We agree in faith for mercy and miracles

Good Morning,

Here it is the last day of February and spring is soon upon us! I was thinking how we are a people who hold on to hope. We hope things will get better, the sun will come out and cause the snow to melt as we hope for a better tomorrow. We hope for a reconciliation in our families, we hope to get that job, pass that course and resist that temptation. We even hope to be accepted and loved. We cannot exist without hope. Whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, we must hang on to the fruit of hope that our faith embraces.

I cannot stop thinking about our sisters and brothers overseas. Let's pray:

Precious Heavenly Father,

You are the reader of all hearts. Your Spirit goes everywhere, there is nothing hidden in your eyes. And, it is true; you know us better than we do ourselves because you created us inside and out. We put the trust of our lives in you totally and depend upon your truth and your ways.

Please forgive us for depending so much on our ways instead of your ways. We do not want to be independent of you! Forgive us for not releasing any sinful stains in our heart that we seem to still be hoarding in our lives. It is all about you Lord, not us! We give up all self consumed narcissistic pride, anything that would feed our egos, selfishness, self comforts that revert to laziness; any exaggerations that are actually lies. Forgive us Lord. Clean us up!

Once again we lift up your people who are held hostage overseas. You are the God who gives mercy and miracles because you caused the death angel to pass over the places who had sprinkled the Lamb's blood upon their doorpost! You dropped food from heaven! You parted the Red sea! You make a way! It was you who used one man to bring your people out of captivity! Years later, we learned that those who accept your son are also released from bondage. Thank you for His sprinkled sacrifice in our lives. You hear our prayers! You heal! You never leave us! Your love and the Body of Christ knows no distance. These people are our sisters and brothers; draw them close to you Lord. We pray and believe that your supernatural hand would be upon their lives! We ask and believe for a miracle that would release all these people into freedom. I pray that your Holy Spirit would blow upon these people. Release them in the name of Jesus!
We are in agreement in faith. Thank you Father, thank you Father..

"Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not been revealed until now what we are going to be, but we know that when he has been revealed, we shall be in his likeness, and we shall see him just as what he is." 1 John 3:2-3
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Nothing is Impossible with God

Our spiritual gifts are given according to the grace that is given to each of us. We are all unique. I have learned that there are different degrees or measures of the gifts that have been given.

When we pray, we pray in faith believing that God has heard our request:

Faith.

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24

It takes activating a deliberate faith and determination to push through all the cluttered recesses of our mind and believe in our hearts; that we have received our request. I say this because we can get “junked up” with worldly media at times.  Through intercessory prayer; there are moments when we go beyond our human expectancy when we pray and demand more of ourselves in faith!  Our level of faith can be compared to walking upon a sandbar or floating above the water to actually swimming a channel in the deeper waters.   

A sandbar walk of faith is a safe walk because it doesn’t require the intercessor to get wet.  The prayer can be a general source of surfaced words that is given through seasons of habit rather than from the heart. Those that float above the water sometimes search for the right words and many times find themselves upon a fence wondering which way to leap.   

Do not lose heart, I am sure we’ve all been there.

Those that have been given the gift of faith often find themselves swimming in the deeper waters as a way of life. Their whole purpose is walking in love and faith in everything they do and prayer is a way of life. Swimming in the deeper waters requires a storehouse of God’s Word that gives energy and stamina.   If the Word indeed gives us more energy and stamina; then cannot we say that it give us more oxygen? Oxygen that travels throughout our whole bodies through the blood that gives us our very life?  I believe so. These oxygenated people, pray over everything  in  a life extending way; and consider their requests done.

I had a couple of friends who had the gift of faith who were called to minister overseas. They did not have the money to go abroad but believed God would supply their need. They went to the airport to book tickets without a cent and “by chance” a stranger came up to them and asked if they were ministers? And, did they need money to go? Immediate supply was given because they chose to release the deeper faith that was inside of them.

I knew a young man from India who stood about 5’ tall and ministered the gospel in his homeland. He would make up small short songs about the Lord and sing continually to Him. He did not have much money, but he will attest his needs were always supplied and in most unusual ways at times. One day he went to the river and knew he had to get over on the other side. He closed his eyes and started singing one of his small short songs to the Lord. Perhaps he was waiting for an answer on how he could get across the river? As he sang, the burden was lifted. When he opened up his eyes; he actually found himself on the other side of the river! This is a true story!

When I was a single mother, I was praying for a car in church and on that same day a man came up and gave me a car! I have been given a washing machine! Money! Jobs! Healings! I remember I was in tremendous back pain and was visiting a friend when I sat down in her rocking chair and the minute I sat down, all pain left!  Our Heavenly Father wants us to believe and know that He has heard our prayers.

It is a stepping over! It is a leap into the deeper waters! It is allowing the Word to go way down inside of you so you can meditate and know God’s will in every circumstance. It is allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way instead of our way.

The Bible says it is impossible to please God without faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

The secular world usually calls it folly, but those of faith begin to stand upon the Word as they pray. They believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. They believe we are washed through this Word. They believe it was written by men long ago who were moved by the Spirit of God to write these truths to be handed down to the following generations.  Does this mean they understand it all? Not at all!  Everyone questions why certain passages were written and tries to reason it out in their hearts.

Today, in these times we are living in; we need mountain moving faith so we can pray for those we love, having faith in God.  What would prayer be if we already saw the outcome before we prayed? If we already knew we were going to get that car that we need? If we already were given the money to pay off our debt or seeing that our loved one has already returned to the Lord?  Praying with love and in faith is without seeing ahead of time and without feeling! No wavering! No hesitating, but to understand we are approaching the throne of our Father when we give our request.  I will admit I have experienced prayer answered before I have prayed.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  Romans 12:2

When we renew our minds we will know what the will of God is in our lives.  When we desire things, it becomes what He desires and not the old creature. We learn to sift things that we hear to see if it lines up with His will and way.

Let’s pray for those Christians overseas who have been kidnapped.

Heavenly Father,

We plead and lift up your people in Syria, those who have been kidnapped. We ask that you would refill them with your faith; the faith that your word continually talks about. Strengthen their hearts during this time of trial. Keep them strong Lord. Send them your angels to encourage them and release them, just like you did with Paul and Silas. We ask Lord that you would honor their prayers they are sending up.  We ask that you would bring them into a place of safety where there seems to be no place.  We ask that you would rescue them, open up the gates where they are and release them all!  Unharmed!  Send those who are willing to help them!

Father, we also lift up Israel and ask that you would cover this land with your shield. Any bomb or anyone who tries to harm this land we ask their schemes and plans would return upon their own heads.

We ask for a reconciliation between our nation and Israel. We ask that you would put down the evil in our land and restore the goodness it once had in you. We ask for an awakening and a spirit of repentance come to this land. We ask that those in high places would boldly declare that you are Lord.

  

We petition this to you and all of us stand in agreement in the Name of Jesus.

Nothing is impossible with you Lord!

amen

What burns inside of you?

Make room for the gifts that The Holy Spirit has given to you. The more you use them, the more they will develop. Most of us have more than one gift, but; there is that one special gift that is closest to your heart and overflows like a river that we find a completeness of His joy. That gift is your anointing, your mainline! Use it, because by using what The Holy Spirit has given to you, helps others in the Body of Christ. When we use what He has given to us, we are also ministering to ourselves and our faith becomes stronger.

Let's pray:

Heavenly Father,
We thank you for this day. We thank you for the vast and numerous ways we can communicate your goodness. We are blessed! Without your hand upon our lives, we would be as nothing. We are so aware of your mercy. We thank you for the righteousness of your son Jesus. We realize our only righteousness is in Jesus. We thank you for the gifts that you have given to us. Help us recognize exactly what you have given to us and give us ideas how we can be productive in your kingdom. Forgive us for procrastinating in not using what we have been given. We choose to do an about face, walk in your spirit and be obedient.
In Jesus
amen

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." Romans 12:6-8

You can have a new life too

One of the first things I noticed when I gave my heart to Jesus was how I immediately lost all of my "friends." (I did not know how Biblicaly prophetic it was at the time) I wasn't your average quiet convert. Goodness no! I wanted the world to know that I had found the answer and that if it worked for me, it could also work for them. I told all my worldly friends the plan of salvation, who fearfully ran from me, I knocked on doors and even put out an article in our weekly neighborhood paper and wrote up my own salvation tracts. These were the early years. This led to many other columns years later.  When I previously said that I would never be the same, I also knew that my life would never be the same. I no longer desired to party or run around like I once did, but instead; stayed home and studied for hours in the Bible. The more knowledge I obtained the more I craved. I just couldn't get enough of this brand new life. Every wise word and every story fed my growth.

I had actually met The Holy Spirit and learned He would forever be with me and teach me. I was totally in love. God had truly won my heart through the deep sacrificial love of Jesus!

I have warm memories of my past friends; however; quickly we all learned I no longer fit into their world. It wasn't long before I made new friends in Christ and learned about agreeing in faith together for the prayers we lifted up. Miracles, answered prayers and revelations were ushered into my life like a whirlwind. In these early years I drew much strength from my more mature sisters. I thrived upon their mentoring and I dearly miss them, as many have passed over into glory.

Sometimes I look back over the zany antics I did when I was "of the world" but I also look back in wonder. A wonder that I did not kill myself or someone else, a wonder of being rescued just in time to be introduced to the final love of my life.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are new." 2 Co. 5:17

We have a joyful Heavenly Father

Good Morning Loves,

Last night I was listening to a well known teacher and he was talking about joy. We know that the joy of the Lord is our strength.Upon a little meditation this morning, I know: We receive this joy because it is He who is joyful over us! Our Father becomes joyful over us. Yes, we have a joyful God! We delight in Him and He delights in us. We have a "delightful party" together. We receive this joy through the obedience of loving Him above all else in our lives. We choose to deliberately place God the Father first in our lives. Our lives reflect the love we have of our Father!

Heavenly Father,

We give you this day, because you gave it to us. You are our Heavenly Father and a true Father in every way we could ever imagine. We desire to make you smile upon us. We desire to bring joy to your heart. We want to say: "we love you with all of our hearts this morning." We thank you for always being there and for always speaking to us in so many ways. We desire that "delightful party" with you today.
In Jesus amen

Beloved Daughter of the King ~ Psalm 45:11 Amplified Bible (AMP) 11 So will the King desire your beauty; because He is your Lord, be submissive and reverence and honor Him.

You Must Be Born Again

Before I was born again, I was blind and ignorant of the fact that Jesus required everyone to be born-again or they wouldn’t see the Kingdom of God. There came a point in my life when I knew I needed God to straighten my messed up life as it was obvious that I was certainly unable to put it together by myself. I was a broken person, with a broken heart and a broken life. My guilty and shameful heart was completely stripped of hope or of any solutions for a good future. I was in a dark hopeless pit that I had dug for myself. Completely humbled and alone, there was nowhere to turn. What could I do? Where could I start?
I did not know I was actually being wooed and courted by the Holy Spirit at the time.

My then, unsaved mother brought me my first Bible. I was thirsty for help. I said a small prayer before going into the Book of John just like my Avon lady instructed me to do. Then, I can remember so clearly like it was yesterday; it was around Easter time as I started my pilgrimage to read the Bible for the first time in my life. I picked up the Bible and smelled the newness of the leather as I tenderly touched the pages. Words cannot describe the joy I felt when the richness of a warm and loving light opened the inside of my heart! Suddenly, I discovered people in the Bible who were just like me. They needed Jesus like I did. Many had messed up their lives just like I did. I discovered the power of God through forgiveness through Jesus Christ who gave his life for all those who accept Him as their Savior. The more I read, the more excited I became as hope pulsed throughout my whole being. Truth was being flooded like a river, inside of my heart; through the love of Jesus! The words leaped out and shouted to me! And, they became enlarged and bounced off the pages! I had finally found the meaning of life! I had found the answer.

Then, I read John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again; he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Weeping, I believed! I believed that Jesus was Lord!

All alone and sobbing with an open heart; I kneeled down by my bedside and surrendered and repented as I asked Jesus to come into my wretchedly torn life. I confessed all my sins asking for forgiveness. When I got up from the floor, I was a new person in Christ. My soul had literally been washed by the blood that was shed for me and watered by the very words He had spoken. I believed by faith that Jesus is Lord. I was given a new heart and had a new spirit inside of me. I was a brand new person in Christ. I discovered I would never be the same again.

I did not realize it then, but the Holy Spirit had given birth to all those seeds that had been planted inside of me, by His obedient servants who had prayed for me and loved me enough to sprinkle truth into my life. Many came along and watered what had been planted. Some of the faithful servants lived long enough to see me come to Jesus.

I also did not know back then, that there were Christians praying for me. Never think that God does not hear your prayers. He does. My life is living proof.
I had found my identity in Jesus Christ. I discovered who I was in Him. I became a child of the King of Kings.

As my neighborhood watched my change, many said about me: "She got religion." But that was untrue. Being born-again has nothing to do with religion! Being born again is becoming a new creature in Christ because it was the Holy Spirit that breathed upon me and opened up my eyes to the truth. Jesus became the bridge to God! I have a personal relationship with the Father because of the sacrifice of His son.

Being born again has nothing to do with a church denomination, attending church or being good. There are many sitting in the pews of reputable denominations that haven’t been born again. You may have come out of the womb in being raised in a denomination and know the rules and ways like the back of your hand; but unless you have had a concrete born-again experience; Jesus said: “he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

You may be a good person and have never hurt anyone, but there are a lot of good people out there who do good things, yet; they have never accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Not one of us can get to heaven on our own merit. Our good works are like filthy rags to God. It is only through the cleansing blood of Christ that we are washed, forgiven and accepted into His family. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” There is only one way according to the Bible.

You may be one who is in church every time the doors are open and that is respectable and honorable, but unless you have had a heart day of reckoning with Christ, being in church will not usher you into paradise.
Salvation is a gift from God Himself. The Holy Spirit knocks upon the door of your heart and asks to come inside and do a miracle in your life! It is He who wants to change your life and make you into that new person.

A walking living miracle!

We do not deserve it and there isn’t any way we can earn it, because Jesus; the Son of God paid the full price for all of our sins. In fact, the Bible further says:

“But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Ga. 3:13 LB

Should you still be wrestling with any unbelief and doubt that is still in your heart, please remember there isn’t any wisdom in the world or scientific knowledge that can take away from the power of the truth in the Bible. We will pass away, but His word will always stand.

Time is short. We are all one heartbeat away from eternity. If you feel that tug inside of your heart today I ask that you would kneel and surrender to God and accept the blood that was shed for you on the cross. Confess that Jesus is Lord and trust in Him to take you the rest of the way in your life. We know life isn’t easy, but when you give it all to Him, He promises to lighten up your burdens and direct your path. There isn’t one thing that you have done in your life that he won’t forgive if you surrender your heart to Him. This is why He came into the world, to set us free from our sins. We cannot set ourselves free, for we are not gods. I urge you to not put off your decision any longer. The greatest thing you can do in your life; is to be born again and then; raise your children in the truth of the word of God. If this were not truth, and if my life was not changed; I would not continue to write! When we take those first few baby steps toward Him, He comes to us and takes us the rest of the way. It is He who offers hope, when there is none. And, it is He who gives us life and renews our minds! Will you trust Him today?

Please pray:

Heavenly Father,
I give my life to you today. I do not understand it all, but I want to be born again. I willingly confess my sins to you and ask forgiveness. (please confess your sins). I ask that Jesus would come inside of my heart and rule and reign in my life. I need You Lord, change me. I surrender completely and repent. Wash me with your blood and the truth of your word. Help me become strong; feed me so I can grow. Direct my steps and take over my life. Send me your messengers so I can become strong in you.
In Jesus we pray
amen

Let the Church be the Church!

Let the Church be the church! I'm not talking about a building. I am talking about a people who would rather give up their lives to those who radically seek to destroy them; than to denounce the name of Jesus.
This morning I give tribute to all those brave souls who were beheaded because they are called Christians. I give tribute to their overwhelming love and faith in Christ. My heart is filled with sorrow, that they had to be martyred for their faith.

The Body of Christ is worldwide. They are our family! The strength through their faith in such peril should be ours as well.

Heavenly Father,

Truly you are with your people, even to the end. Your Apostle Paul said "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" Philippians 1:21

He knew, that either way we win in your Son. Strengthen us where we need to be stronger. Fill us up with your truth and love that we will not be moved or deceived in these days. Your word says that you make a way where there seems to be no way and that:

"The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." Psalm 34:7
We ask Father for you to make that way of escape for your people in the middle east and give them safety. Guide their feet into the direction you would have them to go. Bring shelter upon them. Make them invisible to the enemy. We ask that you would spread your blanket of protection over all those who love you. We ask that you would confound the enemy and cause confusion in their camps and that every vile scheme would be backfired.

We ask for justice Lord! We ask that you would tear down all unrighteousness around the earth and in our country and replace it with godly men and women. Oh come Lord Jesus! We look for your return. We pray this in Jesus name.
amen

We are forever learning

Good Morning Family and Friends,

What is the Holy Spirit teaching you at this time? Patience? Perseverance? Technology? Discernment? Are you practicing your listening skills and projecting more kindness? Maybe the decision of realigning your priorities in God's way and not your way is in the works.

For me, I think it has to be all of the above. Let's face it, if we have a computer we need them all. When my computer is in foul play I've finally decided not to take an axe to it or bury it in the backyard with my flowers. Nor, will I take it out on my husband because he doesn't have anything to do with the glaring monster that sits on my desk. I now, just walk away and let it do it's thing and when it calms down, I go back and do my part. The nefarious diabolical creature provokes obvious waves of homicidal lunacy upon this brain of mine.

In learning this, I have dealt with it in a humane and sane way. In God's way, (thou shall not kill)
Now, I just let it go and walk away. So what if I get online later than I wished? Our Father is the one in charge of time anyway.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

We are so thankful that we can even give you our bothersome electronics! Our cars! Our trucks! Our heaters! All of the technology that is speeding what seems like faster than the speed of light! In spite of it all, you are the one who watches and knows what is going on, even when we try to figure it out; our ways are nothing; compared to your ways. Thank you for continually reminding us that your thoughts are not our thoughts and our ways are not your ways. Your ways are so far beyond our ways, we can only taste and touch Your Precious Holy Spirit through the love of our Savior Jesus Christ. It is in Him and through Him that we have our being. Thank you Lord for being in the traffic jams with us, for being at work when we become stressed or at home when things do not go right; You are always there, you never leave us! We are so thankful we can give you all of our frets, worries, anxieties, lost sons, lost daughters, lost grandchildren, safety for all of our loved ones, those who will be having surgery soon we pray for a healing in your son's name, all health problems, disagreements with our mates, children and family members, bad dreams, financial upsets, stretches and strains, all fear that isn't of you and yes; again even old relic computers! You care! You see our hearts! You see it all! You are there through it all. We completely rest in you and choose to live in the peace that you have given to us and let it all go. It is all in your hands, we will walk away and trust in you completely. We know, the battle is yours! In Jesus we pray amen.

Time to get right with God

I have the missing O cap on my keyboard. Therefore, there are times when I am typing the letter O when it doesn’t strike or goes into a mania of ooooooo all at once. After being reminded that I have placed the O cap in a safe place, so I can try once again to snap it together and jogging my memory bank; I discover I cannot remember where I saved it.  Following an in depth self conversation of how: after all; the whole incident is a small thing and when I keep typing on the little knob without the cap in place; I find that I’ve gotten used to the incompleteness of my keyboard; even though the pointy knob that is sticking up, pricks my finger each time, and every time that happens; it causes just enough pain to let me know; “things are not right.”

The measure of the quality of our lives will be to the assessment of our decisions. We can get used to things that aren’t right in our life, if we ignore them long enough.  The small prick like the pointy knob on the O key pricks in our flesh and yet, we just allow something like that to stay in our lives.

The same can be said about our consciences. When we are doing something we shouldn’t be doing we can feel that prick in our conscience and many times; we accept it because we have allowed it to become a part of our lives.

Today, I ask that we search our lives and our hearts together. Be honest with God and get whatever rubbish that you’ve allowed to stay inside of your hearts out. Now is the time to get right with God more than any other time. 

Jesus said:

16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” John 3:16-21

If you have been procrastinating in coming to the Lord or coming back to the Lord, I urge you not to delay your decision any further. Not one of us know what will happen in our lives one hour from now or even 5 minutes from now. It makes no difference where you are, call upon Jesus now. When you pray, He reads your heart.

Jesus said:

“Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

Pray with me:

Heavenly Father,

We give you honor and praise this morning. You are the only one worthy of this praise. We bow before you this morning.

We ask for strength for those who have taken the time to agree with this prayer.  We ask for a move in hearts. We ask that you would blow your spirit of repentance upon their hearts and wash them with your word. We ask that you would give them a new heart and understanding of your love and resurrection power. We ask that your Holy Spirit would help them in their lives to tear down old habits and replace them with the new ones. Give them a new eye view -  your eye view. Give them a hunger and thirst for your word. We ask for deliverance from anything that would keep your people from zealously walking in your will. We ask that you would forgive us, from all pride, selfishness, any religiosity and legalism and not listening to our conscience. We choose to forgive and root out all bitterness, (name your own problems) We let them all go today! NOW!  We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we believe he died for our sins, we believe he was resurrected on the 3 day and seen by over 500 people. We believe he is the only way to you Father. We trust in you with everything that we have and we ask that you would continual to guide and direct us.  

IN Jesus name we pray

amen

Oh, the things we say..

Hung by what Tongue? Mine?

Have you ever said something and then immediately wondered to yourself; "why on earth did I say such a thing? or How could I have said that? or worse yet and most popular is: "I wish I hadn't said that!"

We have all opened our mouth and inserted our foot and in some cases both feet! There aren't any amount of excuses we can find that can justify some of the things we have said during a heated argument, temper tantrum, judging because of injustice in the world, back-biting gossip because of jealousies, tearing down character or just because our pride and ego has taken a backseat to what was expected. Many times we speak before we think, in otherwords we assume. Some open their mouths with boasting to impress, others for sympathy and for some; we hear their lifetime of woes just by listening.

The truth is, we cannot read others hearts. Even if we could, we still aren't to judge them in our own hearts. YES it can be very hard. There is a difference between judging and discerning. Jesus said, "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit." Luke 6:43 We can easily see the handwriting upon the wall through the actions of many, but slandering them only puts the slanderer in a poor position and brings the offender in the limelight.

James said, "When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire and itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." James 3:3-8

Here is one of the things Jesus said about our careless words:

The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. 36“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Matthew 12:35-37

Like I said in the beginning, we all have problems with our tongues. I believe this is why we have to keep growing in grace. We are given this gift to expand the center of our hearts, with humility, love and continual forgiveness. When, we say something we should not have said:

1. Be honest right away and admit you shouldn't have said it.

2. Christians do not wait for the other person to say they are sorry. Just get right with the one you offended right away! Apologize and ask forgiveness. It doesn't matter who is right or who is wrong. You are the winner when you get right and repent.

3. You must also forgive. Every time we say something against someone, we are positioning ourselves as judge and jury. Let it go. No ones sin is purer than the other.

4. Do not play the blame game. No one "made you" say those things.

5. Ask God for forgiveness. Do not fret, time to accept His forgiveness and move on.

6. Ask God to put a seal or guard upon your mouth. Ask Him for help. He is faithful to provide a way of escape when we are tempted to open up our mouths.
I realize this was long and I had no idea I was going to pour this out this morning. There is so much more regarding the words we speak.

If you have read this far down; pray with me:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for always giving us your truth. Thank you for caring to correct us and continually guiding us toward your light. Thank you for giving us answers, your answers. Thank you for always speaking to us.
We ask this morning for you to place a guard upon our mouths that we will think before we say anything. We ask that you would help us guard what we place in our hearts, because we know you said that the overflow of the heart comes out of the heart; and that it is a wellspring of life. We ask that what we say would be grace to those who hear us. Season our words with your salt to help, strengthen and encourage others who need that booster of love.
Forgive us for those words we have spoken carelessly. We ask that your Holy Spirit would take control of our tongue and break our habits and that we will replace every wrong thought pattern with your word.

We thank you Father
in Jesus amen

Carrots pulled up in February!

JOY! Look what I just pulled up in my garden! Yes! I like colorful carrots. These are purple carrots! Isn't God so good? The other morning while I laid upon my bed I was thinking about the beautiful and famous 23rd Psalm and trying to quote it all the way through. Feeling I should definitely renew it in my heart I opened up the Bible and started to thumb my way towards it, but I never got there; my eyes rested upon:
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way to go; I will counsel you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8

Let me tell you church, living by faith can be exciting! Very exciting!

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit," Romans 14:17

We have the righteousness of God inside of us through Jesus Christ! By His grace, through faith; we walk in peace and joy! We are His! Our Father walks and talks to us all of the time. We are blessed above anything you can even imagine!

Would you like to begin this day with thanks with me?

Heavenly Father,
Thank you! Thank you for the rain we get and the harvest you give to us. Thank you for your continual teachings, your ongoing lessons and how you are a God who continually showers us with your love! You speak in ways where we can hear you and understand. You continually talk to us about your powerful love. We praise you Father for loving us before we even knew you. We thank you for your mercy.
Forgive us for any selfish streaks inside of us and continue to deal with our hearts in your way.
We request that you would guard our families and friends with your Angels as they go to work and errands. Touch those who need to be touched with your healing promises and give a word of encouragement to those who need a lift in their hearts.
In Jesus we pray
amen

Time to get Serious

Good Morning,

The sun is shinning with a brilliance that would put anyone's soul at peace, yet; when you walk out the door; winter's chill reminds you that all is not as it seems.
At times I find myself in a perpetual state of shock and dazed over the atrocities of the way our nation has gone and is still going. A sci-fi writer could not write a better horrifying script of perversion to gain the worlds attention with such blood baths. Worse yet, is the pacifying weakness and lukewarm non-response in high places.

Indeed, how far the eagle has fallen.

Unfortunately this started many many years ago when we replaced God in our families with things. Things can be good, in their place. As sin promises, down through the years; one sin always led to another and before we knew it, the whole Constitution became stretched, turned upside down and perverted. Those in power think nothing of breaking and twisting the Constitution for their benefit.
And so, we must know our enemy; those who are invisible and those who are visible. We must remember the way we have learned how to fight the fight of faith. We fight them with the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God!

When we pray for a miracle for our land, God has heard our prayers! But it isn't going to be like going to the local store and buying a candy bar and our prayers will be answered. No! If we have prayed for strength - we will go through an obstacle course that will involve vigorous training. Hardship brings strength and wisdom. If we have prayed that our nation will be returned to Yeshua in everyway; think about all the strongholds in this nation that has to be buried first! Burning brings purification. This whole answer to our miraculous prayer could take years. If we have asked God to clean us up from our greediness and love for things; how do you think that is going to happen? Many a nation has lost it all for the name of Christ! God has always used other nations to bring an awakening, discipline, cleanse and purify nations. Once again, God has heard our prayers, but before we see the victory; we're going to have to run that race with prayers, faith and patience. The enemies agenda will work for us in the long run, not against us. But you must believe that and not give up hope or faith when the gunk hits the fan.

The best thing anyone can do immediately is to check their hearts to see if they are holding anything inside that doesn't belong in there. If you are holding unforgiveness, forgive! There is no longer any time to play with bitterness, just root it up and let it go! Why give the opposition so much credit or time in your life? If you have been one who has only been playing in your belief system, the time to get right is now! Few people like the word Repentance because Hollywood has successfully played their part in trying to make zealous believers look like idiots. Many have bought the lie. Those who are serious in the Lord are determined to be Overcomers to the end and that includes Repenting. Repenting is a decision. A decision to stop going in the direction you've been going and go into the narrow path, which is the unpopular path and do what God is mapping out for you to do.

Let's pray:

Heavenly Father,

We see your warning signs all around us, we see how Your Kingdom will become our Kingdom. We realize we are living in those times, we hear your call, your voice and your trumpet sound. We ask for strength and that our faith would not fail us. We ask that we would not be deceived in any measure, but discerning. We ask that you would show us the path to take; right, left, north, south, east or west.
We ask for safety and more safety; that you would protect your people, protect those who love you and send a mighty cloud to fall upon those who cannot understand your ways and let them see the nail scarred hands. We ask and agree together that those who are planning and scheming evil plots would be caught in their own nets, by their confusion.

We pray for Israel, that no harm would come to that nation. We ask that soon, we would be able to help that nation. We pray for the Jordan King and that soon, we would be able to help him fight the unrighteous. Father we thank you ahead of time for the victory and your leading and love in our lives.

19Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. 20When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever! 22“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” 23Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Daniel 6:19-24

In Jesus amen

Our Father never stops Teaching us.

The picture of the two lads in their raft reminds me of the time when I used the local raft in our small pond to push myself out into the middle and explore the deeper waters. I was about 9 years old at the time and fiercely adventurous in thinking I was able to go anywhere and do anything. Then, I noticed that the more I pushed myself into the deeper waters, the more the raft went under the water. Although the float wasn't completely sinking; yet, when I looked down; my feet were about a foot plus under water. I sensed a small caution go off inside of me as I pushed it back to shore.

What did I discover when I was in the middle of that pond? Why, I discovered a middle of course ! I could see the middle of the small pond when I was on the shore. For some reason I felt that I had to experience seeing the pond from the inside looking outward. The waters were darker because they were deeper and I could easily look around the pond's edges. There was only one thing wrong; being in the deep waters made the raft begin to sink.

So many times we want to go into deep waters to see what is on the other side or see what the whole picture looks like. If we "push it" we know we can get into those deep waters, but once there; will we be able to get back and not sink?

Isn't that sometimes like our lives?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

You are our Great Teacher from childhood up. You never stop teaching us. Your knowledge and wisdom are insurmountable and never-ending! So many of us can look back and remember your voice was always with us; while we were off by ourselves thinking we were the next great explorer. You were with us back then as we chewed on grass, got the honey from the clovers and the first time we bounced bareback upon a horse. You cared when we got thrown into a ditch with our bike and landed in a bunch of barbed wire. Whether we fell from a tree or walked across the county through fields; with a cousin exploring old run down barns! You were there too! Every minute of our lives, whether tragic, traumatic, joyful and determined; you have always been there for us and we just did not realize it at the time. We did not see this complete blessing!

We do now! We do today and say to you Lord: "Blessed be The Name of the Lord" who is forever and ever.

Thank you Lord!
In Jesus amen

Let God Arise!

Good Morning Sunrisers!,

I go through times when I put my heart through check points. Although I live by faith in the grace that God has given to me; I search the inner areas inside of me that I don't think about very often. Things like: Being honest and searching for the motive behind the action. It had better be love. Is there any pebble of pride? Am I offended too easily and if so, do I forgive just as quick?
All these sound like small things, but all it takes is one seed that has been allowed to grow that could produce an unwanted harvest.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for giving us a sound mind in your son Jesus. Thank you for your Holy Spirit that quickens our hearts to listen to what you are saying. Thank you for giving us your truth and your check points. Draw us nearer to you. Help us be more sensitive and empathetic to those around us, to their needs and desires. Give us ideas and creative strategies how we can lift up hearts and minister your love in a joyous way. Have your glory fall upon our lives. We want to see you rise up in our lives, in our families, in our work places and in our land. Continue to be our strength so we can stand boldly upon your word, giving you all the honor and praise. Continue to guide us with your eye. And we say, "blessed be your Name."
In Jesus amen

To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David.
"Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him" Psalm 68:1