My Temple

Lately God has really been speaking boldly to me about being submitted to Him. I think it is easy to say we are submitted to God but when we truly examine ourselves and EVERY area of our lives I think we discover the fact that we truly aren't totally 100% surrendered like we claim to be. Maybe some people are, TELL ME HOW TO GET THERE. It seems like it's a constant battle in my mind and life to lay down everything at every moment for Christ. My attitude tends to get in the way, my selfishness, my tearing down words, and my actions. 1 Cor. 6:19 Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself. A lot of times we seem to only focus on the parts I mentioned about to see if we're doing ok with God. How about this, if our body is the temple of Holy Spirit how are we caring for it? Are we managing our time wisely? Are we resting enough? Eating healthy and right? Dressing in a way that is glorifying to Him. All area's of our lives must reflect Him and His kingdom. We are called to be set apart for Him. We do not have any control over ourselves, sure we're able to make decisions but truly we only have breath because God has given it to us. All we have, each beat of our heart is a gift from God. We are to honor Him with our bodies. With all we are! Each thought we have, each word we say, each action we do. We are called to be good stewards of all God gives us. He gives us opportunities daily to direct people to Him. How are we dealing with those situations? Daily we have an opportunity to walk in union with Him. To experience His grace, mercy, unconditional love He freely lavishes upon us and to share it with others. How are we doing in that? Are we seeking people out to serve them or are we seeking to see how others can serve us?

This week I challenge you to really look deep into your being. See if there is any area that you are still claiming to have control over and release it to God. The greatest thing we could ever do in life is to give God complete control of who we are. He has the plan and He knows us better than we know ourselves. Let the one Holy God that created you to guide you in your day. Take care of your temple and live a life worthy of God. May everything you do be an act of worship and thanksgiving to Him!

Walking In the Spirit

Everyday we have a decision to make. We must choose one or the other, living out our fleshly desires or living out the desires of God. It seems so simple to read and write out but when you actually think of your day and when you're faced with having to choose it seems so much easier to live by the flesh. So what does it look like to live by the flesh. Well here are just somethings that come to my mind that might be simple examples. How about when you are at work and you're completely swamped with work and someone comes in and asks you to do just one more thing. You can say yes to them and they will walk away all happy but what is your heart saying? Are you there complaining in your heart, and saying maybe how lazy that person is or why do you have to do it. Why can't they find someone else, can't they see you're busy!! This is the flesh speaking, our hearts and mind are usually the easiest places to look to see how closely we're living in the Spirit. Or what about when someone does something wrong to us, do we sit and dwell on it and hold a grudge against them? Do we sit and dwell upon how to get them back? Or do we just sit calmly and pray for them. Asking God to convict them of their wrongdoing and to strengthen us to love them like He loves them! It's not easy but it is truly necessary. God desires us to constantly walk in His Spirit. Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. It is a choice that we must make to walk by the Spirit. However look at the promise that we are guaranteed here. When we walk in the Spirit we WILL NOT CARRY OUT THE DESIRES OF THE FLESH! We will be living according to God's will and carrying out His desires. We will be constantly doing Kingdom Business!! How great is that! It must become our one and only desire to live in the the Spirit. We must be Spirit filled so that we can constantly be the Lord's hands and feet to the lost world. So to walk by the Spirit it is not only talking physically but also in every area. Our hearts, minds, words, actions, these all must be in line with the Spirit so we can see God's glory manifested in the lives of those around us. This is our daily goal to glorify God in all areas of our lives and constantly be in step with Him.

This week examine your feelings. Your thoughts, watch your reactions to other people when you are bothered, asked to do more, or get frustrated. When you see yourself living out the flesh contain it and turn your entire focus upon the Spirit and watch how God turns your situation into a glorifying opportunity!

It's all for Christ

We all have things in our lives that we like to do for certain people, or that we like certain people to do for us. Well God is the same way. He delights in us doing things for Him. He loves it when we honor Him, worship Him, give Him glory, center our days around Him. He loves the fact that we take time to invite Him into our lives to have relationship with us! Many times I find it so easy to praise Him, honor Him, even love Him when I am in a good mood or He has just done something awesome for me. Like for me when I receive a blessing from Him, in whatever form it may be. Someone doing something for me, a beautiful sunny day, a huge donation that will pay my upcoming bill! Whatever its easy to accept God and delight in Him. However there are also the times when we are struggling, that we're depressed, and upset, or not in the mood to really do anything that we must still remember to have a lovable attitude towards God. I mean for real, how easy is it really to sometime even to pray to God when things are going completely wrong in every way? For me not very easy I'll admit that! However I was reminded today in my time of devotions that sometime I have to suffer for the sake of Christ. I should count it a blessing to have my faith tested. To have just a little bit of suffering with Christ. In 2 Cor. 12:10 "That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am Strong." How contradicting is that?!! Lets just see all the crazy talk in there. 1 taking pleasure in weakness, and hardships and so on. And 2 being weak yet strong? What, how can that be! Is Paul losing his mind here? I don't know how many times I have read this verse over the years and said there is no way I can be happy when something bad happens. Because isn't that what taking pleasure would be? I know pleasure is associated with happiness in my mind! So how can you take pleasure in these things? It seems quite impossible but I am here to testify that its not! These moments are where we grow the most. Our true character is put to the test and put under pressure and we are able to grow into a more mature and faithful follower of Christ in these times! God wants us to seek Him in these times. To allow Him to guide us through but He also has growth in store for us. We by ourselves are weak. Cannot do anything without God working in our lives. There are so many times I've tried to get things my own ways and do things on my own and its impossible. I wear myself out trying. So in my weakness when I recognize my dependence upon God, then I am made strong through Him empowering me to go on. It is the same in every situation. We are able to make it through the toughest times only by god working in our lives and giving us the strength to keep moving!

Don't be defeated!! Look at your hardships, troubles, persecutions, anything with God's eyes. Look at it from a Kingdom perspective. Allow Him to transform you and strengthen you. No longer try to move alone but allow Him to move in you! Take time this week and look at your life. Are you struggling in some way? Ask God to reveal His will for this time. Take pleasure in the growing time and recognize your weakness. Allow God to manifest Himself in you to make you strong to defeat what is weighing you down!

Prayers of the Righteous

Well as many of you would know if you've read my other postings on my website about the healing that took place this last week I find this is very suitable for this weeks verse! We'll look at James 5:15-16 "Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." The last phrase "the prayer of a righteous person is powerful" was all that was going through my mind this last weekend when I was walking and running without pain on my foot. It was so incredible to go from having complete discomfort and unbearable pain and then literally like 4 hours later the pain began to subside and each moment on it continually got better. I have never experienced anything quite like that in my life and I will proclaim to everyone that it was a miracle!! I'm not ashamed to say it! There are a few things in these verses that I want to point out. Like in the first line, "a prayer offered in faith" that is something that we must have when we pray. We cannot effectively pray without faith. God desires us to have extreme faith, faith that is beyond all human explanation. Our faith can determine whether something happens or not. When we offer up a prayer in absolute faith, believing that the impossible is able and will take place God moves! He loves when we belief beyond what are simple minds even say possible. God honors those people that faithfully pray and seek Him with complete confidence that they will be heard and that their request isn't to difficult for God. Another point is the fact of confessing our sins to each other. Why would we want to do that??!!! There is power in that my dear friend. When we can humble ourselves and admit our faults to one another that brings a huge smile upon God's face. We are saying look, I'm not perfect this is what I've done, please join me in prayer for God to release me from this sin and heal the void I have created between Him and I. THAT IS WHERE THINGS BEGIN TO HAPPEN SPIRITUALLY!! God loves the humble people and He honors them and a humble heart mixed with a faithful prayer is one powerful prayer. God turns His ear to that! He desires intimacy, honesty, openness, and humility in our relationships with Him and others. I am encouraged in knowing those that the Lord led me to share my situation with were people that faithfully prayed for my healing. They truly were righteous and their powerful prayers were answered and I feel it with each step I take!!

This week I challenge you to look into your heart, and really seriously ask yourself how much faith are you applying to your prayers. Are you praying with a passion and a confidence that your requests will be heard and done? Or are you simply coming to God tired, preoccupied, and only stating what you want and think you need and totally forgetting to lift up others or even show any respect for God. Are you filling your prayer with faith or just saying a memorized prayer because its something you do daily and cross it off your list of things I must do to be a good Christian? There are complete differences and I want to challenge you to take your prayers to a whole new level and see how God responds!