ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS!

How do we make God feel? Keep that question in mind as I run through some scenarios.

• You have a best friend that says she'll spend time with you. You haven't seen her for a long time and she promises a day with you. You have big plans of all the wonderful things you will share with her...and you can't wait to hear about life in her world. But the day comes and 'something comes up'. She promises next week you will get together, but the week rolls by without a day together. Couple things I would be thinking...1) Is she really a best friend? 2) Actions speak louder than words.

• Your spouse works long hours, and when you finally have potential time to spend together, they are either grumpy/complainy about the demands of life or voice that they'd really love to indulge in their hobby than spend time with you. There's already a void in your relationship throughout the week by their long hours, and even when the weekend comes, no special time is set aside for you...again. Couple things I would be thinking....1) Does my spouse really love me? 2) Actions speak louder than words.

QUESTION: Aren't we the best friend/spouse to God?

Think about it. Challenge yourself with this question. Do you spend the time with God that you promise Him. Do you make your appointment with Him daily? Weekly? Do you share the wonderful things of life with Him, like you do your friends....or do you only complain. Which complaining is okay, we do that with friends and He wants us to cast our cares and burdens on Him...but do you celebrate life with Him. Or do you only run to Him in crisis - ONLY?

Is work, hobbies, friends, work/making $$$ or everything else - more important than God? Look at your calendar. What activities in your schedule include God? Does where you spend your time communicate that God is a top priority? 

We say we love God, but do our actions say so? 

• Our children need more of us. We say they are our number one priorities. We promise trips to the park, coloring book time, reading time, cuddle time....but somehow, somewhere all that time turns into chores time, phone w/ friends time, or social media time. Our kids are longing for us. And we are absent in the home, physically present, socially unavailable - leaving our kids unstimulated, without affection, and without attention that communicates YOU ARE PRIORITY. Couple things I'm thinking....1) No wonder kids need meds, they're emotinally bankrupt. 2) Actions speak louder than words.

QUESTION: What if God was a parent like us?

Hardly available to listen to us? Unavailable to help us in life? Leaving us independent, forcing us to survive this world on our own without guidance?

Thank God He doesn't, right? Thank God He's NOT! He is readily available to listen, to rescue, to provide, to comfort us. When we talk to Him, He is fully listening. We are His #1 priority and He very well communicates that to me.

So here's the challenge:

Do what you say you're going to do

for God/with God - consistently.

Long-term.

You will finally gain some spiritual ground, you'll spiritually grow....and then, you will be able to be the parent your kids need, the spouse your husband/wife needs. You will soon become the child of God He intended for you to be!

Are you open to changing YOUR plans? Are you willing to do what it takes?

I live in my mommy-cave for the most part. However, this week, I got out quite a bit...had a few conversations and wow! I always get inspired when I get around people. Plus I started a new book: The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson.

So today, I think I'll share some observations and thoughts I've had this week through my interactions with others and God.

Earlier this week I blogged about marriage and marriage counseling and I've concluded that for so many years people have waited until it was too late (or nearly too late) to get the counseling...many have used it as LAST RESORT for so long...that when couples seek it out to be proactive, they catch flack and things like "what's wrong with you?" are asked. 

These reactions are why people don't go get the help they need. I said it the other day and I'll say it again: we have personal trainers, business consultants, tutors for school...why not have a trained expert help you with the most important relationship on earth? Instead of so many asking "why?" We need to be asking them "why not?" And those who think they don't need one...I think pride, insecurity, or oblivion to how wonderful their marriage could be blinds them. Just a thought.

Also this week, I started reading my latest book on motherhood. Wow! A nice punch in the gut! I skipped to the chapter 'The Undivided Heart' the other night, read it all before turning out the lights for sleep. It was amazing. Last night I finished 'Beautiful by Design'. This book is seriously rocking my world. I love it because all the things the author Sally Clarkson says is all backed up by Scripture. And we know what Scripture is for me, right? The ultimate authority.

For so long I've had a void of mentoring in the area of motherhood. And this book is going to serve that need. It's also confirming to me even further that we do need some serious help in this mommy-ministry area of our lives as women. We need to get the full picture of what God calls us to do. We need some help of deciphering how to carry out Titus 2:3-5 of loving our husbands, loving our children, and being workers at home.

In reading this book, and then looking at the woes of marriage, I've been trying to figure out "what is it that is interfering in the success of these 2 areas of life?" To be a mom and wife. To be a dad and husband.

individuality

This word is resonating in my heart. And look around us. Everyone wants to be famous, get the recognition, have followers. Think twitter & YouTube, right? It's all about being the first to invent and create. YES! I support creativity and pursuing goals and dreams...but not at the cost of forfeiting your first priority to your FAMILY. But that's what so many do, right?

I spoke with a friend this week and he kept asking me, "Why can't you just believe in YOU, YOURSELF?" Not in the have 'have some confidence way'...but in a 'You can be your own god' kind of way...or at least that's how I took it.

Like many, he does not understand my faith/belief/dependence on Jesus Christ. And that's what it is. 'The world' believes in themselves. People are their own gods. They don't believe they have the need for Someone greater outside of themselves. They think they've got it all figured out. But 'the world' is in debt, addicted, jealous, full of strife, prideful, selfish, and greedy. Why believe in that?

CONCLUSION: As a result of people chasing their dreams and goals at the cost of alienating their families...families are falling apart. Period.

Before you disagree with me....this was me a year or so ago. I jumped into something that I could easily excel at....but it would be at the cost of me ignoring my kids and not meeting their needs. God quickly stopped me before their were consequences. He quickly showed me that I am quick to please people and others, who will recognize me and boost my ego - before I will serve my kids (who have yet to understand the term: appreciation).

What do you with the info God gives you?

Me, personally - I make changes right away! If you're a mom & you've caught eye contact with your kids right before they did something they weren't supposed to, what do you do? You raise your finger in the air, you wave it back & forth & say, 'no-no'. That's a picture of my God. My dad. He does this frequently with me when I am headed in the wrong direction. He's waving His finger, shaking his head, saying 'no-no, don't go there, don't do that' in His gentle, warning voice.

We have to stop being so committed to our hopes and dreams and grab on to what God has for us. If we spend enough time with Him, we will soon have the dreams for ourselves that He has placed for us to fulfill. Does that make sense?

Some ways to know if what you're doing is not God's will:

1. Look at yourself: are you stressed out? Worried? Burdened/miserable? Then chances are you're working in your own strength, without the Lord...and trying to make something happen that's not necessarily God's plan for you.
2. Look at your family: are they needy, clingy, whiny, resentful? Ding, ding, ding....not hitting a home run there, are you? What I've experienced is what God has for you, He will make manageable with your first priorities STAYING your first priorities!
3. Look at your finances: is there enough? Is the money coming in that you need? I've heard it said, "Where God guides, He provides". 

Luckily for me, going back to school at Summit Bible College was fully supported when I considered this 3 'tests' if you will.

• I'm never stressed out over school. In fact, every book I read is awesome. I love going to class - it's like having church. And when I sit down to do my homework at 5/6 a.m. in the morning...sometimes 4 a.m. or 10 p.m. (when the fam is asleep), I get some amazing downloads from God. This school thing is just what my spirit needed!
• My husband FULLY supports it. I get dinner prepared for my family (no junk/fast food on these nights). All my husband has to do is get the kids bathed & ready for bed...and he already does this. That's his time and love for them. The boys love 'dad-only' time too. So no void there.
• And the finances have been there from day 1. The application fee. The down payment. The monthly payment. And it fits our financial criteria of 'no debt'. There's not a loan or interest...just paying as I go. My payments are never late, and we have not bills unpaid by this small payment of $151/mo.

Now, if things were opposite. Me feeling overwhelmed and unable to fit my reading in...I'd need to reevaluate. My husband saying, "this really puts me out"....my kids screaming at the door every time I left...I'd need to reevaluate. And if the money just wasn't there...I'd have to accept the fact...."well, me pursuing this degree must not be God's will."

See living by the Spirit, being Spirit-led is doing just this. Holding all things up in prayer, giving it all to God and joyfully accepting what He gives back and provides for.

I swear by this, will live by this forever:

When we do things God's ways,

We get God's results.

I have put a couple things on the back burner for the simple fact of acknowledging that it just didn't have that blessing on it. And that's okay. I'll be honest and admit that it wasn't necessarily easy, since my flesh/ego wanted to 'be the best' at it.

But when God says 'no' to something I want, I tell Him, "Well Lord, you must have something better for me down the road". And then, I just release what it was I wanted and leave my hands open for what He wants to give me.

The hardest part of this for many is NOT TRUSTING GOD. I always remind myself of God's awesome love for me...and that "God has my best interests in mind at all times". It makes trusting Him much easier and something I want to be my first response to all situations.

Awwww. God is so good, isn't He?

Thanks for listening to my 'this & thats' today.  I hope that my constant seeking of the Lord and sharing it through my blog is a blessing to you.

God bless! Have a great weekend!

Don't call it quits - it costs too much!

Continuing on from yesterday's post of making a marriage work, some way, somehow - prayer being a method of choice. Prayer does amazing thing. Counseling is another thing to add to the recipe for a successful marriage!

Upon the eve of me starting my marriage counseling class at Summit Bible College, I thought to myself about how the cost of marriage counseling (which most/all/any marriage would benefit from) compares to the cost of divorce.

Here locally, I've heard you can get some great biblical, marriage counseling for $100/hr.

Here's what I found for costs of divorce:

Most lawyers charge an hourly rate, so expect to pay between $100 and $450 an hour, says Jan Warner of Columbia, S.C., a divorce attorney for 30 years. Some lawyers may charge as little as $75 an hour, according to maritalstatus.com, with an up-front retainer of $500 to $10,000.

Most of the disagreements in her case, she says, pertained to the custody of her 5-year-old son. The divorce ended up costing her $25,000 in legal and court fees. That money, she says, could have been used for more important things. "That was my child's (college) education fund," says Reddy. "But I still have 13 more years to save."

Divorce is big business in the United States. According to maritalstatus.com, a Web site geared toward divorce and remarriage, divorce is a $28 billion-a-year industry with an average cost of about $20,000.

* Info gathered from Bankrate.com

So lawyers charge between $100-450 and hour. How much money could most of the divorced have saved over the long-term had they just invested a $500+/year for some counseling and maintenance.

And we haven't even scratched the surface on the emotional costs for both the husband and wife, the kids, the grandparents, aunts & uncles, etc...the scars trickle through the whole family. I am a child of divorce - now my kids have to deal w/ missing out on one grandparent.

Just a couple of weeks ago I got the Weekend to Remember by FamilyLife Ministries info in the mail. The registration fee was $318 per couple, but offered discounted rates of $199 each, for 2 couples....and $159 per couple for a group. Throw in the $250-300 on hotel, $200+ on food & gas and you've got a $600 weekend. That would help many marriages.

And those who need serious help...
                                          that's 6 counseling sessions.

Counseling is AWESOME! Think about it.

When you have pneumonia, do you stay home and just wait it out? NO! You go to a doctor to get help right away, some medicine to heal the infection. For those who try to 'get better on their own'...what happens to them? They end up in a crisis! In the ER! 

That's what many do with their marriage. They wait until the crisis comes to reach out for the counselor. 

What if you reached out when you were going through rough patches? Some ups & downs, communication issues, some unresolved conflict.

What if you got a fresh perspective on your relationship, got some tools and insight to put into practice, and then kept up your appointments for the accountability?

People have doctors, personal trainers, life coaches, business consultants....but a counselor to help you with the most important human relationship is still taboo? Why?

We've got to be humble enough to say,

"I don't know what I'm doing and I need help".

Personally, this is why I read so much. I read books on motherhood, prayer, fasting, marriage, diet, exercise, life-management, etc. Someone out there knows more than I, so off I go on my information-hunt!

If you need help in your marriage, find a marriage counselor that shares your faith. If you're a child of God, make sure your counselor loves and fears God.

Find a Christian counselor who upholds to the Word of God. The last thing you want to do is go to someone who does not share the same hope in Christ and gives you a sad prognosis to dissolve the marriage.

Get help! Get it fast! And get it in time! 

Disclaimers:

There are probably wives/husbands reading this saying, "I tried to go, but my spouse wouldn't go"...default to the top paragraph as a method to start with...and go to yesterday's post and see if this gives you some inspiration if you're in that situation. http://flexandgetfit.blogspot.com/2012/04/who-starts-change-in-marriage.html

If you've divorced already, I am sincerely so sorry. Tuck this away for the future relationships you have...refer to yesterday's post. But most importantly, prayerfully (without your rose-colored glasses on) pursue any future spouse. Go into it fully objective and heed to the red flags. Many marriages could be saved by NOT marrrying the wrong person through serious contemplation and not by the lustful emotions that drives so many to that quick, spontaneous romantic idea of a beautiful wedding.

BTW: I know of a couple of Christian counselors if you need one here in the Bakersfield area, email me at flexyourselfjen@yahoo.com if you need some names!

Who starts the change in the marriage?

We hear it all the time that ‘my husband changed after we got married’, or ‘my wife changed’. But somewhere down the road, we both changed. I fully believe one started their own change however, and then the other changed to accommodate or fight against the other as a defense mechanism.

But who changed first? Many people point fingers and never take responsibility for their role, i.e. the blame game.

Personally, I know that my attitude is totally impacted by disappointment. I am disappointed by my ‘expectations’ not being met. A friend shared this nugget with me the other day:

When a loved one doesn't meet our expectations,

we must remember it is not our loved one that failed us,

it is our expectations that let us down.

I think many expect that the other won’t change the way they have. Now what?

Would it have helped if in pre-marital counseling the counselor ask: What if this person turned into the complete, negative opposite of who they are today? What if your spouse gained 50-100 lbs.? What if your wife never wore make-up again? What if your husband gambled all your money away? What if she never cleaned the house? What if he was grumpy for the rest of your life? What if she shopped you into deep debt? What if he never worked another day? What if ___fill in the blank____?

Wow - that would impact the number of marriages, huh? Hmmmm. I don't know...You might think I'm crazy...but think about all the divorces around us. Why are marriages ending? It's these kinds of things that are breaking the deals made. These are the daily things going on in homes...that after 5-10 years finally takes it toll. Hearts are hardened and one or both want out of the deal. They didn't sign up for this, right?

However, attempting to find the source of who started us down this path leads into a quandary and conflict. It leads us to the blame game and piles on more resentment.

Resentment affects attitude. A great value of justice leads me to the ‘that’s just not right’ campaign…which leads to the resentment, i.e. bitterness for me. And my good attitude quickly deteriorates.

The cure for resentment: FORGIVENESS. I am trying to learn to ‘let people off the hook’. I should really learn to ‘not have any expectations’, huh?

But what’s the deal? You marry a person because of who they are while you’re dating, don’t you?

Maybe you married your spouse because they were super on-fire for God, they prayed for you daily, they served the Lord diligently, loved reading their Bible, talked about God with you and others all the time…and then on top of that had some awesome values of integrity, honesty, humility, hardworking ethics, humor, and compassion. While dating, they loved your thoughts and opinions, and were always affectionate.

Once married, trials come…they fall out of their devotional life. Achievement comes and they lose their humility, compassion, and pride takes over. Their job or hobbies soon become an idol (because God has lost the #1 seat with time).  Affection and conversation becomes an ‘as-needed (for them) basis’. Hmmmm.

Here’s where the voids in the spouse who is enduring this sets in. Voids are NO BUENO in a marriage!

Where opinion and thoughts were appreciated, they are now met with judgment. Where there was excitement is grief. Once married, no one wants to be sharpened…they just want agreement. No opinions please - just agree & submit!

What to do? What to do?

When you marry under God – vowing to never leave the other, no matter what – one can feel stuck. But as I've said before: Where there is Christ, there is always hope! 

So what is the game plan? My conclusion is that you enter into the season of intercession. This becomes something that only God can mend. It may not be overnight, but He can and He will!

God is for marriage. He will save, cure, and help any marriage. It works especially well when BOTH people are willing to submit to Him.

This change/miracle requires radical intercession. Is it easy? Heck no. But can we tap out? Heck no. So what are we going to do? Pray. Pray. And pray some more.

Pray for that resurrection power to penetrate hardened hearts. Pray for the fear of the Lord in both your hearts. Pray for the humility to come back. Pray for submission to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Pray for divine intervention. Pray that God will protect your mind and heart from the enemy’s temptations to lure you away. Pray that God will move quickly and swiftly. Pray for the power to forgive and forget. Pray for the ability to trust God when it is ugly. Pray that you will have the endurance to pray until the victory comes. Pray hard. Pray daily.

Pray the other spouse will pray for you. When we pray for the other person, our heart is softer toward them. Pray for your heart to stay soft. Pray that God will search your heart and show you what needs to go and change in YOU.

At this point, God has to show up. We have to get into His presence and let Him change us and bear our burdens. At this point, it’s all up to God. So give it to Him and let Him be God of your marriage….your life.

John 20:1-31 - Believing or Disbelieving?

I turned to the Book of John 20 in my Bible today...the title of that section reads "Jesus Rises from the Dead". And that's why Easter is a great celebration for the believing.

Today is why I am who I am.

Jesus Christ is alive - resurrected from the dead...

He overcame death - just like that!

As I read through this chapter, four 'characters' stood out to me today as I read of Jesus' first day of resurrection.

In verse 4 it speaks of Peter and the other disciple running together. The other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter. I love that he was running faster. He was running with great anticipation. Probably with joy, hoping what he was told of Jesus was true, expecting the tomb to be empty.

Go down to verse 8: "So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed". He saw nothing....He saw that Jesus was risen and gone, and so he believed. His great anticipation was met with confirmation!

In verse 11 we meet Mary Magdalene. She stood outside of the tomb weeping. She had great faith before, but now she was mourning...read of her disbelief in verse 13, "...they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him". Her words did not display faith that He had risen.

This reminds me of people who are so focused on the death of the Christ and do not acknowledge that He is risen. There comes a point that we have to turn our attention from the death to the resurrection. Although, it's by His death we are saved and forgiven of our sin...but that's not the end of the story, so we can't stop there!

Even in verse 14 Mary did not realize Jesus was standing in front of her...not until He called her by name in verse 16: Jesus said to her, "Mary!"...then after 'seeing Him' she tried to cling to Him.

Next, in verse 19, we meet 'the disciples' behind locked doors, fearing the Jews. Think about it. This was the group who had followed Jesus throughout His ministry, but now their leader was 'gone'. Who would protect them now?

This is a group of people that I hope I don't find myself in the midst of. I do not want to fear those who do not believe in Christ. I do not want to fear perscecution. I do not want to fear ridicule for my faith in Christ!

I want to stand up boldly for Who I believe in!

And our fourth character is Thomas. He's the "Unless I see His hands...I will not believe" guy. Oh, I am sad for those who refuse to believe in Christ without 'seeing Him'. Jesus knew what Thomas had said and appeared to Thomas, saying "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands...". In verse 27 Jesus said, 'do not be unbelieving, but believing'....Then Thomas believed & confirmed his faith with: "My Lord & my God" (verse 28).

Who are you? Which character are you?

1. The other disciple
2. Mary Magdelene
3. the 'disciples'
4. Thomas

What is so wonderful when you read this chapter is that Jesus appeared to the disbelieving characters: Mary, the group of them with fear, and Thomas. Despite their disbelief, He was still gracious and revealed Himself to them.

Maybe you're disbelieving today...maybe you hope Jesus is real, but you're not sure or willing to take a chance. God will reveal Himself to you - just ask Him to.

But think about what verse 29 says:

"...Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed".

That's who I want to be. That's who I am! I believe what the Bible says, I do not have to see a thing. I want the unconditional love and forgiveness the Bible says Jesus offers and so I accept what the Bible says throughout....And God greets my faith with salvation.

"...these thing have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and

that believing you may have life in His name".

John 20:31

That's who I am....the believing!!!  Won't you join me?

Note: all verses taken from the NASB.

My 11 yr. old friend says: People need to make peace!

Yesterday, I was so ministered to by an eleven year old. She was precious. I got to watch a friend's two daughters yesterday and I was so blessed by them.

As she told me 'her story'...she went on to tell me that 'I want to stay positive, live for God and be a peacemaker.... just make peace, ya know'. An eleven year old?!?!!!!

The world needs more PEACEMAKERS.

Today in the Word, I was reading in Romans 14...and verse 17 reads:
...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

v. 18-19: For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

I always love how verses like this lead you back, directly to Jesus' teachings.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" - Matthew 5:9

We are reminded in scripture that 'they will know us by our fruits'...My eleven year old friend equated 'peacemakers' with 'followers of Christ'. Loved it.

When we truly follow Christ & his teachings,

we will be peacemakers.

• Be peacemakers for your own life. Don't nag on your spouse, your kids...speak life over them and pray for the patience to do so. In your families, respect one another, be positive, not critical. Be supportive and loving, not forceful and controlling.
• Be peacemakers in others' lives. I do this by trying to never really take sides, no matter where my loyalty falls because THERE ARE 2 SIDES TO EVERY STORY. I realize where there is conflict, boundaries have been crossed by one person or both. And I serve as a sounding board and then try to be a peacemaker by planting seeds of what could be done on 'this' side to bring peace with 'that' side.

Here's what Jesus says....Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there...and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come present your offering. - Matthew 5:24

Dictionary.com says that reconcile means:
1. to win over to friendliness; cause to become amicable: to reconcile hostile persons. 
2. to compose or settle (a quarrel, dispute, etc.).

For peace to be made people need to take responsibility for their actions of crossing boundaries and hurting the other person. Then be truly, sincerely apologetic. And they show their sincerity by: NEVER DOING IT AGAIN.

Make peace with others by being truly sorry. So often people want to live in denial about the gravity of what they've done. Denying you've done anything wrong or hurtful will not make peace.

When we are humble enough to say "I really blowed it, I really hurt you...and I am so, so, so sorry, please forgive me"....then we can move toward more peace.

Holidays, weddings, and birthdays on the calendar...anything that brings family and friends together is a great catalyst for peacemaking to be pursued.

So take this eleven year olds advice:

Just go out and be a peacemaker so that you can make your family at peace!

Going Deeper - It's basic, yet essential!

We say we want to go deep in the Lord, but do we stay consistent with our devotional/prayer-Word time with Him? It's much more than asking God to bless our day & read a verse...It's pouring your heart out of your trials, tribulations, and sins...and asking Him for help, forgiveness, and direction. By staying consistent with this one thing...we go deeper in the Lord because HE takes us there.

I think we want something so much more complicated...but it's so simple...time alone w/ the Lord...full transparency & dependency. And we have to stay there...shallow waters are lukewarm...God is so good and wants to use us in others' lives. He needs us to report in daily with our mindset to live for Him and do what He asks. That's when we find ourselves in the middle of God's will.

 

Shallow waters are lukewarm....hmmm. This is true. We cannot stay in shallow waters for long.

 

Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:2, 3: I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly.....

 

I take it as: We cannot receive the solid (deeper) things of God when we are walking in the flesh...When we're lead by the flesh...we can't receive the truth. Our hearts are hardened, our minds are focused on things of this world...and we don't let what God has to say rule in our lives.

 

1 Peter 2:2 says: Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

 

Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander...it's safe to say these are deeds of the flesh.

 

If you're driving the car in the wrong direction, when you realize you're going the wrong way, what do you do? You HIT THE BRAKES & TURN AROUND, right?

 

So, if you see these deeds of flesh in your life...worldliness in your life - what should you do? HIT THE BRAKES & TURN AROUND.

 

How? LONG FOR THE PURE MILK OF THE WORD.  We've got to go back to basics always. These 'basics' are essentials! Essential to our walks with God, essential to our lives, essential to our kids' salvation. When we get off track, we just need to stop & start over.

 

How? Long for the Word. Long for God.

 

I wholeheartedly believe that anyone who has truly experienced God's kindness and goodness can NEVER truly turn away. They may try to ease the pain of their conviction and pain from sin. But they can never walk away from our amazing, good God if they have truly tasted the kindness of the Lord.

 

So in the event you blow it. Just stop. Repent. Ask God to remove the sins from your life, and ask Him to help you start over. And then daily, go to Him for strength to avoid the traps of sin. Ask Him to put the fear of the Lord in you.

 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Psalm 111:10

 

Stay transparent with Him, and dependent on Him. Realize what it says in John 15 - Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Here is where the deepness begins. When He is set as Lord over all in your life.

 

God bless!

Jesus is willing to HEAL

How do I begin this??? My whole belief re: healing from the Lord has changed. It really is according to our faith. I've sat in a 'healing meeting' w/ disbelief...and the Lord plainly said in my heart "Let it be according to your faith"...."They have the faith for a healing, and so I will". Ouch - I know.

Following that service I attended, I had a conversation w/ a Bible-scholar. She is a great woman of faith, and when I shared my disbelief with her...and how I was struggling to ask God for a healing for my son's asthma....She challenged me:

WHERE  IN  THE  WORD  DID  JESUS  NOT  HEAL?

Made me say: Hmmmmm. Prayer + Faith in Jesus = MIRACLES. (Period.)

In the meantime, I've taken on this mission to pray for a little boy, a  2 year old Steven. The doctors diagnosed him Valley Fever and as of last Thursday, he's not responding to the meds. The doc has doubled the dosage and they are discussing bone scans. Valley Fever is a nasty, terrible thing. Please join me in praying for him, if you already haven't.

But, knowing that Jesus Christ has the power to heal...and He loves the little children, why would He not be willing to heal little Steven? He is willing, I believe.

Need some convincing that Jesus heals? Go to Matthew 8....

• verse 3: I am willing...be cleansed.
• verse 7: I will come and heal him.
• verse 14: He touched her and her fever left.
• verse 32: Jesus delivered the demon-possessed men.

Go to Matthew 9:

• verse 6: He said to the paralytic, GET UP & WALK (healing).
• verse 22: Your faith made you well.
• verse 25: Jesus took the girl by the hand & she got up. (Her father had said she was dead.)
• verse 29, 30: He touched their eyes (they were blind), and their eyes opened!

Think about this....this is 12 counts (their were 2 demon-possessed men...and 2 blind men) of healings.

Along these verses, there is not one instance of Jesus saying 'oh, not today'. So we are challenged aren't we?

We can either continue to live under man's lack of faith in Jesus being a healer and not put Him on the spot to be a healer....Or we can believe the Word of God, the Bible and pray to a God who heals willingly with great faith.

This is the faith I am using when I pray for Steven. How can the Lord not heal this boy? It will mystify the doctors who serve the gods of medicine...it will strengthen his mother's faith, it will grow his father's faith, all his older siblings will end up saved through this kind of testimony. Why would Jesus NOT want to heal? I can't equate God with that rationale.

I think it's time that we start asking Jesus Christ who overcame death, to overcome our diseases and infirmities...addictions, mental illnesses - you name it! If it's physically holding you back and down...then go to the God who heals - Jesus!

This is where our modern day version of Christianity has to change. This is one major area we need to make Jesus Lord again. Lord over our health.

We need to put ourselves in a place of need, a place that stretches our faith. I think we don't want to be 'disappointed by God'...so we don't ask big, marvelous things from Him. Well, we're wrong.

GOD DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!

GOD IS SUPER FAITHFUL!

So put your neck out there, and ask God for some miracles and watch Him show up! Your relationship will be sooooooo positively impacted by it! Trust me -

ASK GOD TO DO MIGHTY THINGS

AND WATCH HIM SHOW UP!!!!

And once He does -  WORSHIP HIM!  And share the testimony that Jesus heals!!!!