God's Hand

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10

I feel safe, knowing God is holding my hand - leading me, guiding me, and rescuing me.

Thank You, Father.

Thanks, Mom

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?Though she may forget, I will not forget you (says the Lord). Isaiah 49:16

Have a child who hasn’t surrendered their life to the Lord or have you not seen or talked to them in awhile? There were SO many years that I said no to my mom about going to church and a few years that I didn't talk to her at all, because I was hiding in my shame living my life the way I wanted and because of the way she used to treat me. But now, I with honor serve the Lord with gladness, and I see my mom so much she's probably getting tired of me (I learned to forgive her by realizing that though she messed up a LOT, I believe that she really did do the best she knew how). If you’re wondering if your child will ever come to the Lord or if your relationship with your child will ever be repaired, find hope in one prodigal (me) that found her way back. Be encouraged, God's not finished ... He's the Repairer of the breach … His arm IS NOT shortened that it can’t reach into your circumstance and bring healing, no matter how long the hurt and pain has been there.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we don’t give up. Galations 6:9

Has your mother passed away, left you, or don’t want to see you? Our loving, heavenly Father will never leave us, reject us, or stop loving us.

You've always been right there for me Lord; don't turn Your back on me now. Don't throw me out, don't abandon me; You've always kept the door open. My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in (adopted me as His child). Psalm 27:9,10

You may know someone who appears to have no children. Please be sensitive. There are many mothers whose children are in heaven already, due to miscarriage, illness, abortion, etc.

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you;I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaah 46:4



This is a picture of my mom from last week (we're holding hands). My mom’s getting older, doesn’t get around as well as she used to, and doesn’t remember a lot. But she’s my mom. And I’m grateful for her. I so thank God for her. For a godly heritage. For not giving up on me. For praying for me. For loving me, though we don’t see eye to eye on so many things, she still tries to be there for me. Sometimes I think she’s still trying to make up for all the lost years we had … her for the way she treated me, and me for shutting her out of my life for so long. I forgive you, mama. I forgive you. From the bottom of my heart. I release you from having to make up for everything. I’m so sorry for all the years I disrespected you and tried to (subconsciously) make you pay for the past. Forgive me. I love you mama, Happy Mother’s Day.   

Mother/daughter relationship issues? Open your heart to anything God might want to do to heal the broken places. Jesus came to set the captives free - but we have to ask Him and be willing to receive the healing. Ask the Lord to teach you to love your mother in spite of rejection and troubles. No matter how much it hurts to come face to face with our own failings, God wants to reveal them so He can replace our weakness with His strength.

Pick up the phone, send a card, pay a visit … love on your mother NOW, you never know how long you’ll have her around.

Father, love on mothers, and all those acting in a mother capacity today. Bless them, mend relationships. For those who are without, bring comfort. Fill the voids.  I pray for unity, peace, healing, and salvation in families  Help us to be a blessing to our moms, like they have tried to be for us. May we always treat them with the respect and love that they’re due. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Unpardonable Sin

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9




If you're worried you committed the unpardonable sin (rejection of Christ forever) you probably haven't, if you had you wouldn't care.

Hearing the thought in my head that I'd committed the unpardonable sin kept me from seeking Jesus FOR YEARS, stupid devil. I still remember when I first heard the lie. I was about seven, and I was sitting in the back seat of my parents station wagon. It was night time. I heard the lie in my head so loud that I'd committed the unpardonable sin that I could have sworn that everyone in the car heard it, too. Scared me half to death. I believed the lie. I received the guilt. Ashamed, I buried the thoughts, didn't think I could ever talk to or come to Jesus (even though occasionally I tried), and didn't tell anyone about it for years. Every now and then when I tried to talk to Jesus, I'd remember the words I heard all over again and feel hopeless and like I was unworthy to approach Him.

Years later, as the Holy Spirit started wooing me, I began to hear a bombardment of the lies that I'd committed the unpardonable sin again. And right behind it came this voice, which I now know was coming from the Holy Spirit and I just knew I was supposed to say it aloud when I heard it. I heard, and confessed 'If there's even a 1% chance that I didn't commit the unpardonable sin I've still got a chance to serve Jesus and go to Heaven. I'm gonna take that chance.' Keep in mind, that in hearing this voice I hadn't even dedicated my life to the Lord yet. But saying it gave me power to believe there was STILL hope for me ... and there was.

I'm leaving you well and whole. That's My parting gift to you. Peace. I don't leave you the way you're used to being left - feeling abandoned, bereft. So don't be upset. Don't be distraught. John 14:27

I used to be in the clubs every night boozing and partying. Bless His heart, the Holy Spirit, tried so hard to get through to me any way He could. When I would be getting dressed and ready to go clubbing, He started telling me 'I love you.' I thought it was satan lying to me trying to get me to serve him. So I'd say back to the voice, 'I rebuke you satan, in the name of Jesus' ('cause I had a Christian upbringing). The Holy Spirit would say, 'I love you, MICHELLE.' I'd say, 'That ain't gonna work, I rebuke you satan, in the name of Jesus.' I just knew in my heart, wounded as it was, that Jesus certainly couldn't love ME. God forgive me, I was rebuking God because the voice was His, not satans. The Holy Spirit followed me right in to the clubs - I would be out on the dance floor, where I was so often, and it would be like there all of a sudden was no one on the floor but me (alone in the crowd). I felt so out of place. It was becoming less and less fun. The Holy Spirit was trying to change my desires, so that the wrong I was doing would no longer be fun for me, so that I'd see the void & need for Him that I was trying to fill with other things.

Looking back I love how the Holy Spirit kept working with me, refusing to give up on me, being patient, till I came to Him. It actually took severe heart and breathing problems to get me to the point of desperation (stupid stubborness) and to call out on my Jesus and ask Him to come into my heart (for the second time - the first time was twenty years earlier - I didn't stay in the Word and went back to my old self after a week).

God will NEVER give up on us. God still loves us even when things go wrong, He's still our Father and He still loves us.

The enemy's tactic - draw us away from God by planting seeds of doubt - RESIST. Don't live under the guilt and fear like I did, any longer ... Christ WILL NOT cast out any who come to Him with a sincere heart.

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out (drive away). John 6:37

Ultimately, rejecting Christ forever is the only way we can commit the unpardonable sin - come to Jesus and repent if you need to.

The Lord knows how to reach each of us.

Father, I pray that You quieten the voice of the enemy. Help us to trust and focus on Your voice alone, give us discernment for it. Remove any guilt that we've committed the unpardonable sin after we confess our sins to You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Escape the Guilt Trap

How often do you commit a sin, and then fail to find a way to move past the regret and shame you feel? Most people wrestle with guilt from time to time.

The dictionary defines guilt as 1.) "the fact or state of having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, esp. against moral or penal law" and 2.) "a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined."1 In other words, guilt has two components—the actual offense and the feelings that accompany it.

A. Handling our Guilt. Once we start to feel remorseful about our wrongdoing, we often fail to respond to our guilt in a healthy manner.

• Read Psalm 38:4 and Proverbs 28:17.

B. The Purpose of Guilt. Guilt is actually a God-given emotion. It has at least three functions: to prompt us to ask for forgiveness from those we hurt; to motivate us to make restitution whenever we can; and to draw us back to the Lord. In terms of our relationship with the Lord, the solution to guilty feelings is simple.

• Read about David's experience with guilt in Psalm 32:1-6.

C. Receiving Forgiveness. Many believers are unable to receive God's forgiveness due to the emotional programming they've received from their upbringing, their church, or their culture. For instance, their parents might have expected them to be perfect, so they have a difficult time accepting ourselves when they make moral mistakes. Or, other authority figures may have emphasized what horrible and shameful children they were when they did anything wrong and refused to comfort the children after disciplining them.

How can you escape these negative patterns of dealing with guilt? The secret is to train your mind to believe God's truth—found in His Word—instead of your feelings.

• Read Psalm 86:5 and Psalm 65:3 to see what the Word says about God's willingness to forgive.

• Acts 10:43 says everyone who believes in Christ receives forgiveness for his or her sins. All sins that we confesss are forgiven (Colossians 2:13).

If you feel guilty after confessing your sins, you know your feelings are not lining up with God's truth. Find Scriptures that talk about God's forgiveness and your righteousness in Christ, such as Colossians 1:21-22. Write them down in a list or on note cards. Then, read through the encouraging verses and dwell on what they mean. Your emotions will eventually follow your thoughts, and you will be free from feeling guilty.

Closing: Christ's death made a way for you to be completely free from the guilt of sin—not only the offense but also the feelings that accompany it. Admit your guilt to God and those you offended, make restitution when you can, and return to living in a manner that pleases the Lord.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your amazing grace that covers our sin. We never have to wallow in feelings of guilt. Remind us to turn to You, focusing on the truth in your Word, instead of trusting our emotions. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.



I read this today on Charles Stanley's website (story reference) and it was written by him.

There's POWER in Knowing Who You Are in Christ

 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9,10

One of the main things that holds us back in our Christian walk is not believing what God says about us. We don't embrace who we are in Christ, we reject the Word of God concerning ourselves & instead embrace guilt, condemnation and self-hate. Self-hate keeps the Holy Spirit from overflowing our lives and setting us free from patterns of behavior and sin that traps us and thus we don't grow.

When we surrender our lives to Christ, we become new. Colossians 3:10,11 says, 'we have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of the Creator ... Christ is all and is in all.' In other words, how we identified our life before Christ no longer applies. Our identity is no longer determined by our physical heritage, social standing, our racial distinctions. Our identity lies in the fact that we are all children of God and we are in Christ.

At the place where they were told 'You are not My people,' there they will be called 'children of the living God.' Romans 9:26

Who we are determines what we do. It's so important to believe we are a child of God, because we can't consistently behave in a way that's inconsistent with how we perceive ourselves. If we don't see ourselves as God sees us, then to that degree we suffer from a wrong identity and a poor image of who we really are. It's not what we do that determines who we are, it's who we are that determines what we do.

Finding out who I am in Christ has been so powerful for me. It has made so much difference in my walk with God. It's built my confidence and helped me to know I can do what I need to do and be who I am because Christ lives in me. Learning who I am in Christ has also helped to dispel fears and doubts. I can stare the enemy face to face, knowing HE must back down because of who my Daddy is and that Christ lives in me.

No longer live as a defeated Christian. Stop hating yourself because of what you've done in the past. Choose to forgive yourself, accept God's forgiveness, and let yourself off the hook.

You are special, you are wanted, you are loved, you are accepted, you are the home of the living God.

Because you are His sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.' So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are His child, God has made you also an heir. Galations 4:6,7

Believe and be free ... we are NO LONGER products of our past.

Not sure who you really are? Read (out loud if you can) the list of Biblical truths below that reveal who God made you to be, compiled by Joyce Meyer. Read them, confess them, get them deep down in your spirit, and believe them.

Father, I pray that You help us to learn and believe who we are in You. We belong to You and You love us. Reveal to us just how important and special we are to You in Jesus' name, amen.

see related blogs of mine:

Don't Look Back, Enough is Enough
God Hates Abuse ... So Stop Being a Martyr and Let Go
Step Away .... from that Stale Cracker

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Knowing Who I am in Christ by Joyce Meyer

CONFESS and BELIEVE these truths ...

I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10).
I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).
I am free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).
I am far from oppression, and fear does not come near me (Isaiah 54:14).
I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me (1 John 5:18).
I am holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:16).
I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5).
I have the peace of God that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
I have the Greater One living in me; greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).
I have received the gift of righteousness and reign as a king in life by Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).
I have received the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, the eyes of my understanding being enlightened (Ephesians 1:17-18).
I have received the power of the Holy Spirit to lay hands on the sick and see them recover, to cast out demons, to speak with new tongues. I have power over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm me (Mark 16:17-18; Luke 10:17-19).
I have put off the old man and have put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of Him Who created me (Colossians 3:9-10).
I have given, and it is given to me; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, men give into my bosom (Luke 6:38).
I have no lack for my God supplies all of my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
I can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one with my shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16).
I can do all things through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13).
I show forth the praises of God Who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).
I am God’s child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God, which lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23).
I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ unto good works (Ephesians 2:10).
I am a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
I am a spirit being alive to God (Romans 6:11;1 Thessalonians 5:23).
I am a believer, and the light of the Gospel shines in my mind (2 Corinthians 4:4).
I am a doer of the Word and blessed in my actions (James 1:22,25).
I am a joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17).
I am more than a conqueror through Him Who loves me (Romans 8:37).
I am an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11).
I am a partaker of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4).
I am an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).
I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people (1 Peter 2:9).
I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
I am the temple of the Holy Spirit; I am not my own (1 Corinthians 6:19).
I am the head and not the tail; I am above only and not beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13).
I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).
I am His elect, full of mercy, kindness, humility, and longsuffering (Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12).
I am forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood (Ephesians 1:7).
I am delivered from the power of darkness and translated into God’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13).
I am redeemed from the curse of sin, sickness, and poverty (Deuteronomy 28:15-68; Galatians 3:13).
I am firmly rooted, built up, established in my faith and overflowing with gratitude (Colossians 2:7).
I am called of God to be the voice of His praise (Psalm 66:8; 2 Timothy 1:9).
I am healed by the stripes of Jesus (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).
I am raised up with Christ and seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12).
I am greatly loved by God (Romans 1:7; Ephesians 2:4; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4).
I am strengthened with all might according to His glorious power (Colossians 1:11).
I am submitted to God, and the devil flees from me because I resist him in the Name of Jesus (James 4:7).
I press on toward the goal to win the prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward (Philippians 3:14).
For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
It is not I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).

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Joyce Meyer's Story Reference & Website - you can download the confession list from this link & put it up on the wall or in your Bible for future reference.

God's Great Love

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, 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 3:17-19

God’s love for us is so deep that we have a hard time comprehending it. It reaches down to us through the darkness of this sinful world, even though we are hopelessly undeserving. The Bible says that before God created our planet, He had decided to display the depth of His love for us through His Son’s death on the cross.

He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 1 Peter 1:20

In my imagination I look back over time and see the Lord raising mountains to majestic heights, cutting valleys for flowing rivers, and stretching out vast plains. I envision Him creating the mighty oceans and beautiful lakes. Then I see Him pause and reflect on the goodness of His creation. He gazes at that part of the world where His Son will be born. He knows that Jesus will be rejected and crucified. With a sweep of His hand He could obliterate the world and spare His Son from the agony of the cross. But He doesn’t.

Because of God’s love, the Son came to earth and was slain. On Calvary He died to pay the penalty for our sins.

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

God's love does not waver, does not get pulled off track, does not run dry with time. God is not regretting anything He has done for us. He would do it all over again, if needed. His love is not conditional on how wise or perfect we are.

His love never fails.

Prayer: Father, help us to realize just how much You love us. You loved us so much, You sent Your Son to die in our place. That kind of love, unconditional love, is beyond my comprehension. Thank you doesn’t seem quiet enough. May we spend our life trying to bring You the honor that You’re due. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Back to Life Movement Launch Houston, Texas 3-17-12

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? Esther 4:14

The above video is from the Back to Life Movement Launch March 17, 2012 at Planned Parenthood in Houston, Texas. The speakers included Laura Allred, founder of the Back to Life Movement, Lou Engle, co-founder of The Call and Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life. It also includes the testimonies of three women whose lives have been affected by abortion.

This 21-day trek for life started on March 17 and will go through April 6, 2012. 39 young women ~ each representing one year of legalized abortion in America ~ set out to walk 270 miles of open road from the nation's largest Planned Parenthood center, located in Houston, Texas, to the courthouse in Dallas where Roe v Wade was born.

I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Joshua 1:3

Watch the walk via streaming http://backtolifemovement.com/

Prayer: Father, I pray that You keep everyone involved, including the walkers, coordinators and their families, safe and healthy. Give them strength, encourage them, heal their hearts, and pay all their financial obligations. Bless them for having the courage to speak out for the unborn and making a difference. In Jesus' name, amen.