Marching into March with God on my mind and my mind on God. Is your life too loud? Is your schedule too busy? Are you human doings rather than human beings? That’s how, why, and when we can forget that God is God, we become distracted and God takes a back seat in our mind. Even when we are doing good, we must not forget to do God. Sometimes we just have to tune out the noice and listen to the small quiet voice within us. Someone once said, “What consumes your mind controls your life.” When you want to hear the heart of God, be still and be silent. If you want the Spirit of God to fill you, open up your heart and mind. Ask the Holy Spirit to consume you. March is the Month of blessings! Love and Blessings…
“Because he has focused his love on me, I will deliver him. I will protect him because he knows my name. When he calls out to me, I will answer him. I will be with him in his distress. I will deliver him, and I will honor him.” (Psalm 91:14-15)
“You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)
Author Christine Caine wrote, “If the light that is ON you is brighter than the light that is IN you, the light that is ON you will destroy you.” I thought about what that meant as a Christian. It means if we want to know how we are growing as Christ followers, we should not focus on how the world’s light shines on us. We should focus on making sure the light within us shines through us so others can see Christ. The worlds light on us can be removed by man at any moment, but no one can remove the light within us. That is what shows our spiritual maturity and where we are in Christ. The worlds light on us can display our gifts and talents, and that is not a bad thing. God blesses us with gifts and talents. But we have to be careful because we can operate in our gifts while we are gratifying our flesh. However, when we operate in the light within us, it shows a manifestation of a transformed life by the power of God. You can operate in your spiritual gift but then immediately act in a sinful way. Maybe you’ve seen someone preach the most powerful sermon at church, only to see them be hateful to others at a later time. Or perhaps a person may give generously of their time and money to impact those less fortunate, but then turn around and be impatient and rude with their own family. What about the sister or brother who just sang the most beautiful song you have ever heard, and steps down from the choir and refuses to speak to you. The light on us can make us big headed, the light within us makes us big hearted. There is a difference in those people who continually let their light shine from within in their daily lives. The worlds light may not be shining ON them but you can see God’s light shining all THROUGH them.They may be serving behind the scenes, visiting someone in the hospital, or offering their time by just being with a friend in need. Their contribution to building up believers may not be flashy, but their character is deep because they have chosen not to focus on the worlds light. It really doesn’t take tremendous effort to operate in our gifts. On the other hand, to operate in the light within us, involves the difficult task of dying to self everyday. The light within us may not be shouting for attention but you best believe, we always know when that light is present in our lives and the lives of others. We also know when it is not. And most importantly sisters and brothers, God knows. Let your light shine through you! Love and Blessings…
“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12)
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” ( Matthew 5:14-16)
Instead of pursuing a relationship with God, we often times chase after other things.We run around in circles like a dog chasing his tail looking for something or someone that will fill the void in our souls. This can leave us mentally and spiritually drained. We get weak and tired. The truth is nothing or no one can fill that void except God himself. If we stop chasing other things and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us, to consume us, we then will find true happiness and peace. No man or woman, no amount of money or fame can fill the void. Scripture tells us that if we seek the Kingdom of God first, then all the things we need will be given to us. When we place God first in our life, we will see him working through all circumstances and events for our good. When we seek Him, we will find Him waiting and willing with open arms.We must keep our gaze on God and our glance on the world. Love and Blessings… Matthew 6:33 Jeremiah 29:13 Psalm 34-10
Take an honest and probably uncomfortable look at the material, emotional, social, and relationship clutter that keeps you from the peace and freedom that God intends for us to experience. Renew and rejuvenate your soul space with what we do need, spiritual disciplines like daily quiet time, personal worship, and God’s Word. Ask God to help you sift through the things in your heart, mind, and even the things on your calendar. Now breathe, the peace is priceless! We can search all over but nothing can give us the peace that God can. He is the source of which our peace comes from. The closer we get to God, the more peaceful our lives become.We discover that His character is always faithful. We refuse to allow ever-changing circumstances to determine our level of contentment, relying instead upon the character of God that never changes. When we develop a lifestyle of making the Lord our refuge, we begin to live in the peace of God. I love Psalm 91. It holds the secret to living in the peace of God; “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” That secret place in our hearts is where we go to meet with God. When we choose to live there and hide away under His shadow, staying in constant communion with Him, we can remain peaceful, even when circumstances may not be. When we learn to cry out to Him in times of trouble, we find that His peace really does pass all human understanding. Meditate on today’s scriptures and receive the peace that God’s Word offers. Love and blessings…
In our lives, every word and every action is fruit from our hearts. A evil heart produces bad fruit. Every spirit tries to emulate the Holy Spirit. We have to be very careful because everyone who can quote scripture or prophesy is not being used by the Holy Ghost. The Bible tells us to test the spirits to see weather they are of God, for many false prophets have gone into the world. ( 1 John 4:1). How do we test the spirits? Jesus says we should know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:16). Jesus was giving us a guide for identifying them. While we can never know anyone else’s heart, we can make wise assessments about other people by observing the regular fruit of their lives. Godly teachers will display good “fruit” such as making disciples (Matthew 28:19), using their gifts to benefit others (Romans 12:4–8), leading lost people to Jesus (James 5:20), loving their fellow believers (1 John 3:14), and seeking humble ways to do good everywhere (Jeremiah 29:7). All of these things are indications of a good heart. We don’t judge, but we don’t follow false prophets, we can however pray for them. The Fruits of the Holy Spirit is attributes of a person living in accord with the Holy Spirit. The “fruit” of their lives proves what is inside their hearts ( Mark 7:20–23). All of us stumble from time to time, and we may even go through seasons of bearing little fruit (1 John 1:8). But 1 John 3:4–10 makes it clear that those who know God will not continue a lifestyle of bearing bad fruit. When we repent of our sin and receive Jesus as Lord of our lives, He changes our hearts. Now the fruit that is produced is good fruit. Our attitudes, actions, words, and perspectives change as we walk in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. My prayer is that each of us today and everyday strive to bear good fruit. We cannot do it by ourselves. We have to stay in tuned with the Holy Spirit who will change our hearts. When our hearts change, our fruit changes. When we walk by the Spirit and manifests His fruit, we produce the attitudes and behavior that please God. Love and Blessings…
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-26) John 1:2 Acts 2:38 2 Corinthians 5:17 1 John. 1:6-7
Everyone who knows me , know that I don’t use the word “friend” loosely, if I call you a friend, you are a friend for life! During their last crucial hours with Jesus, He called His closest followers friends. Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit who He would leave with them. He wanted His disciples and us to know we are not alone. We have the Holy Spirit, who is our everything, including our best friend. I have learned to especially appreciate the presence of my friend, the Holy Spirit when I go through difficult times. Even then He gives me joy and sustains me with strength and hope. When I am sad, He cheers me, when I am mistreated, He gives me grace to endure, when I am accused or misunderstood, He fights my battles for me, when I make a mistake and want to beat myself up, He encourages me and forgives me without judgement. When I am in despair, He reminds me that He loves me. What a friend we have in Jesus! That is the kind of friend I want to be. That is the kind of friends I want in my life. Our friends should know even if we are miles away, even if we don’t talk everyday, that we are there for them if they need us. Let’s ask the Lord to help us be the type of friends who speak life, truth, grace and hope to one another. True friends pray for each other, speak wisdom and offer encouragement. Friends help each other up when one might be down.The Bible says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17). Love and Blessings…
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever” (John 14:16)
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Sometimes we can get caught up in our little to do lists, the everyday highs and lows of life, and the tendency to chase many things, thinking that in them we will find meaning and purpose. We chase our dreams and goals, fame and wealth, relationships, and perfect bodies. We can become so consumed with thoughts of success, notoriety, or feelings of fear, worry, and even death. And before we realize it, these feelings will consume our souls like spiritual cancer. Even though we may realize with God we can find peace, purpose, and joy, we still can easily get lost in the things of this life. When we place our priorities on anything or anyone other than Christ, we lose perspective of the real meaning of life. That is why once the chase is over, we are disappointed because we still feel empty, like something is missing, so we start a new chase. The Bible tells us that King Solomon had wealth beyond measure, wisdom beyond any man of his time, hundreds of women, palaces, gardens that were the envy of kingdoms, the best food and wine, and every form of entertainment available. Solomon said that anything his heart wanted, he pursued and yet he wrote he gained nothing and was chasing after the wind. He described life “under the sun” as meaningless. In other words, living life as though all there is to life is what we can see with our eyes and experience with our senses is meaningless. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with pursuing dreams, God gives us dreams and He wants us to pursue them. God wants us to have our hearts desires and live abundantly here on Earth. However, there are conditions. We must seek Him first. First and foremost our purpose on this earth is to glorify God! If our visions and pursuits are aligned with God’s purpose for our life, then everything else will fall into place. Life is a journey. Enjoying the journey means not getting so caught up in the chase that we forget to enjoy each day that the Lord gives us. Have you ever got caught up in the little things in this life and God showed up and showed you what is really important? I know I have. So busy stressing over what might happen tomorrow, next week or even the next year. God wants us to not worry about tomorrow. I have found that this journey called life is so much easier when you let God be your guide. Wow! If only I had let go and let God earlier in my life, I could have saved myself some pain and frustration. But God does not want us to dwell on the past or the if only. I know now! If we are to enjoy the journey, we must be thankful and enjoy each day that God gives us. Each day is filled with new mercies and each day, whether or not we can see it, God is doing a new thing! Sisters and brothers, life here, no matter how good it is, is nothing compared to the life that awaits us.The glories of heaven, eternal life, righteousness, perfection, God’s presence, rewards, and all else God has planned, is the Christian’s heavenly inheritance and it will cause even the best life on earth to pale in comparison. The real meaning of life, both now and in eternity, is found in the restoration of our relationship with God. Chasing after God is the best thing we can do. Don’t take my word for it, read God’s Word and meditate on today’s scriptures. Love and Blessings….
Today on Valentine’s Day, invite the presence of the Holy Spirit to fellowship with you and your loved one. Celebrate that He loved each of you before you loved one another. And if you believe you don’t have a significant other and no reason to celebrate, I beg to differ. Celebrate the fact that YOU can fellowship with Jesus, the one who first loved you. And not just today, but every day start the day with Him, enjoy Him during the day, and end the day with Him on your mind. What an amazing day you will have in spite of what may be going on around you. When we choose to look to our source rather than to our situation, we realise how much He loves us, we realise how blessed we are. He who is in control of all things, has chosen us as His significant other. I feel special today and everyday just knowing that I am loved unconditionally forever and always by the Great I Am! So should you. Feed your soul with the scriptures below. Happy Valentine’s Day! Love and Blessings!
Matthew 6:31-33 Hebrew 12:2 Jeremiah 29:13 1 Peter 5:7
Today God reminded me of a time when He stepped in and performed a miracle in my life. And when I thought about it, I realized how He has showed up and showed out time and time again. When you are going through a tough battle in your life, remember the times Christ stepped in and fought your battles. Never does the Bible say once, “stress over it”, “worry about it”, or “try and figure it out” But over and over again, the Bible says, “trust God”. Don’t let the things of this world weigh you down because its not even yours to carry. He will make a way. He will provide everything you need. Be it emotionally, physically, or financially, God will make a way out of no way. He moves mountains, He causes walls to fall. God uses tough times to show His glory. And tough times are a way for us to show our trust in Him. Faith is not faith until its tried. Our faithful God is with us everyday, all day. And He is faithful in our times of trouble! Not a day goes by that we’re not in need of God’s grace and peace. Especially when life throws us a curve ball. We need the Holy Spirit to fill us again, to strengthen us for what’s ahead. God can not fix our problems when we interfere and try to fix them ourselves. Thank you Father for reminding me that if you did it once you can do it again! Lord help us to get out of our own way and let you do what you do best! Love and Blessings…
“God is our strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1)
“Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 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” (Phillippians 4:6-7) NLT
Every day we don’t do something for the Kingdom is a wasted day. The seed of our dreams that God has planted inside of us will bring Him glory and bring others good. The purpose God has called us to live out will be a purpose that bears fruit. We can often look at the outcome of fruit in our lives in order to identify where God is working and how He has created us to live out the dream He has placed within us, linking your dream and purpose with your rewards later. The dream should not be just about you. The reality is it is not about us at all. If your dream has nothing to do with bringing God glory and other people good, then it is not the dream put in you from God. The dream God puts in us will always involve eternity. That dream will always bear fruit. Love and blessings…
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit–fruit that will last–and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (John 15:16) NIV
EMMANUEL 