My future project...

...after my garden.

Breaking Down Stronholds ...

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”

(2 Corinthians 10:4, NKJV)

Scripture tells us that there is a battle going on in our minds. Our thoughts dictate our actions. That’s why the enemy will do everything he can to get you thinking in the wrong direction. Sometimes, it’s not our own thoughts that are holding us back; sometimes it’s that we’ve believed the negative things that other people have spoken over us. Those words are like seeds. If you dwell on them long enough, they’ll take root and become a reality.

In life, there will always be people telling you what cannot be done, speaking negative things. Too often we latch on to those negative words and develop what the scripture calls a “stronghold.” That’s a wrong thought or action that keeps us from God’s best. The way you break those negative strongholds is by rejecting the lie, forgiving the person, and embracing the truth of God’s Word. In other words, you have to choose to delete that negative file in your mind.

Today, why don’t you take inventory of your thought life? Ask yourself, “Where did these thoughts come from? Do they line up with what God says about me?” Break the negative strongholds and embrace God’s truth so you can be all that God has called you to be!

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, today I choose to reject negative thoughts. I choose to reject lies from the past. I break every stronghold through the power of Your Word and embrace Your truth which sets me free in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Elements of the Southern Kitchen

Elements of the Southern Kitchen

Lost in God’s Will

February 27th, 2013

 Joel Pukalo

“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14, NLT)

Do you ever worry about missing God’s plan for your life? I have met many people who are terrified of missing God’s will for their life. Tragically this fear is paralyzing and prevents many from entering into the Father’s perfect plan for their lives. This fear is only a ploy of the enemy and it is not God’s will for you to feel this way.

In fact God has made following His perfect will so simple that even a child can walk in God’s perfect plan for their life. As we walk with our Heavenly Father each day He guides, opens and closes the right doors, put impressions on our hearts and gives us wisdom to guide us right where we need to be. Greater yet, the Father knit us together with the specific skills, personality and abilities that will naturally gravitate to following his perfect plan for our lives.

Stop and consider the biblical truth and implications of this in following Gods perfect will in your life.

The greatest mistake is to think following God’s plan for my life is dependent on my human ability. Your heavenly Father wants to set you completely free from such fears today! Pray and allow this truth to permeating your very being and set you free from the fear of missing God’s plan.

God, I want to walk in the plans You have for me. When I’m tempted to listen to fear I pray that You would refocus my thoughts on You. Amen

“. . . he knows the way that I take” (Job 23:10)

February 25, 2013

God Knows

James MacDonald - Senior Pastor - Harvest Bible Chapel

Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside.

—Job 23:8-11

God sees you on the road you are walking today. As Job put it, “. . . he knows the way that I take” (Job 23:10). He sees the steps you must take today to get through this hard place. Proverbs 5:21 tells us that “A man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.” This means God not only watches the winding of your road today, He is also thinking about every step and everything you must step over. Wow! God is considering your next fork in the road too, the good choice and the dismal, misery-inducing one. Your Father in heaven is reflecting about what you are going to decide. Even though He has known from eternity past every detail of your life, He is still meditating upon it as it plays out. That blows me away.

God knows the way that you take. He wants you to succeed in the testing you are experiencing. Considering His great love for you, do you honestly think He would let you go through more than you can handle? No. He won’t let this hard season knock you off the path of your highest usefulness to His kingdom. He has already scouted the path ahead and will be with you during the rough stretches. And He wants to help you make sure you don’t drive yourself off that high road.

God is near to you when your heart is broken and saves you when your spirit is crushed (Psalm 34:18). God draws near to you during a hardship unlike at any other time in your life. Maybe this is why the desperate need comes. Maybe this is the very moment God is seeking to engineer—the moment of your turning as never before to Him.

If this is your moment and you don’t know how to pray, God even knows that. Romans 8:26 tells us God’s Spirit prays for us when we don’t have words. Just start praying and sharing your heart. Thank God that He knows the way you take.

                     

Journal

•        What difference does it make for me to know God has already reviewed everything that will occur in my life?

•        Read Job 23:10 again. What does it mean for me to “come out as gold”?

Prayer

Almighty God, help me remember Job’s testimony and David’s prayer in Psalm 139:3, “You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.” Thank You for the comfort of knowing that no obstacle enters my life that You have not seen and approved for its usefulness for me. Now guide me as I live out that trust this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

It's great to be from Texas...

The Way Your Story Ends

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Psalm 139:16, NLT)

Did you know that God has already recorded every part of your life from the beginning to the end? He knows every disappointment, every loss, every challenge; and the good news is that with Christ, your story ends in victory! God has written out a plan to bless and prosper you. When you choose His plan, your final chapter concludes with you fulfilling your God-given destiny. Here’s the key: when you go through a disappointment, when you go through a loss, don’t stop on that page in your life. You’ve got to decide to keep moving forward. There’s another chapter in front of you, but you’ve got to be willing to take the next step.

Sometimes, we get so focused on what didn’t work out that we stay stuck, reliving the disappointment. If that’s you, recognize that you’ve been on that page long enough. It’s time to let it go and turn the page to the new chapter God has in store. You may not understand, it may not have been fair, but remember, the next chapter is full of blessing, full of favor, and full of victory! Make the decision to let go of the old so you can move forward into the abundant life God has in store for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for the good plan You have for me. Today, I lay aside the disappointments of the past knowing that You have blessing in store for my future in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Remind me Lord...

You Are Loved!

February 12th, 2013 Gail Rodgers

You are precious in His sight. Today… yes, right now!

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)

Father in Heaven,

What wonderful understanding Your word gives me. Today I ask that You would give me strength in my inner being. Thank you that You reach out to strengthen me from Your vast store of riches. Help me to remember that today I have the living Christ dwelling within me. Remind me that this is my Source today in all I need to do or face.

Lord God, help me today to grasp how very much You love me. Help me to see in fresh ways how I am grounded by that love and rooted in it as a sure anchor for my life. Help me to believe it! What a heritage I share with other believers… this wonder of Your equipping love in my life. How we need to remind each other of this strengthening power that we have access to through Your Spirit.

Today when I am tempted to fall into thinking thoughts that drag me down, remind me of this rich love that You pour over me and into my life. Remind me, by Your Spirit, that this love is wider and longer and higher and deeper than I can ever imagine. Let me feel wrapped and encased in that love today. Help me to grasp this truth when I am tempted to feel less because of my own limited abilities or resources or circumstances.

Father, thank you that growing in this understanding of the riches of Your love will fill me up with a fullness and a completeness that can come from nothing else. Set me on a journey today to reply on You in every detail of my life. Let me live in the fullness of Your love today like never before. I ask this in the powerful name of Jesus with thanksgiving. Amen.

The motivation for God’s action in allowing your life to become so hard is love.

Why Does God Discipline His Children?

Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. —Hebrews 12:9-11

A trial is like a bounced check. You feel stuck with a problem that you don’t have the resources to solve. The temptation is to rant to God, “Do you see me over here, God? Do you see that I don’t have what it takes to get through this? Are You paying attention? I’m about to bounce a lot of checks here. I don’t have the resources. I don’t have it emotionally. You’re rattling my faith, God. Don’t leave me in this mess.”

Those expressions of desperation you feel so awful about are in fact the exact truth God has been trying to bring to your attention: You flat out don’t have the resources. He wants you to come to realize what He’s known to be true all along: you are in way over your head. God is taking you to a new level of dependence and He knows what He’s doing.

Why does the Lord discipline me? Hebrews 12:6a says, “For the Lord disciplines the one He loves.” Well, there you go. He disciplines you because He loves you.

You might be tempted to think, “Well, if You loved me, God, You wouldn’t leave me over here with empty pockets and bounced checks.”

But far from abandoning us when we’re going through difficult trials, God moves toward us. Far from folding His arms; God is rolling up His sleeves. He’s getting ready to do something in your life that you haven’t previously been willing to let Him do. And He moves toward you. Isn’t that good news? God moves toward you. In fact, trials are proof of love.

Never forget this: The motivation for God’s action in allowing your life to become so hard is love. He loves you. His eyes are upon you. His attention is toward you. All of His thoughts are about you. The goal of all your pain is your restoration to a deeper sense of His love. But keep in mind that this is biblical love—a love that is willing to take you through a valley to get you to a hilltop. No pseudo-solutions or quick-fixes with God. He is going for change in you at the deepest and most lasting level.

Journal

•        When have I recently been reminded of the scarcity of personal resources for overcoming significant challenges in my life?

•        What steps have I taken to exercise greater dependence on God during difficulties?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I am so grateful to Your Son for directing me to present my needs and life to You under the authority of His name. And thank You for treating me as a father would, including the times of discipline You have not hesitated to apply to my life. Honestly, I don’t look forward to the pain and discomfort, but I do anticipate the gain You will bring about in my life through them, so I’m trusting You as I step forward. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today's Devo 2/10/2013

Day 32: Read today's devotional on Bible Gateway.

Genesis 35:1-15
Jacob and his family move from place to place in Canaan, finally arriving in Bethel, where God had first appeared to him.
Holding Close

ReadNow that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him, saying, “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel.
(Genesis 35:9-10)

ReflectGod reminded Jacob of his new name, Israel, which means “one who struggles with God” (see Genesis 32:22-32). Jacob’s life was littered with difficulties and trials, but his new name reflected his desire to stay close to God despite life’s disappointments.
Many people believe that Jesus promises a problem-free life. Consequently, as life gets tough, they become disappointed and retreat from faith in God. Has God failed?
Jesus actually warned his followers that they would face hard times: “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” But Jesus offered them hope, too: “Take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Instead of hoping for a problem-free life, followers of Jesus should hold on to God through life’s struggles. Problems and difficulties are painful but inevitable. Perhaps, as in Jacob’s case, they are actually struggles with God. These can be opportunities for growth. Troubles give us a chance to trust God. They are opportunities for faith. They are opportunities for God to work in your life.

RespondWhat struggles are you facing today? If life is going well, how are you deepening your trust in God for when life brings new challenges? Whether life is easy or hard, how can you hold on to God?

How to hug a vampire...

Go to link and open:
http://www.elevationchurch.org/sermons/howtohugavampire/part1

God’s purposes will be accomplished whether we are experiencing good times or bad...

February 7, 2013

Am I Doing Something Wrong?

Todd Dugard - Senior Pastor - Harvest Barrie, Ontario

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness! —Psalm 57:1-3

There are too many people (Christians among them) who have fallen into the trap of thinking prosperity and blessing equal God’s favor. And conversely, when life is hard, God obviously doesn’t like what we’re doing and punishes us. Often it is unstated and vehemently denied, but if we look at how we live, it appears we believe it to be true. Success in life is measured by how much stuff we have. Bank accounts, educational achievements, zip codes, and number of Facebook friends have become the measure of success. We might eschew the prosperity gospel from the pulpit, but we embrace it in real life. How do we do this? Simply by entertaining the thought that hardship in a person’s life must mean God’s favor is absent.

It seems Christians really struggle with the truth that hardship may very well mean God’s favor on our lives. Strange to say, but that statement is the first thing I’ve written here that can be found in the Bible. Just look at Hebrews 12. And Ezra 4 also proves the point that we do exactly what God tells us to do and things can still go terribly wrong. It proves God will allow bad things to happen even when we follow His ways. And sometimes we won’t know why. The Jews were experiencing real frustration in having their vision to re-establish worship stopped in its tracks by lies, threats, and political maneuvering by evil adversaries. And it is obvious from the narrative that God did nothing to stop the circumstances creating the frustration. The Israelites didn’t know why. They simply had to trust God. Period.

Though the purposes of the Jews were frustrated, God’s purposes were not. In the midst of the frustration, “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me” (Psalm 57:2). And what are His purposes for us? To set us apart from the world, know His power, and trust Him. Frustrating circumstances force me to trust that His ways are far greater than my ways.

God’s purposes will be accomplished whether we are experiencing good times or bad. So life may be really hard right now, and yet we may be doing everything right. Be patient and trust God! He is simply doing what He needs to do to accomplish His purposes while asking us to trust Him in the process.

Journal

•        Do the hardships in my life make me wonder if God is punishing me for something?

•        How does trusting God with all my circumstances free me from any anxieties?

Prayer

Almighty Father, I know Your ways are higher than my ways, but to be honest, sometimes I feel like I do everything You ask of me and my trials continue to come. Please forgive me for doubting You and believing the lie that You are angry with me for something. Help me to lean into and trust You more and more each day as I pass through this life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Karla's prayer 2/6/2013

God, I want to be fully surrendered to You. Help me to place everything in my life at Your disposal. Amen

A present reminder of God's promise...

This was my beautiful view coming home and to see it over my house when I got home was amazing.
There is a church marquee in my community that reads: "The last time things were this bad, God sent a flood". I totally disagree with this type of thinking. God has promises that You can find in the Bible and meditate and pray on for this type of thinking to help you find joy and peace in Him.
Take note: Find security in knowing God . The only way to do this is to read His Word daily, because you can't do it in a day. He wants a relationship of trust, obedience, and reverence in Him, by
you. You can't build that by just having a part time relationship. He is jealous for you and wants all of you for his purpose.

My three Amigos...

Gotta love these smiles first thing in the morning!!!

My boys...

I pray God show you all favor during your service and deployment.

My prayer for today 2/5/2013

Father God,

I need Your Spirit to clothe me with a soft heart today. Though things around me may be hard, may I help bring Your presence into the circumstances of today by being dressed with the characteristics Your Holy Spirit can bring to my life. Stir within me a thankful heart and use my presence to help bring Your presence of peace to those around me. I ask this in the strong name of Jesus, Amen.

My Prayer to God 2/1/2013

Your Word stands firm forever, O Lord. As I have spent time in your Word over the last several days, I’ve see my relationship with you grow. You are a God of promises, and as I spend time with you, I see your promises evident in my life. I promise, you, Lord, that I will make this the year that I will spend time with you each day!