Reflections and Resolutions!

As I was reflecting upon the past year and some of my blog posts, I started thinking about all that has been said and why.

For more than a year now, I have been writing as God has inspired me to write based on His Word. At least that’s what I believe. My early morning posts should attest to that on a daily basis. This is the ministry that God has encouraged me to do so that others will also be encouraged and enlightened. I pray that the goal was met–people being encouraged and enlightened that is. If you have a personal favorite blog–feel free to re-blog or let me know. I usually have to “look back” at them to understand the responses I get.

Some of my posts have been political rants or personal vents and some promotions for my books. Blogging–as a way of communicating, self-reflecting, and learning has become such an integral part of my life that I don’t see it ending any time soon.

At any rate–I would love to say what will be (I don’t know), but I can say with certainty is that–I’ll be here–blogging away, writing what is in my heart and praying that something is said to encourage yours.

Thanks for your support and may God bless your every endeavor that honors Him. I have no resolutions other than hearing from God and obeying. Here’s to–reflections of The Word!

Advertisement

Pulling Down Strong Holds in 2014!

“I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 2 Corinthians 10:2

 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.2 Corinthians 10:3

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians10:4

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Father, in the name of Jesus,

We look to You, the author and finisher of our faith,

To help us to do all that You have said we could and would do in Your Word.

We ask You to look upon the hearts and minds of those in positions of authority and leadership everywhere—heads of state, politicians, law enforcement, military, pastors, church leaders, heads of families and everyone else—expose the true nature of each and every person so everyone can see.

We thank You for breaking the strong holds the enemy has on those who cloak themselves in deceptions and lies; exposing manipulative schemes devised by those who think that no one knows.

We thank You for having eyes that see in every place, beholding the good and evil and for pulling off the cloak of dark works that fester in the minds of those who are so easily fooled and influenced by Satan.

We thank You for allowing the scales of political correctness to fall from our eyes and minds so we see and know Truth for the sake of Truth and in following Him in all things.

We thank You for the remnant—those who refuse to buy into political correctness over Godly righteousness—and for their strength and courage that only You can provide to stand against the deeds of evil and praise You in the midst of the chaos.

We thank You for deliverance—from bitterness and desire to avenge the evil so thoughtlessly committed against us—for You have said that we cannot allow the evil to rule over the good that is within us and we will maintain the good in spite of the evil.

We thank You for speaking to hearts of parents everywhere—who have abandoned, abused, or neglected their children. We ask You to create in them a heart to want to do what is right for their children and for themselves.

We thank You for being God, our creator and for the fact that there is none like and nor will there be. There is no god, created by our hands that we would should worship or give any credence to being anything other than something made by the hands of man.

We look to You—more now than ever before—to break every chain that binds those who inflict evil and influence minds to perpetuate evil against others. We look to You to create situations in which men and women and children everywhere will know that they must develop the mind of Christ and live within the Word so the nations can be saved.

We look to You, O God—to position those who know You in places where they can, with courage—take a stand and become immoveable—in promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray Your hand of protection over all who belong to You and for those You know will change their directions and come to You of their own accord. Keep all assigned angels alert and watchful so the enemy will not have opportunity to steal, kill or destroy the hopes of entire nations. Open our eyes that we might see the deceptions planned so we know how to fight against them. Open our hears so we can hear You when You speak—warning us of dangers and telling us what to say. Touch our bodies and heal them of all sickness and disease. Touch our minds cutting away any thoughts of disobedience or evil in the light of day so they cannot manifest themselves in darkness. Speak to the hearts of Your children of all ages and encourage them to know that wisdom is the principle thing and with all their getting—they need to have understanding—academically, economically, and spiritually.

In the new year, O God, we look for You to do a new thing—a new thing so great that will once and for all convince the unbelieving that You are God and You are God alone.

We proclaim every good thing that You have planned for us will be obtained in 2014 by all who obey Your Word and share the love of Jesus Christ with others. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayers. Amen!

Know His Voice and Follow!

“But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:26-28 NKJV).

What would happen to children if they did not know their parent’s voice in the midst of chaos–in a crowd? What usually happens when children hear their parent’s voice and they recognize what’s about to happen because they know the “tone”of that voice?

In response to questions by the religious leaders of the day, who kept trying to determine who Jesus was, He told them–and basically what He was saying was this–“because I did not give you the answer you wanted to hear, you do not believe me.” But then He continues by letting them know–they did not really know or understand God by being in relationship with Him; if they did,they would have recognized that Jesus was only doing what the Father had instructed Him to do.

We cannot hear God or understand clearly what scripture is saying to us today, unless we have a relationship with God and know His voice above all the mindless, godless chatter that we hear. Not everyone who professes to believe in God–knows His voice. But those who have a relationship with Him–can commune with Him–and know His voice and follow the Great Shepherd.

The shepherd’s role in the natural is to take care of the sheep–feed, protect, and guide. The role of the Great Shepherd is the same–provide for us, protect us and guide us and we are protected from the enemy when we “hear His voice” and “follow” His instructions and directions.”

The enemy (sometimes in sheep’s clothing) deceives and masquerades as a ministering angel, but is role is to steal, kill, and destroy. He is a master of deception and the father of liars. The enemy today, attempts to thwart the Word of God by twisting and curling God’s Word into so many knots of deception that they really make themselves look foolish. Anyone who has a relationship with God is not deceived or fooled by the machinations of the enemy and God will not allow those who know Him to become fuel for the fodder that the enemy spreads.

If greatness for any nation is going to abound–it will be because of those who “know God’s voice and follow Him,” not the latest trends of treachery and political correctness. God is yet speaking, but many are  not hearing or believing because they do not know His voice.

Know the voice of God by comprehending clearly His Written Word and communing with Him on a daily basis. When we lack wisdom–we seek Him, not those who do not know the voice of God and we know them because of their lack of understanding God. Don’t put yourself in the position to be plucked out of God’s hand because of the enemy’s deceptive practices.  Remember–he wants to destroy every chance of happiness and joy that God has promised. The enemy will lie at every turn and try to use God’s Word to support his lie. When we know the Word, we cannot be deceived by those who manipulate the Word for their advantage. God knows who belongs to Him and He knows who the enemy is and those who are cloaked in deceptive practices.

Know God’s voice and do not follow the others who attempt to mimic Him!

No Need To Fear!

“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life” (Isaiah 43:4 NIV).

The promise of God spoken through Isaiah–those who have been redeemed (purchased by the blood of Jesus) have no need to fear anything that appears to be devastating on the earth. God will save us in the midst of the turmoil and chaos. He will gather our children to a safe place where they will not be harmed.

When we learn to receive the Word of God into our hearts as a word spoken directly to us–we know we do not need to fear the events unfolding in the society in which we live. All things that are coming to the forefront were foretold in the past so we would have hope and have no need to be fearful. What God has accomplished in the past, He will continue to do now and in the future. If we teach our children to have reverence for The Lord and obey His Word, we have no need to fear for their futures. If we encourage all we know to come and partake of the Living Water–we get them into a secure place where they will not be harmed.

God is saying right now–though it appears that many have forsaken Him, He has yet numbered those who truly love Him and He calls us “precious in His sight” and because He loves us–He will protect us from the insolence and stupidity that seems to reign in our land.

“Call on The Lord” with a heart to hear and respond to Him and see if He will not save. For He has said, “who ever calls upon His name shall be saved.” But those who call upon Him, in mockery and insincerity will have to deal the consequences and they have every reason to fear the calamities that will come upon them.

Because of our obedience to Him, God is willing to exchange nations for us. In other words, He will remove us from those who are doomed in order for us to be saved.

O God–help us to see You in all Your glory and praise You for being such an awesome God that You are not willing for any to perish, but for all to have safe passage into Your kingdom. Help us to magnify who You are by our conduct before others so they too shall receive the benefits of Your love. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen!

Be Still and Know!

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).

Why does it seem like the enemy is winning the battle of good and evil?

Why do parents abandon and abuse children?

Why do predators exist and keep preying on the vulnerable and weak?

Why is it that those who attempt to do good–always, seem to have more difficulty in life than those who do evil?

Why is that we often lose loved ones to sickness and disease and yet those who never do anything right, continue to live?

Why is it some will always hate others for no other reason than they are different?

Why can’t the human race (not the white, black, brown, or red, but all) just get along with one another and stop hating?

Why do children die young, before they have opportunity to live life?

Why can’t our government stop feuding long enough in their attempt to promote personal agendas and see the needs of the people?

Why do we have to maim and kill one another?

Why can’t we all just learn to exist–peaceably–on the one planet in which we must stay?

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,” He has just allowed us to enjoy His goodness on earth for a number of days (that number which we do not know), so why don’t we--just enjoy it and give Him praise for it? There is going to be a time and that time is soon when all knees will bow and declare His goodness! He will be exalted among those who claim to never have known Him.

There are more questions than answers to explain life and living, but this one thing we can be sure of–if we just get quiet and stop trying to figure things out that God has already worked out–He will get the glory in the end. Because He love us, when we are obedient to Him–no matter what–we will receive all of His promises. All we have to do is–be still and know that no matter what is going on around us–He is still God–of the righteous and the unrighteous, the just and unjust, the saved and unsaved–God of all at all times!

Love, Pray, and Move Forward!

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:44,45 NIV)

One of the reasons many of us never reach the heights of success that God has planned for us is because we get stuck–stuck in disappointments, by those who create problems for us, by inner-feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem. We get stuck on getting revenge trying to avenge those situations over which we have no control and end up moving backward instead of forward. We get stuck trying to “make” people like us or pay attention to us, when they don’t have to like us. We get stuck trying to control situations that are totally out of our control.

The solution to being “unstuck” in any situation–love those who love you, but love the ones who hate you as well. Pray for all–those you love and those you may not like, but you love. Keep loving and keep praying and all the while you’re praying, keep moving forward. We have no control over people and what they do, but we do control what we do. We do not have to allow what others think of us– to stop us. We do not have to allow what others do to us to hinder us. Pray–for wisdom and discernment–understand that your success is not contingent upon others liking you, but whether or not your plans are aligned with God’s plans.

When people hate you–pray and smile at them. When they talk about you–pray and pray some more. When people attempt to misuse you–back away and pray for them and self. And all the while you’re praying–keep moving forward, without holding onto the hurts and disappointments–keep going. Life happens and sometimes we just have to deal with it where we are. Cry, scream, get angry, but get over it quickly and move forward.

If you really want to make the enemy upset–keep smiling, keep loving, keep moving forward and never let set-backs cause you to stop moving in the direction that God has destined for you. Bless others when you need a blessing. Love others when you need to be loved. Encourage others when you need to be encouraged. Pray for others when you need someone to pray for you. And through it all–never lose sight of God’s love or His plans for your life.

God knows and sees all–He will take care of us and those who have attempted to destroy us as well. He rains on the  just and unjust, the righteous and the unrighteous–and all is accomplished by His design. Remember this–it takes a lot less effort and time to love than it does to hate. It is so easy to love others and so time-consuming to hate!

Hear, Learn, Attain!

“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels” (Proverbs 1:5)

Wisdom from God can only be heard in the Spirit, before the wisdom can make one wise in the natural. When wisdom is “heard” we can proceed in making wise decisions–decisions that will not cause us regret or harm.

Once we have heard the voice of God speaking wisdom into our spirits, we will increase in learning–both spiritually and naturally. We shall make room for all we need to know in order to be the best representative of God that we can be and in producing means to assist others in the natural realm. All knowledge comes from God whether we believe that or not. We come into the world knowing absolutely nothing and yet some achieve more wisdom and knowledge than others because they were willing to hear–God’s voice (not their consciences that could nothing apart from God anyway).

When we truly “understand” that we know nothing apart from God and that we need His direction in all we do, then we shall be considered wise and others will seek our counsel in all matters because they know they can trust what we say and do.

“The fear of the Lord (reverential respect for God and His ways) is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

If we are not wise and walking in the wisdom of God, then we are fools doing foolish things.

Lord, help us to be wise and do all things to Your glory, not our own so that we will not appear foolish in anything. Create desire in us to move forward by Your direction only so we won’t have to back-up and retreat in order to keep going. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen!

Thanking God!

I’ve been up, literally all night!

When I impose deadlines on myself, I try like crazy to make it happen. I made it happen, but I’m also very tired.

I was not up all night wrapping gifts. I was up all night typing and revising, and revising my latest book in the Battlerama series. And the reason I was up all night? Tired and not paying attention.  But I’m thanking God for being up with me.  We had time to chat. He kept telling me that sometimes, I move a little too fast. When I do, I make mistakes and then spend much more time fixing the mistakes that I would not have made, if I hadn’t moved so fast.

I got it! I really grateful that in the quiet times of the night, when I only hear the sounds of the keys clicking, that I can hear my Daddy speak to me. He is so good!

I already knew that this day would be a bit of a challenge, but I didn’t know I’d face it without getting any sleep.  If I hurry, I may get a nap in before others wake up. But while I wait for sleep to overtake me, I just wanted to let you know that I truly thank God for loving me so!

When you get a chance–check out the new book and see how Holy Spirit worked with me during the month of November for NaNoWriMo Challenge  Battlerama Super Tweens On The Other Side! Let me know what you think of it. I’m grateful! https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/391582

Have a wonderful day celebrating and stay safe!

Merry Christmas!

In The World, Not of The World!

“For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You.

Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

“But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

“And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

“that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17: 8-21 NKJV).

The true Lord’s Prayer–the prayer that Jesus prayed in the garden just before He was arrested, says all that needs to be said about those living “in this world, but are not of this world.”

Be encouraged to stay in the faith and walk in God’s Truth (His Word), no matter what people of the world may say or do. When we have a relationship with God, we know we have His Truth and nothing the world does can persuade us to think otherwise.

Have a wonderful season celebrating the birth of our Savior and it is–all about Him!