Fire Reignited

I was moved last night. I walked into a room and the presence of God was so strong that tears started streaming from my eyes.  Fifteen people were inside that room singing worship songs and praying.  I felt a mixture of things as I sat down to join them.  I felt the remnants of anxiety that I had brought with me there and which has been my companion for a while.  The kind of nagging anxiety that keeps you from feeling at peace because you have things to do and it slowly eats away at you.  I closed my eyes and started to pray. I felt peace trickling into me along with love, comfort, forgiveness, and the presence of holiness.  With tears silently running down my face, I prayed and I listened.  The presence of the Holy Spirit felt even stronger, I could literally feel someone touching my arm in an embrace.  I needed this. I was thanking God for putting it in my heart to come to that house and worship Him.

Over the course of the hour that I prayed and worshiped, I was moved by the prayers that others boldly spoke out for all of us to hear. I was moved by their passion and the fire in their hearts for the Lord.  I was moved by the music and the comfort that it brought me.  I was moved by God’s word when I opened my bible and read Acts 17:27-28, “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him – though he is not far from any one of us.  For in him we live and move and exist.”

I felt renewed, refreshed, restored, purified, and rekindled.  I had been missing that passion for him.  The passion that comes from keeping in the forefront of your mind and overflowing from your heart that in him you live, in him you move, and in him you exist.  God is not distant; once you give your heart to Him, he resides there. When you talk to Him, he is listening and he is carrying out your requests.

He is always waiting with open arms and unfailing love for us to give our hearts to Him. Whether for the first time or after a time that we have turned away from Him.  He is there. He is waiting. With arms open and compassion in his heart.

“But then I will win her back once again.
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her there.
  I will return her vineyards to her
and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.”   Hosea 2:14-15

Thank you Lord for reigniting the fire in my heart for you.  For healing me last night. Thank you for being my constant rock and salvation. Thank you for showing me your love and letting me feel your presence.  Thank you for speaking to me. Thank you for being my hope, my love, and my everything.

Amen

Less

In Pastor Greg Laurie’s daily email today he wrote, “the resurrection of Christ gives us power to live the Christian life (see Romans 8:11).  Certainly the bible does not teach that we will be sinless in this physical body we now live in.  On the other hand, we can sin less, not by our own abilities, but by the power of the Spirit.

Christ can make us altogether different kinds of people.  We must believe that. ‘Old things have passed away … all things have become new’ (2 Corinthians 5:17).  God can give you the power to live this Christian life.”

It is hard to struggle with sin. To know that you should be doing better. To know what you are striving for and feel like you are falling short.  I like how Pastor Greg puts it, ‘we can sin less.’  With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can do this.

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:11

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. Romans 8:26-30

In John 7:37-39, Jesus promises living water:

Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

Isn’t it such a beautiful image of a river of living water of the Holy Spirit and love flowing out from Jesus’ heart to help us and be there for us.  What a wonderful blessing! So I pray today for us to all call on the Holy Spirit to give us the power to sin less while we walk through this world.

Enjoy your work…

I’ve been struggling lately.   I’ve been looking at things in a negative light and it makes it really hard for those closest to me to be around me.  I have been looking at homework, chores, and work as things that HAVE to be done and it becomes this huge pressure over me.  I thank God that this was brought to my attention.  There is no need for a bad attitude.  It will destroy everything that means something to you.  So, I am praying for God’s strength and a different mindset.  A mindset of gratitude and joy.  Why not sit down to do homework and enjoy it?! I tried it yesterday evening and guess what, I actually did enjoy it!  I pray for the Holy Spirit to help me to speak only positive words and to be still and listen.  I pray to think positive thoughts and to approach life with joy.  Here are the scriptures that really spoke to me this morning:

‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
for now is the time to seek the LORD,
that he may come
and shower righteousness upon you.’ Hosea 10:12

As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.
Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.
When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.
Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead. Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past. Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Amen!

You Have Won Your Battle

Have you ever stopped to think about the battles that take place around the world?  The newspaper always has updates on various battles that are taking place around the world and the casualties of these wars.  But what about the battles that take place in the spiritual world? “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” Ephesians 6:12

I am writing to you who are God’s children
because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.
I am writing to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I am writing to you who are young in the faith
because you have won your battle with the evil one.
I have written to you who are God’s children
because you know the Father.
I have written to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I have written to you who are young in the faith
because you are strong.
God’s word lives in your hearts,
and you have won your battle with the evil one. 1 John 2:12-14

Do Not Love This World
Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. 1 John 2:15-17

Last night, as I read 1 John 2, I was struck by the significance of the words, “You have won your battle with the evil one.”  Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, the battle has been won. Satan is defeated by  Jesus’ death on the cross. He saved us from the shackles of sin, from death.  Once the battle is won, death no longer has a hold on us because we will have eternal life.  Our hearts are filled with the holy spirit and our eyes can be fixed on Heaven, not on this world.  Jesus brings hope and peace into our lives. Praise God!!

Believe

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

Do you believe? Have you asked Jesus into your life? To reveal himself to you?

To me, feeling the presence of Jesus in my life is the most amazing gift. It’s greater than anything else I have ever experienced. Isn’t it amazing that Jesus says that we will do even greater works than he did?!

Rest…

Are you tired? Stressed out? When you lie down to rest does your mind keep thinking about the things you need to do?

This is the world that we live in today. Where deadlines and stress can be overwhelming.  It wears down on our bodies and our minds.  Science has shown that stress and lack of rest can cause health problems.  So what to do then? How do we rest?

The Word of God says:

It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones. Psalm 127:2

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Ask God to help you, ask Jesus into your life to teach you, then you will be able to rest. God will give you the rest that you need.  When you ask God to take the burden that you are carrying, he will take your burden and replace it with his Holy Spirit that provides rest that not only restores your body, it restores your soul.

So go ahead and rest.