Where is YOUR faith at?

Where is YOUR faith at?? 

What a question to be asked huh? 

I have been in the book of Hebrews for some time now. I have left it and come back as the words that I have studied come back to me and begin to stir in me what the Lord wants to speak. 

Hebrews 11. I dove back into it last night..late last night at that. And I just couldn't get away from what God was saying about the faith that moved the great men (and women) in the bible. From Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Daniel, David...and more...they were all moved by faith.

Faith moved them and faith alone. They were not tied to this world or the land that they were in, their spirits were tied to God and the Kingdom of heaven and it alone ruled over their lives.They held onto the promises of God even though they didn't see them fulfilled in their life.

WOW! How many of us can truly say that with everything in us we long for our Eternal home more than we are longing or tied to where we live or where we are from? Do we hold onto the promises of God even if not fulfilled in our life time on this earth?

As Hebrews 11:6 says " But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]." (Amplified)

There is a necessity to believe God. 

A NECESSITY. 

Not just oh well yes I believe you Lord. NO you have to believe in HIM and know that He repays you. He's the one who rewards us for our faith in Him not man.If you believe in Him, you believe His word in its entirety and know that He will do what He says. It's His word!

I  am being challenged to look at my Faith in God and believing what He says will happen - by faith.  So I pass that challenge to you and I hope you are blessed on your journey as I know I will be. 

Blessings today and Always!

Dreams Being Fullfilled

I have heard several teachings lately about my destiny and purpose. Am I walking in and using giftings that God has placed in me? If not, why?


God has given each one of us dreams and a gifts within us to fullfill. Not for our benefit really, but for His benefit. For His Kingdom's purposes. Each one of us walk in a sphere of influance in our job, career, and our everyday life that we can affect for Him. Our finances are not for our benefit ulitmatly it's for the Kingdom's purposes.


The word talks in Matt. about seeking first the kingdom of God and ALL these THINGS will be added unto you. The all these things part has to do with your food, your clothing, your needs. If we are seeking after His kingdom, His purpose for our lives then He takes care of all of our needs.


I have many dreams that I know the Lord has placed with in me. I know that I have talents that are to be used for His glory. Right now I feel like I am on the outside looking in at the things that God has for me. I am not walking in those purposes. Some because of things that have happened in life and some because of choices I made that turned my focus in a different direction.


Now, I'm determined, with His help, to see the dreams that He placed in ME fullfilled. I know that He can accomplish it even if it seems like a mountain. I have to let Him direct me and move me to where He wants me to go..for doors to open quickly.


I am sharing all this, because I know that there are people who may be sitting in the same place. You feel like you are on the outside looking in, wondering how will I get these dreams accomplished. Put your trust in the Lord to lead you. Set aside your agenda and allow God to move and open the doors of opportunity for you that you may have thought would be impossible. God placed a dream, a talent, a gift, a career in you before you were even thought of on this earth. He has a purpose for you in that field. Allow Him to move you to complete what He started and expect it to happen quickly!

2010

It's a new year and a fresh new start! I am very glad for 2009 to be over. It brought many challenges and rewards, but I am looking forward to the fresh newness in 2010. New focus, new resolve, renewed fire and passion for God and His heart.

We already have new life coming in July and we are so very excited about this little one's arrival. We'll be moving this spring as well we are in need a bigger place!!! In February we will find out if this little on is a boy or girl. We are praying for our son to come this time! I'm ready for a mommy's boy!!!!

I think most of all this year I'm looking forward to what God is doing. There is so much that's already happening in our lives. We have been blessed greatly thank you Lord! John is seeing increase in his work and there is more on the horizon. We've seen God's hand move in others lives that we've been praying for and that's a great blessing to us as well if not the greatest of all.

I was reading in 1,2,3 John for a while and the Lord was speaking to me about love.  John  and I started the Love Dare devotional this year. It's all about LOVE once again. God is calling us to love as He loves. Not only love others in the body of Christ, but love HIS people - those who are lost and in need of Him. It is time that the body of Christ wake up and stop thinking about ourselves and get on board with what is on God's heart.

I am guilty of it...we all are. Being consumed with what is happening in our own lives, our own problems and even our successes. But as Christians we should be focused on others in the body and those around us who may not have the hope and promise of Jesus Christ the redeemer and savior of our sins. 

What are you looking forward to in 2010? Where is your focus? What is on your heart?

Life

It has been a while since I've blogged. I've had a lot going on since September. So many great things are happening and God is moving in awesome ways! 

I have been pondering and questioning God about something and I thought I'd post it. It may be something of controversy to some, but that's okay it's always good to bring each other to think and search out the truth of God's word. That's what I want God's truth not my opinion. 

So what is it I have been thinking about?

I've been thinking about LIFE. As I am carrying a new life within my womb now I'm pondering the awesomeness of creation and God in His majesty. 

God creates life in conjunction with us as humans. We are created in His image and likeness and we get to take part in creating through having children. The word says the He knows us before we are in our mother's womb. That He has plans and a destiny for us. (Jer. 1:5)

That being said, if God knew me before I was born then He also knows how many children I am to have. Right??

He knows each one of my children already. WOW!

To me that is awesome and it makes me think...

How many children am I to have...???

For me I would probably be happy with 4 - should this one be a boy. But is that God's plan?? I honestly don't know. 

So, if God knows each child, then would it be considered just like abortion if you stop or never have children?? Aborting the purpose and destiny of a child that God already had in mind by your own choice or even medically preventing it. And if so oh my goodness!!! 

 To me if God creates life, He already knows us, He has a purpose and destiny for each of us...then each child that is created is God's creation and there is a reason for their life. (Jer. 29:11)

Now some might argue well what about children born with AIDS etc etc...Did God not know that?? Yes there is a choice that is made, but God is the one that opens and closes the womb.

I mean look at Sarah and Abraham God didn't open her womb until she was OLD!!!! And God even closed up every womb in Ambimelech's house because of Sarah (Gen.20:18) and Abraham prayed to God and the Lord healed them and they were able to have children again.

This is my question to the Lord and what I've found in the word. I can't apply scripture to one situation and not for another. Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever and He's not a respecter of persons nor is He a man that He should lie.

Because I am posting this I ask you..

Is there anything that the Lord has shown you in the Word that would bring revelation to God's plan for children and what should we do as a married couple when we sit down and make our plans? We may make our plans be He directs our steps. (Jer 10:23)

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children are a reward from Him. Ps. 127:3

Are You Salt?

I have been reading in Matthew. God started speaking to me in Chapter 6 and then I went back to Chapter 5.

Matt 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength its quality) how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men"

Okay, so in the verses before he is talking about being persecuted for the Lord's sake and how blessed it is to be persecuted. Then you read this verse. And I was puzzled for a bit. Wanting to know what the Lord was trying to say to me.

I looked up the definitions of some key words.

Salt - we all know what it is. One of its definitions though is an element that gives liveliness, piquancy or pungency; wit. Salt is a product formed by the neutralization of an acid by a base.

Strength -we know it as - the quality or state of being strong; bodily or muscular power, vigor.

But it also means - Moral power, firmness or courage (among several others).

Looking at that I said wow! Salt is formed by the neutralization of an acid (the world, satan etc) by a base (God/Jesus). By that base we are given our liveliness, piquancy, pungency, and wit - our salt.

If we lose that saltiness, then we are not worth much as a witness. We can not be counted as blessed as the verses above speak about when we are not walking in the liveliness, piquancy, pungency, wit, moral power, firmness, or courage that comes from God and God alone. And losing our salt means that the world can "walk all over us". In that I equate it to the fact that we have victory over death and this world with Christ. With out HIM we have nothing.

Are you Salt?

Have you lost your saliness?

I pray today that you, like I am, take a look at your salt and see where you are at with Him. 

Be blessed!

Worry?? Not ME!

Matt 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

In the verses before hand he's talking about not worrying about what you will eat, drink, wear etc.because God provides it. And then says do not worry about tomorrow it will take care of itself, each day has enough trouble in its self. This has been spoken to me in that we have to trust God that He is taking care of EVERYTHING and we should not be consumed with what is going to happen tomorrow.

Since the miscarriage I have had joy and peace, but at the same time it has been hard. Walking this road out, trusting the Lord through all the doctor's appointment's and believing God for our baby to live here on this earth, then to have a miscarriage and the pain that comes with that with no joy of a child at the end - it was hard.

BUT I knew in me that God was in control that I need not worry about this child nor the future. I know that we will get pregnant again and that it will be joyous just as this one was. I know that He will provide what is needed for our family and for another child.

But as this passage says, I have to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness then all these things will be added unto me. So what is seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? I believe we are to be doing what He has called us to do in His kingdom. We are to be reaching out for the harvest that is ready until Jesus' return. We are to live according to the life of Jesus - seeking His righteousness (through the blood shed and grace we received on the cross), knowing our righteousness is just filthy rags. It's a higher standard more than just being a Sunday or Wednesday night Christian. It's a daily walk in the Lord, knowing that we fall short, being lead by the Holy Spirit and repent when we fail.

But you know, sometimes it's easier said than done.

So here's my reminder...


"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matt.6:34 NAS

The Feasts

I love it how God speaks through His word and shows us what He has already done and then what is yet to come!
Pastor has been teaching about the Jewish Feast's and how they are a type and a shadow. The first 4 have already been fulfilled.

They are: The Fest of Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of First Fruits, and the Feast of Pentecost. As Christian's we can look back and see how Jesus fulfilled these through His death and resurrection. The Jewish people are bound to these fests because they do not believe in Jesus Christ the son of God as the Savior of all people. They were and are looking for a man to come in power and establish the kingdom right then and there. But that isn't God's plan and we can see that in the word.

The next Feasts that happen in the fall are a type and a shadow of what is to come - Jesus' return. The Feast of Trumpets seven days later is The Day of Atonement and then The Feast of Tabernacles (when the Jewish people would leave their homes and build a booth to spend time with God).

I just love this! We know that the scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16) and He wrote it so that we could be aware of what has happened and what is going to happen.

2 Peter 1 Simon Peter is talking about how they witnessed with their own eyes what Jesus did and the power that Jesus had and that these are not just stories they they put together - they were there - and that we have the prophetic word...vs 19 And we have the prophetic word [made] firmer still. You will do well to pay close attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dismal (squalid and dark) place, until the day breaks through [the gloom] and the Morning Star rises (comes into being) in your hearts. vs 20 [Yet] first [you must] understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of any personal or private or special interpretation (loosening, solving). vs 21 For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so - it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled by the Holy Spirit.

We have the Word to light our path. We can see that the Feasts that are in the Jewish culture (Jesus was a Jew remember) shadowed Him. They show what He was going to do in dying upon the cross, being the first fruits offering and sending the Holy Spirit. Then it also shows is second coming through the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.

Tonight Rosh HaShana (Feast of Trumpets) begins and during this time -10 days - the Jewish people reflect on what they have done against God, their family, and community. They think about their sin. I mean truly think about it and repent and make things right so that they will have a good year (the Jewish new year). They believe that the destiny of all man kind is written in the Book of Life on Rosh HaShana. With out salvation through Jesus Christ they are bound to their religion of laws and duties praying that they will be given mercy and grace. WOW!

Ponder that for a minute. As a Christian I know that I have salvation through Jesus Christ shedding His blood on the cross and believing in Him just as Romans says. I know that grace and mercy is given to me when I repent of my sin because I am saved, but I also think that I and Christians in general take that grace for granted. "Oh I can just repent later...I know what I'm doing is wrong but I'm under the blood...." We are under the mercy of Jesus but that does not mean we get to live and do what we want. As James 1:22 says be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth}.

We are not bound to the laws that were given but we can not think that we are not to do and be as Jesus was. That is what Christianity is - being Christ like. We have the Word to light our way to live a Holy and separated life and to be a light in this dark world. We are to be examples of Christ's love and show people the way to salvation. Jesus is the way the truth and the life and NO ONE can come to the Father but through Him. He is the door we have to go through.

As I think about the Jewish feasts I am grateful for what God has done, He made a way for us without works - doing the rituals and practices of the Jewish people. We have the blood of Jesus and we are priests caring the presence of God with us. The veil has been torn. We can come to the Lord on our own. Let us not take that for granted as He is still a Holy God and deserves to be reverenced, praised, and worshiped.