Remember All The Wonderful Things That God Has Already Done

Part 2 of Supernatural Perfect Peace In The Middle Of Life’s Storms

“O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.” - Psalm 40:5 - (NLT)

I believe another component to obtaining that perfect peace is to remember all the wonderful things that God has already done in our lives, in the lives around us, and of course we should remember the wonderful miracles and stories of deliverance in the bible.

When we allow ourselves to remember how faithful God is we will be encouraged in our hearts. Faith will rise up in us. We will begin to feel confident that our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We will have a knowing deep inside that He delivered us then and He will deliver us again. He brought us through then and He will bring us through again. He sustained us then and He will sustain us now. (Hebrews 13:8)

Supernatural Perfect Peace In The Middle Of Life's Storms

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” - John 16:33 Amplified Bible (AMP)

As long as we live here in this world we will have troubles and trials. We will at times feel overwhelmed, stressed, distressed, and frustrated. But we do not have to allow ourselves to be agitated and disturbed by our circumstances. We do not have to permit our hearts to be troubled, fearful, intimidated, cowardly, and unsettled. We can have a supernatural perfect peace that surpasses all understanding in the middle of life’s storms. (John 14:27 Amplified Bible)

But how do we get to the point where we have peace in the middle of our most unsettling trials? How do we take courage; be confident, certain, and undaunted when we feel completely overwhelmed?

He Has Not Abandoned You!!!

“O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles?
O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?
Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.” – Isaiah 40:27-28

This is a word that I have on my heart for my brothers and sisters that have been faithfully serving our Lord and His people. To those of you who have been diligently pressing forward in your faith in the face of persecution, trials, and testings. For those of you who are going through difficult times and are crying out to God with a broken heart or contrite spirit. I feel lead to tell you,

“Our Lord has NOT abandoned you!!!”

He knows you are tired and weak. He knows you are hurt and angry at your oppressors. He knows that you are grieving your loss. He sees the struggle with your loved ones. He sees you and He IS with you in your trouble. You are not alone in the storm.

Get A Grip! Keep Believing!

I don’t know about you, but my life is NOT perfect. I have problems, trials, and testing’s daily. It’s only by God’s grace and mercy that I have the strength to overcome life’s adversities. I have moments where my faith and hope is so big that I immediately remember who I am in Christ and I stand on the Truth of God’s Word. Its during these times that I can instantly resist fear, doubt, anxiety and all the other spiritual forces and emotions that will attack my mind. However there are those other times (which are not often, but they do happen) when I feel tired and worn out. I start looking at my circumstances and over evaluating them, instead of remembering what the Lord has already spoken to me about the situation. That is when I begin to feel despair, anger, bitterness, depression, doubt, and sadly even hatred. God forgive me. I’m sharing this with you because I KNOW that I am NOT the only who has gone through this or is going through this now.

Sometimes we have been praying and hoping for years for a breakthrough in a situation or in the life of a loved one. Since we haven’t seen the full manifestation we may begin to feel a little faithless or hopeless. We may even find that we are allowing our hearts to be hardened over the situation which will only lead to unbelief and it will begin to push us away from God.

IT’S TIME TO GET A GRIP!!

Ready for ANYTHING and EQUAL To Anything Through Christ

Here's an article I wrote for WeUsed2bu Ministries.

Ready for ANYTHING and EQUAL To Anything Through Christ
On my journey with my Savior Jesus, I have discovered that He has not left me alone in this world full of sin, corruption, evil, and destruction. He is actively present in my life, helping me and bringing me comfort, hope, and security through the promises in His Word. There have been times where I have felt like I am just going to break under life’s pressures, that if one more thing happened, I was just going to lose it! But how quickly and faithful the Holy Spirit is to bring to my remembrance the promise in His Word which says,

“I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!” (Philippians 4:13)

Aim At And Strive After His Word

I wanted to do a follow up to my last posting 'Direction for 2010’. I want to take some time to reflect on applying Matthew 6:33 to our every day lives. I really like the way the Amplified bible translates it.

“But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.”

The Holy Spirit is telling us here that every day we should strive (to exert much effort or energy; endeavor) after God’s way of doing things. He is saying clearly that our aim (determined course or direct, our effort) should be to seek His will and His way in everything we do. Our daily focus should be on what God has for us to do that day. How does He want to use us? Who does He wants us to speak to? How does He want us to handle certain situations?

When we put our focus on doing things His ways, the right way, we don’t have to worry about anything because we KNOW that He WILL take care of everything. He will work EVERY situation out for our good. No matter what the situation is. (Romans 8:28, Genesis 50:20)

To seek His way of doing things is to apply His Word to our life, living it out loud and being a doer of the Word. In order to be a doer of the Word we have to know what His Word says about whatever it is that we are facing.

If we are battling worry, fear, & anxiety His Words says,

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

“Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” Psalm 55:22

If we are angry, bitter, or harboring unforgiveness His Word says,

“Don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26-27

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians 3:12-13

His Word can be applied to every area of our life (raising children,managing money, marriage,business,etc.). That’s why He had His prophets and apostles write His Words down. To lead us to Christ who is the Word made flesh. Today He uses the Word through the power of the Holy Spirit to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. He empowers us to do His will. He uses the bible to prepare and equip us to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) So if we want to know what we should do, when we need direction and wisdom we can find it in the Word of God. (James 1:5) I love what Proverbs 2:6-11 says, especially verses 9-10:

“6 For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. 8 He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. 9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. 11 Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.”

Brothers and sisters when we know the Truth of God’s Word we find direction, hope, and freedom! If we don’t know His Word then we will be consumed by our troubles and situations, we will be destroyed because of lack of knowledge. (James 1:22, Hosea 4:6) His Word grants wisdom and it is has the answer for every situation. We just have to study this Book of Instruction continually. We need to meditate on it day and night so that we will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will we prosper and succeed in all that we do because we are seeking HIS WAY of doing and being right instead of our own way. (Joshua 1:9)

Lord we want to seek You first in every area of our life. We want to do Your will. Guide us and led us daily. Give us confirmation and affirmation through Your Word. We trust you with our daily lives. In Jesus name. Amen!

"Please God Help Me!"

I want to share with you a short story. It was a little over 14 years ago when I was at one of the darkest places in my life. I was strung out on drugs, homeless crashing at my aunt’s house, and in violation of my probation. My first daughter had just turned a year old. I sent her to live with father’s parents. I was so depressed and sick. I didn’t know what else to do. I believed that Jesus was real and that He would help me if I prayed and cried out to Him. So I did.

I will never forget that night and the series of events that happened from then on. I was lying on the top bunk of my cousin’s bed crying, “Please God help me! I am tired of all of this. I need your help! I want my daughter back. I want my family back. Please God help me!” I cried myself to sleep that night. The next morning I went ahead living my dysfunctional life. I went off to work and on my lunch break I got high and ended up committing a crime. I was arrested for not only that charge but for violation of probation. I knew that I was facing a prison sentence. I was scared, but I also had a sense of relief. No more running. No more hiding. Finally!! All of sudden I remembered my prayer from the previous night. “God this is your idea of answering my prayer? Ok??”

Our Lord in His mercy and grace gave me favor once again with the judge. After three months in jail I was sentenced to a drug rehabilitation center as an alternative to prison. If I completed this six month program my probation would be reinstated and I could move on with my life. But I was still so full of rebellion. I ended breaking the rules and violating my stay. Back to jail I went to await sentencing. This would be the third time that I would violate and the judge promised me that if I messed up again that I would be sentenced to prison for sure. That’s exactly what happened. I was sentenced to five years in the Florida State Prison.

Seems like a terrible story huh? Well it isn’t! What I didn’t share with you is that from the day that I got locked up I began drawing close to God and He drew close to me too. I got a bible and I would read and ask God to help me understand His Word. I did not know that what I was asking would result in the process of renewing my mind. I began to pray and seek Him like never before. He put a beautiful woman of God in my life, Sonia, who was not only strong in her faith but strong in personality too. He knew I needed someone like her to mentor me and speak into my life words of faith, truth, hope, and power. We meet at the rehab center where she had volunteered for an outreach event. She promised that she would write me. I did not believe her but she wrote me letters weekly from then on. She became my spiritual mother. It was through her that I first really experienced the love of Christ. She is still by my side today.

By the grace of God my five year sentenced ended up being eighteen months instead. Those eighteen months the Holy Spirit taught me the Word of God and filled me to overflowing with His Spirit. One day I received a card from my Sonia with my name and the meaning of it. Lisa comes from Elizabeth, which means consecrated to God. Consecrated means set aside, or to declare or set apart as sacred. All of a sudden I realized that the Lord allowed me to be sent to prison not only to save me from my destructive path but so that I could be set apart for Him and His purpose. Without the rest of the world and drama in my ear I could finally hear from God. My life has not been the same since. Everything that I lost and that the enemy took from me God has been restored to me in abundance. The years of pain, loneliness, and sadness have been replaced with joy, peace, and hope. Today I am surrounded by people who love me. I have undeservedly been rewarded with the blessing of several children. Our God has been faithful to build me up in Christ Jesus. I am no longer a victim of life’s circumstances. I am an over comer in Christ Jesus!

I wanted to share this with you because I believe that there is someone who has been crying out to God, “Help me God! Please help me!” and it may seem that your situation is getting worse, but it isn’t. God may not answer your prayers the way that you think He should but you cannot rely on your own understanding. His ways are so much higher than ours. His ways are so much better. You may not see it right now, but God is working in the midst of everything. Learn to walk by faith and not by sight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I don’t know what your situation is but as I’ve shared I had created such a mess of my life that even though He saved me the moment I believed and cried out to Him, He still needed to do some major reconstruction to my entire life from the inside out. In my rebelliousness I planted some bad seeds and I still needed to reap what I had sown and face the consequences of my actions. I could have gotten angry at God but it wasn’t His fault that I ended up in prison. It was mine. It was my own foolishness and rebelliousness that got me there. It was our Lord in His mercy and grace by the power of His Holy Spirit that gave me the strength, courage, and perseverance to endure through it all without becoming angry and bitter.

Proverbs 19:3 says, “People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.” There are people who get made at God when they are overwhelmed with debt but they mismanage their money and are tightfisted, scared to give their tithes and offerings. Others get mad at Him because they don’t see a breakthrough in their families but instead of speaking words of faith in their home they are speaking words of unbelief, doubt, and defeat. They are tearing apart their own homes by the words of their mouth. There comes a time where we have to accept responsibility for our disobedience, repent, and ask God to help us back onto the narrow road. We have to learn to desire God’s will more than our own.

When God is restructuring our life we cannot get angry with Him. We must remember that God is the Master Potter. He is working at His wheel. We are the jar of clay that He had a very specific plan and divine purpose for from the time that we were in our mother’s womb. However, because of our desire to have our own way and all the resistance we gave Him we messed the jar up some. So he has to start over remolding and shaping us. But this is a good thing because when God is working with a willing vessel they become one of His vessels of honor which He uses to make the riches of His glory shine through. (Jeremiah 18:1-7, Romans 9:21-23)

I want to encourage you to let go of your own plans and your own will. Become a willing vessel and trust the Lord through the remolding process. Allow Him to continue the good work that He has started. He knows what He is doing. We can trust Him with our lives. We can be sure that the end results and reward will be better than the beginning. Hold on to the verses in Isaiah 43:18-19

“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

You cried out, “God Help Me!” now it’s time that you let Him help you HIS WAY, NOT YOUR WAY! Obey and trust Him you will not be sorry.

Your Not The Same Anymore

October 17th, 2009 It’s 5:16 am and I can’t sleep, because the Holy Spirit has given me a Word for you. You the ex-prostitute, ex-con, ex-drug dealer, ex-masturbator, ex-liar, ex-thief, ex-porn addict, ex-gang banger, ex-drug addict and ex-alcoholic. You whom the world and even the church will often time criticize and judge. Our Lord wants you to know that you are not the same anymore! You are His now and forever more. He has waited for you to humble yourself at His feet and realize your need for Him as your Savior. He has waited for you to come to Him with a broken and contrite spirit. When you did He accepted you and cleansed you and made you new in Him. You are a new creation! Do not let the world or even the church make you feel that you are not. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Psalm 51:17)

The Lord is doing a new thing in your life. He wants you to forget the former things of old. Don’t meditate on who you were and what you did. You have entered a new life with new ways, and a new Spirit. He has given you a new heart, one that longs to please Him. He is about to do something new in you. He has already begun! Do you not see it? There will be those that the enemy will use to try to get you to look and turn back to your old ways, but you cannot go there anymore because you are not the same. That person no longer lives. It is Christ that lives in you now. You are a child of the Most High God. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Focus on who you are now. Focus on forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. Press forward to what Jesus is calling you to do in this new season of your life. (Isaiah 43:18, Galatians 2:20, 1 John 3:1, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Philippians 3:13)

Don’t listen to the taunting and accusations of those whom the enemy sends your way. You have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. He is your Righteous Judge who has found you not guilty because Jesus paid the price for all of your sins. Be free in Christ Jesus. It’s time to live the rich and satisfying life that He came to give you. Don’t allow the enemy to kill, steal, and destroy your faith, peace, and hope. Stand on the Rock, the Word of God, it will be your source of strength. (1 Peter 1:18-20, Acts 10:42, Romans 3:25-26, John 10:10, Matthew 7:24-27)

There will be times of testing. This testing is vital for your faith to grow, to humble you, purify your heart, develop godly character, and to teach you to obey the Lord’s commands. Don’t despise this season. You will feel at times like you are in the wilderness all alone. But do not be lead by your emotions or deceived by the enemy. Our Good Shepherd will never leave you alone. You can be sure that He will be walking with you, making a path for you through the wilderness. He will create rivers in the dry and wasteland. Just keep your eyes on Him! Do not turn to the left or to the right. Stay on the narrow road it will always lead to life and favor with Him. Stay off that broad road that is commonly taken not only by the world, but by some who claim the name of Christ. It is the road of compromise, justification, and less resistance which leads to death and the judgment of God. (Isaiah 43:19, Deuteronomy 8:1-5, James 1:2-4, Proverbs 4:27, Matthew 7:13-14)

Draw close to Him in His Word so that you will learn to recognize His voice and you will not be deceived by those that claim to come in His name but only prey on the weak, easily influenced, babes in Christ young in their faith. Fill yourself with the knowledge of the Lord and you will not be lead astray by wishy washy religion and faith that has been dipped in the world. The Word must be the final authority in your life, not the teachings of man or their philosophies. Allow the Holy Spirit to be your teacher. Meditate on the Word day and night so that you will learn what it is that our Lord wants you to do. Do not let His Word depart from your eyes, mind, and heart. The Word will be a light to your feet, directing your path all the days of your life. (James 4:8, John 10:4-5, Proverbs 2:1-5, Colossians 2:8, Luke 12:12,Joshua 1:8, Proverbs 4:20-21, Psalm 119:05)

A warning..temptation to compromise and sin will most assuredly come, so do not be surprised. If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power, never rely on your own strength. Stay alert and persistent in your prayers, do not forsake fellowship with the Lord by spending time in His Word, and do not forsake fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Our Lord will use them to help hold you up in your times of trouble and weakness. Do not hide from them. Confess your temptations and sins to those that He has placed in your life that have a true heart for Him. They will pray and intercede on your behalf. They will stand in the gap for you and your family. Remember that the temptations in your life are no different from what others experience so do not be ashamed or allow condemnation to torment you. Our Lord has promised and is faithful to not allow the temptations in our lives to be more than we can stand. When we are tempted He will show us a way out so that we can endure. Be sure to take the way out, do not ignore it. (Ephesians 6:10, Zachariah 4:6, Hebrews 10:25,James 5:16, 1 Corinthians 10:13)

Be encouraged brothers and sisters because of all that the Lord is doing in you and through you. Your life will be a testimony to others of God’s redeeming power and faithfulness to save and transform lives. Sit as His feet and allow Him to teach you, to train you up for battle. Once you served in the enemy’s camp and now you will serve the Lord on the front lines. It will be by the word of your testimony and the blood of the Lamb that the Lord will use you to defeat spirits and principalities wherever He sends you. Therefore you must not be afraid to tell of the wonderful things the Lord has done in your life. Speak with boldness and assurance of who you are today in Him. Glorify the Lord not only with your words but with actions. Be lead of the Spirit and walk in love. (Psalm 40:3, Revelation 12:11, Romans 8:14, Ephesians 5:2)

May our God fill you will peace, love, and encouragement as you press forward to all that He has for you today. Be confident of who you are in Him. Blessings to you in Christ Jesus name..

All I Want You To Do Is Stand

I woke up this morning with a word on my heart specifically for the faithful remnant who serve our Lord with sincere hearts and who have laid down their own will to see God’s will fulfilled on this earth.

“In this world you WILL have many troubles, but remember that My Spirit lives in you and I have overcome the world. Don’t allow your perception to become distorted by the troubles and trials that come your way. Keep your eyes and your heart focused on the promises that I have given you. You know what those promises are because I have engraved them in your mind and in your heart. I’ve given you visions and dreams that will most certainly come to pass in due season, but you have got to keep standing, even though the vision tarries you must continue to wait on it.

All I want you to do is stand! Stand strong in the truth of My Word! Stand strong in My Spirit and in My might! Do not do anything in your own strength. It is by My Power and by My Spirit that you will be able to keep standing strong until the end.
There will be attacks in your life and on the life of your family because I have destined you for great things. I will use you to tear down strongholds and to speak the Truth in others lives. Once you served the enemy and he used to use you to destroy other’s lives, to influence them, to hinder them, and to keep them in bondage. But today you serve the Most High God! Today you are more than conqueror because of My Spirit that lives in you. Know who you are! You are Mine! You are a child of the Most High God! You are full of My love, compassion, and My Spirit. I will allow you to see things and hear things through My eyes and My ears so that you will learn to love the way that I do. It is not impossible IF you continue to surrender your will for Mine.

Do not allow compromise to creep into to your heart. Compromise is a terrible parasite that will consume you if you give into it. Stand for Truth at all times. Do what is right, what My Word says at all times, especially in your homes. This is where compromise will try to have its way first. It is what will tear your family apart. So beware!

The enemy will not easily give up on you, so stay alert but do not fear because I am greater than any spirit that comes against you. Continue to abide in Me, in My Word. Many of my children are in great turmoil because they do not abide in My Word. They are being destroyed for lack of knowledge and understanding of My will for their lives. They are drawn away by foolish teachings and philosophies because they do not recognize my voice and do not know My Word. They are drawn away by their own selfish and sinful desires because they are lacking in understanding of My Word. My Word is what is needed to overcome the attacks of the enemy. My Word needs to be spoken in faith over every situation, problem, concern, attack, trial, and victory. My Word is what never returns void and stands forever after everything else has gone. It is Everlasting, Faithful, and True. It is in my Word that you must stand firm in.

I understand that you will get tired. I see you when you are drained and overcome by your emotions, but don’t allow yourself to be lead by them. Be lead always by My Spirit. Don’t give up on those that I have given you to watch over and intercede for. Be patient with them and longsuffering. It pleases me when you suffer for good. When you lay down your own will and life for others then you can be called My servant. Remember that a servant is not greater than His master, just as I have done so you must do.

I will come to when you are weak and I will be your strength so you can continue to stand strong. I will be your shield and your fortress as you keep pressing forward. I will be your Source of power and hope. Stand no matter what! Don’t give up! I have already won the war for you, just continue to stand strong in Me and you will see that your labor is not in vain. I love you and am with you always!”

His Ways & Thoughts Are Higher Than Ours

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

I really don’t try to figure out any more why our heavenly Father allows certain things to happen in our lives or in those closest to us. I don’t need to know when circumstances will change or when will the unjust receive justice. I have learned to trust Him in every situation, especially the ones I don’t completely understand. I know that He is sovereign, omniscient, and omnipotent and that is all that matters to me.

He has shown me over and over again that no matter what happens in our lives He is always in control. He is never taken off guard by our problems or ‘situations’. We have to learn that even if something in our lives happen that seems unjust or unfair He can use it for our good. Sometimes we will have to walk through the situation and other times the Lord will provide a way of escape. Either why whatever He allows He has our best interest in mind.

If something tragic happens we must know with all of our hearts that He allowed it for reasons beyond our understanding. Let us not be angry or bitter towards God. We must remember that His plans for us are ALWAYS for good not for evil and to give us a future and a hope. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He will be our strength when we go through the storms of life. He never allows us to go through trouble, trials, sorrows, or any change without promising to be with us. (Jeremiah 29:11-13, Hebrews 13:5)


“When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43:2-3

We have to remember that His ways of doing things, His way of bringing about change in us and around us, His way of helping us produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives is sometimes beyond our understanding. His thoughts are nothing like our thoughts and His ways are far beyond anything we can imagine. So why do we even question Him? Can we really even grasp His reasoning and purpose?

We have to learn to be ok with trusting Him especially when we don’t understand what’s going on around us or why He allowed certain circumstances. His faithfulness, mercy, and compassion toward us is unending so we should not be afraid of change. Our Lord in all of His wisdom causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose. So why should we fear or fret? (Romans 8:28)

Let us remember that everything is only for a season. We will not have trouble or trials forever. So let us not get tired in doing good and trusting Him. We will reap a harvest of blessing if we do not give up prematurely. (Galatians 6:9)

Be blessed brothers and sisters and know with all of your hearts that our heavenly Father is by your side all the time.

"You Are Gifted For Your Calling!"

Dear brothers and sisters,

I have been a busy bee with WeUsed2bu Ministries and I have not been able to write as often as I’d like to. The Lord is expanding our territory and I am humbly at a new learning curve. So keep me and WeUsed2bu Ministries in your prayers. I am going to try to do at least one posting a week here until I can start writing regularly again. You are always on my heart and in my prayers. Thank you for reading Consecrated To Him.

“You Are Gifted For Your Calling!”


Each of us has a God ordained purpose in this world. We are divinely placed right where we are at for such a time as this. It is not an accident that we are who we are. We were destined by God to be us. Our personalities, talents, and skills were given to us by God to bring glory to Christ Jesus. While we were being formed in our mother’s womb the Lord knew us and determined how He wanted to use us in the body of Christ. He gave each of us spiritual gifts which would help us fulfill His calling to become servants of the Most High God. We are a gifted people. (1 Corinthians 12:7)

"To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.” 1 Corinthians 12:8-11

I want you to receive this deep inside of your spirit “You are gifted for your calling.” “We are gifted for our calling!” We are empowered by God to change the world around us. This is awesome! Knowing this should encourage and motivate us to move forward and work towards fulfilling the vision that God has put in us. You know what I’m talking about. The Spirit of God has put a vision in you to do something. Whether it’s to start a Christian band, pastor a church, lead a bible study, feed the homeless, become a foster parent, or open your home to missionaries; what ever the vision is He has equipped you to do it. You will never have to do it alone. I promise.

Not only does the Spirit of God empower us to do our part but then He also brings others along side of us with the same vision and heart that we have to fulfill the vision. Let us not forget that we are all together Christ’s body, and each of us is a part of it. You will see that if you just step out and put your faith to action the Lord will bring other gifted people to help you along the way. Trust me..I have seen this happen in my own ministry. I am so blessed that I am not alone. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

Often times we allow the spirit of fear to come in and talk all up in our ear. We start to listen to fear telling us how inadequate we are for our calling. We begin to focus on how weak we are and how we still have so much more room for growth. Before we know it we have given up before we ever got started. We talked ourselves right out of stepping out in faith. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Brothers and sisters remember that our Lord did not give us a spirit of fear. The Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind is what we have residing in us. We need to remember that and walk in the Spirit. When the spirit of fear comes we are not to give it our ear. Instead of listening to all the negative junk that only serves to keep us from making progress we need to chose to listen to the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God will encourage us and bring us back to Truth. This is the Truth…

None of us has reached perfection. We will be imperfect for as long as we are here in this imperfect and sinful world. But praise God that we can be certain that God, who began a good work within us WILL continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. In the mean time.. Our Lord has saved us and equipped for every good work that He has called and ordained us for. It is ok to feel inadequate. Our Lord can work with this because feeling inadequate reminds us that we are dependant on the Lord to see the vision through. When we think that we know it all or we think that we are standing strong we are in danger, be careful not to fall. When we are humble our Lord will exalt us and expand our territory. When feel weak it is ok because His grace will be all that we need. His power works best in weakness. So be glad that you are weak, because when you are weak He is strong and that is worth boasting about. (Philippians 3:12, 1:6, Ephesians 2:10, 1 Corinthians 10:12, 1 Peter 5;6, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Few of us were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called us. The world might look at us and consider us foolish, but God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think that are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. So be excited! We are perfect for our calling. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

Go out into the world and fulfill your destiny knowing that you are gifted for your calling. Be strong and courageous. Let your confidence be in Christ Jesus. Meditate on the Word day and night and then you will prosper and succeed in all you do. Our Lord is with you and in you helping you. We have everything we need in the power of the Holy Spirit to serve Christ Jesus and fulfill the calling that Christ Jesus has put on our heart. Don’t be afraid any more! (Joshua 1:8-9)

Without Faith It Is Impossible To Please God

The opposite of worry is faith. Faith is all about trusting the Lord. It’s about believing Him at His Word. It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) He rewards us with a confident assurance and hope in Christ as we draw closer to Him. As we see in His Word that His faithfulness is unending and mercies are new every morning we will be encouraged and know without a shadow of doubt that because He is faithful we are going to be alright no matter what happens. (Lamentations 3:23)

There will be times when we will have plenty, but then there will be other times when we will have a little. We must learn to live in either situation knowing that it is our Lord that will sustain us through times when there is a little. (Philippians 4:10-13) Whether we are having good times or difficult times we have to remember our Lord is in control. He knows what our every need is and He sees our hearts desires. He will make a way out of no way. So trust in the Lord and do good then you will lively safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord and He will give you your heart’s desires. Commit EVERYTHING you do to the Lord. Trust Him and He will help you. (Psalm 37:3-5)

Isaiah 43:1-3 “But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

WE WILL go through deep waters, through rivers of difficulty, and walk through the fire of oppression but God's Word and the Holy Spirit will be faithful to strengthen our hearts when we are going through these tough times. He becomes our source of strength and our refuge. Look at what King David says in Psalm 18:1-2 “I love you, LORD; you are my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.”

Now look at Psalm 59:17 “O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.”

We have to learn to run to Him and His Word every day but especially in our times of need. He has to be our refuge. We have to seek His will and direction for EVERY decision that we will have to make. King David knew that He could run to the Lord and find refuge and be strong in the Lord. He knew God would be the source of His strength. Paul also tells us to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10)

No matter what our circumstances are we have to put all of our faith in the Lord trusting him to bring us through. If we do not have faith in Him then we are calling Him a liar. We are saying that we do not believe that His Word is true and He will not protect us, guide us, give us favor, help up, bless us, heal us, and go before us to make a way where there seems to be none. Let us not call God a liar by worrying instead of praying. Let us put our faith in Him and trust Him with our entire lives and with the ones we love. Let us lay everything down at His feet because He knows better than us what we truly need.

When One Door Closes Another One Opens

“However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" 1 Corinthians 2:9

There is no need to freak out when the Lord closes doors in our lives. Whether we’re laid off from work, girlfriend or boyfriend breaks it off suddenly, we weren’t approved for a loan or modification; whatever door has seemingly closed was closed for a reason. We have to immediately rely on the truth that our Lord has good plans for our lives and that He works everything out for our good. We have to accept that maybe this door has closed because it is time to move on. Maybe we even stayed longer than we should have. Only God knows. (Jeremiah 29:11-13, Romans 8:28)

I have seen in my own life that when the Lord allows doors to close it is because He has something new for me some where else. He wants to teach me new things. He’s just taking me to new training ground and this process will increase my faith and dependence on Him. It’s time to grow and expand and that can not longer be done with where I was at. So I don’t reject change. I have learned to trust what the Lord is doing even when I don’t understand it.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Isaiah 55:8

Sometimes we feel it in our spirit before it happens that God is calling us to move on and step out in faith. He’s given us a clear vision and He has assured us that we are not crazy, it truly is God Almighty saying, “You have heard Me correctly. Yes it is time to step out. Go now! Do not be afraid I AM with you.” But instead of moving immediately we over analyze our state of affairs and his instructions and we sit in our situation longer. Asking for more confirmation. Lol..That’s when our loving heavenly Father pushes us out of our comfortable nest like a mother bird teaching her fledgling to fly. Much like the baby bird we have become so comfortable in our nest that we do not want to leave, not realizing that if we don’t go we will not learn how to use the muscles in our wings. However, our Lord knows that if we don’t get out of the nest we will not learn how to fly. Thus the gentle push out, He knows it’s for our own good.

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19

The closed door is the beginning of something new and fresh that is going to happen in our lives. It’s a time to draw nearer to the Lord and seek His face like never before. When doors close we should thank Him because we know that He is the one who directs our steps and He will not let us fall. We trust Him to guide us and lead us, so then we must also trust that when He closes one door that He will open another one in due time, in His time. You’ll see!

Don’t wait till you see the physical manifestation of the new thing to praise Him. Praise Him now. Let His praises constantly be on your lips and pray without ceasing while you wait for another door to open. Be confident in what you hope for. Be confident in the word that the Lord has spoken in your heart. Have faith that it will actually happen and be assured about it even though you cannot see it yet. (Hebrews 11:1)

Trust me He loves us so much that He has already made a way. He knows our needs and gives us the desires of our hearts. He knows how to give good gifts. So receive the closed door as a good gift because what He has for you now is better than before. (Matthew 7:11)

Be encouraged as you wait and hope in the Lord..

God's Cake

I got this email yesterday and I wanted to share it with all of you.

God's cake...

Sometimes we wonder, 'What did I do to deserve this?' or 'Why did God have to do this to me?' Here is a wonderful explanation!

A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, 'Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.'

'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers.

'Yuck' says her daughter.

'How about a couple raw eggs?' 'Gross, Mom!'

'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?'

'Mom, those are all yucky!'

To which the mother replies: 'Yes , all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! '

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!

Living In Peace Is Not About Having the Answers

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:17-19

I just recently read the book of Habakkuk again and one of the footnotes in my bible says. Living in peace is not about having the answers; it is about committing the questions to the One who does. This is so true and that’s exactly what Habakkuk did. Habakkuk had many questions and complaints for the Lord and he committed them to God. The book of Habakkuk is only three short chapters. Not much is known about Habakkuk’s background. He isn’t mentioned any where else in the Old Testament. We know that he was a prophet of God and that He lived during the reign of the wicked King Jehoiakim of Judah. This small book records a conversation that Habakkuk had with the Lord.

Habakkuk was troubled by all the evil and wickedness that surrounded him in Judah. He had been praying and interceding on behalf of the people of Judah. He must have been frustrated and just wanted answers. He prayed and asked the Lord how much longer must there be violence every where? How long must he see the evil deeds and watch all the misery? He saw destruction and violence. He was surrounded by people who loved to argue and fight. The law was corrupt and there was no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumbered the righteous. He had been crying out to God for help and wanted to know why God was not listening?

The Lord responds, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed!” For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.” Then the Lord goes on to tell Habakkuk how He plans on using an even more wicked nation to bring judgment on Judah. Well this brings even more concern to Habakkuk’s heart and he proceeds to ask the Lord more questions about what is to come for the future of Judah. The Lord responds again to Habakkuk’s questions and complaints confirming the judgment to come. The book ends with Habakkuk realizing that God’s ways are so much higher than ours. He trust God and His way, even if he did not understand it. The questions end and the praises beginning.

He went from being anxious and making complaints to being full of confidence in God and making states of faith. He trusted that the Lord would work this all out for their good. He trusted God to help him through the situation and to be his strength. He found peace knowing that God was in control. He determined that no matter what happened no matter how bad it got that he would find is joy in the God of his salvation.

Often times it’s hard for believers to live in peace. Many are so worried about their circumstances or problems that they are consumed with anxiety and fear. Fear has such a serious stronghold on their life that they have to be medicated to treat the anxiety attacks. I know because that used to be me. Although I loved the Lord and I did trusted Him I still gave the spirit of fear my ear. I would listen to all the what if’s that fear would present to me about my circumstances. I allowed the fearful thoughts to drown out the Word of God and steal my peace and joy.

We don’t have to allow our circumstances to overwhelm us. We have to know that our Lord is a Just God who has a plan at all times. The world would say it’s natural to fear. Of course it’s natural, but we forget that we are not just natural human beings any more. We are new creations in Christ Jesus, children of the Most High God, destined to be with Him. We have the Holy Spirit living in us. This is the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. We are not supposed to be lead by the natural, the flesh, or the world. We are not to walk by sight. We are to walk by faith. We are to be lead by the Spirit of God. If we want to have the peace of God reigning in our hearts and minds then we have to learn to allow faith and hope in God to become our natural reaction to our circumstances. It’s ok to have questions and concerns but we have to bring them to the Lord and allow Him to speak to our hearts. Then trust Him to bring us through whatever it is that we are facing.

Like Habakkuk we too can live in peace regardless of our circumstances; by trusting God and leaning not on our own understanding of the things that happen in our life, and by knowing that His ways are so much higher than ours and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.

May our Lord help us to live by faith instead of by reason. May our joy and peace be in knowing that our God is faithful and sovereign.

Fear Not When..

"But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” Isaiah 43:1-2

We should not be surprised when trouble comes upon us. Jesus told us that in this world that we would have many sorrows and troubles, but that we should have peace in Him. James tells us to count all joy when we have troubles because that is when our faith is tested, and our endurance has a chance to grow. When our endurance is fully developed, we will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (John 16:33, James 1:2-4)

But I love what our Lord has told us in Isaiah 43:1-3 the best. He said “Fear Not!”

“Fear not when..”

• You lose your job.
• You fall behind on your mortgage.
• You get a negative report from the doctor.
• You are persecuted.
• Troubles press in on every side and you feel completely overwhelmed.

Our Lord knew that we would have to go through all of this. That’s why he said WHEN you pass through the waters, through the rivers, and walk through the fire. He says, “I will be with you. I will not allow the rivers of trouble to overflow you. You will not be burned by the fire and the flames will not scorch you.” Thank you Jesus!

He is encouraging us to take heart and remember that we are His. We belong to Him and because we are His He will take care of us. Whether He has already made a way of escape or determines that He will walk us through the trials we have been redeemed. We are not alone in our troubles. So when fear comes knocking on the door of your heart allow faith to answer it and fear will flee.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord, For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

If you have allowed your roots to grow down deep in the Word of God then during the times when the heat comes and there is drought in the land you will not be crippled by fear. Instead you will still be full of hope and trust in the Lord. You will keep pressing forward leaving all of your troubles in His hands and knowing in your heart that everything will work out for your good no matter what. You will not lose focus or become distracted by your problems; instead you will continue to produce good fruit in your life. You will be an example to others and when they see your strength they will know that it is by the power of God that you are able to overcome. Your faithfulness and determination will bring glory to our Lord.

So when troubles come fear not! For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Do not be dismayed, for our Lord will help us and strengthen us. He will uphold us with his righteous right hand. (2 Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 41:10)

Because You Believed It Has Happened!

“And because of their unbelief, He couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their unbelief.” Mark 6:5-6

Our Lord wants to work mighty miracles in our lives. He wants us to receive healing and restoration in every area of our lives. However sometimes he can’t do the mighty miracles He desires to because of our unbelief. This greatly sadness and grieves our Lord. After all that He has done for us and revealed to us. Still there is so much unbelief in the body of Christ. There are many believers that do not believe that Christ will heal or restore them and therefore they remain broken and hindered by their unbelief.

The people of Nazareth heard Jesus preach the Word of God with authority and boldness. They were amazed at His wisdom and power to do miracles. Still they refused to accept Him for who He truly is, their Messiah and Savior. They saw Him as just a carpenter, the son of Mary. They saw Him as just an average man. Their perspective of Jesus hindered their ability to receive from Him. He couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them. (Mark 6:1-6)

All throughout the Gospel there are stories of people receiving healing and restoration from Jesus. These people received their miracle because they believe and had faith in Christ Jesus.

• To the Gentile woman Jesus said, “Dear woman, your faith is great. Your request is granted.” Matthew 15: 21-28
• To the Roman officer who asked for healing for his daughter Jesus said to His followers, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” He then turned to officer and said, “Go back home, Because you believed, it has happened.” Matthew 8:5-13
• To the woman with the issue of blood who believed that if she could just touch the hem of His robe she would be healed He turned and said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” Matthew 9:18-22

What is your perspective on Jesus? Is He everything to you that the Word of God says He is? Or is He Jesus who healed people and did miracles back in the bible days. Do you believe that the Word of God is the same yesterday, today, and forever? Do you believe that He can and will heal, deliver, and restore you? Your perspective on Jesus affects your ability to receive healing and deliverance, as well as the ability to manifest His power.

Remember Peter when he walked out on the water to Jesus. He began to sink when we started looking around at the wind and the storm and took His focus off of Jesus. He allowed His faith to decrease to the point that He started sinking. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him and said, “You have so little faith. Why did you doubt in Me?” (Matthew 14:22-36)

Then there is also the time when the disciples tried to heal a demon possessed boy and couldn’t. When they asked Jesus why they couldn’t cast the demon out Jesus replied, “You don’t have enough faith. I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

It is time for us to meditate on all the miracles that we have seen the Lord do in our lives. It is time to sit with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to show us the Jesus of the bible. Get in the Word of God and do not get up until you receive a revelation of how Powerful and Awesome God is. Then look at your own life and remember how He has delivered you in the past. There were times where you thought that everything was going to come tumbling down on you and just before you couldn’t handle it any more our Lord reached out and grabbed you. He did not let you fall even though you may have stumbled. He is faithful! That is what we have to remember. That is how you stir up your faith.

Stir up the Holy Spirit in you. Stir up your faith and believe once more that you serve God Almighty. He is not limited by your problems or circumstances. They do not bewilder Him. He has already made a way of escape. Put all of your faith in Him and receive your miracle. Do not walk by sight. Instead walk and be lead by the power of the Holy Spirit. Walk in faith and rebuke doubt and fear. Remember that He has not given you a spirit of fear. You have the Spirit of Christ in you which is full of power and ability. It is that same power that raised Christ from the dead.

Get up now and keep pressing forward. Your faith has made you whole!

Don't Be Afraid of the Vision!

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." Psalm 37:23

I have spent years reading the Word of God. I was hearer for so long until I realized that it was not enough to just hear the Word but I had to begin to really do what the Word said. As I began to walk in the Word the Lord began to confirm what He had implanted in me many years ago when I first got saved. I had this knowing deep within that I was called to be His servant and hand maiden. I knew that He had a divine purpose for my life that involved being more than just a Sunday and Wednesday Christian. I knew that all that I had gone through in my life would some day bring glory to Him. I have been sitting at His feet learning, growing, and longing to go and fulfill the visions that He has given me. Now the time has come.

Over the past year I have stepped out in faith like never before. I have trusted His Word above all else. This is why I believe that I have seen our Lord do mighty things in my life and in those around me. My ears and eyes have been opened like never before and the visions I have are much clearer. In fact at times I feel overwhelmed and honestly even fearful. I often times feel incapable of fulfilling these great dreams that He has shown me.

Has our Lord given you a great vision? Whether it is to start a business, get of debt, lose weight or start a ministry; whatever it is you can do it because He does not call us to do something that He has not equipped us to do. He will direct out steps and make provisions along the way. Trust Him and don’t be afraid of the vision even if it seems so big.

I want to share with you what He spoke to me last night:

“You were trained for such a time as this. Your growth can only continue through exercising your faith now. The time is near for My return and there are still many souls that need to truly receive a revelation of My love and sacrifice for them. It’s through My obedient and faithful remnant that I will be able to show them that I have always loved them.

You will tell them that they are never alone and without hope, if they put their trust in Me and lay their lives down at My feet. I will empower you with faith and ability to fulfill your destiny and calling. It’s by My strength that you will succeed. You truly have no idea what I can do with your willingness to serve Me. You can not truly imagine the good things that I have planned for you.

Remember My servant Moses. He too was afraid and concerned about his abilities. But I gave him power, authority, and wisdom to lead My people. It was My Spirit that led them day and night. It was My Spirit that spoke to Him on the mountain.

Put your trust in Me not in your own ability. I chose you because I know that I can be glorified through you. Don’t be afraid of the vision! I will be by your side the whole way, guiding and leading you.

I have already gone before you and given you favor. Many will stand in awe of what will happen through your faith in Me and your willingness to obey Me. Generations will be changed. There will be empowerment. There will be salvation. So don’t be afraid of the vision.”

It'll Be Ok!!

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

It’ll be ok I promise. Sometimes we allow ourselves to get so caught up in trying to figure things out; contemplating all the what ifs, that we lose our peace and joy. We begin to meditate on the dilemma so much that we have forgotten to take it to our Lord in prayer. If we get into trying to fix our problems on our own in our own strength we most certainly will complicate things even further. We have to learn to instinctively run to the throne room full of humility and a willingness to listen and obey. Then we can make our supplications known to God, lay down our will at His feet and accept His Wisdom thankfully. Then His peace will most certainly guard our minds and hearts from worry, fear, and anxiety as we meditate and trust in His Word, Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

James 1:5-8 says “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

Our Lord is our source of wisdom and direction. Through prayer and reading of the Word the Holy Spirit reveals which way to go. He is always going to be faithful to lead us down the right path when we ask Him for direction. However, we must be willing to accept His divine counsel. It is foolish to seek God’s face and present our problems to Him to only do the exact opposite of what He has shown us to do. Don’t allow fear, doubt, confusion, and especially compromise to deter you from following the Lord’s will and way.

I have learned that sometimes our Lord’s response is far from what I expected and then others time it is confirming and clarifying the vision that He has already given me. However, when His response is totally opposite of what I thought and most certainly not the way the world would handle my situation I remember the words in Isaiah 55:8-9. It says:

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Let us remember that our Lord is faithful and He always works everything out for our good because He loves us so much. He is our Faithful Father carefully watching over us guiding and protecting because He has promised to. Our hope and faith has to be so devoted to Him that we trust Him at His Word. We have to trust him with all of our hearts, and not depend on our own understanding. If we seek His will in all that we do, He will show us which way to go. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Remember that you do not have to be under the yoke of worry or confusion. Get on your face before God and give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. (Psalm 55:22)

Trust Him and it’ll be ok!!!!

Picking Up the Broken Pieces

“For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest.” Jeremiah 29: 11-13

In my last posting I wrote about how I bought a beautiful mosaic candle holder. Well, I wanted to share another word the Holy Spirit spoke to me about that mosaic. You see when I saw the beautiful red and gold glow behind the cross I remembered what my sister in law had just recently told me about a project that her and her mother took on. They were making a mosaic tile for her mother’s garden. She said that they found the project to be difficult because the glass would cut their hands and fingers. I heard the Holy Spirit say,

“When people try to pick up the broken pieces of their life on their own they will find themselves getting cut and hurt. It is too painful. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that I pick up the broken pieces and make a beautiful master piece for all to see and stand in awe of.”

We don’t have to worry about picking up the broken pieces in our lives. That is not our job. This difficult job belongs to our Lord and Savior. When we surrender to the healing power of the Holy Spirit He puts the pieces back together again, better than we ever could. Then He fills us with His joy and peace. His fire will be in us and will illuminate us.

I remember when I lost my mom at the early age of sixteen. My life was shattered into a million pieces. The years after her death were consumed with drug abuse, extreme feelings of loneliness, and depression. I was a mess for many years. Every time I tried to pick up the broken pieces of my life I found myself more frustrated and discouraged. The more I followed my own ideas and ways of healing the worse things got for me. I needed the Healer to come and mend my broken heart. I needed Him to help me forgive. Most of all I needed to surrender to Him and lay down the broken pieces of my life at His feet. And that’s exactly what I did.

He has healed me and has showed me that He can use any situation good or bad, happy or sad to make us stronger Christians. We don’t always understand why we go through some of the troubles that we do, but we have to know with all of our heart that He truly does work everything out for our good. We have to trust Him with every part of our life. There is to be no holding back from Him.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 reassures us that He does have a good plan for our lives. It promises us that when we call on Him that He will hear and answer us. The Holy Spirit can heal every part of us and make us beautiful in Christ Jesus.

If you are still trying to pick up some of the broken pieces of your life on your own, STOP IT! That is the Holy Spirit’s job. Allow Him to have His way in you. He loves you and has a wonderful plan in which He will use every broken piece to make you whole again. Trust Him and you’ll see that your faith will make you whole.