Power To Overcome

But you shall receive the power ( ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you...Acts 1:8

No one's life is everything he or she wants it to be. We all have challenges and struggles, sometimes even heartbreaks and tragedies. I have never met one person who could honestly say, "My life has always been every bit as wonderful as I always dreamed it would be." 

God's job is not to make us happy or to give us the lives we've always hoped for. often, we so desperately want unsaved people to become Christians that we tell them their lives will be better if they will just receive Jesus. In many ways, this is true, but sometimes we paint such a rosy picture that we lead people to believe they will never have another problem again if they will simply ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. This is not true. Jesus did not come to give anyone a life of leisure; Jesus came to give us abundant life, but not a trouble-free life. Part of the abundance He offers is the power of His Spirit to overcome what others cannot. 

As believers, we have the power of the Holy Spirit to help us deal with circumstances differently than nonbelievers do. When we are in Christ, we are supernaturally anointed to live our natural, ordinary lives in supernatural ways. We can be at peace in the midst of a crisis, and we can be positive when everything around is gloomy and depressing. Why? Because we can choose joy, peace, positive attitudes, and stability. We can overcome the negative situations that are part of life, but we must CHOOSE to do so....Lord, we thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit to help us deal with any circumstance that comes our way."

Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Taken!!

He fashions their hearts individually, He considers all their works. Psalm 33:15 

God created everything about us to be unique, and He wants us to build an honest relationship with Him based on who we really are, not who we think we should be or who other people say we should be. We relate to God as individuals. When we talk to God, we are not supposed to check our individuality at the door of our prayer closets. 

We need to go before Him just the way we are and give Him the pleasure of enjoying the "original" He has made each one of us to be. God enjoys meeting us where we are, developing a personal relationship with us and helping us grow to become everything He wants us to be. God has fashioned our hearts individually and as we develop our individual styles of communication with God, we will be able to learn from other people who just may be more experienced than we are, but always be careful not o make them our standards, because God has specifically designed us for His use. 

Most people are afraid to not be like everyone else; many are more comfortable following specified rules than daring to follow the Spirit's leading. When we follow man-made rules, we please people, but when we step out and follow God's Spirit, we please Him, So remember....BE THE REAL DEAL....Come as you are..... and don't stress to impress !! Don't even try to impress God, YOU CAN"T, He is God!!

Positively, Possible With God!!

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Jeremiah 29:11 

God has a plan for each of us, a plan that should give us hope for our futures. The Bible says it's a good plan that will bring us "welfare & peace," not a plan for evil. God's good plan is His destiny for our lives. It's what He wants for us; it reflects His heart and His desires for us. However, His plan for us is a possibility, not a positively." God's wonderful plan for us cannot and will not come to pass if we refuse to cooperate with Him. He will not force "welfare and peace" on us; He wants us to find them as we choose to follow Him. We have to participate in God's plan for it to come true. 

God is not likely to do anything in our lives without our cooperation. We need to cooperate with God. Every day we ought to grow. Every day we ought to discover something new. Every day we ought to be a bit further along than we were the day before. We should be "lifetime learners." We must understand that no one else can develop our potential for us. We must discover our own God-given gifts and talents, and put ourselves to the task of developing those gifts and abilities to their fullest extent. 

God has a plan for each of us. It is a good plan, an uncommon plan, a great plan; it is not an average, mediocre plan. Commit yourself today to search out the plan God has designed specifically for you. Ask Him, "What do you desire for me today, Lord?" He will answer, and that answer may not be something we want to hear or it may even be something that we have never given thought to. Something that we may have never pictured ourselves doing or saying, but that should even prove to us more that It is God's plan for us because He is not going to give us a plan that we can fulfill on our own. It will require a deeper relationship with Him. In that intimacy, the gifts and callings of our lives will become fulfilled.

Change It Today!!

If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again ♥ 

If I had my child to raise all over again, 

I'd finger paint more, and point the finger less. 

I'd do less correcting, and more connecting. 

I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes. 

I would care to know less, and know to care more. I'd take more hikes and fly more kites. 

I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play. 

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars. 

I would do more hugging and less tugging. 

I would be firm less often, and affirm much more. I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later. 

I'd teach less about the love of power, and more about the power of love. ~Diane Loomans

Come As You Are...

It is through Him that we have received grace.. And this includes you, called of Jesus Christ and invited (as you are) to belong to Him. Romans 1:5-6 I just love, love this verse. How marvelous it is and the message of acceptance that it brings. It makes me think of the fact that when we are invited to a party, one of the first questions we ask is, "How should I dress?" Most of us like it best when we feel we can go "as we are." We like it when we can relax and be ourselves. God will work in you by His Holy Spirit and help us to become all we need to be, but we need to know that we can come to Him just as we are. We don't have to stand far off and only hear the music of the party; we are invited to attend. We have joy and peace! We are the redeemed, accepted, and made right with God because of the way He sees us in Christ. We ARE ALREADY loved and accepted by Him. Not " we will be someday!" "Someday when I lose enough weight, or when I start disciplining myself more, or when blah blah blah......" We are destined to be molded into the image of Christ, and nothing can stop that from happening as long as we simply cooperate with the Holy Spirit and spend time with God. We don't have to clean up our acts first. He wants to do that for us, just as we lay back and love on Him. We can come as we are, and God will make us what we ought to be. I have heard many stories from many people who came to know God when they were in all kinds of bondage. Some were alcoholics & addicted to drugs; some were prostitutes; some couldn't keep their anger under control; and some were deeply wounded because of the pain of their past. These people are now completely transformed because they were willing to go to God as they were. When people come as they are God will work miracles. I know, because I am one of them and to think He still has a lot left to do in and through me!! Praise God!!

Are you a Overcomer?

Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  Romans 12:21

 An old movie entitled El Cid tells the story of the man who united Spain and became a hero because he chose to overcome evil with good.  For centuries, a battle raged between the Christians and the Moors in Spain.  These two groups hated each other, and much killing took place on both sides during their conflict.  In battle, El Cid captured five Moors but refused to kill them because he realized that killing had never done any good.  He believed that showing mercy to his enemies would change their hearts.  Although, his actions initially earned him the label of "traitor," they eventually worked and he was honored as a hero.

One of the Moors who had been captured said of El Cid, "Anyone can kill, but only a true king can show mercy to his enemies."  Because of El Cid's one act of kindness, his enemies offered themselves to him as friends and allies from that point on.

You may be fighting a different kind of battle, but at some point everyone runs into conflicts, hurt feelings, or disagreements.  Sometimes people encounter pain of betrayal or deliberate disrespect from others.  When these things happen, we have a choice to make;  Will we obey God's Word or will we simply handle the situation as our emotions lead us?  Jesus says; "But love your enemies and be kind and do good ( doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them)..."  We all should encourage one another to obey God and overcome evil with good.  Can you think of anyone whom you could show more love to by extending mercy?  Is there someone who has treated you wrongly to whom you can be kind?  You will find that as you operate in the Grace that Jesus has provided that these small acts just may be one of the most powerful things you have ever done!

 

What Does God Really Want...?

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 Do you know what God really wants from you? We might think God requires us to do a lot of church work, read the Bible through in a year, or do a certain number of good deeds. Although all these things have their place, we may do them and still miss what God considers to be important. God's requirements have a lot to do with how we treat people, According to the Scripture above, we are to do what is just, love mercy and kindness, and walk humbly with our God. We should treat people justly and work to see that justice is done in their lives. Many people have been terribly mistreated and abused, and we have the opportunity to help them enjoy what Jesus died for them to have. We can help restore them to the knowledge of God and His love for them, as well as being practical help. God also requires us to love mercy. People do not need to be pressured to perform perfectly; they need to be loved and accepted. God is merciful and kind toward us, and He expects us to give to others what we have received from Him. Finally, God wants humility. We should never view ourselves as better than other people. "Lord, help us to love mercy, to do justly, and to walk humbly with You every day of our lives. Moment by Moment!!