“Exercising Our Faith”

Devotional for 4/1/11

“For physical training is of some value (useful for a little),
but godliness (spiritual training) is useful

and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds a promise

for the present life and also for the life which is to come.”

I Timothy 4/8
amplified bible

Have you ever thought about what it means to “exercise” your faith? If you are like me, I seem to have a natural aversion to any phrase that contains the word “exercise”. I know that exercise takes a lot of hard work, and I am not always willing to sign up for that.

However, exercise does have its benefits. It makes us stronger. It causes our bodies to behave in the way that they were designed to behave. As we exercise, our strength begins to build, and our muscles begin to become more powerful. They are soon able to “carry” bigger loads than before.

This same concept is true in the spiritual aspect, also. Our natural way of being is to rely on what we can see, hear or feel. Faith is “seeing things as if they were” before they really are. Having faith is not a natural thing for us. It is a “super”

natural thing. The more we “exercise” it, the stronger we become in this area.

Resistance is a big part of exercising. Not only do our bodies resist, but our minds resist also. My Trainer says that our battle is really in the mind. It is our mind that decides how little or how much we will exercise. If our mind says that we cannot do it, our bodies will believe it also. If our mind says that it is time to quit, our body will soon agree.

If we are to exercise at all, the first place that we must strengthen is our minds. We must first determine to take the first step there, and then we must follow through with it when our bodies are crying out for relief. This is the same for us spiritually. We must first determine to have faith in the Lord, and then we must determine to not give up hope when all “seems” hopeless.

The Holy Spirit aids us in our effort to exercise our faith. He “leads us into all truth” the Bible says. It is His job to help us, and I have found that He is very, very good at His job. He seems to know exactly what to remind us of when the going gets tough. He seems to know exactly how to encourage us with “just” the right verse at “just” the right time. He reminds us of all of those whom are watching, and helps us to determine to give it our “all”. I guess you could say that He is our spiritual “Trainer”. Just as it is my physical Trainer’s job to encourage me when I feel like giving up, it is the Holy Spirit’s job to encourage us in the same way spiritually.

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have so much faith? If you look closely at their lives, you will most likely see that they have walked through a lot of “resistance”. In order to exercise our faith, we must have situations in our lives that require faith. As we walk triumphantly through each one of these situations, our faith is strengthened. We can see that they have made us stronger, and our fear begins to fade. We become “seasoned” in our faith, and we begin to “step out” in it more and more. Others begin to look at our lives and what they see causes them to want the same thing in their own life. This is when we begin to share our faith, and this gives us the ability to influence others in their own “walks” of faith.

I love how the Lord makes us stronger by exercising. It is a way of us “partnering” with Him in order to complete His will for us. He will do His part, but we must also do ours. We must allow Him to lead us into real life situations where the exercising of our faith is the only way out. He knows how to strengthen us, and it always includes some type of resistance.

What type of resistance are you facing in your life today? Is it a physical resistance, or a spiritual one? Could it be that you have found yourself in a situation that you really don’t like because of the choices that someone else has made? Is it that you see someone you love who is a really hard worker, but they have suddenly found themselves out of work and there seems to be nothing that you can do to help them? Perhaps you see a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol and you don’t seem to be able to “reach” them. All of these are difficult situations. The one thing they all have in common is that they are each a wonderful opportunity for us to begin to exercise our faith. We can pray for each one of them, and we can have that faith for them that they may not have for themselves.

Thank you, Lord,

for allowing us to partner with you in your ability to
“make a way where there seems to no way”.

Help us to exercise our faith in you, \

that we may grow stronger in our ability to trust you.
Help our ability to trust in you to influence others

to do the same in their own lives.
Thank you that you are strong yourself,

because you have exercised your own faith
by trusting in your Father. I love that you never ask us

to do anything that you, yourself, have not already done.

In your name we pray, and we ask these things,
Amen.

Written by Beverley A. Napier

March 31, 2011

Vows, Honesty and Expectations

Devotional for 3/31/11

 

I got married in a heyday of personalized wedding vows. Popular opinion suggested we, at the very least, should be honest and drop the “until death do us part” from the exchange. We were told to prepare ourselves; with the divorce rate going up every year, we shouldn’t be surprised if our marriage didn’t work. But realistic wedding vows would not make for very romantic occasions.

Imagine repeating after the official in such a manner: I, bride, promise to take you, groom, to love and cherish unless I’m tired, mad, feeling sorry for myself, or in the middle of something else. Before you laugh too hard, how about the guy’s alternative line? For instance, I, groom, promise to take you, bride, to love and to cherish unless I am weary, angry, frustrated or paying attention to something else. Wow, this is a case where too much honesty is not the best policy.

Is honesty the point of wedding vows? When we choose to express commitment to someone else, the words and the meaning behind them do matter to us. Promises are supposed to be goals. In a wedding vow, the goal is to love, cherish and stand by the other no matter what comes.

Then life continues: circumstances change, jobs get lost, mistakes get made, feelings get hurt, hearts get broken, accidents happen. There is no way to predict or control what happens in our lives. You may be the best driver in the world, but that doesn’t keep another driver from hitting you and creating a mess in your life.

Marriage is two people who have made a commitment to share the rest of their lives together. But this takes so much work. Who knew? And why didn’t they tell us? Oops, maybe they did, Grandma asked if you really thought you were ready or sure (Ready for what? You wondered. Am I ready to be happy all the days of my life? Poor Grandma, she doesn’t understand how in love I am!)

Most married people around you understand that having a healthy relationship takes work and tools that most of us don’t know about. When you discover that nothing in your tool box is working, then get advice and direction from a woman who has a strong marriage. I heard a very funny piece of advice for brides that I wish I had known: During the first year, never do anything in the kitchen or the bedroom that you don’t want to do every day for the rest of your life. As I pondered and laughed over this pearl of wisdom, I realized that it is about expectations. The truth is we all have expectations of what married life will be like.

Expectations can seem reasonable. Hoping for the best and seeking to make the most of every opportunity is positive. Unfortunately, our expectations sometimes tend towards such thoughts as: he loves me so much, and he will always want to know all about my feelings. Or he will remember everything that is important to me, or better yet, when he knows how important something is to me, he will feel/think the same way I do.

The first step to making the most of expectations is realizing that you have them. Then doing some homework by reading God’s Word, discussing them and praying to determine if you have the expectations God wants you to have. Here’s the bottom line: no one has all her expectations in order because no one can be perfect, no matter how hard they try to be.

There are so many interesting and helpful books on marriage and expectations. But reading books have only been a small part of my own walk in finding tools to having a healthy and happy marriage. (Come on, if we’re going to stay married we might as well be happy! Right?) Pastor and author Max Lucado encourages us to: get deeply involved with other (women) believers who seek to glorify God. Then pray. There is no alternative for seriously asking God to reveal what is in your own heart, and then asking Him for the strength to turn away from those things/thoughts/habits that are not pure, right or in your best interest.

Have you ever known someone who battled bravely against incredible odds physically, financially or emotionally? Life is a struggle for all of us in one way or another and at one time or another. I find the most discouraging times are when I have started to think, “I have had no relief and there is no end in sight.” It is easy to lose hope when I am looking at the people around me or the road ahead for a sign. Since the only reliable hope is in God, I need to lift my eyes to the One who loves me best and trust Him for the strength to carry on.

This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.

I Timothy 4:10

 

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

A few Marriage Tools:
Shaunti Feldhahn’s book “For Women Only”

And the couple’s resource: www.LoveandRespect.com

Clinging To Jesus

I choose to cling to my Heavenly Father, for He is my hope in difficult situations. I can cling to my Father and He will take care of me all the days of my life. He will wash away all despair and hopelessness we may ever experience. He is my solid rock, and in Him I shall take great refuge and I shall not be moved.

Recently, I have been walking through a difficult situation with one of my children. Yet I know my God is well aware of everything. I know He is mighty and capable of handling the situation. The Lord has myself and my family's best interest in mind, for that is what He tells me in His word in Jeremiah 29:11 He says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Now that is encouraging words to my ears and definitely worth clinging to.

My God is a good God and He will take the very best care of myself and my family. In everything I face I will constantly cling to my Lord. His word says in Deuteronomy 30:20 "that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." I find great comfort in clinging to the Lord, for He is my life and the length of my days and I am grateful He is my Lord and Savior.

Great Blessings,
Written by Sandy

Baptism

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 2: 36-38

               ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Clearly, baptism is a commanded ordinance for those who would be saved. Though it is strictly a physical ritual, our participation in it shows the sincerity of our repentance, our belief of His Word, our desire to obey God, and our acceptance of what Jesus Christ did on our behalf. It is such an important beginning to our Christian lives that Jesus says that "unless one is born of water [baptism] and the Spirit , he cannot enter the kingdom of God"

submitted by: Annie

SEATED WITH CHRIST

My husband and I were driving in the car the other day, he at the wheel and myself in the passenger seat. As I looked out and up through the front window I saw a good sized patch of powder blue sky behind the great expanse of billowing gray clouds. Having endured many days of dark, gloomy and wet weather, this beautiful slice of bright azure firmament was a welcome sight to me. I was reminded of the times I have flown in an airplane. The plane eventually reached an altitude high above the massive cloud cover. At that point the jet sailed through perfectly clear beryl blue skies.

Similarly, as Christians the Word of God declares that we are seated in heavenly places with Christ. (“For He raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with Him in the heavenly realms – all because we are one with Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6 NLT) The Bible tells us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. (“This same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come.” Ephesians 1:19- 21 NLT) It is as though the Heavenly Father is piloting the airplane in the cockpit. His Son Jesus is positioned right next to Him. We share in the same inheritance as Jesus. As covenant believers we are cruising along right up there in that aircraft with the Son of God. We are high above all principality and power. Like Jesus we have authority over all the dominion of the enemy. Spiritually we are soaring above negative circumstances and attacks in our lives. We should see nothing but pristine blue skies as we look through our spiritual eyes. These are the eyes of faith. Our vision is sharpened by reading and meditating on the Word of God. God's promises are ours with which to overcome adversities and the attacks of the enemy. We can mount up with wings and soar like the eagles (Isaiah 40:31) as we are carried along on the wind of the Spirit.

Written by C.F.

Cry Out In Prayer

Jesus gives us many good examples of prayer. He was able to see when he needed to pray, and that sometimes he needed to do so in lonely and solitary places:

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Luke 5:16 NIV

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Mark 1:35 NIV
When he was about to be arrested and crucified, he again withdrew from even his disciples, in sorrow and anguish, to pray:

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" Matthew 26:36-39 NIV

He then repeated this 2 more times, always ending with acknowledging the result ultimately would be the Father's will, not his own. So it is OK to ask for something that we may not receive, as long as the prayer is in faith and honesty, and without improper motives. His prayer also shows us that it is not wrong for us to be sorrowful and troubled - it is a normal part of life even for a Christian. And when we are in that state, we can come to God in prayer:

"LORD, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry." Psalm 88:1-2 NIV

Even in our darkest hour we can come before God in prayer, acknowledge that He is the one who saves us and gives us eternal life in heaven. We can cry out to him and pour out our troubles to him, and ask that he listen to our requests for help and comfort. He will be there, listening, and will answer, even if the answer is "no", or "not yet", or "later". God always answers our prayers when they are prayed with a faithful heart and in the name of Jesus. An answered prayer does not always mean He answered yes. And He answers not because of anything we have done, but because of what Jesus did to save us through his death and resurrection.
Thank you, Lord, for always being there for me, for always listening, and for answering in the way that is best - according to your will. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Written by Jan Andersen

Faith

Devotional for March 26, 2011
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We hear physically with our ears, but also with our spirit. It’s our spirit that believes. It is beyond logic. It’s not the belief that’s based on evidence, like the belief that your household products will work, or your vehicle will get you where you want to go. Even a child will stop crying when his mother leaves because there’s been enough evidence that she’ll come back so he believes it. Believing in your spirit is not based on evidence, but based on hearing that it will happen.

For the last week, my son’s been working on a project. He’s been cleaning his room. I excused him from all other duties so he could do this one thing. Day after day, he’s been in there for hours mostly playing. He’s made some progress. I do see him toting down a bag of garbage at the end of every day. I, likewise, have noticed the give-away pile growing daily. After a few days, my 8-year old was proud to say that he was finished, but it was not up to my standards. My patience was wearing thin, but I had another card up my sleeve.

You can imagine the shock on his face when he realized that I still expected more organizing from him. He was emotionally giving up before I could even begin to use my leverage, I mean to motivate him. When he heard that his sister and her friend wanted to take him to the movies that evening, but he could not go unless his room was complete, his task felt impossible. It didn’t help that my words sounded more like a threat than a motivation. Before I knew it, we were in a yelling match between my frustration and his hopelessness.

It looked to me that if I did not change my tactics, I just might start to feel hopeless myself. I had an idea, but with all the noise in the room, I had to get his attention. I wrapped my hands around his cheeks and firmly held his face so that he could only see my eyes. My goal was to get him to stop crying, to stop using hopeless words, and to instead repeat my words, “I will clean my room,” as well as the words, “I will get to go to the movies with my sister.” However, everything out of his mouth was tainted with crying and sounded pathetic. I don’t know how many times I got him to repeat those words again and again. He kept saying them through tears, and he wasn’t believing the power in the words because of it. I just kept pressing on, “No, say the words without any crying.” “No, say it just like I’m saying it.”

Finally, he mustered all the strength he could find and without even a hint of whining, “I WILL clean my room!” It came out with a boom. I was silent. I looked at him with raised eyebrows and observed his countenance begin to change. His breathing pattern relaxed. He looked around the room as if he was seeing things differently. I asked him, “How does that feel?” He said, “Good.” I said, “That’s called confidence.” God said to my heart, “That’s called faith.” I thought about it for a moment and looked at my son, “Now say, ‘I WILL get to go the movies with my sister,’ but say it with a smile on your face. He did what I told him to do and he liked it.

Now that he was saying it correctly, I had him say it several more times before I left his room. He liked the way it sounded so much that he worked for the next 4 hours repeating the same phrases. He followed through with the action because he believed he could do it. He believed he could do it because his faith came by hearing. You may say that it’s just psychological, but to me it’s an example of how to build faith. There was no evidence for him to believe that he could or would do this task, but once he heard it, he believed it. Once he believed it, he acted out his faith. And, yes, he got to go to the movies.

“…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,

you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’

and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20

Does the believing come before or after we say it? The faith of a mustard seed can move mountains. That’s all it takes. We’re all given a measure of faith to begin with, but it can grow. The faith of a mustard seed is all we need to get our mouths to say it, so that our ears will hear it. The ears are just a portal to get the information to our brains. Even a deaf person can get the information to their brains by simply using their eyes and their hands. Once we get that Word in there, it connects to our spirit so our faith will grow…and boy will it grow and grow!

We begin our life as a new creation in Christ by grace through faith. It’s true that many people need to see evidence before they’ll even consider that God’s Word is true, but the evidence only covers so much. After that, it’s pure faith. So, why stop there? Through faith, we can live powerfully. Now, it’s true that even though my son was finally speaking with confidence and he believed he would accomplish that task, there was still a chance that he would not do it. Everything in life is subject to a chance of failure…everything except for God’s Word. There are a lot of things I can repeat, but there’s still an inkling of doubt in my spirit except when it comes to the Word of God. If God says it, it’s 100% true.

God says that nothing can separate me from His love.
Romans 8:38-39

God says that if I ask, I will receive.
1 John 3:22

God says that if I train my children in His ways, they will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6

God says that if I confess, I will be forgiven.
1 John 1:9

God says that I do not battle flesh and blood, but evil spirits.
Ephesians 6:12

God says that I can triumph over them.
Ephesians 6:11,16

God says that His thoughts of me are more numerous than the sands of the sea.
Psalm 139:17-18

God says that He can do miracles and so can I.
John 14:12-14

God says that no temptation has seized me except what is common to man.
1 Corinthians 10:13

God says that He won’t let me be tempted more than I can bear. |
1 Corinthians 10:13

God says that He created me with a purpose and a plan.
Jeremiah 29:11

God says that He’s preparing a place for me and that He’s coming back for me.
John 14:3

God says that He will never leave me nor forsake me.
Deuteronomy 31:6

God says that I will be with Him forever!
John 3:16

Jesus told His disciples that they were going to the opposite shore of the sea. He did not say that they were going to head in the direction of the opposite shore. He did not say that they were going to the middle of the sea. He said that they were going to the other side. So, when the storm came up and they thought they would die, they lost their faith. But Jesus said they were going to the other side, therefore they were going to the other side. I suppose if they had woken up Jesus and said, “Master, since we’re going to the other side, we need You to help us,” then Jesus would not have called them “Men of little faith.” Since they said that they were going to die, Jesus was correct in saying that their faith was little.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17

No matter what I’m going through and how bad the storm appears, I pray for my faith to be increased and that I remember the many Words God has given me. If He says I’m going to the other side, then I’m going to the other side. I can repeat God’s Words just like my son repeated his own words, but there will be absolutely no trace of doubt in them in my heart. I’ll know and believe His truth.

Then nothing will be impossible because He told me that

‘I can do all things  through Christ who strengthens me!’

Philippians 4:13

Amie Spruiell
  3-26-2011

Making A Difference

Devotional for March 25, 1022

“Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another

 and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing.”

I Thessalonians 5:11

(Amplified Bible)

Last year one of my family members joined the Three Day Susan G. Komen Walk to raise money for cancer research. She was diligent in her training and she was more than ready to walk when the time came. This cause was a particularly personal one to her because her Mother is currently a two time cancer patient and survivor.

During her walk, she told me of a particularly difficult time when the trail became steep and all uphill. She related how difficult that part of her journey was. I remember her telling me that although this may have been the most challenging place in her walk, the thing that she remembered the most was those who were sitting on the sidelines cheering her and all of the others on.

She spoke about how these people had set up little tables of water and other things, and how they would call out encouraging words as the walkers passed by. She said that they would be smiling and even holding up signs, all in an effort to show their appreciation at what was taking place before them.

I can remember how she stated that “everybody can do something” as she told me how much she wanted us to take the time to participate in the following year’s walk along with her. She said that those who were cheering them on had meant so much to her and all of the others who were walking. She shared how much that bit of encouragement had meant to her, and what a tremendous difference it had made in her ability to continue.

I have thought a lot about her experience and her words that day. It reminded me of how important it is for us to encourage one another. The truth is that even a little bit of encouragement can make a huge difference. It can make the difference of someone being able to find the strength to continue on in their journey.

This was a physical journey that she was on, but the same stands true to us on our spiritual journeys as well. At times we can feel as if we have gone as far as we can possibly go and that we just don’t have the strength to carry us on any further. It may feel as if the “deck is stacked against us” as the saying goes. We may feel as if we are all alone and that we cannot see anyone around us for what seems like miles and miles.

This is the exact time when an encouraging phone call, an email or even a text message can make all the difference to someone. It really doesn’t matter how we transport it, it matters only that we do. Today we live in such an “instant” society where it almost seems as if all of our needs can be met almost immediately. It seems as if everyone is so independent and so capable of taking care of themselves.

Perhaps it is because of this that we tend to forget that we all really need each other. The Lord placed us all here on this earth… together. That was His plan. He did not want us to be alone, but He wanted us to be able to fellowship and to be helpful and kind to one another. He wanted us to love one another, as He loves us.

Today I hope to remind each of you, as I myself have once again been reminded, how very important our encouragement is to one another. If ever there was a time that it was needed in our society, that time would be now. There are a lot of people who are experiencing hardships of all kinds all around us. That says to me that there are a lot of opportunities. Take the time to look around you. I am more than confident that you will find someone who needs some encouragement. Perhaps today you will be all the difference in that person’s liffe.

Written by Beverley A. Napier

Inspired by Valerie Timiteo

March 25, 2011

Getting What You Want from God or Trusting in His Healing Ways

Why didn’t God heal her? The entire church was praying for her! We had special meetings where we joined together our petitions on her behalf. The pastor and elders laid hands on her; she went to special healing and prayer meetings at other local churches, too. She prayed, she confessed, she believed.

After major surgery, a long hospital stay, and many returns to the emergency room, she lived; she struggled through the recovery process. Years later she was able to be taken off of the last prescription that kept her heart in order. Some of her closest friends’ hearts never fully mended after this disappointment. Their emotions crushed by God’s apparent silence in the midst of a storm. Yes, they agreed God had pulled her through and she was alive. But where was the “Stand up and walk” healing they had believed and prayed for?

Scripture tells us that Jesus healed people of their sickness and diseases.

Jesus Heals the Sick

(Matthew 4:23-24, NIV

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.

Then scripture tells us that the disciples healed people.

Disciples are sent out in pairs...

(Luke 9:6, NIV)

· So they set out and went from village to village,

preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.

Then scripture shows how healing results in people believing in God.


Get Up and Walk...

(Acts 9:33-35, NIV

· There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Then scripture tells us that we, as believers (we are the ‘anyone’ in this passage), will do these same things and greater, by the power of the Holy Spirit in us.

He Who Believes...

(John 14:12, AMP)

· I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.

Exactly! Some would say, “It’s right there in scripture, we believed, how come it didn’t happen?”


God’s Ways

(Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV)

· “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the LORD.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways,

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

There is so much more going on when someone faces a crisis than we can perceive. Hard hearts are softened, families draw closer, black sheep return, resentment melts, and Love grows. Even what we do see only scratches the surface of all God uses these challenges for. Bad things still happen but we see only from the outside, God sees the heart. (I Samuel 16:7) He is the only one who sees from the beginning to the end. We are only guessing - we do not know.

Medical science is a gift from God. I agree that, as with all gifts, there is some abuse and misuse. I have a friend who is a paramedic who explained that in our lifetime the treatment of heart attacks has improved by 100%. Now we are taught what symptoms to watch for and take serious. A paramedic can usually be at your location within a few minutes (fire department and ambulance). While you are being transported: the crew can calm you down, check your heart, remove/reduce stress from your heart, call ahead and have staff waiting to confirm and fix your heart in less than 2 hours. That’s a miracle. Think about a blood clot stuck in your heart, making it act funny (thus causing you pain and making you act different), and a call to 911 has you taking an aspirin and an ambulance on the way to take you to a special lab where they can go in (without opening up your chest) and dissolve the clot often before it causes damage or death.

I have witnessed and prefer the “Stand up and walk” kind of healing scenario. Yet, I see the work of the medical profession as an extension of God’s loving hands reaching out to the sick and broken. Every good thing comes from above, including the wisdom that continues to be used to make more medical discoveries. (James 1:17)

What about when healing doesn’t come in this life at all? When the one we’re praying for dies? Only God knows the days and the hours of our life. (Psalm 139:16) I pray for healing often and at the same time I say, but You Lord know the number of their days; please help the family endure if it’s this person’s time to go. Then I pray God will use the scenario to heal broken hearts and families and bring salvation to all those who have yet to accept Him.

I am not so mature that I take everything that comes with a great calmness. When my emotions want to take me on a roller coaster ride because God hasn’t answered according to my plans or desires for this person, this I know. God does not lie. Even when I cannot explain or understand who is healed or not healed. I can trust Him. It is the perspective of a child to think God is there to give us what we want. It is a mature point of view to recognize that God is not just a giver of good things. He has our spiritual development in mind long before we do. So, in faith, with prayers of request and thankfulness, even though I don’t thoroughly understand Him, I will wait on Him.

Don’t Fall For That Nonsense...

(Matthew 6:7-13, MSG)

7-13"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,

Reveal who you are.

Set the world right;

Do what's best— as above, so below

Keep us alive with three square meals.

Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.

You're in charge!

You can do anything you want!

You're ablaze in beauty!

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

He Will Complete that Work In Us

" I am confident of this very thing as it says in Philippians 1:6, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." I exhort each of you to continue to look onto Jesus and trust Him and walk in His Spirit and His word. Let us spend intimate time in worship and prayer with the Lord. I encourage each of you to obey God and love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and might. Our God will continually work in us and do a wonderful transformation in us.

As we open our hearts to Jesus, he melts and molds and tenderizes our hearts and lifes accordingly. Yes, there will be times we fall flat on our face. God is always ready to forgive, and pick us up and get us back on the path of righteousness.


God is so eager to use us and manifest Himself through us, so that He can be glorified, Each one of us can be assured that Jesus will do as He say in His word. The Lord Almighty will truly complete the work He has begun in each of us!


Rich Blessings,
Written by Sandy

Those Who Belong to God

Devotional for 3/22/11

We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not;

but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself,

and that wicked one toucheth him not.

And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding,

that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true,

even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

1 John 5/18-20

Verses 18-21 All mankind are divided into two parties or dominions; that which belongs to God, and that which belongs to the wicked one. True believers belong to God: they are of God, and from him, and to him, and for him; while the rest, by far the greater number, are in the power of the wicked one; they do his works, and support his cause. This general declaration includes all unbelievers, whatever their profession, station, or situation, or by whatever name they may be called. The Son leads believers to the Father, and they are in the love and favor of both; in union with both, by the indwelling and working of the Holy Spirit. Happy are those to whom it is given to know that the Son of God is come, and to have a heart to trust in and rely on him that is true! May this be our privilege; we shall thus be kept from all idols and false doctrines, and from the idolatrous love of worldly objects, and be kept by the power of God, through faith, unto eternal salvation. To this living and true God, be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

submitted by; Annie

Psalm 23

Monday, March 21, 2011 Devotional
I just wanted to share one of my favorite Psalms.

Psalm 23
A psalm of David.


The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.


-Shared By CF

GIFTS

Last night we had the occurrence of the supermoon, the largest full moon to occur in 18 years. Many people were talking about it, news people reporting on it, bloggers writing about it. They talked about such things as, "a fluke of orbital mechanics that brings the moon closer to Earth than it has been in 18 years..." They gave specifics about the distance, how much larger it would appear, and how much brighter it would be. They were also quick to point out that it would not cause natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunami waves. However, there was a major thing left out by most - who put the moon in the sky in the beginning, and who should be praised for it's existence.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. Genesis 1:14-19 NIV

So often, we can get distracted by "things" in this world, and can even be enticed into putting them ahead of God. When we go on trips and are out of town for the weekend, do we totally forget about gathering at a church to worship? Or if we get something huge in our lives, like a great new job or promotion, perhaps God is the last we would ever think of thanking or giving credit for it. There are also times when the gift itself becomes something that is worshipped. Have you ever heard someone say that when they are out in nature, they are worshipping? Are they actually worshipping the creator, or the things he created, like the sun and moon and stars, and the fun they are having?

And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. Deuteronomy 4:19 NIV

We forget who gave us these things and why. Some of these things we don't even recognize as gifts, but all of them can serve a purpose. Whether it is an object, or a situation, or an event in our lives, God can use them all and work through them. It may be hard to thank God for the difficult times, but even the hard things in life serve a purpose, whether it be to help us learn to lean on him more, or to give us a greater appreciation for the "good" things, or to teach us somelesson, or to allow us to be of help later to others in the same situation, etc. We can praise God for every situation, every moment of our life, if we can just keep our focus on Him. What a wonderful witness to the world!

Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, you his servants; praise the name of the LORD. Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. Psalm 113: 1-3 NIV

Written by Jan Andersen

Show Me, Lord

Lord, show me how to mother a man.

I'm not even sure if I can.

I know how to mother a boy,

How to find him crying in the corner

After he's lost his toy,

How to pick him up and hold him tight,

Tickle him & tuck him into bed for the night.

But now there's no more playing and wrestling on the floor.

The books I used to read him are now just a bore.

And the only place I find him is behind a closed door.

Lord, show me how to mother a man.

I'm not even sure if I can.

I remember him climbing in my bed at night.

I remember teaching him to read and write.

He's older now, and though we don't usually fight,

I just can't get him to talk to me, not quite.

I don't long to have back his younger years.

I'm content with the memories
I hold so vivid and clear

Of a bond between mother and son that's irreplaceable, priceless, dear.

So, how do I now make that necessary connection,

If all he ever hears from me are words of correction?

He's not quite an adult, but he's practically a man,

One I'm not sure how to mother,

Please tell me how I can.

Show me how to nurture his masculine spirit.

I tell him that I love him, but I'm not sure if he hears it.

I ask what he thinks, how he feels, and he says, "I don't know".

I tell him that I'm proud. If he believes me, it doesn't show.

I  don't mind losing a boy, so long as I can

Gain a man I can still mother.

Does he know I'm his biggest fan?

So show me, Lord, how to mother a man.

Give me the courage and wisdom to know that I can.

Amie Spruiell

3/19/2011