How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #4}

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"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6

Blessing #4: we will be filled with righteousness.

To Release This Blessing:   First we need to acknowledge our need for righteousness in our life.  Righteousness means right and moral living.  Now go beyond acknowledging and move into seeking. 

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When you are hungry then you will discover what it is to be filled.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.  

Speaking Social Media

This is for all the writers aspiring or otherwise and the public speakers everywhere.

Every time we log onto our social media and post we are engaging in the art of public speaking.  Whether it’s a simple “like” or a lengthy thought it’s all part of the language of social media.  We are constantly speaking volumes publicly whether we consciously know it or not.

About ten years ago I began writing my first book Path of the Blessing: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.  Then with the encouragement from a friend of mine who is an editor I began blogging. 

Those early beginning stages of writing were so scary. 

When a woman first finds out that she’s pregnant and she’ll be delivering in nine months those first few weeks are full of excitement, anticipation, fear, and unknown.  That’s exactly how I felt at the beginning when writing. 

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Most of all I’ve wondered if anyone will be listening.  HELLO? Is anyone there?

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As the years have gone on and my baby has been born onto Amazon.com I’ve been finding ways to share my baby with the public.  Blogger, a Facebook Page, and now more recently Twitter and Instagram have been new ways to display and talk about my baby.

I know I can’t be the only one feeling this way, and you know what?  I’m not.  Jeremiah felt the SAME way!

In Jeremiah chapter 1 verses 5 through 9 God calls to Jeremiah.  He told Jeremiah that he had a plan for his life and that plan included public speaking. 

Jeremiah’s response was one that I can relate to:

“I do not know how to speak; I am too young”

Jeremiah is feeling all those feelings of excitement, anticipation, fear, and unknown.   Then the Lord says to Jeremiah not to be afraid because he will rescue him and give him the words to say.

AHH! So there it is…One of the pertinent KEYS to speaking social media.

Invite God into our words before we write, “like”, and post and he will give us the words to say; speaking social media.

Follow me at the LINKS above right for daily inspiration and encouragement or right here on my blog.  

A Recipe for Revival in 7 Steps

God’s people are searching for revival, but all we need to do is start by looking at our own lives.

Revival comes from the root word revive.

Revive:  to return to consciousness or life, become active or flourishing again

Has your walk with Jesus become routine, stale, or shallow?  Do you hunger for more knowledge regarding who God is?  Do you want to go deeper into truth so that you become refined? Then follow this ancient recipe which is from Nehemiah chapter 9, and it will lead you down a personal path of revival.

Ingredients Needed:

A heart that is committed to Jesus

Desire to change

Step 1 -Prepare your heart for repentance

Step 2 -Begin with fasting

Step 3 -Choose to separate yourself from on-going sinful behavior

Step 4 -Confess to God personal sins and sins of generations past

Step 5 -Read the Bible

Step 6 -Worship the Lord

Step 7 -Close with standing up and praising the

Lord

*Follow me at the Links above*

Intentional Acts of Kindness

Earlier today I posted a quote on my Facebook page about 

kindness.  {See link in upper right hand corner}

Then after thinking about that word for quite a while, I 

remembered that just over a month ago, I had received a gift.

That gift was a Christmas ornament with the word 

kindness written on it. 

I think God is trying to tell me something….maybe…just maybe...

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I thought I had that word conquered.  I actually would think to myself, “Hey, that one’s easy. Why would God want me to focus on being kind when I’m so good at it?”

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So now, I’m writing this with a new perspective on humility. 

I’ve realized that I need to be more kind. 

Not just more kind.

Not just random acts of kindness, no, that’s easy.

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I need to have intentional acts of kindness.

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It’s easy to be randomly kind to a stranger, holding the door for them.  Giving a smile.  Maybe even lending them change at the store register.

It’s much harder to think of ways to be kind in advance to people whom you interact with on a regular basis.

Your spouse, your children, your parents, your in-laws, your co-workers, your staff, your neighbors.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 

forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

gentleness and self-control. Against such 

things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

-Whew! Good thing God is asking me to focus right now on only ONE part of that fruit!  I think I have a lot of work ahead of me!

What area is God asking you to focus on?  Be intentional about it and see what happens! 

Diving into Deliverance

People are fascinated with the term DELIVERANCE. 

Maybe it’s because of all those supernatural themed television shows and movies that freak everyone out.

Or maybe it’s because everyone knows there could be something lurking inside wreaking havoc in their own life and they need freedom.

Either way, it’s a great subject because whether 

you are a Christian or not, it’s possible for demons 

to influence your soul and at times your physical body.

When I say soul, I mean your mind, your will, and your emotions.

When I say physical body, I mean just that.  As an example, many times demons assigned to sickness and disease can manifest in our physical bodies.

Are you still with me?  

I don’t want to freak anyone out.  In fact, if you are a Christian (that’s someone who’s decided to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior), then the demons are AFRAID OF US! 

I know that my title is Diving into Deliverance and I could write for days on this subject……but I won’t….at least for now.

#1 The thief, the Devil, desires to 

do only 3 things to us in life.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  John 10:10

#2 Jesus has come to set us free.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,” Luke 4:18

In those two truths is the beginning of the knowledge and the understanding of deliverance.

You must begin to sort out what in your life is being stolen from you, trying to kill you, and destroy you and what in your life brings life and freedom.

I highly recommend a book that I began my journey of educating myself on deliverance.  It’s called “When Pigs Move In” by Don Dickerman. Which is found on Amazon.

It not only is full of testimonies, but also a step by step process to become free.

If this is a subject that proves a lot of interest, then I’ll continue to share more.

My husband and I have ministered in 

deliverance for several years now and 

have seen many set free from illness 

and other afflictions.

7 Days to Wait

Saul’s demise as king over Israel begins in 1 Samuel chapter 13 when he sinned against the Lord.

He was deep in battle and was waiting for a word from the Lord that they were blessed with favor in battle against their enemies.

He was given a word to wait seven days and then the prophet Samuel would show up. 

Saul waited the seven days and when he didn’t see Samuel, he decided to make an offering to the Lord in order to seek the Lord’s favor without Samuel. 

(This wasn’t the role of the king, but of the prophet and priest to perform these inquiries.)

Saul was tired of waiting, fearful and disobedient to the word of the Lord.

Feeling compelled to do something when you’re tired of waiting on God isn’t a good time to take action.

A while later, at that same battle location, in chapter 14, the men of Israel were starting to hide from their enemies, seeing that they were vastly outnumbered and out weaponized.

A small victory at one of the enemy’s outposts by Saul’s son Jonathan and his armor-bearer encouraged the men of Israel. 

Saul went to inquire of the Lord for direction and favor and as the priest was about to do so, Saul stopped him. 

He could hear the action of war in the near distance and decided to assemble his men for battle without receiving confirmation from the Lord. 

Twice Saul decided he had had enough of waiting for the Lord’s approval. 

He was slowly becoming consumed with fear. 

God gives Saul another opportunity to redeem himself in the sight of the Lord.

Through Samuel, he is given a mission with very specific instructions in chapter 15.  He does do some of what the Lord instructed him to do but not all.  He decidedly disobeyed the Lord in rebellion toward him almost as if he just didn’t care anymore. 

He then sets up a monument in another town in his own honor and there forth refers to the Lord as “the Lord your God” when speaking to Samuel. 

Saul’s heart has grown hard toward the Lord and decidedly turned away; rejecting him as his God.

This grieved the Lord. 

Saul decides to confess to Samuel that he “was afraid of the people and so I gave into them” (1 Samuel 15:24).  This excuse is not enough to win back the favor of God as Saul continues to refer to the Lord as “the Lord your God” separating himself as someone who no longer follows God himself. 

The Lord then searches for another who will reign as king that will love him and not turn away, who will follow all his instructions.

The Lord found David.

The Lord still searches for those who will follow him and not turn away. 

What will you choose?

7 Ways to be Consistent

1.      Determination. Set your mind on the fact that you will do this activity no matter what tries to get in your way.

 All this I tested by wisdom and I said,

“I am determined to be wise”... Ecclesiastes 7:23 

2.      Write it down.  Make a list of what you want to accomplish and how often you want to accomplish it.

But the noble make noble plans, and by noble 

deeds they stand.  Isaiah 32:8

3.      Verbalize it.  Speak out positive words to yourself about how you can and will achieve your goals.

So shall my word be that goes out from my 

mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it 

shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall 

succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 

55:11

4.      Do it! When you wake up in the morning start to take action on your goals. Don’t wait for time to slip away.

We do not want you to become lazy, but to 

imitate those who through faith and patience 

inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:12

5.      Talk about it. Tell others about your goals and surround yourself with people who want you to succeed.

Therefore encourage one another and build each 

other up, just as in fact you are doing. 

1Thessalonians 5:11

6.      Pray. Daily pray over yourself and the tasks that you are trying to accomplish. Invite God to walk with you down this path.

 Rejoice always,  pray continually, give thanks in 

all circumstances;for this is God’s will for you in 

Christ Jesus. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

7.      Be prepared. Get your mind, your will and your emotions ready to do it all over again the next day.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds 

set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in 

accordance with the Spirit have their minds set 

on what the Spirit desires.  Romans 8:5

Don't Give Up, Stand Up!

•             When Hannah felt like giving up, she stood up.

•             When we feel like giving up, choose to stand up!

•             When you want to give up, stand up!

These thoughts flooded my mind after reading 1 Samuel 1:1-20.  It’s a true account of a woman named Hannah, her husband Elkahana, and Elkahana’s other wife Peninnah.  Peninnah was jealous of Hannah because Elkahana always blessed Hannah with twice as much when it came time to journey to make the annual sacrifice for the covering and cleansing of sins.  Hannah received twice as much because she had no children.  I find it strange that Peninnah acted this way towards Hannah due to the fact that Peninnah was the one who was able to bear children, while Hannah had none.  Peninnah was blessed but it wasn’t enough.  Hannah was afflicted by two hardships; she was bullied by a jealous woman and she wasn’t able to have children.

I’ve been in Hannah’s shoes many times in my life from elementary school and onward and I’m sure you have as well.  Girlfriends jealous of what you have, who you’re friends with, and intellect on a subject that somehow they feel inferior in.  When women act out these emotions of jealousy it looks a lot like lying, gossip, bullying, verbal and physical abuse.  Hannah was experiencing some of these reactions from her rival Peninnah.  Peninnah had purposed to irritate Hannah to the point that Hannah would cry and not eat.  Year after year this scenario would play out and Hannah would be bullied by Peninnah while the ever-present reminder that she was barren was on the forefront of her mind.

Then one year, one day, Hannah changed everything.  Hannah was at the Temple and when she had finished eating and drinking, Hannah stood up.  She did something different than in years’ past.  Hannah not only wept, same as before, but she prayed to the Lord and made a vow to dedicate her son to the Lord in service for his whole life; that is if the Lord was to give her a son.  She was extremely distraught as she prayed in her heart and the priest Eli sees her lips moving but no sound is coming out and therefore accuses her of being drunk. 

Not only is her rival beating her down verbally and now the priest too?  He had no idea what was really going on in the background of her life.  This is exactly what happens today.  People making assumptions about you without knowing what you’re going through.  Here Eli assumed that Hannah was drunk out of her mind in the Temple.  Instead, as she explains, she is “deeply troubled” and that she was “pouring out my soul to the Lord” and also that “I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief”.

 Has there ever been a time, a situation, and a relationship that has been of great anguish to your soul; a time where your heart aches inside of your flesh that it almost feels like you just can’t take it anymore?  Hannah got to that point and she made a choice.  She made the choice to not to give up, but stand up and do something different.  She decided to break the cycle, take a risk and in her desperation for breakthrough, risking her self-image before the priest in the Temple she laid her soul bare before God.

Hannah could have looked at the priest in all her hurt and pain and could have walked away feeling like the world was against her, but again, she pressed through.  She stood up for herself by explaining her demeanor.  After hearing Hannah’s explanation, Eli blessed her with words of encouragement.  Many times all we need is someone to just listen and encourage us.

This is our chance to view this situation from two different sides.  1) We can be the “Eli” in someone else’s life by listening and bringing an encouraging word at just the right moment or 2) We can be the “Hannah” who is in desperate need of an encouraging word, take that word and use it to pull us out of our despair. Hannah didn’t give up, she stood up.  At any given moment we are either one or the other.

The story of Hannah’s struggle ends with a son whom she names Samuel which was “because I asked the Lord for him.”  It ended because she asked the Lord for his intervention in her life.  Possibly this heartache could have been resolved sooner if she had chosen to stand up and pour her heart out to the Lord in any of the given years prior.  Don’t wait any longer, choose to be like Hannah; stand up.  Don’t shut God out when you are deeply troubled, choose to invite Him into your situation. Don’t give up, stand up.

I’m choosing to not give up on finishing a weekly devotional I had started years ago and as of this week I’ve stood up against feelings of frustration and failure.  I tried something I had never tried before, a new women’s group who prayed words of encouragement over me.  Just like Hannah, I believe my breakthrough is on its way. 

Transcending Earth to Heaven's Transforming Light

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is –his good pleasing and perfect will.

Our thoughts, words and actions can take us places we’ve never been.  We can think, talk, and act our way into a dark place and allow our souls to dwell there or we can choose to think, talk, and act our way into the light where everything is fresh and new.  Only on mountain tops can you see the furthest vistas, the sun rise and set and what once looked like the largest obstacle now seems minute.  I want my mind to live there, on the mountaintops. But what if there was a better view?  Heaven, yes, from Heaven’s perspective, that must be the best view where even Earth finds its place amongst the stars and the planets dance in perfect harmony. 

From Heaven’s view all of the worries of Earth seem but a speck on the massive scale of time of which is eternity.  

From Heaven’s view, you might ask the question, what is worth holding onto and what is just sand slipping through our fingers?  The dark places still exist on earth but the light, that light that illuminates those dark places, that everlasting light from Heaven’s throne, surely there is no better vista.  I want my thoughts, words, and actions to not only live there but be propelled from there bathed in the light of my Creator, who’s transforming me from the dark places and into his glorious light. 

My thoughts, words, and actions need transformation to keep me from the dark paths and places.  God’s word has the answer.  Colossians 3:1-2 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

It begins with setting our hearts and minds on things above.  

Focusing on what is lasting and eternal verses the temporal.  To put this another way, what are we going to take with us when we die?  Those things that we can’t take are the temporal things, the sand that will continually slip through our fingers.  No matter how hard we try to grasp, those things will always evade eternity.

Once we shift our focus to the lasting and eternal, then we as believers are to choose to put on our new self which is in the process of renewal by the knowledge of God.  God’s knowledge is found in every word throughout the Bible.  Next we are to daily put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  We are also to forgive each other and to put on love as a part of this daily renewal.  Colossians 3:12-14 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Transformation by renewing my mind is a process and it’s a journey worth taking.  This journey will take me to new places I’ve never been.  I’ve challenged myself to focus on the transformative knowledge of God that I wrote about in this blog above.  I’m focusing on one virtue a week, meditating on that virtue and letting it sink deep into my soul and allowing it to transform my thoughts, words and actions. I’m choosing to do this until I can put on these virtues daily whilst keeping them in mind throughout my day. Will you join me?

Week 1: compassion

Week 2: kindness

Week 3: humility

Week 4: gentleness

Week 5: patience

Week 6: forgiveness

Week 7: love

What other ways, through the knowledge of God, do you renew your mind?  What are other ways you focus on things above verses the things of earth?

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Stability in the Storm {Part 3 of 4} Speak Good

In the early 90’s Martha Stewart had her own cooking and crafting show which she always ended it by saying, “It’s a Good Thing”.  She had all of us viewers instantly agreeing with her that what she said was a good thing.  That is a powerful phrase that Martha Stewart coined.  It was positive and it got everyone to think positively about what she had just demonstrated and said to us.  Words have the power to change our world for the good of mankind or for the worse.

Luke 6:45 “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks.”

Are we speaking good or are we speaking evil?

When I pondered this, I certainly didn’t think that I ever spoke anything evil.  When I think of evil, I think of images of the Dragon in Sleeping Beauty trying to destroy everything beautiful, or impish demonic creatures running around trying to lure people into temptation, or people who pre-meditate murder.  No, I’m not like these things, I’m sure I don’t have anything to do with evil.  But, when I broke down the Greek meaning of the words for “good” and “evil” in this passage, I find something different than what I considered “evil”.  It’s not as distant from my life as I first thought.

English/Greek

Good/Agathos:  1. Of good nature 2.  Useful, salutary 3.  Good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy 4. Excellent, distinguished 5. Upright, honorable

Evil/Poneros:  1. Bad, of a bad nature

The key to this passage is found in the last part of the verse “For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks.”   To find out what’s in our heart, good things or bad, all we have to do is listen to what we are saying.  In the King James’ version of Luke 6:45 it is expressed this way, “…out of the good treasure of his heart…out of the evil treasure of his heart…”

Our mouth is the gauge to our treasure room

What is your heart speaking today?  What has it said in the past?  It’s time to re-evaluate the treasure room.  Clean out the areas holding onto the evil and release that to Jesus and fill up our hearts with “Good Things”. 

How to release those dark areas:

-Begin with a relationship with Jesus by asking him for forgiveness, believing that you are forgiven and ask him to change you.

-Whether you’re a brand new follower of Jesus or not, say these words, “Jesus, I give you permission to clean out the dark areas of my heart and I release those areas to you.”

How to fill our hearts with “Good Things”:

-Read the Bible (It’s full of good words for our lives)

-Pray these words, “Lord Jesus, fill me up with more of you and the good things you have for me”.

Now when the storms of life come, I’ll already have my heart full of good prepared to encourage not only myself, but others.  “It’s a Good Thing”.