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1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)”No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.”This scripture was dropped into my spirit today and I have been letting it marinate all day! In so many words, it seems that God is saying, “Baby you ain’t seen nothing yet!” He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
We have no idea what God has in store for us! Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God can do even more than we can ever ask or think. As Oprah says, God’s dream for you is bigger than any dream you can ever dream for yourself. That’s good news!
In our limited minds we only see what’s in front of us. Bills, burdens and barriers. But keep pressing on. God has something prepared for you! Something with only your name on it! And it’s not just in this life, but also in eternity. Don't get it twisted, the world as we know it is not all there is to this life. But God is so good that we don’t have to wait until this life is over to see God’s blessings. He wants us to be blessed here and in eternity. Jesus told us that he came to give us a "rich and satisfying life" (John 10:10 NLT). So when things are not looking as good as you would like them to, think about what God is working out for you. Think about what we have no idea about. Dream and see God go above and beyond that dream.
There’s reason to hope! The best is yet to come!
Peace & Blessings!!! IJ
Oh man! Last night at church the message was titled "Release Your Power". I woke up this morning thinking about it so you know it was goood! The scripture references were Luke 9:1,2,6; Ephesians 3:20 (my favorite scripture) and Acts 3:1-5.
The minister talked about how God has given us too much power to be walking around defeated and letting the devil beat up on us. Jesus freely gives us power and authority once we accept Him as LORD and SAVIOR. So why are we still on the bench? Get off the bench, get on the field, and get in position! We can't walk in authority if we don't activate the power that is within us. She also said that we didn't sign up to be in God's reserved army! We signed up to join the fight! The front line!
It was confirmation for me because the night before I was thinking about how real spiritual warfare is. I have learned that we have to open our mouths and confess, profess and decree the promises of God. It's time out for being quiet. She asked us if we are willing to take hell just to prove God right? I am! Because I know who takes care of me and who has been taking care of me all this time. Even when I didn't acknowledge Him. The devil is on attack in our families, our health, our marriages, our finances, our jobs, our minds and our spirits. God gave us power of ALL demons (Luke 9:1). We are in Christ and Christ has already defeated the devil (John 16:33). At the name of Jesus demons tremble (James 2:19). So exercise your authority over the things the devil is after. Resist the devil and he will flee! (James 4:7).
1 John 4:4 Greater is HE who is in me, than he who is in the world.PEACE & BLESSINGS!
GOD is able to do just what HE said HE would do…. HE’S gonna fulfill every promise to you…. Don’t give up on GOD, cause HE won’t give up on you……HE’S ABLE!!!!
Now unto HIM who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ever ask or think according to the power at work in us! (Ephesians 3:20)
For all the promises of GOD in HIM are Yes, and in HIM Amen (2 Corinthians 1:20)
GOD is not a man, that HE should lie, nor a son of man, that HE should repent. Has HE said, and will HE not do? Or has HE spoken, and will HE not make it good? (Numbers 23:19)
Being confident of this very thing, that HE who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)
Happy New Year all! 2010 is here and we all begin a new decade of life. Begin 2010 believing that GOD is able to do everything that HE has promised to you. We didn’t come this far to give up now. HOLD ON!!!! Hold on to your faith, hold on to your hope, hold on to your dreams, hold on to your prayer life, hold on to your joy! God is good! HE always has been and HE always will be. GOD provided in 2009, so what makes you think HE won’t in 2010? Be blessed and watch the move of GOD!!!!
Peace & Blessings!
IJ
As I have written before, there is a church marquee that I pass by daily on my way to work. Every week I am excited to read the new message posted. This week’s message reads, "Always look beyond where you are." The bible tells us that the end of a thing is better than the beginning (Ecclesiastes 7:8) & our latter will be greater (Haggai 2:9). So hope in what's to come! If things are bad now…they will get better! If things are good now…they will get gooder (LOL)!! GOD is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ever ask or think (Ephesians 3:20)!
You may be thinking:
How can you say look beyond where you are when things are so bad now?
How do you know things won’t get worse?
Times have been better than they are right now!
Well let’s put this into perspective. God has a perfect purposed plan for ALL of His children (Jeremiah 29:11). So if you belong to Him, you are covered! Do you know when things were bad? Really really bad? When you were outside of the family of God! When the devil could have taken you out and made you a permanent member of his team! So if you are saved by grace, there is nothing that can be done to you that would be worse than you having to spend an eternity with the father of lies (John 8:44)!
So again I say……HOPE in what God has in store for you! Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrew 11:1)!BE BLESSED!
If this recession has done anything, it has pushed me (and I am sure) and many others closer to God. Over the last few months I have seen my comfort zone get smaller and smaller and my relationship with God get bigger and bigger. No, things are not the way I would like them to be. But I am content! As Paul says in Philippians 4:11, I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. How can I be content with much less money than I am used to having?
1. I know that God is in control!
Psalm 24:1 says that the earth and everything in it belongs to God. I’m in the earth and so it the economy. So it all belongs to God. I am His child so I can rest knowing that He is in control of what is going on in my life.
Matthew 6:24-34 reminds me that if God can take care of the flowers in the field and the birds in the air, SURELY He will take care of me!
2. I believe God’s promises!
In Jeremiah 29:11 God tells me that He has a plan for me. His plan is for good and not of disaster, to give me a future and a hope.
Philippians 4:19 promises me that God will supply all of my need. Throughout these last few months, I have not missed a meal and all of my living needs are met. Even if they weren’t my trust is still in God.
3. I trust who God is!
Numbers 23:19 declares that God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? So if God said it then I can believe it!
1 John 4:8 tells me that God is love. If God is love and God loves me, then I am good! Psalm 91 provides me with the ultimate protection plan. I am safe from all danger!
Now that’s good news! This joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me therefore the world can’t take it away. I will not be defeated by unfavorable situations in my life. I don’t share this to brag or to boast, because my situation ain’t a bed of roses. I share this to bless you! Change your perspective and change your life!
Peace and Blessings!
As we go through this journey we call life, we have to dig deep within ourselves to find the strength to go through the roughest times of our lives. As much as we would like our lives to be good all the time, reality and the WORD tells us that we should expect tough times (John 16:33).
I find encouragement in knowing that I belong to GOD (Psalm 24:1). Since I belong to GOD that means that NOTHING can happen to me good or bad without GOD’s permission! Really! If you don’t believe me, look at the book of Job. GOD had to give satan permission to do all that was done to Job (Job 1:6-12). That tells me that anything that goes on in my life has been permitted by GOD. If I know that GOD loves me, then I know that what I am experiencing is for a purpose (Romans 8:28). More than that, I know that GOD thinks enough of me to allow certain events to happen because HE knows that I am strong enough to deal with it.
Parents give their children more responsibility when they see that a child is able to handle it. When a child is granted another privilege they should feel special because they have gained something from their parents….Trust! It’s the same with GOD. When GOD allows us to go through tough times, we should see it as GOD saying, “you can handle this.” That’s a compliment! GOD would not send it if HE didn’t think we could handle it (1 Corinthians 10:13). GOD sees you as fit enough to handle your circumstance. Just don’t get beside yourself and forget that you need HIM to endure (2 Samuel 22:33 & 2 Corinthians 12:9).
So walk through that storm, knowing that the sun will shine on the other end! Knowing that GOD is with you (Mark 4:35-39). Walk through the valley, because you are not alone (Psalm 23). You got this! GOD’s got you! Go ahead, and knock it out!
Peace & Blessings!
The events of the last few months have made the world stop and think about their own mortality. People are talking about the concept of life. Some are discussing how they want their children to be cared for. Others are obtaining insurance policies so their family doesn’t have to worry about funeral expenses. I encourage you that while you are getting your affairs in order to get your life right with Christ!
You never know what kind of day you will wake up to. You can plan to run errands, go workout and spend time with a close friend. But if you wake up and get a call that some tragedy has happened, your plans will be derailed. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring to me, but I know that GOD does! So why do we fight having a real relationship with the ONE who knows what our future holds? (Matt 6:34 and Jeremiah 29:11)
The win-win situation is to die having a relationship with the Lord. The bible says, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) That’s a win-win situation. That means as a Christian we live in the will and favor of God. Nothing can come to us that God has not allowed. Win! To die is to leave this corruptible world and be with the Most High! Win!
When we lose a loved one, yes we will mourn, yes we will miss them, and yes we will hurt. The real tragedy is to lose a loved one who did not know Jesus. For someone to die and never experience the pure and unconditional love of God is the real tragedy. So people get you business straight. If you know Jesus, introduce Him to someone who doesn’t know Him. Jesus is the only way……(John 14:6)
For those of you who are “lost” this blog entry will seem sad and dreary, but those reading this whose names have been written in the Lambs book of Life will find encouragement. The good news is that if you are still breathing you still have time.
Scriptures for those in mourning (Matthew 5:4, Revelation 14:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 2 Corinthians 5:1-8)
Peace and Blessings!
