Are You Willing to Obey?

 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)         

The story is told that when Dr. David Livingstone was working in Africa, a group of friends sent a letter saying, “We would like to send other men to you. Have you found a good road into your area yet?”  Apparently, Dr. Livingstone sent this message in reply: “If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”

 

I wonder if God thinks this about us sometimes.  I wonder if He ever calls us to obedience without showing us the path we will travel, or the end result, just to see what we will do.  Kind of like a test.  Will we obey without a road map?

 

And I often wonder why following God isn’t easier.  There are days when I feel tired of getting called out of my comfort zone to obey God.  On those days I’ve been known to whine in my prayers asking God if there isn’t any way I can serve Him from the safety of my recliner. But that’s not God’s ways. God’s heart is to reach people in every city, county, state, and continent, and that involves risk on our part. 

 

Maybe there is something within us that is revealed when we are pressured from without.  Maybe the call to obey shines light on the truth about our faith.  I know that in order to grow, faith must be stretched, and that’s often uncomfortable.

 

You see, I have not learned to trust God in the easy ways of faith.  I have not learned to trust God by reading a book or listening to a great sermon.  Nor have I learned to trust God by hearing how my friend trusts God.  No, I am learning to trust God by stepping out into an adventure of obedience and discovering for myself that He is trustworthy.

 

This happened when my husband and I started tithing (after I resisted for years), and watched God cover all our needs and more. This happened when I obeyed His command to write a book (even though I didn’t know what I would write about), and watched God open doors of opportunity.  This is happened when we said yes to adoption, and are watching the blossoming of two little girls who now have a hope and a future.

 

Obeying when God hasn’t revealed the steps along the way or the final destination is challenging.  But when we choose to walk by faith and not by sight, God gets all the glory in the end because we KNOW we couldn’t have done it on our own!

 

Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for being completely trustworthy. Thank You for having my best interest at heart, even when the path to obedience seems scary.  Help me to take the next step of faith, even when I don’t see where I’m going.  I will choose to trust You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

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The Mother of James and John–The sons of Zebedee

“SALOME” (suh-LOE-mee)

MARK 20: 20-21

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.  And He said to her, “What do you wish?”  She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”  (NJKV)

 

Jesus spent time at the disciples’ houses often, and he probably spent much time with the wife of Zebedee as well.  In this passage of scripture, we find her approaching Him boldly.  She knelt down before Him, asking a question.  Before she could ask, he said “what do you wish?”  Not at all put out that she–a woman–would approach him at all.  Jesus expressed genuine concern for her wishes.  Sometimes, we feel as if Jesus is unapproachable.  Salome not only felt comfortable enough to come to Him, she obviously knew Him well enough to come to Him with a very personal request.  Although, Jesus didn’t grant her request, she remained with Him until the end. (Mark 15:40)

 

Salome, (her name means “peaceable”) was a faithful follower of Jesus.  She was present at the cross with Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses. Jesus wasn’t upset with her because of her request; He directed His answer to her sons.  It is suggested that her sons put her up to asking Him. And based upon her relationship with Him–she humbly asked.

 

What is it that you desire to ask Jesus, today?  He is ready, willing and able to handle any request put before Him.  He is approachable.  He isn’t standing by waiting to reprimand or criticize you. Ask.  He is eager to hear from you, no matter what the request. 

 

As women, it is probably our children’s requests that we concern ourselves with most.  Like Salome; we want what is best for our children too.  We often go to great lengths to make sure they have all they need.  I know I am continually bombarding Heaven with prayers for my children.  And because of our relationship; it isn’t unthinkable for Jesus to sometimes grant the requests.    

 

 My sisters, don’t let anything keep you from approaching Jesus.  Salome wasn’t hindered by the presence of the other disciples or what they might think about her request.  She felt confident that Jesus would listen and respond. And, His response didn’t affect their relationship.   She trusted Him completely with her hopes and dreams. 

 

PRAYER:  Dear Jesus, Today I approach you with all my requests.  Thank you for concerning yourself with the things that concern me.  Fill me with Your Peace and Understanding, no matter what Your response may be.  In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.  

 FRED HAMMOND–NO GREATER LOVE

 

FORGIVE–untill seventy times seven

Matthew 18: 21,22

“Then Peter came to Him and said.  “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  Up to seven times?”  Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”(NKJV)

When Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother, Jesus replied, “Up to seventy times seven.”  That’s an awful lot of forgiving for one person to be required to do.  Yet, Jesus didn’t seem to have a problem with it.  In fact, Jesus commanded it.  It wasn’t up for discussion.  Jesus didn’t concern himself or ask questions about the situation that Peter was referring to.  Jesus didn’t ask Peter what sin was committed against him.  No, he simply said “forgive—let it die” as many times as it takes. 

 

Now, there is nothing harder than trying to forgive when you’ve been desperately wounded.  When the pain and memory of the offense is so great that it nearly kills you; often it seems impossible to forgive.    

 

When I was a child, I was sexually abused by the boyfriend of a relative.  The abuse went on for several years.  From it, I bore two children by the age of fourteen. I spent most of my life living with anger and hatred towards him.  I felt he deprived me of a normal childhood.  And I spent years wondering how my life might have been different if not for the abuse.   I lived with anger, hatred, and unforgivness every day. 

 

Then I encountered Jesus in this gospel story.  Matthew 18: 23-35 (NKJV), Jesus tells a parable about a servant that owed his master ten thousand talents.  The master had pity and compassion on the servant and released him from the debt.  But that servant found one of his fellow servants that owed him a considerable smaller amount and he would not release him from the debt.  He had him thrown into prison.  Once the master heard all of this, he called for the servant “you wicked servant,” he said.  I cancelled all your debt; shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?”

 

Jesus is letting me know that if I don’t forgive from my heart, I won’t be forgiven by my Heavenly Father.  God has forgiven me so much; also I owe God too much for the forgiveness He has given to me. 

 

A few months ago, I had an opportunity to speak with the man that abused me.  He never apologized for abusing me but, he said he asked God for forgiveness.  He believes God has forgiven him and he has made peace with the past.  I spent many years of my life being angry and resentful, while he has moved on and closed that chapter of his life.  It seemed to me, I had wasted too much time thinking about the past.  I needed to forgive and “let it die.” 

 

God has something He wants to live in me; “FORGIVENESS.”

 

We can spend time wasting away in unforgiveness but, we will allow it to consume too much of our life.  Don’t give it that much power.  Move on. God has so much more in our future, to remain stuck in our past. 

 

PRAYER:  Father, help us to forgive those that have offended us so deeply.  Even though, we want to hold on to the offense, we realize you have commanded us to forgive and let it go.   Help us Father, to forgive others just as you have forgiven us.  Every time we think about the offense we will say “I forgive,” until it comes from the heart.  THANK YOU, IN JESUS’ NAME, AMEN. 

In Search of a Healthy Relationship

In Search for a Healthy Relationship
August 29, 2008 — fojeane | Edit
When it comes to making the decision about choosing a life partner, no one wants to make a mistake.
Yet, with a divorce rate of close to 50%, it appears that many are making serious mistakes in their approach to finding Mr./Miss. Right! If you ask most couples who are engaged why they’re getting married, they’ll say: ‘We’re in love’; I believe this is the #1 mistake people make when they date. “Choosing a life partner should never be based on love.” Though this may sound ‘not politically correct’, there’s a profound truth here. Love is not the basis for getting married. Rather, love is the result of a good marriage. When the other ingredients are right, then the love will come. Let me say it again: ‘You can’t build a lifetime relationship on love alone’; You need a lot more!!! Here are five questions you must ask yourself if you’re serious about finding and keeping a life partner.
QUESTION#1: Do we share a common life purpose? Why is this so important? Let me put it this way: If you’re married for 20 or 30 years, that’s a long time to live with someone. What do you plan to do with each other all that time? Travel, eat and jog together? You need to share something deeper and more meaningful. You need a common Life purpose.

Two things can happen in a marriage: (1) You can grow together, or (2) you can grow apart. 0% of the people out there are growing apart. To make a marriage work, you need to know what you want out of life! Bottom line; and marry someone who wants the same thing.

QUESTION#2: Do I feel safe expressing my feelings and thoughts with this person? This question goes to the core of the quality of your relationship. Feeling safe means you can communicate openly with this person. The basis of having good communication is trust- i.e. trust that I won’t get ‘punished’; or hurt for expressing my honest thoughts and feelings.

A colleague of mine defines an abusive person as someone with whom you feel afraid to express your thoughts and feelings. Be honest with yourself on this one. Make sure you feel emotionally safe with the person you plan to marry.

QUESTION#3: Is he/she a mensch? (Webster defines mensch–pronounced mench–as a person of integrity or honor) A mensch is someone who is a refined and sensitive person. How can you test? Here are some suggestions. Do they work on personal growth on a regular basis? Are they serious about improving themselves? A teacher of mine defines a good person as ’someone who is always striving to be good and do the right things’, So ask about your significant other. What do they do with their time? Is this person materialistic? Usually a materialistic person is not someone whose top priority is character refinement. There are essentially two types of people in the world: (1) People who are dedicated to personal growth and (2) people who are dedicated to seeking comfort. Someone whose goal in life is to be comfortable will put personal comfort ahead of doing the right thing. You need to know that before walking down the aisle.

QUESTION#4: How does he/she treat other people? The one most important thing that makes any relationship work is the ability to give. By giving, we mean the ability to give another person pleasure. Ask: Is this someone who enjoys giving pleasure to others or are they wrapped up in themselves and self-absorbed? To measure this, think about the following: – How do they treat people whom they do not have to be nice to, such as waiters, bus boys, taxi drivers, etc. – How do they treat their parents and siblings?
– Do they have gratitude and appreciation? If they don’t have gratitude for the people who have given them everything. Can you do nearly as much for them? You can be sure that someone who treats others poorly, will eventually treat you poorly as well.

QUESTION#5: Is there anything I’m hoping to change about this person after we’re married? Too many people make the mistake of marrying someone with the intention of trying to ‘improve’; them after they’re married. As a colleague of mine puts it: ‘You can probably expect someone to change after marriage for the worse’ If you cannot fully accept this person the way they are now, then you are not ready to marry them.

In conclusion, dating doesn’t have to be difficult and treacherous. The key is to try leading a little more with your head and less with your heart. It pays to be as objective as possible when you are dating; to be sure to ask questions that will help you get to the key issues. Falling in love is a great feeling, but when you wake up with a ring on your finger, you don’t want to find yourself in trouble because you didn’t do your homework. Another perspective….There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance….It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you let go of or at least minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not-going anywhere relationships. Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention…..Which ones lift and which ones lean? Which ones encourage and which ones discourage? Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill? When you leave certain people do you feel better or feel worse? Which ones always have drama or don’t really understand, know, or appreciate you?

The more you seek QUALITY, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you…the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the front row and who should be moved to the balcony of your life. An African proverb states, ‘Before you get married, keep both eyes open, and after you marry, close one eye’; Before you get involved and make a commitment to someone, don’t let lust, pity, desperation, immaturity, ignorance, pressure from others or a low self-esteem make you blind to warning signs. Keep your eyes open, and don’t fool yourself that you can change someone or that what you see as faults aren’t really that important.
1) Do you bring out the best in each other? 2) Do you compliment and compromise with each other, or do you compete, compare and control? 3) What do you bring to the relationship? 4) Do you bring past relationships, past hurt, past mistrust, past pain? You can’t take someone to the altar to alter them. You can’t make someone love you or make someone stay. If you develop self-esteem, spiritual discernment, and ‘a life’; you won’t find yourself making someone else responsible for your happiness or responsible for your pain. Seeking status, sex, and security are the wrong reasons to be in a relationship.

WHAT KEEPS A RELATIONSHIP STRONG ARE:
1. TRUST
2. COMMUNICATION
3. INTIMACY
4. A SENSE OF HUMOR
5. SHARING TASKS
6. SOME GETAWAY TIME WITHOUT BUSINESS OR CHILDREN
7. DAILY EXCHANGES (meal, shared activity, hug, call, touch, notes)
8. SHARING COMMON GOALS AND INTERESTS
9. GIVING EACH OTHER SPACE TO GROW WITHOUT FEELING INSECURE
10. GIVING EACH OTHER A SENSE OF BELONGING AND ASSURANCES OF COMMITMENT

If these qualities are missing, the relationship will erode as resentment withdrawal, abuse, neglect, and dishonesty; and pain will replace it.

Happiness keeps You Sweet, Trials keep You Strong, Sorrows keep You Human, Failures keep You Humble, Success keeps You Glowing, But……… . Only God keeps You Going! ‘In search for me, I discovered truth. In search for truth, I discovered love and in search for love, I discovered God. In God, I have found everything.’ ‘Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.’…

Do You Want to remain Bitter or get Better?

1 Samuel 30: 3-8

3 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”
      “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

David and his men had every right to be angry, resentful, and hostile. Imagine your entire family taken into captivity.  All your possessions taken and your home burned to the ground.  There are some things that have happened to us that give us the right to be angry.  The pain is so great that we weep aloud until we have no more strength left to weep.  We are left feeling distressed, hopeless and helpless.  Bitterness sets into our hearts.    

 

 Bitterness can leave us angry, resentful, and hostile.  And looking for someone to blame for what has happened to us.  Bitterness will keep us stuck in our pain.  As long as we remain bitter, we stay stuck. We shouldn’t get so caught up in bitterness, that we lose focus on what’s precious.  Do you want to remain bitter or get better?

 

 David chose to get better by finding “strength” in the Lord. Strength simply means–He shook it off.  Once he found strength, he was able to focus on what’s meaningful and precious.  1 Samuel 30:8 goes on to say “David inquired of the Lord” and then God gave clear direction for him to succeed.

 

Not only did God give direction but, He returned all the wives, sons and daughters that had been taken by the enemy.  According to 1 Samuel 30:18, 19, David recovered all that was taken by their enemy-nothing was missing. 

 

God is calling us to seek Him for strength to get better.  He will give us the power to overcome in every situation.  Don’t waste time being bitter, the objective is to get better. 

 

PRAYER:  Dear Lord, help us to get better.  We come to you with all our bitterness.  We aren’t looking for anyone to blame.  We just want to get better.  Help us Lord, to understand that all things work together for our good.  What the enemy meant for evil, YOU are using for our good.  Thank you Father, for soothing all our hurts and pains.  In Jesus’ Name Amen. 

The Commissioned Reunion singing “Ordinary Just Won’t Do”

God has an “AFTER THIS” for YOU

 Genesis 15:1

After this, the Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision.  “Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward. 

 

Many things have happened to us as we’ve lived this life.  We all have had to face some difficult times.  For some of us those things have been almost unbearable, unimaginable, unforgettable and uncontrollable.  For instance: Sexual abuse, physical abuse, and verbal abuse.  As women, we have experienced some of very type of abuse there is.  And yet, we survived.  Wounded, yet survived.  Why?  God had a vision for our lives. Just like Abram, God has a vision for your life. 

 

 Before This, God had instructed Abram to “get out of your country” and go to a place where he had never been.  (Genesis 12)  Along the way there was a famine in the land.  He had strife in his household with his nephew Lot.  Some of his family, along with Lot was taken into captivity.  He had to form an army and go into battle to rescue them.  Yet, through it all, God was with him.  He never left Abram.

 

 It doesn’t matter what we may have gone through, God was always there.  He will never leave us or forsake us.  Why?  He has a vision for your life.  You see, God knew you before you were born.  He already planned what you were going to be and accomplish.  With all that you have been through, there is always something “after this.”

 

After this,

God told Abram that He was going to give him an heir. He told him he was giving him descendants that would out numbered the stars.  He also told him, he would inherit land.  Abram believed God.  God later changed his name to “Abraham” a father of many nations.  

 

If we only knew the vision God has for us, what could we do differently?  Are you still holding on to FEAR?  God said; “FEAR NOT, I AM WITH YOU!”  God will be there to protect you.  He is your Armed Guard, your Protector.  And He has great rewards.

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for the vision you have always had for our lives.  Help us to see ourselves like YOU see us.  Free us from fear and bondage that our “before this” has caused us.  Help us to believe in the “after this” that you have blessed us to walk in.  In spite of what we’ve gone through in our lives, because YOU had a vision for us, we can walk into our destiny.  IN JESUS’ NAME, AMEN. Mary Mary singing “Yesterday”