The Door

One night I couldn’t sleep, I laid in bed in the darkness tossing and turning, I prayed, I talked with God for a while and yet I couldn’t sleep. I looked toward my room door that was shut and there was an outline of light which was coming from the kitchen light over the stove. I keep this on at night so that I won’t bump into things if I needed to get up. Well, it got me to thinking about something and when I get inspiration I have to get up and write it – so here it is.

A door stands in front of you a sliver of light penetrates the top and side, you wonder what’s on the other side. But then you hear someone say; “if you go through that door blessings are waiting for you”, but before you do, you are also told that “God will require something of you”.  A puzzle look comes over your face, then you ask, “what is it that He will want of me?” You are then told “you must first walk through to know the answer.” Your mind begins to race on what it could be, your blood pressure starts to rise as well as your heart rate. The thought that God would want something of me, was more than you could imagine. What is it that I have that He would want of me? images start to run across your mind, is it my heart, my home, my family, my life, what could it be?

You began pacing back and forth contemplating what it might be. But as soon as you are willing to take that chance and you resolve to go through the door, here comes another voice, the voice of fear, pride, and doubt. “I wouldn’t go through if I were you, He might want more than you’re willing to give up”. You begin to reason this thought, that it makes sense to you and you stop and listen to more “what if He wants all that you have worked hard to achieve, your money, your house, He might even want you to quit your job and do something less attractive”. You begin to ponder how you have worked hard in school, getting your dream job, you have a beautiful new home and a family that depends upon you. The voice begins to say, “you can make this decision later, you have time” and as though the voice was standing right next to you, you turn in the direction and say, “Right, maybe later, after all I’m still young and anyway, I want to enjoy life and all that I have accomplish”. But what you don’t see is that image of that voice smiling a devilish smile and his arms crossed in front of him with a satisfied look, for his goal was accomplished.

How many times have we talked ourselves out of what God has wanted to do in our lives? When we wanted to go left but God was drawing us to the right, because our eyes was more focus looking at the left with all its enticements and goods and choosing our own path. The left, had everything we desired and wanted. Why would we even reason that “our achievements” were greater or better than what God has? Because our minds have been blinded with get rich quick schemes, or have this new body by summer, or buy the newest sports car, build a bigger house, or take a luxury vacation, all the enticements we see people doing and we think this is life at its best.  When our focus is drawn to these things and not God, we have taken our eyes off of Him and put them on things of this world.

When we begin to accept this kind of thinking and reasoning we have come in agreement with the father of lies. His ways of deception are subtle and before you know it, you have dug a deep pit that you can’t climb out of. You’re swimming in debt, the stress of your job has increase, things at home are not going well and now you’re experiencing some physical problems. When we being to turn away from the ways of God and be more accepting of the things of the world, the Word of God has given us a choice, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and thy seed may live” (Deut. 30:19).  God does not force anyone to surrender to Him, we are all free to choose life or death, but also understand that “therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else” (Deut.4:39).  God is God no matter where we are or what we think and If we rationalize why we choose death and why we believe the lie instead of the truth, it’s because our hearts have been harden and we believe the lie that we have all the time in the world to make a choice.

 God said, “I command you this day to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply: and the Lord your God shall bless you in the land whither you go to possess it” (Deut. 30:16). There are blessings and promises here when we make God our God and obey His Word.  For “…behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Sam 15:22). The next verse deals with the person who feels that they have time to make the decision later on in life “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…” (1 Sam 15: 23).  Rebellion and stubbornness are serious sins which the only fruit that it bears is death. Just as David prayed we too, must pray with repentance “Do not withhold your compassion from me, O LORD. May your mercy and your truth always protect me. Countless evils have surrounded me. My sins have caught up with me so that I can no longer see. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost heart. O LORD, please rescue me! Come quickly to help me, O LORD!” (Ps. 40:11-13 GW)

All our accomplishments that we achieve come from God. Somehow along the line we began to think that “we” are the ones responsible for all that we achieve. Wisdom comes from God; our understanding comes from Him and our gifts and talents also. For “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever: (Psalm 111:10 NASB). Is there a Godly fear among us anymore?  No matter what the world says, we can do nothing without God.  Even the unsaved and the unbelieving are partakers of His grace and mercy “for God is no respecter of persons…That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45).  “The Lord is not slack concerning [His] promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2Pe 3:9 NKJ).  In other words, God will wait for you to come back to your right mind, but He won’t wait forever, and before it becomes too late you must make a choice.

Those who would walk through the door have completely resolve to give up everything not just for the blessings but because of the love that has been freely given to us so, “Take diligent heed to…love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all you soul” (Job 22:5; Deut 11:1, 13,22). And because our love for the Father, and the Son is more precious than anything we could ever hold dear. “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love...” (Eph. 3:17 NASB).

 We can’t repay Jesus for what He has done for us, but if it means giving up this whole world and all that we were able to gain here, those who believe – would do it, “and those who use this world as not misusing [it]. For the form of this world is passing away” (1Co 7:31 NKJV).  This world is passing away and as believers, we should not get bogged down too much with the cares of this life, God has given us instructions to “cast all our cares upon Him…” (1 Peter 5:7). We are to trust Him with our whole heart, mind, strength and body.

Consider your choice, look about you and see the numerous blessing already in your life, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).  Now are you willing to walk through that door and give to God whatever He asks of you?

Chosen2Prayer

SEEDS...

I love the story of the "Seed and the Sower" and as much as I have read this story I always come away with something different. This time, as God showed me how we meet people and when we talk with people, we can see them in one of these scenarios. Some may receive a word from you with joy, some may debate you on every scripture you speak and others will blatantly refuse to believe what you say as truth.  I can say I have met many who I could relate to the four stages of  heart condition.  But, truth be told, I have found myself to have visited each of these stages at one time in my life. I give all glory to God for HE IS a God of His Word, for He never left me to my own foolish thinking, He has kept His hand upon me guiding me and directing back on His path. I may have wondered here and there, but He never let me go too far out of His sight. I pray that this insight from the God above will be enlightening to you as well as a blessing...

 The wayside

Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord... (Hosea 10:12) For we need to prepare our hearts and this is done through much praying and diligently seeking God on a daily basis. “Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)” 2 Cor. 9:10.   God is the supplier of the seed as well as the bread that we eat for all comes from His hands. Our hearts seem to have been seared as with a hot iron, we are stubborn, high minded and arrogant“…he that hardens his heart shall fall into mischief” Prov. 28:14.  Our pride says we can do better, we have given ear to the enemy in following all his ways, unknowingly, we have let him have control of our lives, for when the Word of God is sown he comes immediately and takes away what we have heard. Our pride says this is rubbish, but now something is breaking within us, something is changing our way of thinking, let us strive to break up that fallow ground of our heart, let us begin with fervent prayer; we must fight off the lies of the enemy who will try to destroy the Word which we have heard, and we must not give him an opportunity to whisper in our ears to deceive us any longer. Don’t give him any place in your mind and your heart, “…resist the devil and he will flee” James 4:7.

The stony, rocky ground

When we hear the Word, it is received with great joy, it is sown within us but our foundation is shallow and weak and we don’t have the ability to receive the deeper meaning of the Word.  And because this is the condition of our heart for it has no deepness in which to take root, the Word says; “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” Jn. 6:66. Those who walked with Jesus, those who saw His miracles and heard His teachings, suddenly turn away, they allowed doubt, fear of persecution from others, and unbelief to come in and they chose to turn away from Christ.  Our soil is partially prepared not all the stone have been removed for the seeds cannot fully develop. Many times, we hear people say that the Word is too difficult to understand, or it's just confusing. Because there are still many obstacles (stones) that still stand in your way, Jesus says: "...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33). He knows that we all face the temptation to doubt, and we may even turn away for a while, but we will all come back to the only source who is able to help us when we call upon Him. Our faith is critical in fully believing in what we hear, tribulations and all sorts of evil that arises may come, but knowing that God is on our side we are assured to be an overcomer just as Jesus. Whatever the hindrances are to the Word being planted deeply with you must be dealt with immediately. For that stony ground is covered with more and more rocks that prevent the seeds to fully grab hold of the richness of earth.  Therefore, when you hear the Word, resist the lies of the enemy when he comes to take that away which was planted. You must keep striving never give in to fear or doubt, but believe that God desires to give you another heart: “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh” Eze. 11:19. Continue to break up your fallow ground, don’t give up.

The Thorny Ground

“…break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns” Jer.4:3. As we come to God, as we truly receive Jesus as Lord of our lives, a cleansing starts within and this is where we agree with God that this bad habit, arrogant attitude or this selfish way of thinking must go.  Our ground is receiving good seed, and it’s beginning to take root in us, but the cares of this life, the things we find ourselves so concern with daily are beginning to chock the seeds. There are so many concerns that many of us face daily and it may seem hopeless at times but we must grab hold of the Word and believe it with all that we have. We must let go of the negativity, we must break away from the naysayers and we must close our ears to the lies of the enemy. There is no justification for holding onto things that displeases God. You must learn to let go, to relinquish control and know that all is in God’s hands. Don’t allow the cares of this world to smother your seed, don’t think that your way is better for this is just lies from the enemy to make you stop pursuing God. And don’t allow the “deceitfulness of riches” of this world, rob you of your glorious riches in heaven. The Word is in you and the Word is doing what it’s supposed to do – and that is, helping you to produce fruit.

The Good Ground

Now this is the place where we should strive to be, we hear the Word, we receive it and now we are beginning to bear fruit. This is the level that we all should desire our hearts to be, the soil is plowed up and made ready for good seed. Our soil is supple, we are receiving the Word and cherishing every moment to read it; and its roots are deeply planted.  The Word of God is within us, it feels as though we have finally come home. It took some time for us to reach this point, but in the struggle, we found the strength to keep breaking up our fallow ground. There were struggles about letting go, there was doubt as to if this Word is true, and there was spiritual warfare that we had to engage in to battle the lies and to turn our focus onto God. Now, God’s Word is firmly planted, we have complete access to His throne of mercy at any time of the day and we know how to respond to those who ask us of our hope. Our faith grows stronger every day, our knowledge of God enlightens our understanding and His love fills us with not only assurance but with a sense of awe. We are producing fruit that pleases God, we are sharing, helping, encouraging, and praying with others on their journey to the Good Ground.  

Chosen2Prayer

Promises and Power of God

Jn. 3:27 “…a man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.”

Rom. 8:25 “…then do we with patience wait for it.”

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” (2Peter 1:3). All that we will ever need is in Him, for He is our source for strength, ability, might, and power and He has given to us these thigs where we draw strength, endurance, faith to work the work He has given for us to do. His Word is His promise that we can trust completely in: “for all the promises of God in him are yea (yes) and in him amen (truly, so be it), unto the glory of God by us” 2 Cor:1:2.  What a wonderful blessing to know that in God His promises are sure, His Word is sure, and that not one promise of God is “no” to those who will believe. If He said it will he not do it?

As we look in Matthew 17:20 we see Jesus speaking; “… if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove...” this is a powerful statement, the story here was that the disciples were unable to cast out a demon from a young man and the father went to Jesus to see if He could help his son. Of course, Jesus was successful but He told the disciples "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" Mat. 17:21 (NASB). unbelief or doubt is a killer to faith, it hinders our prayers from being answered, it stops the Word from producing fruit when we speak it because our faith is mixed with doubt.

If you have faith it will be done – whatever you say – but if you do not have faith it will not be done. We need this mustard seed of faith that which is pure and unmixed with doubt, to know that we can move every mountain, every obstacle, every road block that tries to hinder what God has given us to do. As you begin to search the Bible for the promises of God your faith will awaken, there will be a knowing that is birth within that is indescribable because faith has been stirred.  Never should doubt or fear come in us when God has called us to do something, in fact just kick those out of your vocabulary right now and know that “…nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Mt. 17:20).

Our Mustard seed faith is very powerful, if you have ever seen an actual mustard seed you will know that, that tiny seed is like an atom bomb waiting to be connected with your belief and what God’s Word says we have. And when it is released, it becomes the power of God, and the faith of God that will move the mountains and all that stands in our way.  There is great power even in a little faith when we trust in God’s power to act. The next time you feel weak or powerless, examine your faith, make sure you are trusting God’s power and not your own ability to produce fruit. 

A good example of this is in 1 Samuel 15, here you will find Saul who was anointed King over Israel, who was victorious over many of the enemies of Israel because of God’s hand upon him. But something went wrong in his thinking, he didn’t follow God’s command completely, he disobeys God in the taking of the king and the best of the animals (1 Sam.15:8-9).  Then, he intruded into the priest office by offering a burnt offering (1 Sam. 13:8-15), If men could only learn to obey God and be patient until He sends help in times of need, it would be a great lesson learned. Then he sought guidance from one with a familiar spirit, the same people he had vanquished and destroyed he was now seeking their help (1 Sam. 28:7-25).  

 Saul chose to do these things because he feared the people more than God, he was prideful and then in desperation he totally disobeyed the laws of God, the one who had given him victory over many of his enemies. But he never realized that disobedience to what God called him to had such a dire consequence.  You see, when God has given you a word, a task or a calling, and you fail in obeying or you half-heartily follow it or you are fearful of what people would say, the one at fault is you. Saul did not see himself as one at fault, he thought it was the people he feared, it was his impatience, and it was Samuel who had died and left him. He was the king the people followed him, as his faith weakened and an evil spirit rested upon him the people’s faith was lacking and as he disobeyed the people followed.

Saul is an example that shows us how life can become when we walk in our own ways and thoughts. Remember, we have the power of God in us, that is, those who have truly received the atoning work of Jesus as Lord of their lives. We have been given a precious gift when Jesus said; “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that He may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16). This comforter, is the precious Holy Spirit, He is living in us, He is that power behind the mustard seed faith, He is that power that raised Jesus and Lazarus from their grave, and He is that power that worked when God said “Let there be…” When God calls us, we should let nothing stop us from going forth to do the will of God. And as we walk in obedience to God’s will good fruit will come forth.

Accessing the promises of God requires that we “have faith in God” and doubt not. For when we meet this condition we can thus know and believe that “…what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). We must ask according to God’s will our desires, what is your desire you ask? God’s will is God’s Word and God’s Word is your desire.  Ask in faith, believing and never doubting, for the deeper we get into Gods Word, and the more time we spend in His presence a relationship develops, an intimacy that you have never known is being formed.  And suddenly, all that you thought was vital to your existence no longer has priority, and every trial or situation has lost its urgency because now you know what it means when God say’s “but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33).

The desires of your heart are no longer worldly, for God does see the condition you’re in, He knows what you are facing, He has promised never to leave you or forsake you. So, let your faith stand strong knowing that he is an on - time God, let God handle the issues of your life and let Him work everything out according to His plans for you – in the meantime, continue to praise him, to pray unto Him, to seek Him, to study His Word and to love His presence, for He is faithful.

One other condition I want to mention is that “if ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you” (Jn. 15:7). Abiding in Christ, means living free from condemnation, knowing we are no longer bound to our sins, for Christ has freed us, he has washed us white as snow and we are now adopted into the family of God.  And therefore, we have the privilege of coming to the Father in prayer at any time with our desires, needs and wants. And with unwavering faith, God will do nothing in our favour without faith. It is right that we should have confidence in him; and if we have confidence, it is easy for him to help us, and he willingly does it. (Barnes' Notes on the New Testament) Because we understand that “…all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mk 9:23). Because “without faith it is impossible to please God for when we come to God, we must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). For God, cannot deny His word or Himself.

Chosen2Prayer

Dangerous and Destructive Paths

It has been said many times that our world in headed in a dangerous direction that will have severe consequences. Yet, the path to destruction is widening and is making room for more. Prayers are being sent up, intercessions are going on, and burdens are being felt by all of God’s children. Still there seems as though nothing is changing that we can see, but it’s not so important as to what we see but what we don’t see that is happening in the Spiritual realm. God hears the prayers, He sees what is happening, and He knows the hearts of men are evil continually.  The path that you choose is vital to your destination – either eternal life or eternal destruction.

 If the attitude of this world does not begin to be humbled, then we place ourselves in the path for Gods wrath. You see, God is Love and yet He is a God of judgment and justice, according to His Word; for“Justice and judgment are the habitation (foundation) of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face” Ps. 89:14. People have chosen to substitute the truth of God for the imaginations of their own lust. They have stifled (choked, suppressed) the truth of God in order to believe anything that supports their own self-centered life-styles. God will never tolerate sin because His nature is morally perfect. He cannot ignore or condone willful rebellion.

For the government of God is based upon justice, judgment, mercy, truth, and righteousness. He knows, sees, and does what is right without exception. He cannot permit any breaking of His law without proper punishment, nor can He permit one good act to be without just and proper reward. Sin is cursed and righteousness rewarded in the minutest of details.  His decisions are all oracles, (truth, forewarnings) and not one of them is ever reversed. Just remember “it’s a fearful, (terrifying, horrific) thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).

“…Mercy and truth shall go before thy face” will be the cries that will announce the coming of the judge. His truth (Word) binds Him to all his deceleration's; and His mercy shall be shown to all those who have fled for refuge to the hope that is set before them which is Jesus Christ. His mercy is eternal; “the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting…and His righteousness unto children’s children” (Ps.103:17).  Righteousness, justice, love and truth are the foundation of God’s throne; they are fundamental aspects of the way God rules.  As God’s ambassadors, we should deal with people likewise. Make sure your actions flow out of these traits, because any unfair, unloving, dishonest action does not come from God.

Chosen4God

Dangerous and Destructive Paths

It has been said many times that our world in headed in a dangerous direction that will have severe consequences. Yet, the path to destruction is widening and is making room for more. Prayers are being sent up, intercessions are going on, and burdens are being felt by all of God’s children. Still there seems as though nothing is changing that we can see, but it’s not so important as to what we see but what we don’t see that is happening in the Spiritual realm. God hears the prayers, He sees what is happening, and He knows the hearts of men are evil continually.  The path that you choose is vital to your destination – either eternal life or eternal destruction.

 If the attitude of this world does not begin to be humbled, then we place ourselves in the path for Gods wrath. You see, God is Love and yet He is a God of judgment and justice, according to His Word; for“Justice and judgment are the habitation (foundation) of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face” Ps. 89:14. People have chosen to substitute the truth of God for the imaginations of their own lust. They have stifled (choked, suppressed) the truth of God in order to believe anything that supports their own self-centered life-styles. God will never tolerate sin because His nature is morally perfect. He cannot ignore or condone willful rebellion.

For the government of God is based upon justice, judgment, mercy, truth, and righteousness. He knows, sees, and does what is right without exception. He cannot permit any breaking of His law without proper punishment, nor can He permit one good act to be without just and proper reward. Sin is cursed and righteousness rewarded in the minutest of details.  His decisions are all oracles, (truth, forewarnings) and not one of them is ever reversed. Just remember “it’s a fearful, (terrifying, horrific) thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).

“…Mercy and truth shall go before thy face” will be the cries that will announce the coming of the judge. His truth (Word) binds Him to all his deceleration's; and His mercy shall be shown to all those who have fled for refuge to the hope that is set before them which is Jesus Christ. His mercy is eternal; “the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting…and His righteousness unto children’s children” (Ps.103:17).  Righteousness, justice, love and truth are the foundation of God’s throne; they are fundamental aspects of the way God rules.  As God’s ambassadors, we should deal with people likewise. Make sure your actions flow out of these traits, because any unfair, unloving, dishonest action does not come from God.

Chosen4God

The Valley of Weeping

There is a place that we all, at some point in time; will travel through. It is a place that will bring us a release, as well as joy that has been hidden. It is a place that one would not choose to go through yet, in a strange course of events it chooses us.  A path opens that must be traveled even though our heart doesn’t desire to go.  This valley is symbolic to our struggles in life and our tears that speak louder than we ever could as we press through on our way to seeking God.

The valley of weeping is its name, now don’t let the name fool you, for there is a time to weep…and a time to mourn (Eccl. 3:4). We weep for many reasons, for the sins we’ve committed, for the death of love ones, for our children, and for our deep need of God’s presence in our lives. Weeping releases the unspoken pain where words are inaccurate.  Weeping cleanses our soul (believe it or not) when burdens are so deeply embedded. And weeping even helps us to focus more on God rather than our situations. Growing strong in God’s presence is often preceded by our journey through barren places in our lives.  It is here that we can rid ourselves of the hurt, the pain, the frustrations and the anger. 

Since we have to go through the Valley of Weeping we might as well call upon His name to meet us here.  For it is in the valley that we seek Him for deliverance, it is here that we learn to humble ourselves and it is here where we strengthen our faith in His ability and provision.  But as we spend time with God, our adversity is an opportunity to re-experience God’s faithfulness. As we continue walking through the Valley of weeping, make sure that your pilgrimage leads you to God and not away from Him.

Nina

Chosen2Prayer

Obedient Faith...

Faith is that one virtue that we say we have but when push comes to shove you find that strong faith has suddenly become weaken. Because of many situations our faith weakens and we frantically search for hope, then we have those moments when we try to pass on our strong faith to others and we really aren't that convince about what we are saying; it’s as though we’re trying to convince ourselves. None of this mean we are bad Christians, on the contrary, it only means we must check our faith with God, we must compare it to the Word to see why we have falter in the battle. We must renew our strength and faith in God’s Word.

There is nothing that we can do in or of our own selves, we must look to God who has blessed and anointed His Word which comes alive within our Spirits as we read it and apply it to our lives.  The Word of God is the “Living Word” and it has all the characteristics of God Himself. The Word gives us strength, healing, hope, trust, faith, guidance, instruction, discipline and most of all love.  We have to spend time seeking God, asking Him to direct us, to enlighten our understanding and to take us deep into His Word.  Seeking God requires dedication, commitment and a willingness to spend time with Him. Just as we see family and friends on a daily basis, we MUST dedicate daily quality time with God.

The Bible gives us many, good examples of warriors of faith, who was given a Word from God and they all believed and with unwavering trust and obedience they accomplished the impossible. Their confidence in the faithfulness of God brought about a loving and obedient heart. Take Noah for example, (Gen. 6-9), he lived in a time when sin and iniquity was abounding, but In verse 6:8 it says "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."  God found in Noah something that the world did not have and Noah found favor in God’s eyes.

Noah was considered perfect in his generation, he was consistent in character, he did not turn from the truth (this in itself is a monumental feat at that time) and he walked with God. Even though the world was so wicked it did not persuade Noah nor influence him to walk according to the flesh; he remained faithful. As you read the sixth chapter of Genesis you will see that God was angry with the people of the world: "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth" (Gen. 6:12).   Much like today, “…the wickedness of man was great…every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…” (Gen.6:5).

   You might ask what has this to do with walking by faith.  Well, I see Noah as an ordinary person who loved God, who conducted his life as close to God as possible. Noah was no different from you or me only that: “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Gen. 6:8). And he obeyed the Word that came from God, “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so die he.? (Gen 6:22).

 We who believe have we found grace/favor in the eyes of God? Are we trying to walk with the world and with God? And are we standing strong in our faith in our belief against the evils of this world?  Finally, are we being lights in this dark and evil world or are we turning off the light?

I’m sure the battles were raging all around Noah, he was persecuted, ridiculed and mocked by many. But Noah kept his faith in God, he continued doing what God had instructed him, no matter the amount of persecution.  We are all fighting some kind of battle, and no matter what we face, we must find strengthen in our daily walk with God. We must believe without any doubt or wavering that God is in the midst and that He promised never to leave us or forsake us. We need to have strong faith as we are going through persecution, ridicule and taunts from the enemy, for it is when we are in the midst that our faith should arise and nothing will be impossible.

Be bless…

NJ, Chosen4God

Lord I want to know you...

Many of us have said that we want to know God deeper, we want His Word to take us deeper, and we have a desire that hungers for more of God.  What exactly does this mean to know God deeper? Well, it can mean a few things; one it can mean how far are you willing to go to know Him deeper? Is it possible for us to know God with such depth that only a few have reached? Consider Enoch who “walked with God three hundred years…” (Gen.5:22) and a few verses down (5:24) “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” We see a continuation in Hebrews 11:5 “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

Now Enoch had the deepest relationship with God (Elohim); that I know of; other than His Son, Jesus Christ that I have seen in the Bible.  We are told that Enoch 1. Walked with God 2. He pleased God 3. By faith he was translated. Not much else is given to us, but to see and read that “he pleased God” brings a myriad of questions to mind. Like, what did he do to gain such favor? Is it still possible for us now? And can we reach the same level that Enoch had with God?  We can only interject our thoughts to fill in the blanks, you see, Enoch did not have the gospel that we have today to read, there was a personal one on one with the God of creation.  There must have been the sense that God was right there with Enoch talking with him, just as God came to Abraham to let him know that he was going to have a son.

Abraham is another example of loyalty and dedication to God, so much so that God referred to him as “…my friend…” in Isaiah 41:8. Obedience to God was and is the prerequisite to faith and qualifying as God’s friend. Look at Abraham’s faith:

·         By faith when he was called he went (Gen. 12:1,2)

·         By faith he sojourned in a strange country (Heb. 11:8)

·         By faith, when he was tried, he offered up his only begotten son (Heb. 11:17)

So I guess the next question for us is will you leave if God calls you to go? Will you receive His calling for your life even if it’s far from what you thought? And how strong is your faith and trust in God’s will?  Faith is critical as we strive to get closer and go deeper in God, we want to be known as God’s friend, and we want to have a walk that is pleasing to Him.

Let’s consider a few ways that would lead us in His (God) direction; first you can delve into the Word with a fury learning what He says, learning how He desires for us to act, and where to go in times of trouble and knowing that we can lean on Him for all of our needs. Two when we experience trials and troubles they have a way of guiding us to our knees seeking Him with our whole heart, calling upon Him with desperation to answer our prayers. Finally, change is another way that we can get to know God in a deeper way, change is not easy at times and it’s not wanted, for God will enable us to manage change, for in Phil 2:13 tells us that “it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”.

There you have it, this is just a small list, but it will grow and grow as you and I dig, research, enquire and explore the Word of God. Many more resources are available to us today than back in Enoch and Abraham’s time. I suggest that you get good reference materials, utilized the internet (with caution) if necessary and study the Word of God with an open heart ready to receive and a mind full of faith as you get to know the Lord deeper.

Be bless…

Chosen4God

Summer's end...

From my last post you know that I have been on a journey with God through prayer, and I must say it has been an AMAZING journey.  Even in my learning more about prayer and believe me I haven't even begun to scratch the surface, I have found myself caving in to old (bad) habits that had me bound.  But God’s grace an mercy is stronger than any bad habits I am working to break.

I have come to realize that the enemy (Satan) does not ease up, he does not give you a moment of slack, neither does he take a few hours of rest.  He constantly has tried to make me falter in my learning about prayer.  You see, prayer is so key in our Spiritual walk with God, we must communicate with Him all the time, about everything.  This may sound like you will be walking around praying all the time, well that’s not what I’m trying to say here.  Just as I’m talking to you now and how you talk with family and friends, is the say way you must talk with God. 

There is a learning process that we all come into when we talk with God.  You see the enemy wants to keep our minds so occupied with worries, frustrations, losses, failures, short comings, all the negatives that we won’t find the strength to go to God in prayer.  On the contrary, this is the perfect time to go to HIM, we must fight through the negatives and ask the Holy Spirit to bring the Word to our minds.

As I have been reading about prayer and reading what the Bible says, I’m putting the Word in me so when I call upon the Holy Spirit He brings the Word back to my memory.  You will find that there are levels in which God will take you as you grow in His Word.  Everything that has happen in my life just from reading, studying His Word and learning about prayer is also available to each of you.  God is no respecter of persons, what He has done in me He will do in you.   

If you are hungry, if you are tired from the battles that you have been fighting with no ground won, then it’s time to turn your life over to one who knows all about you.  It’s time to put your trust in one who loves you regardless of the sins you have committed, and are engaged in now.  God loves you, and He does not want any to perish:

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” [2Pe 3:9 KJV]

Please, don’t believe the lie that God won’t or can’t forgive you of sins for He tells us; “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake” [1 Jn. 2:12].  For “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all” [Isa. 53:6].  “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;” [Rom. 3:23]. 

All we must do is believe in Jesus and the work of the cross that He endured for each of us.  He took our sins away from us, His blood has washed us clean, His life He gave, freely so that we who believe will have eternal life.  Jesus is the door and no man may come to the Father but through Him.  

Seek God for your journey, so that His Word will come alive in your life and change your life.  Each and every journey is not the same, but the results are the same for each of us “In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” [Jhn 14:2 KJV].

Even in heaven He is still working for those who have chosen and believed on Him.

Be bless

Nina

Chosen4God

He understands the pain…

There is nothing that God does not know and understand.  His ways and His thoughts are infinite and should never be compared to man. Many of us struggle daily in keeping the faith, we struggle in keeping our flame of hope burning and we struggle in keeping our focus on the things of God.  Why is it that we struggle, why is our flame not as bright as it used to be?  Let’s just say it’s because of disappointment, pain, discouragement, frustration, helplessness and guilt, jealousy, false burdens, murmuring, unforgiveness, and so many other influences of today.

Is it because we can’t get past the abundance of strongholds that has bound our spirit, soul and mind?  We dwell on the negative because that is what we see daily, we are unable to look to the hills from whence cometh our help. To have a glimmer of hope in a sea of negativity is like finding a needle in the desert.  In truth, that’s all we need – just a glimmer of hope to help us to keep going, to keep us striving for the prize and to help us to keep our minds focus on God and His promises.

God knows the truth, He understands the true cause/reason for the pain in our hearts, He sees the reasons for all the disappointment we have faced, yes, God knows the truth behind everything.  We cannot hide, deny, contradict or hold back anything from Him; we can only try to hold truth from ourselves and others.  When you know that He (God) is the only one you can be totally truthful with then go to Him no matter the hurt, the pain you feel, the unforgiveable act or of the disappointment, God is the only one you can be completely truthful with. 

You don’t have to worry about your business getting out in the street, He won’t point an accusing finger at you, nor will He call you names for wrong decisions that you made.  God loves you in spite of all the failures, in spite of all the wrong moves you made, in spite of the confidence you lack, He wants you to keep drawing closer to Him. We must remember that God is in control, we must let go of all negativity, wrong thinking, and wrong speaking and we must remember where we have placed our trust in and in whom we do trust. As you begin to let go of the many hindrance’s just know that God is there with you in the process, even when it becomes too difficult to let go of the unforgiveness or the shame, He is right there next to you encouraging you, letting you know that He loves you.   

Be encourage my friends, know that there is no sin that God can’t forgive, there is nothing that we can do to tear His love away from us, as He was merciful to Israel He will be merciful to you. 

God bless

 

Nina

Chosen4God

Prayer is a vital key to every single Christian, for it is our communication that we use to commune with our Father, God.  It is talking with Him and telling Him about what is going on in our lives.  One way of praying is to pray the Word back to God, {Isa 55:11 KJV} "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it." When we pray the Word back something will be accomplished in us for this is a promise of God to His Children.  The Word is power(ful) and it is something that we (should) have absolute faith in.

There is nothing on earth more powerful than the Word of God, and Psalms 91 is a most memorable Psalms that many know and many of us quote it almost daily to ourselves and even to friends.  It is a Psalm that brings comfort, assurance, blessing and hope to the children of God; it is a Psalm that teaches the protection of God for His chosen, it is a Psalm of love of a Father.

Praying God’s Word has a way of assuring us that God will listen to what He has said to us and that we can be assured of an answer from Him. Consider praying this Psalm or seek the Word to find one that fits your need at the moment, God will listen.

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Heavenly Father, we thank you that these things are written in Psalms 91, that we can dwell in the secret place of the most High, and we thank you that we can abide under the shadow of our Almighty God.  We thank you that we can say Your are our Lord, our refuge, our fortress and our God, whom we can trust.  We thank you for delivering us from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence, We thank you for covering each of us with your feathers.  We thank you that we can walk under Your wings and take refuge.  We thank you that Your faithfulness and truth is our shield and armor.  We thank you that we are not afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that walked in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. We thank you that a thousand shall fall at our side, and ten thousand at our right hand; and none will come near us.  We thank you for giving Your angels charge over us to keep us in all ways and that Your angel’s hands will lift us up as we do not dash our foot against a stone.  We thank you that we can tread upon the lion and serpent and trample the young lion and dragon under our feet.  We thank you that when we call You, You will answer us, be with us in trouble, deliver us, honor us, satisfy us with a long life and show us Your salvation.

Heavenly Father, we are thankful that our Lord Christ Jesus spoiled all principalities and powers and made a show of them openly and triumphed over them in Himself.  We claim all that victory for our lives.  We reject all the insinuations, accusations, and temptations of Satan.  We affirm that the Word of God is true and we choose to live in obedience to You Lord Jesus and in fellowship with You.  Open our eyes and show us the areas of our lives that do not please You.  Work in us to cleanse us from all ground that would give Satan a foothold against us.  We do in every way stand in all that it means to be your adopted child and we welcome all the ministry of Your Holy Spirit into our lives.

Heavenly Father, we pray that now and through our lives, You would strengthen and enlighten us, show us all the ways in which Satan and his demonic spirits are trying to hinder, temp, lie, and distort the truth in our lives, enable us to be the kind of person that will please you.  Enable us to be aggressive in prayer and faith.  Enable us to be aggressive mentally, to think about and practice Your Word, and to give You, Your rightful place in our lives.

Heavenly Father, we place all of our cares, all of our anxieties, all of our worries, all of our concerns once and for all on You, because we know that You love us and watch over us according to Your Word in 1 Peter 5:7.  Father we pray for the peace of Jerusalem and May all those prosper who love You. To God be all the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Be bless…

Chosen4God

Trusting in the valleys...

God in Christ by His Spirit calls you to step out of despair into the love of His life.  He invites you to step out of darkness to walk in the brilliant sunlight of His presence and person and power. 

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." (Psa 23:4 KJV)

Death can throw a frightening shadow over us because in its presence we have no strength. We struggle with other enemies like – pain, suffering, disease, and injury – but in the end our strength and courage cannot overcome death.  Only one person can walk with us through deaths dark valley and bring us safely to the other side – the God of life our shepherd.  Because life is uncertain, we should follow this shepherd who offers us eternal comfort.

When we start “Walking with God” it means that we will eventually go through a valley or two but in these valleys is when we will learn the most about God’s grace and about our faith.  At the moment we enter into a valley, there is a feeling of arrogance that this won’t be so bad and that we will be able to handle it.  Don’t ever make the mistake of believing that a valley will ever be easy or quick to get through even though the Bible says “…count it all joy…”  (James 1:2).

When adversity does arises we begin to question God’s plan, we wonder if /how we will make it through or why we have to go through this valley. No matter what precautions you take or how together your life is or how hard you have worked to stay healthy, nothing you can do will prevent you from walking into a valley at various stages of your life. 

When God brings us to valleys there is a reason. The valley is a place where our faith will be tried; it’s a place where faith will grow to a new level, it is a place where our trust in God will become more evident in our lives and not just in our valley. And it’s a place where we become stronger for the next journey or phase that we will take.  Psalms 23 is God’s promises and this Word is a reminder that He is always near––loving, protecting, and guiding us. As our faith is tried and our dependence upon God will grow more because you will now understand that it is He that is able to bring you through these valleys. 

The valley can be thought of as your training ground, for remember that God is faithful for He is preparing your heart and renewing your mind for what He has called you to do.  But if you look for outside help, if you seek some other way to go rather than through the valley you will fail in your pursuit of finding relief. It can be a fearful feeling when you know that you are walking into a valley, that what is about to happen will be extremely unpleasant but yet it is unavoidable.

Every valley is a passageway rather than a destination to reach, just know that sooner or later all the troubles, difficulties and trials will pass. The purpose of walking with God in the valleys is clearly stated in James 1:3-4(KJ); “knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”  I like how it is stated in the Living bible “when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when you endurance is fully developed; you will be strong in character and ready for anything.” Many times we cannot see God’s purpose or understand His plans while we’re in the valley because our pain is so great. This is the time when we must stand strong in our faith and on His Word and promises.

When we have lost something or someone such as a friendship, a marriage, a job, or our financial stability just for example, it can throw us off balance, the blessing of the valley is, the deeper our valley then the greater the work of God will be in it and in our lives. The key word to grasp in James 1:4 is “perfection” meaning full growth, as men and not children, thoroughly instructed and deeply experienced”.  From our experiences in the valley’s as well as the mountain tops we find that God is the one who controls the length of time we spend in a valley but if and in our stubbornness, self-will, pride, arrogance, etc will not yield to the obedience of God then it only lengthens the suffering in the valley.

Valleys are not an easy trip to take and when we don’t handle the hardship well in a valley, what we are saying is that we are afraid of trusting God completely to bring us out of this valley, which in turn will only delay our deliverance as stated above. We panic in the face of difficulties, we are looking at what lays before us instead of who is with us and that He has ALL power in His hand.

We must find the reassurance needed to make it through the valleys, from the Word of God, through prayer, through obedience and through surrender.  This is the time that regardless of circumstances we need to rely on God, know that no matter what, the Father will provide for us as He says “He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters” (Ps. 23:2). God tells us that: "Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Ps. 119:105) so in difficult times we can trust its truth to protect us from making wrong choices and bring us some comfort till we come out of the valley.

How do we handle a valley? One way is to surrender your life to God, give Him complete control of your thoughts, your attitudes and your heart.  Then you must believe the Lord will use this opportunity for good just as Joseph went through in order to help a nation of people through his distress God turned it for good.  Then rest, knowing that He is Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent, so He knows where you are as well as what is happening.  Finally, be thankful to God "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you " (1Th. 5:18) for brining you into this valley for it’s in the valley that the greatest life’s lessons are learned.

Be bless

Nina Jenkins