Tag Archives: love

How to Get Your Joy Back

Did you know that unrepented, unconfessed sin can literally make you sick? There is no way to experience the abundant life God has promised without walking in the light of truth. Examine yourself before the Lord, when He brings conviction and correction confess your sins and turn from them.

Often times we wrongly believe it is someone else’s sinful attitude and behaviors that are causing the emotional turmoil going on inside us, when in fact, it is our own unrepented and unconfessed sins.

God offers freedom for sins through the cross of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus was shed for the sins of the whole world. Does the whole world experience the glorious freedom that is offered? No. And neither will we if we continue on in our sin without repentance.

The Bible says that people perish for lack of knowledge. It’s important to know and meditate on all parts of the scriptures, not just those that are easy to swallow. God wants to give us a wonderful, blessed, and joyous life, but if we are still bound by our sins, wallowing in addictions year after year, not growing up in our faith, the enemy will continue to bring destruction and keep us locked in prisons of our own making.

Christ died to set us free!!!!

We will not reach perfection while still in this body, but we must press on and fight to apply the victory of the cross to our lives. I am not suggesting that we have a morbid preoccupation with finding every fault we can find in ourselves and walking in condemnation. I am writing to encourage you to walk daily in the light of His Presence. If God is dealing with you about something, its because He wants to set you free from it. He won’t tell you everything that’s wrong with you all at once, but if you are intimately connected to Him and surrendered to His work in your life, you will get dealt with. REJOICE!

Agree with God. Repent and confess known and unknown sins. Receive forgiveness and cleansing. Receive back the JOY of your salvation that is forfeited by deliberately continuing on in a sinful behavior.

‘If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?’

~Hebrews 10:26-29

I See You.

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I see you. I see you’re faithfulness to Me and My ways in your life. I know your heart and the desires that burn there. My sweet child, you are a joy to My heart! When others turn aside to other gods when they don’t understand why I have allowed certain painful and difficult circumstances, you turn towards Me with greater passion. I love how you climb into my lap and accept my comfort as sufficient in your insufficiency. There is nothing or no one that can take from you the greater portion that you have chosen. I know that I can trust you. You know that you can trust Me. What sweet intimacy! Can you see Me smiling down on you? Do you hear the heavenly songs of deliverance the angels are singing as they form a circle of protection around you?

Know this, there is no devil in hell and no plan or failure of any human on this earth, that can hold back My hand in your life. I am moving swiftly on your behalf to bring about the desired results of your faith in Me. Thank you for leaving the when, where, how and who of your prayers fulfillment in My hands. You will not be disappointed. I will not disappoint you. Continue to march boldly forward. Believe that in all things I am working for your good. You have humbled yourself and I will exalt you, knowing that you will use all that I am blessing you with to glorify Me, because you see me as I am; full of loving compassion.

You understand how My divine restraint, that has left you waiting, isn’t to harm you but to build within your character and life all that is needed to equip you to maintain dominion over the greater levels of authority and provision that I am pouring into your lap.

Today is a day of celebration! Celebrate the victory of the battle that has already been won on your behalf. Celebrate your promotion in My Kingdom army.

You have been tested and tried. You have proven yourself a soldier able to follow orders; willing to lay your life down for Me, My cause and the lives of others.

I trust you.

Let these words sink deep into your soul.

I trust you.

Because you have spent many years listening to my voice and following my orders, your heart, mind and desires have merged with Mine. You know My voice and a strangers voice you do not follow. This year is a year of promotion, fulfillment, and prosperity; what has been developed and nurtured in the heavenly realm is being birthed in the natural. Use your natural voice to call forth whatever it is you need and watch it manifest. Do not doubt for one second that I have anointed you with the creative power to cause every obstacle to your desires manifestation destroyed. You desire what I desire, there is no hindrance to My will being done through you that will not be removed.

Now is the time.

There is nothing too difficult for you because you are walking in My will and are therefore connected to and can draw from My omnipotence the power you need. You have not shrunk back in fear or cowardice and have drank from the cup from which I drink. You have died and now I am your life. I am thrilled with you. Understand this, not for one second have I held your sometimes faltering steps of obedience against you. I have seen how far you have come; your growth into My image more and more over the years is what I see, not how far you have to go. You are complete in Me. You continue to allow me to search your heart and shine the light of My love in dark and wounded places.

Thank you for not keeping Me out. Thank you for welcoming Me into your life and heart with open arms. Thank you for your faithfulness and refusing to turn to idols in your confusion and pain.

You are precious.

You are special.

You are a one of a kind creation and I love you.

I will love you through all of eternity.

Come Away With Me

No judgement. No fear. No dread. No doubt. Walk in complete confident assurance of My sovereignty in your life and in the world around you. No chaos. No rushing. Sit with me in heavenly places. All rest. All trust. Give up your need to control and question. Focus your eyes on the cross. Remember that many things are not as they seem. I am setting the stage for new life. I am the Master Builder. Your view is limited. You are but one part of the whole.

There are blockages baring the flow of your purpose being fully realized and accomplished. Let nothing impede your progress. Let go of things that are behind. Keep your eyes on the prize. Bury your talent no more. Banish all thoughts of defeat and condemnation.

I died to take away the sins of the world. Take your eyes off of sin and place them on Me and the finished work of My cross; sin will lose its control over you. I died to set you free. You are free. Walk in freedom by casting out thoughts and reasoning that contradict the Truth of My Word. Stop listening to the voice of the accuser, whom seeks to infiltrate My Kingdom by retaining or gaining ground in the hearts and minds of those that I have called redeemed.

There is no lack. There is nothing to worry about. Pray. Trust. Obey. One step at a time. One day at a time. March forward taking authority over everything that I have given you. Claim. Claim. Claim. Do not give up one inch of ground in your heart to the enemy. Your heart belongs to me. Believe this. When thoughts arise that do not spring from the fruit of my Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, know that you are dealing with arsenal from the enemy of your soul, or your own flesh, and cast them aside quickly.

Breathe deeply, inhale the depths of my love for you, and for the world, and release yourself, others, and the circumstance of life, into my hands of grace and justice.

Take time apart with me to rest. So many of your problems stem from your refusal to care for your mind, body and spirit through proper nutrition and rest. Realize I do not begrudge you what is your need. I am a Good Father and delight to give My children what they need.

Rest and be refreshed.

If you feel your energies are depleted, rest. If you believe you do not have time to take care of yourself in this way, you are not living the balanced life I desire for you to live. I long for you to walk with me in peace and quiet confidence. A harried life, full of responsibilities and duties, must include ample times of rest and play. If you do not believe you have time to spare for yourself and nurturing your relationship with me, you are spending time doing some things I have not asked or required.

In the same way I have created your body to benefit from times of fasting; resting your digestive system. Seek Me for guidance on the length and type of fasting from food that I want to use in your life. You will be blessed and become a greater blessing to others by this discipline I call my disciples to practice.

Come away with Me.

Learn to receive from the storehouse of my goodness every day. Stop anticipating failure and defeat.

I Am.

A Perspective Shift Changes Everything

Do not allow the divide between what your eyes of faith see that I have prepared for you, and what your physical eyes perceive as your reality, cause you to stumble into an ungrateful attitude of heart that refuses to be comforted in the here and now.

It is My desire for you to enjoy the blessing of peace and joy that flow from an attitude of gratitude.

Your dissatisfaction with what was once considered a blessing is blocking your growth.

You are not yet ready to receive what you long for. I need to be able to trust your motives for desiring greater things. As it is now, your pride is evident in that you truly believe that what you have been given for this day is somehow beneath you.

You tell yourself that it is My reputation that is at stake if you do not step into greater levels of glory and provision. Examine yourself more deeply My child.

Are you sure it is My reputation that you seek to protect?

Your viewpoint on some matters has been tainted by the excesses of your life and culture, yes, even by some of the teachings in the church.

Take pride in your low position.

I am pouring out into your life without restraint the true riches of my Kingdom. Oh how my heart longs for you to know and understand that I am giving you My very best for your life, right in this moment and for this moment. I am Your Father, how do you fail to see this? I know that you at times feel that you lack the ability and resources to give freely. Do not limit Me, and what I am doing, by your own limited mindset and view of yourself and the world around you.

Invest what you have been given completely into the lives of those that I bring to you. You will see how quickly the laws of multiplication, which I have set in motion, begin to manifest both spiritually and physically in your life.

The spirit of fear must be fought with a mouth that is continually filled with praise. Open your eyes and see how the forces of darkness have bound you up by convincing you to believe lies about your current circumstances and Me.

Banish all vain thoughts. Leave behind all pretense by abandoning your faulty systems of measurement.

You have tested My Word and found it to be true; pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Walk humbly before me every day and allow Me to lift you up when, where, how and with whom I decide is best.

This will be easy for you now.

Remind yourself daily that My thoughts are Higher than your thoughts and My ways are greater than Your ways. I will reward your longsuffering with deep abiding joy; you’ve tasted it, walked in it for seasons at a time, but a time is soon coming when there will be nothing that can shake you.

I am glad that you have held on in faith to my promises. Your faith will be richly rewarded in My time.

Once again, abandon yourself to the process.

Every day, with each new challenge, abandon yourself to Me. Relax your grip. Rest your troubled thoughts.

Repent for the time and life resource you have wasted in petty distractions trying to make this uncomfortable season more comfortable. Embrace the uncomfortable days with the same open arms you embrace the days of comfort and you will be protected from many needless battles.

-Photo by Bob Eden Copyright 2011 c

Enthusiasm And Dream Fulfillment

Enthusiasm is contagious and causes us to take on life with an attitude of wonder. When we focus on God and claim His promises found in the Bible, we can go through life with grateful hearts and enthusiastic attitudes.

No matter what situation we find ourself in we can live passionately.

We are all given endless oppurtunities to glorify God with our lives. Ask God to open your eyes to the ways He wants to use you each day.

If your waiting for the right circumstances, the right people, and the right breaks to start really serving God with your life, your likely to have a long wait.

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” -Luke 16:10

Sometimes we are waiting on God to open doors for us, while He is waiting on us to take steps of obedience right where we are. He knows those steps we need to take that will lead us to the door that is waiting open for us to walk through.

It is the narrow path that leads us to the doors that are open and waiting for us.

Stop waiting for open doors and instead determine to walk in the light, as He is in the light, one step at a time.

Follow Jesus. He is The Door.

God wants to bring our dreams to pass! After all it is He that has placed those dreams in our heart.

Trust in The Lord and do good and He will bring you into your promised land. He will let nothing be wasted in our lives as we bring all that we are and all that we are not and lay ourselves continually at His feet.

If you do not find your delight in The Lord in your present circumstances, its not likely you will delight in The Lord when your circumstances change.

Delight in The Lord now and find that the tight places and lingering trials that test your perseverance to the breaking point time and time again, become open pastures; the tiny spaces where before you had no strength left to stand, becomes spacious places as you rise above on wings of faith, hope and love to soar.

 

-Photo 2011 Copyright C

I Am Enough

My Words are Life. When you feel as if the humdrum of everyday life threatens to eliminate your joy or sense of adventure, turn to Me and listen. When you feel something is lacking, look to Me. I am everything you need.

Do you not know how I long to infuse your life with sweet and intimate Romance? How the plans I have for you are uniquely designed to fulfill your longing to be a part of something greater than yourself? I fulfill the hearts desire to be swept up into a magnificent adventure. You have been rescued and delivered by Me, your Conquering Hero, set apart and made holy by My blood, trained and equipped to be sent forth as part of my Kingdom army.

My children that seek Me first find in Me all of the strength they need to apply the victory I secured for them through My sacrifice on the Cross. You are more than a conqueror!

Do not measure success as the world measures success. Follow Me. Learn of Me. Look to the Cross. I have plans that are perfectly designed so that nothing in your life has to be wasted. I have a strategy to turn all losses into gains.

Come to Me. Keep bringing your focus back to Me. Look to Me. Listen for My voice in all things. Oh how My heart longs for you to put your confidence in Me alone. My heart is blessed when you trust securely in my great love for you and My desire and ability to meet all of your needs.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. -Revelation 3:20

Is Your Advice Harmful or Helpful?

‘Mourn with those who mourn’ should be applied to when someone is sharing their burdens and prayer requests with you. Its happy, faith filled Christians, myself included, that are most likely to offend in this situation. Love sometimes is best shown through just listening with empathy. Every time someone comes to us with a prayer need we don’t have to give our opinion or unsolicited advise. For starters, unless we are speaking the very words of God in and for that situation we may just be puffed up with pride believing we have all the answers. When someone is trusting us enough to share their heart and struggles with us its important that we show them respect enough to listen in humility and not jump on their position of vulnerability as a captive audience to spout off cliche Christian statements and affirmations or to preach about what they could be doing differently (that we often believe we are already doing better; after all we don’t have the problem they are sharing with us!)

It’s not always pride that motivates this annoying habit; genuine concern, coupled with enthusiasm for the things of God can cause us to blurt out whatever first pops in our head if we are not walking in godly wisdom.

This is not to say God’s Spirit will not nudge us to give a word of knowledge or even correction, but lets begin to take a moment to listen to people’s hearts and bear each others burdens when they are entrusted to us and not immediately jump to the conclusion that a prayer request is automatically an opportunity to council. Pause for a moment before plowing ahead with words and wait for discernment. Then, if the Spirit has a timely word for the person, speak it. Otherwise, remain silent and pray as was requested.

‘After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned…strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”’

-Acts 14:21-22

‘Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Jesus Christ,” said Paul to Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:3.

I believe it is a fallacy that every bit of suffering and setback is due to something we are lacking spiritually speaking. God’s ways are often unfathomable. Lets encourage each other in The Lord. Instruction and rebuke have their place in the body of Christ but I am not so sure that their place is always to be in the moment when someone is hurting or lacking and shares a prayer need. Let’s be compassionate. If we must speak, perhaps a timely word about a situation where we have also been hurting or in need and how God carried us through would be most appropriate and helpful.

-Emily R Lewis, July 4th 2014