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Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made so I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Too many times our focus is either on the yesterdays that have long since passed us by or we are worried and anxious about what lies ahead in our future. Our past mistakes and the future “what ifs” hold us captive and prevent us from being able to revel in the beauty of this day that the Lord has given to us.

The truth, which sets us free, is that there is nothing we can do about either our past or our future. Paul tells us in Philippians 3:13 that we should learn to let go of what lies behind so that we can move forward and James 4:13  tells us to be careful of saying what we will or won’t do in the future because we don’t know what it really holds. The only place we can truly find rest for our souls is learning to live in the moment of this day that the Lord has given us.

So if you’re like me and you’ve been feeling the pressures of your past and the uncertainty of your future, then I invite you to receive God’s word for you to rejoice in THIS DAY and be glad in it. Tomorrow has enough worries of its own and yesterday is in your past.  God’s mercies are new each and every morning so that you can experience the grace that He has for you today. Take all the worries, anxieties, fears, mistakes, and disappointment to the foot of the cross and die to all of your expectations so that the peace of God can be resurrected in you. His love, mercy, and grace really are sufficient for you so that you can walk through THIS DAY knowing that He is right be your side.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Forgive me for worrying about the future and re-living the events of my past. Thank You that Your mercies are new every morning so that I can live each day with Your Peace and Your Joy. Teach me to roll the cares of my life over onto You day by day so that I can receive grace to live each day as if it is the first day of the rest of my life. In Jesus Name, AMEN.

Prayer: Dear Lord help me to seize this day and bring it into alignment for Your purposes. Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in and through my life today. All that I am and all that I’m not I give you to accomplish Your plans in me. In Jesus Name, Amen!

SCRIPTURE: Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” LK 9:62 Message Bible

How we see God affects how we deal with our problems. If we only see Him as someone that we’ll be with one day in heaven, then we miss the I Am of His goodness for us. His promise to NEVER leave or forsake you began the moment you entered into relationship with Him and He isn’t about to turn you lose anytime soon!

No matter what you’re facing today, know that God’s grace is sufficient to get you through. The obstacles that are in front of you can become opportunities to experience God’s faithfulness if you choose to believe rather than be overcome by doubt. Don’t allow the problems in your life to cloud your view of God’s love for you. He is with you and you can trust Him to lead you into triumph through every situation you face.  There isn’t a problem too big or a mountain too high that He will not help you overcome. I AM is with you and His grace is greater than anything.

Prayer: Dear Lord thank you for being the GREAT I AM. Thank you that you have chosen to never leave me or forsake me. Help me to face the obstacles in my life with faith in You and Your ability. You are my ever present help because you are the GREAT I AM!

Matthew 16:2 Jesus

I believe that Jesus was so full of God’s heart for His life that He was able to face every challenge knowing that His Father would give Him success. He could lay hands on the sick without fear of becoming sick; He could meet people who were full of demons and not be overcome by them; he could walk in love with people who He knew would betray Him, spit on him and kill him; and he could even rebuke his friends when they stepped in to try to rescue him from being put in harm’s way.

Detours may seem like a good idea at the time, but the truth is they only delay our journey. Occasionally we have had to take detours because of road work, but eventually we find ourselves back on the same road that we were travelling on. The inconvenience didn’t alter our final destination, it only delayed it. Jesus didn’t mind taking the risk of going through the troubling places because He knew that God’s grace would enable Him to complete His journey. He never allowed anyone’s voice to deter Him from the path God had assigned to Him and He never allowed fear to paralyze Him or force Him onto another road. 

Jesus was faced with many challenging and difficult situations and at times His disciples tried to encourage Him to take a detour and play it safe.  For example, one time when Jesus was describing what he would go through in Jerusalem, Peter got on the road in front of him and desperately tried to stop Jesus. But Jesus wasn’t too kind to Peter because He sharply rebuked him and told him to get out of his way! Another time Satan tried to get Jesus to go on a detour and worship him instead of following God’s plan. But Jesus, though hungry and tired, refused to take the shortcuts that Satan offered Him, remaining faithful to God’s plan for Him (Luke 4:1-13).

There are times on our journey with God that we too are faced with the temptation to take a detour from the path that God has called us to. God’s path for us is constantly being blocked by people who want us to play it safe and don’t appreciate bold moves of faith. Then there are the fearful naysayers who just don’t want us to get hurt or to have our dreams dashed who try to get us to take a detour away from God’s plans for us. But the truth is that God delights in us when we set our face like flint to follow Him and trust him with all our heart to fulfill His plans for us (Proverbs 3:5-8).

What about you? Are you facing situations that you’d rather not go through? Do the circumstances facing you appear to be hard and pressing? Maybe you’re not   too sure that the boat you’re in is sea worthy or if the road you’re on is the right one. While I don’t know the answers to these questions, I would be willing to wager that you are probably exactly where God wants you to be, but fear is challenging your decision to follow God.  You can be sure that if you entertain fear, you will either stop or make a detour that will cost you valuable time because fear and faith are diametrically opposed to each other! Living a life of faith isn’t always easy or pleasant. We aren’t guaranteed comfort when we give our lives to God, but we are told that the Comforter will be with us to strengthen and help us through the difficult situations that we will find ourselves in from time to time.

Whatever it is that God has given you to do, you can be sure that He is faithful to complete it.  His greatest delight comes when we determine in our hearts that no matter what happens we will not allow our faith to take a detour from God’s promises.  Regardless of the circumstances we know that God is with us and His grace is sufficient to supply all of our needs. When the enemy comes to us with temptations we must decide ahead of time that we will stand firm on the word of God. When fear surrounds us, we must choose to  say of the Lord, “You are my God; in You I put my trust.” When our friends call us crazy and try to persuade us to turn down a safer path, we will say “Get out of my way, I am a faithful servant of God.”

God is calling us to take chances and believe Him like never before. The earth is groaning for the Sons and Daughters of God to rise up and take their place in the world and to boldly proclaim the goodness of God to all (Romans 8:13-22). Will you answer the call or will you take a detour? You are the one that God is counting on to share His good news in your corner of the world. Don’t allow the enemy to detour you from that task. Be bold. Be strong. For the Lord, your God is with you!

Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank you for calling me to walk with you through this world. When everything and everyone around me wants me to take a detour, thank You for Grace that meets and supplies all of my needs. Help me Lord to stay on the path that You have laid out for me. You are my God and I have set my face like flint to follow you fully. In Jesus Name, Amen

Yes I know that Bible says that we will know them by their fruits, but it also says that Christians are supposed to restore our fellowmen when they fall (Galatians 6:1). So how do we stop the cycle of gossip, backbiting and slander? Even if you can manage to stop saying things about others, there is no guarantee that people won’t talk about you! And when that happens, chances are that we in turn do the very thing that the enemy counts on; we start defending ourselves and/or we point out the faults of the one we know is speaking falsely about us.

When someone says something ugly about me, everything in me wants to defend myself. But that is actually not the way Jesus said that we are to behave. When He was ridiculed, mocked, and slandered He didn’t open His mouth. He never defended Himself against their accusations. He just kept on doing what He was sent to do and believing in the One who sent Him. He never got sidetracked or drawn into their antics. He was focused, compassionate, and devoted to finishing the work of God so much so that he refused to let their slander slow Him down.

When someone is talking about you, you need to remember that while you may be the subject at this time, chances are you aren’t the first and you certainly won’t be the last! My Sunday school teacher said that when someone is talking about you, they’re giving someone else a break. So rejoice that because of your suffering, someone else’s life is little better today! Second, be willing to forgive and pray for your accuser. Yeah I know you’d rather talk about them and tell how bad THEY are, but Jesus said to pray for those who persecute you and bless them. And yes I know it’s hard, but the Holy Spirit is eager to help you with this if you’ll be willing to ask Him to help you! Lastly, understand that people who thrive on hurting others are probably deeply wounded themselves. So rather than see yourself as the victim, realize they are the ones in a pit. If you will refuse to allow yourself to be affected by their words and drawn into their den of despair, you will avoid falling into the pit with them.

The world is full of people that don’t have a clue about the love and power of Jesus Christ. They live selfish, self centered lives consumed with themselves. They busy themselves with finding faults in others so that they won’t see the faults within themselves. At times, you may find yourself on the radar screen of their attacks. When this happens, raise your shield faith to quench their darts and speak words of blessings into their lives. No weapon formed against you will prosper because God is on your side to deflect the attacks of the enemy in your life.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Help me today to know that the words that others speak about me are not who You say that I am. Forgive me for gossiping and slandering others; forgive me for making judgments about others, and forgive me for not trusting you to defend me when others say things about me. Father I choose to forgive those who spoken lies, gossip and slander about me. Bless them Lord with Your love, joy and peace so that they can be delivered from the pit of destruction and receive LIFE from You. In Jesus Name, Amen!

As I was watching the game I was reminded of all the places in the New Testament that Christians are called “Saints” and it occurred to me that perhaps God was trying to get a message to we who are His Saints on earth! The Bible says in Ephesians 4:11 that Jesus gave gifts to the church for the equipping of the saints so that they could do the work of the ministry. While I know that we need leadership in the church, this verse says that the function of the leader is to prepare the people to do something and I for one don’t think that the doing is just going to a building each week.

Now I’m not an avid football fan, but I do know a little of the mechanics that it takes to train a football team. There are different coaches that train the players in specific areas so that they can perform specific tasks during a game. I also want to point out that it isn’t the coaches that play the game, it’s the players! The quarterback doesn’t need to be trained to be a linebacker and punters aren’t trained to be blockers. The coach’s job is to equip the team to be ready to do the work of playing the game.  But all of that means nothing if the players never have an opportunity to actually PLAY A GAME!! Oh they’d know a lot of stuff, but what would be point if they never got to actually play a game!

Likewise, all of our religious knowledge is not worth too much if it isn’t put into practice. That’s why James tells us to be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22).  The doing is supposed to follow the learning and if there is no doing, one has to wonder how much knowing there actually is. Since we are the children of God and joint heirs with Christ, then I believe that we should be doing the works that Jesus did. I mean, Jesus said that WE, His disciples and saints, would do GREATER works than He did (John 14:12)!

So let’s take a look at some of the doing that Christians are supposed to be trained to do. Here’s a list that I compiled from Luke 4 (Jesus mission statement), Mark 16 (Jesus last words to us), and the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:

Preaching/Prophecying GOOD NEWS to the weak, weary and poor; healing the brokenhearted; proclaiming/prophecying liberty to captives; bringing revelation and restoring blind eyes; liberating the oppressed; healing the sick; casting out demons; forgiving people; loving people; praying for God’s Kingdom to be on earth as it is in heaven.

Now that’s a pretty long list and that’s only from three passages of scripture!  And if you’ll notice there’s no limitation on where  these “services” are to be performed.  I believe that’s because we, like Jesus, we are supposed to doing good everywhere we go ( Acts 10:38).

The truth is we have more Saints receiving ministry than there are Saints being trained to do the ministry themselves. The saints have not been trained to go out and they have become content with being spoon fed once or twice a week. I lived along time like that myself, thinking that my job as a Christian was to attend Sunday services and attend Bible studies. And while I did learn a lot, it wasn’t until I started practicing what was being preached than my life began to turn around.  The truth that I’ve discovered is that when I’m doing for others I’m not nearly as focused on me.  And I’ve learned that I don’t have to do everything; I only have to do the things that My Father has gifted and anointed me to do.

The Day of Saints is dawning on the Church. It is a day when the people in the pews need to be about their Father’s business in the streets, at work, at home, in the schools, in government, and everywhere God has them positioned. If you’re not sure what your gifts and talents are, find out! Read Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 and see if any of the gifts mentioned there connect with your spirit. Don’t be concerned if you don’t have certain ones; rejoice and be glad for the one or two you do have! Get busy developing yourself so that God’s team on earth, His Saints, can win the Super Bowl of LIFE! There are so many people that are struggling with depression, stress, and loneliness. They don’t need to be told to come to church; they need to be introduced to the Great Physician and Comforter of our souls and YOU are the one that God has chosen to display His love through.

Make no mistake, where ever God has you positioned is your designated playing field. How many touchdowns are your scoring? How many tackles have you made? How many passes have you gone out for or caught? Do you realize how important you are? Do you know that God has positioned you to help bring comfort  and encouragement to someone? Are you doing the work of ministry or just attending services? Are you actively sharing your faith with others? Are you loving the unlovely and extending forgiveness to people around you?  Are you sharing your gifts of giving, singing, or healing with others?

 God is calling His Saints off the pews and into the game! Don’t give into the excuses of what you don’t know or that you may offend someone.  Ask the Lord to guide you with wisdom, understanding and patience. Be bold and take a chance. Step up, open your mouth and let God fill it. Chances are they’ll be grateful for your witness and you’ll be blessed too.  If you are a child of the King, this is your time, because this is THE DAY OF THE SAINTS!!

Prayer; Dear God, Thank you that you have drafted me to be one of Your Saints.  Help me to shake off all of my excuses and awaken my spirit to see the needs of those around me. Help me to not shrink back, but to boldly proclaim Your truth and love in real, practical, and simple ways. Thank You for choosing me and for allowing me to be apart of the greatest team on earth; Your Saints!! In Jesus Name, AMEN

Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayer, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness will come and settle you down! Message Bible.

Since I didn’t grow up with the love, peace and joy that the Bible clearly says is our inheritance, I have had to allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate these fruits in my life. I have had to choose to give my worries, complaints, and bad attitudes to Him and receive His grace to change. Because I have been willing to do that, I have settled down, a lot! People who see me who haven’t seen me in years can’t get over the difference; and to be honest, neither can I.

As I have walked with God over the last several years, He has done an amazing work in me, especially in that area. It is so wonderful to know the peace of God that really does surpass all understanding. Only God could have done that in my life. I’m not smart enough to know how and I don’t have the patience to work with someone that long. God’s unconditional love has worked a miracle in my life and it can work a miracle in yours too.

So many times the things that are in us (our fears, insecurities, disappointments, and hurts) come out of us in ways that is hurtful to others. Left unchecked, our actions and words become weapons that the enemy uses to help spread his garbage to others. Peace is the standard that guards our hearts and minds. Peace keeps our words and actions in alignment with God’s heart. God’s peace flowing through us settles us down so that even in the middle of the storms of life, we know that all is well with our souls.

If you struggle with behaviors that are less than Godly, you don’t have to live with them forever!  If you will submit yourself to God and ask the Holy Spirit to help you, He will do a work in you that will amaze you and the people that are around you! God wants us to shine in this world of darkness and He wants us to be peaceful while we do it! Don’t let your attitude and behavior ruin your witness for the Lord. Take your worries, your fears, your doubts and your complaints to God.  Be honest with Him. Place your life, all of it, in His hands. It won’t be long before His peace, which surpasses all understanding, will come and settle you down.

Prayer: Dear Lord, you see the mess that I’m in. You know all that I’ve gone through and all that I’m going to face in the future. It is not your will that I live in strife all the time, so I am asking You to Help Me. Show me the places in my life that need Your loving touch. Give me grace to be honest with you about my past, my behaviors, and my attitudes. Strengthen me with your peace and settle me down in my spirit. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The first couple of times I harkened to her cry and “helped” her pick them up. As I picked them up I would encourage her to help me but she insisted that she couldn’t do it, crying “I can’t, I can’t pick them up.” By the third time I realized that this was going to continue all night if I didn’t change my instructions. So this time I sat down right in front of her and looked her in the eye and said, “Ashlyn, you CAN do everything you need to do because Jesus helps you.” Together we picked up the cards saying, “I can do this, I can do this.” After picking up the cards, Ashlyn went on playing. After a few minutes, she dropped the cards again. But this time instead of crying out for Granna to come and help her, she sat down beside the pile of cards and began saying, “I can pick them up, I can.” In a short time, Ashlyn had gathered all of her cards and was off to play again.

As simple as this story is, it speaks volumes to how our heavenly Father interacts with us. In the beginning of our walk with God, His grace and His mercy cover us and He does all of the “work” for us. As time goes on we grow in our understanding of God and learn that God has given us mighty weapons (2 Cor. 10:3-5)to counter the attacks of the enemy. As we mature, God allows us to put to use what we’ve learned and rather than Him doing everything, we are expected to take up the armor of God and put it to use (Ephesians 6:11-18)!

God is a good Father who allows us to grow in faith through participating in His work. When He sent the disciples out in pairs, He didn’t send them alone. The power of God went with them to do the work through them, but their participation was necessary. When the 5000 needed to be fed, the disciples participated in distributing the food. Throughout the Bible, God invites people to partner with Him in ministry. Jesus even said that those who believed in Him would do greater works than He had done (John 14:12). Our part is to believe that we can do the things that God requires us to do.

Part of learning to walk with God is discerning when it’s your responsibility to use your weapons and when to rely on God’s strength. But we should never ever throw our hands up and give up. We should pray and seek God to know what to do and then be willing to be a doer of His Word to us. We must know that no matter what situation we find ourselves in, we really can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Sometimes the doing is speaking against the enemy and resisting his attacks. And sometimes the doing is standing still and resting in the arms of our Savior.

So the next time you “drop your cards” and you’d rather just let someone else pick them up for you or cry over the mess, stop and ask the Lord how you should proceed. Remind yourself that you CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens you. He will give you knowledge to know what to do and wisdom to know how to proceed. Listen to His voice, follow His commands, and walk in the fullness of His love for you.

Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive me for allowing the state of my circumstances to rule in my life. Holy Spirit, strengthen me in my inner man so that I can rise above the dropped cards in my life. As you peace settles over me, speak to me what You would have me do. I choose to follow You and to obey your instructions because I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Thank You Lord! Amen!

Matthew 6:12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors. (Amplified Bible)

One thing we are discovering in America is that debt is costly. The Bible says the borrower is slave to the lender. Our children will be paying the debt we have accumulated for many years to come and those whom we have borrowed from will be our taskmasters in ways that we haven’t begun to understand.

But money is not the only thing that we indebt ourselves with. The burden of unforgiveness that we carry also brings a heavy burden into our lives. The price we pay for harboring unforgiveness is paid with anger, bitterness and strife. Left unchecked, the roots of unforgiveness can even result in physical illnesses like  arthritis, heart disease, and even cancer. It’s no wonder that when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray that Jesus included forgiveness to others as part of His model prayer.

We must learn to be quick forgivers because we can’t afford what keeping people in the chains of unforgiveness does to us. Even on the money side we must learn to not harbor resentment toward those we have loaned money to or toward those who have more material wealth than we do. We must truly forgive those who we feel owe us something, whatever that is, because as long as we harbor that resentment, we are not truly forgiving people.

So who is on your payback list? Who did you loan money too that never paid you back and probably never will. Ask the Lord to help you to forgive that debt so that He will in turn forgive the debt that you owe to others. Only God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can give you a clean slate. Even if you start off with a zero balance, it’s better than being in the hole of debt and unforgiveness!

God is good and He wants you to prosper and be in good health above all things (3 John 2). Don’t allow the deception of the enemy to cloud your mind with thoughts of getting even and not letting those who owe you off the hook. Determine that from this day forward you will be a cheerful giver who has no underlying motive except to be a blessing. Humble yourself by choosing to do the God thing. Forgive those who are indebted to you; loose them from all of your expectations and at the very same moment, you will be set free too!

Blessings,

Cinde