live in His abundance.
Other Scriptures to reference:
Deuteronomy 4:29; Colossians 1:13; 2:15; Romans 8:32; Psalm 50:15; I John 1:3
Used excerpt from the Complete Personalized Promise Bible on Financial Increase - compiled by James Riddle
Friday, December 17, 2010
Mentality - Abundance or Lack?
Around this time of year my compassion radar kicks into high gear, and I begin brainstorming how I can help those less fortunate than myself. I don’t know what it is about the holidays that stirs my heart in a new way toward the needy. Maybe it is due to all the pleas in the public arena during the holidays to help them with funds or goods. Maybe it is because I am blessed with so much in my life now, and I know what it is like to live without it. Today, I live with my young family in a gorgeous two-story house in a middle-class suburb of Houston, Texas, complete with a pool and splashpad, park and playground, and gym. We don’t worry about where our next meal is coming from or if the light bill will get paid this month…wow, just realizing this is sometimes still so surreal. You see, it wasn’t always this way.
I grew up very poor; not hungry mind you, not cold, but we were barely getting by. It wasn’t that Dad didn’t work; in fact, he worked harder than anyone I’ve ever known. He worked from early morning to sometimes 9 or 10 o’clock at night. Many times he only had one or two meals a day, skipping breaks to keep working. Yes, he definitely sacrificed for us eight kids and Mom and what future he could provide us with.
Dad embraced what I now recognize as a “poverty mentality,” and to this day, he still works too hard. After he invests so much physical labor, and painstaking design and planning, the result is very little reward or pay. I’m exhausted just thinking about how much he does. Now, please understand that I am all for hard work, and having a good work ethic – in fact, I credit my great work ethic to my parents. I’m just talking about a spiritual principle at stake here – the choice between minimalistic mentality versus abundance mentality.
At the young age of eighteen, I married my best friend and worked two jobs alongside his two to three jobs just to keep bills paid. We were young, just starting out, and the lessons we learned from earning our own way with no parental help was invaluable. But it was still hard. I waitressed and worked retail, and he baked bread, flipped pizza dough, and finished his Master’s degree right after our first child was born. However, I had brought the mentality of lack with me into the marriage, not knowing anything different. Now, I thank God I married a man who had vision for himself, his family, and our future!
Even as young Christians, we began grasping a new vision for ourselves; for me, it was through both my husband and the church I was eagerly attending and serving in. Little by little, we began to raise the standard our jobs, houses, and even the people who were influencing our lives. Plugging along, we were never afraid to work for our goals. Juan breathed inspiration into me as he graduated with his Master’s degree at just 25, and then as he began confidently and faithfully looking for a job that would pay him what he was worth.
Over the years, each job has been better than the last, and each home has grown in quality, but been financially manageable. I have marveled at the wisdom and abundance mentality that Juan operates in as he makes these decisions for this family. No matter what our “imprints” from our pasts try to dictate to us about what our lives should be like, they can be overcome by the grace of God, and knowledge of His Word in the area of finances.
Am I saying that to live in God’s will for us financially, we need to buy bigger and better houses, and be on a warpath to better pay grades? No, I am merely stating that although “abundance” is defined differently by each individual, I can tell you that poverty is the opposite of it. True “need” is not His will for any of His children, and He cannot be glorified in the middle of want. Bold statement? I hope so! It is clearly explained in His Word, and He didn’t rescue me from my own mentality of lack just to keep this truth to myself! The provision He is now entrusting this family with is for far greater purposes than my own!
The promises of prosperity found in His Word, keep in mind, have a part for us to play, as you’ll notice in the second verse below. Here are just a couple of the Scriptures stating His will for our lives in this area:
Deuteronomy 30:9 (AMP)
“And the Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in every work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, of your cattle, of your land, for good; for the Lord will again delight in prospering you, as He took delight in your fathers…”
Joshua 1:8 (AMP)
“This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.”
So, what can I do this year for the less fortunate? What can I give to them that will last after the Christmas meal is eaten and gone, and their kids have outgrown the outfits we donated? I can obey Christ’s commands to:
Deuteronomy 4:9-10 (AMP)
“Only take heed, and guard your life diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your [mind and] heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your children's children. Especially how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, the Lord said to me, Gather the people together to Me and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn [reverently] to fear Me all the days they live upon the earth and that they may teach their children.”
The physical gifts I give now to precious people in need are appreciated and necessary, but I hope to do more with my life than that. I want to see generational curses of poverty and want broken, knowledge of God’s will for prosperity spread to all people, and a deep understanding of abundance and all that it means to us as God’s children replace the mentalities of our past. After all:
John 10:10 (AMP)
“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”
I grew up very poor; not hungry mind you, not cold, but we were barely getting by. It wasn’t that Dad didn’t work; in fact, he worked harder than anyone I’ve ever known. He worked from early morning to sometimes 9 or 10 o’clock at night. Many times he only had one or two meals a day, skipping breaks to keep working. Yes, he definitely sacrificed for us eight kids and Mom and what future he could provide us with.
Dad embraced what I now recognize as a “poverty mentality,” and to this day, he still works too hard. After he invests so much physical labor, and painstaking design and planning, the result is very little reward or pay. I’m exhausted just thinking about how much he does. Now, please understand that I am all for hard work, and having a good work ethic – in fact, I credit my great work ethic to my parents. I’m just talking about a spiritual principle at stake here – the choice between minimalistic mentality versus abundance mentality.
At the young age of eighteen, I married my best friend and worked two jobs alongside his two to three jobs just to keep bills paid. We were young, just starting out, and the lessons we learned from earning our own way with no parental help was invaluable. But it was still hard. I waitressed and worked retail, and he baked bread, flipped pizza dough, and finished his Master’s degree right after our first child was born. However, I had brought the mentality of lack with me into the marriage, not knowing anything different. Now, I thank God I married a man who had vision for himself, his family, and our future!
Even as young Christians, we began grasping a new vision for ourselves; for me, it was through both my husband and the church I was eagerly attending and serving in. Little by little, we began to raise the standard our jobs, houses, and even the people who were influencing our lives. Plugging along, we were never afraid to work for our goals. Juan breathed inspiration into me as he graduated with his Master’s degree at just 25, and then as he began confidently and faithfully looking for a job that would pay him what he was worth.
Over the years, each job has been better than the last, and each home has grown in quality, but been financially manageable. I have marveled at the wisdom and abundance mentality that Juan operates in as he makes these decisions for this family. No matter what our “imprints” from our pasts try to dictate to us about what our lives should be like, they can be overcome by the grace of God, and knowledge of His Word in the area of finances.
Am I saying that to live in God’s will for us financially, we need to buy bigger and better houses, and be on a warpath to better pay grades? No, I am merely stating that although “abundance” is defined differently by each individual, I can tell you that poverty is the opposite of it. True “need” is not His will for any of His children, and He cannot be glorified in the middle of want. Bold statement? I hope so! It is clearly explained in His Word, and He didn’t rescue me from my own mentality of lack just to keep this truth to myself! The provision He is now entrusting this family with is for far greater purposes than my own!
The promises of prosperity found in His Word, keep in mind, have a part for us to play, as you’ll notice in the second verse below. Here are just a couple of the Scriptures stating His will for our lives in this area:
Deuteronomy 30:9 (AMP)
“And the Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in every work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, of your cattle, of your land, for good; for the Lord will again delight in prospering you, as He took delight in your fathers…”
Joshua 1:8 (AMP)
“This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.”
So, what can I do this year for the less fortunate? What can I give to them that will last after the Christmas meal is eaten and gone, and their kids have outgrown the outfits we donated? I can obey Christ’s commands to:
Deuteronomy 4:9-10 (AMP)
“Only take heed, and guard your life diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your [mind and] heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your children's children. Especially how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, the Lord said to me, Gather the people together to Me and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn [reverently] to fear Me all the days they live upon the earth and that they may teach their children.”
The physical gifts I give now to precious people in need are appreciated and necessary, but I hope to do more with my life than that. I want to see generational curses of poverty and want broken, knowledge of God’s will for prosperity spread to all people, and a deep understanding of abundance and all that it means to us as God’s children replace the mentalities of our past. After all:
John 10:10 (AMP)
“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Bella's Letter to God
December 15, 2010
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for everything you have done in my life. You died on the cross and forgave all my sins. I hope you rise me up to HEAVEN and keep me there forever. I will use my gifts you gave me, and use them every minute of every day, and even use them like you want me to! Thank you for helping me with any (school) test I struggle on and for talking to me today. Thank you for sending an angel to me for protection. Lord, thank you for making me a Child of God, and I love you for Who you are!
Love,
Bella
My nine-year-old daughter wrote this letter after having a very real "experience" with God the night before. She cried out to Him in her need, and He answered her! Then, yesterday, as she was taking a dreaded and feared test at school, she cried out to Him again, and she said He sent an angel to talk to her. I said, "You sure it wasn't God talking to you, baby?"
"No, Mom, it was a girl's voice!"
Praise God that He meets everyone where they are at, nine or ninety!
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for everything you have done in my life. You died on the cross and forgave all my sins. I hope you rise me up to HEAVEN and keep me there forever. I will use my gifts you gave me, and use them every minute of every day, and even use them like you want me to! Thank you for helping me with any (school) test I struggle on and for talking to me today. Thank you for sending an angel to me for protection. Lord, thank you for making me a Child of God, and I love you for Who you are!
Love,
Bella
My nine-year-old daughter wrote this letter after having a very real "experience" with God the night before. She cried out to Him in her need, and He answered her! Then, yesterday, as she was taking a dreaded and feared test at school, she cried out to Him again, and she said He sent an angel to talk to her. I said, "You sure it wasn't God talking to you, baby?"
"No, Mom, it was a girl's voice!"
Praise God that He meets everyone where they are at, nine or ninety!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
5 Basic Principles to Effectively Apply Word Promises to Your Life
Here is an article I recently published on www.ezinearticles.com. Let me know what you think - is it helpful? I would love feedback, positive or constructive criticism, as I am currently writing and publishing more articles on similar subjects.
In my own discovery of life promises found throughout the Bible, I’ve realized that many believers are not aware of the power that lies within having belief in those promises. Some have the book knowledge of what the Bible has to say about prosperity, healing, gifts, and marriages, but are unable to grasp the reality of applying these promises to their daily lives. It takes more than knowing a Biblical passage to see manifestation of God’s goodness at work in our lives. It takes a spiritual understanding of what the Holy Spirit is saying through that passage, and obedience to His Word.
When a deep understanding takes place of what is being promised to us by our Father, and the necessary steps to receive these blessings are applied, change happens. Our families are healed, marriages unified, finances redeemed, and anything else you ask in His Name, fulfilled!
Here are five basic principles lined out in the twelfth chapter of Romans:
1. Present Your Body a Living Sacrifice. Romans 12:1 NASB “Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
This principle is very clear - we must die to our old nature, old desires, old plans. Our flesh never stops trying to maintain the same way of living as before we met our Savior, but that doesn’t mean we give in to it! The first and key step to His blessings is complete and utter surrender to our Father and His will. This step is really about making the decision to serve Him alone, and to no longer serve ourselves.
2. Commit to the Renewal of your Mind. Romans 12:2 NASB “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. “
Obviously, renewing our minds is a Biblical command designed to enable us to do God’s will. This can only be attained, however, by complete submission to our God, and deciding daily to follow His way.
So what is mind renewal? Mind renewal is not a new age statement of some out-of-reach achievement, but rather a gateway to receive God’s blessings on our lives. We have to discontinue our old way of thinking, and to do that, we must go after the things of God. For example, we have to start filtering the input that comes into our minds daily. We must replace the old thoughts and desires with Godly influence, such as the music we listen to, things we read, even the people we allow to influence us.
Have you ever heard the saying, “What goes in must come out!” It is the same for our minds and hearts. We have to learn to guard ourselves, using the Word of God as our strainer. If the influence in question does not “line up” with the Word, it shouldn’t be indulged in!
3. Be in Obedience to His Will. Romans 12:2b-3 NASB “…so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
God is faithful to not only show us how to seek His will for us, but He also equips us to know what it is! His will for us is found clearly in the Word, and keep in mind it will be “good and acceptable and perfect.” This Scripture also reminds us that “God has allotted to each [of us] a measure of faith.” In other words, He is not judging us by “how much” faith we have, but rather whether or not we have faith! He desires our whole hearts to be committed to His will for our lives. If we choose to be in obedience to that, we will see the promises of His Word come to life.
4. Join with the Body. Romans 12:4-5 NASB “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
We influence each other whether we want to admit it or not. As we touch those around us, we should be determined to be instruments of God’s love and ministry. We are the only Jesus some people will ever know. Just as our physical body parts all work together for the common goal of growing, sustaining, and sometimes healing the body, we must decide to act the same in the “Body” of Christ. I have heard some state that it is not necessary to be a part of a church to grow in the Lord. I beg to differ, first because it is taught strongly in Scripture, and second, because I have personally experienced both scenarios. I have lived without the body and I have thrived within the body. How do you not know that you are the skin for that body of believers? Picture a human body with the heart beating, and blood circulating, and blood and innards are squirting everywhere, because there is no skin to protect that body!
5. Everyone is Given Spiritual Gifts, Which are for the Benefit of Everyone. Romans 12:6-8 NASB “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
We’ve all been blessed with gifts, as different as they are, each one is equally important. As a culture, sometimes we tend to recognize those roles that are more celebrated and public as more important to the body than those who are behind the scenes, even though all roles are equally important to the Father. Each of us have many gifts, and what matters to the Father is that we glorify Him in the use of those gifts. When we do, we fulfill the needs of the body! If we are not in obedience in using our gifts within the body, we should examine our hearts, God has a great purpose for us in serving!
The instructions given to us in the Word are not mysterious or difficult to follow. They are clear, frank and created for our benefit. God has promised us health, fullness of joy, and rich lives filled with every good thing. To enable us to live this life, He asks for our surrender – to Him, His will, and His plan for our life. The question is, are you ready to take Him at His Word?
In my own discovery of life promises found throughout the Bible, I’ve realized that many believers are not aware of the power that lies within having belief in those promises. Some have the book knowledge of what the Bible has to say about prosperity, healing, gifts, and marriages, but are unable to grasp the reality of applying these promises to their daily lives. It takes more than knowing a Biblical passage to see manifestation of God’s goodness at work in our lives. It takes a spiritual understanding of what the Holy Spirit is saying through that passage, and obedience to His Word.
When a deep understanding takes place of what is being promised to us by our Father, and the necessary steps to receive these blessings are applied, change happens. Our families are healed, marriages unified, finances redeemed, and anything else you ask in His Name, fulfilled!
Here are five basic principles lined out in the twelfth chapter of Romans:
1. Present Your Body a Living Sacrifice. Romans 12:1 NASB “Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
This principle is very clear - we must die to our old nature, old desires, old plans. Our flesh never stops trying to maintain the same way of living as before we met our Savior, but that doesn’t mean we give in to it! The first and key step to His blessings is complete and utter surrender to our Father and His will. This step is really about making the decision to serve Him alone, and to no longer serve ourselves.
2. Commit to the Renewal of your Mind. Romans 12:2 NASB “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. “
Obviously, renewing our minds is a Biblical command designed to enable us to do God’s will. This can only be attained, however, by complete submission to our God, and deciding daily to follow His way.
So what is mind renewal? Mind renewal is not a new age statement of some out-of-reach achievement, but rather a gateway to receive God’s blessings on our lives. We have to discontinue our old way of thinking, and to do that, we must go after the things of God. For example, we have to start filtering the input that comes into our minds daily. We must replace the old thoughts and desires with Godly influence, such as the music we listen to, things we read, even the people we allow to influence us.
Have you ever heard the saying, “What goes in must come out!” It is the same for our minds and hearts. We have to learn to guard ourselves, using the Word of God as our strainer. If the influence in question does not “line up” with the Word, it shouldn’t be indulged in!
3. Be in Obedience to His Will. Romans 12:2b-3 NASB “…so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
God is faithful to not only show us how to seek His will for us, but He also equips us to know what it is! His will for us is found clearly in the Word, and keep in mind it will be “good and acceptable and perfect.” This Scripture also reminds us that “God has allotted to each [of us] a measure of faith.” In other words, He is not judging us by “how much” faith we have, but rather whether or not we have faith! He desires our whole hearts to be committed to His will for our lives. If we choose to be in obedience to that, we will see the promises of His Word come to life.
4. Join with the Body. Romans 12:4-5 NASB “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
We influence each other whether we want to admit it or not. As we touch those around us, we should be determined to be instruments of God’s love and ministry. We are the only Jesus some people will ever know. Just as our physical body parts all work together for the common goal of growing, sustaining, and sometimes healing the body, we must decide to act the same in the “Body” of Christ. I have heard some state that it is not necessary to be a part of a church to grow in the Lord. I beg to differ, first because it is taught strongly in Scripture, and second, because I have personally experienced both scenarios. I have lived without the body and I have thrived within the body. How do you not know that you are the skin for that body of believers? Picture a human body with the heart beating, and blood circulating, and blood and innards are squirting everywhere, because there is no skin to protect that body!
5. Everyone is Given Spiritual Gifts, Which are for the Benefit of Everyone. Romans 12:6-8 NASB “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
We’ve all been blessed with gifts, as different as they are, each one is equally important. As a culture, sometimes we tend to recognize those roles that are more celebrated and public as more important to the body than those who are behind the scenes, even though all roles are equally important to the Father. Each of us have many gifts, and what matters to the Father is that we glorify Him in the use of those gifts. When we do, we fulfill the needs of the body! If we are not in obedience in using our gifts within the body, we should examine our hearts, God has a great purpose for us in serving!
The instructions given to us in the Word are not mysterious or difficult to follow. They are clear, frank and created for our benefit. God has promised us health, fullness of joy, and rich lives filled with every good thing. To enable us to live this life, He asks for our surrender – to Him, His will, and His plan for our life. The question is, are you ready to take Him at His Word?
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
When God Plans Strategically - Part One
Back in the Spring of 2008, I had all but given up on myself and the confusing mess I had made out of my life when God brought a dynamic woman of faith across my path, Miss Sue*. Sue was a beautiful, bold, middle-aged Italian woman who had a passion for life and living. Her joy in life was contagious and I remember this strange and wonderful awakening in my spirit that took place when I was around her. She had a way of making me feel valuable, and special. I was very much damaged goods at that time, and desperately needed healing and refreshing inside, I just didn’t know where to look or how to find it.
God, in his incredible wisdom, used this brilliant woman to touch my life in such a way, that I would never be the same. I took to her immediately, and as I questioned her with the "why’s", my circumstances, the pain and suffering I was enduring, she pointed me back to the living Word of God. I listened as she spoke of the truths in the Bible, and as she taught me. Later, on my own, I hungrily began to devour the Holy Scriptures like never before in my life. As they began to literally feed my malnourished soul, my knowledge of His promises and truths grew. I was insatiable for the Word, and then, slowly, my understanding changed.
I found that God wanted me to live free of the pain, suffering, and betrayal. Free of all sin, negative thoughts, and old patterns. I found through the Scriptures HOW to live in freedom, and how to live in the promises currently in my life! His Word, though I had read it and known it since childhood, became alive to me in a time when I knew no life. I was breathing, but I had been dying inside.
Miss Sue began to speak life over me and prophesy over my life, and my future. She called the sickness gone, my pain healed and released, as she prophesied what was to come in my life. I began to thrive under those words of life, and partnered with God’s Word, I began to dream again.
*Name has been changed to respect privacy.
For more of my testimony, see my website www.bessieblanco.com.
This has been a small sneak peak into the upcoming book I am working on!
God, in his incredible wisdom, used this brilliant woman to touch my life in such a way, that I would never be the same. I took to her immediately, and as I questioned her with the "why’s", my circumstances, the pain and suffering I was enduring, she pointed me back to the living Word of God. I listened as she spoke of the truths in the Bible, and as she taught me. Later, on my own, I hungrily began to devour the Holy Scriptures like never before in my life. As they began to literally feed my malnourished soul, my knowledge of His promises and truths grew. I was insatiable for the Word, and then, slowly, my understanding changed.
I found that God wanted me to live free of the pain, suffering, and betrayal. Free of all sin, negative thoughts, and old patterns. I found through the Scriptures HOW to live in freedom, and how to live in the promises currently in my life! His Word, though I had read it and known it since childhood, became alive to me in a time when I knew no life. I was breathing, but I had been dying inside.
Miss Sue began to speak life over me and prophesy over my life, and my future. She called the sickness gone, my pain healed and released, as she prophesied what was to come in my life. I began to thrive under those words of life, and partnered with God’s Word, I began to dream again.
*Name has been changed to respect privacy.
For more of my testimony, see my website www.bessieblanco.com.
This has been a small sneak peak into the upcoming book I am working on!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)