Because of Him

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08/25/2023

19They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

01/29/2012

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Habakkuk 3:17 &18
I am amazed by the wisdom of Habakkuk. This prophet was surely aware of the greatness of our Lord. He is able to see past his circumstances of lack and rejoice in his greatest circumstance...the fact that not only is he a child of God, but that God is his Savior.
Surely he knew that although he may be "lacking" in visable blessings, he has everything that he needs to have joy - the fact that he is in God and God is with him. He is basically saying, "Though there is no hope on the horizon, though I can not see anything good in my life right now, I will still rejoice...not in what I have, but in Who I have."
Are you facing similar circumstances? Is there no money in the bank? No prospective employers ringing your phone? No food in the pantry? No friends or family in your home? Have your efforts failed? Friend, take a lesson from Habakkuk and REJOICE anyway!
Rejoice in the fact that you have the Lord, and that He is all that you need. Rejoice in the fact that He is your Savior, and that you have eternal life in Him. Rejoice in the fact that, honestly, all we have to do is trust and obey Him, and that He will supply all of our needs.
He wants to teach us to have joy in Him and not in what we have. Once He sees our faithfulness, He will pour out His blessings....and they are a lot! When He sees that we are still "down with" Him in the valley, so to speak, when things are bad, He will bring us up to the mountain top to dance with Him for awhile.
I'm sure you know someone that has a favorite sports team. They are not ashamed to tell people who they cheer for. They make plans ahead of time so that they can be sure not to miss watching a game, they plan where they will watch it, and invite their friends to watch along with them. They probably wear shirts and caps professing their loyalty to their team.
It's great when their team is winning and not so great when they are not; however, if they are a true fan, and their team is beat by another team, they are not going to make the team that wins their new favorite. Instead, win or lose, a true fan stays loyal to their team regardless of even an entire losing season!
That is what our Lord wants from us. He wants to see how loyal of a "fan" we are. He wants to see if we are still going to speak highly of Him, get excited about Him, set time aside for Him, and wear His jersey....even when it seems as if we are losing.
Will we still rejoice in Him when there are no crops in the field? Is our bank account or the size of our business or the number of cars in our garage our strength? It's hard to be strong when we have nothing. It's difficult to feel joy when we have lost what we once found joy in; however, if we let Him be our Strength and our joy be in Him, we will always have strength and joy because HE never leaves us!
Look at what Habakkuk says in the very next verse: "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights." Habakkuk 3:19
He is all we need. Wait on Him. Your blessings are coming. Be joyful in the valley and lean on Him. Pretty soon He's going to reward your faithfulness by bringing you up to the mountain top!!!

01/09/2012

“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely...” Hosea 14:4

Some of God’s children seem to find it easier to make wise decisions than others. It is easy for those who have fat bank accounts to not consider engaging in something illegal in order to put food in their bellies or a roof over their child’s head; however, it is even easier for a soul depending on their Father to supply all of their needs, to fully trust in Him, and to not be tempted to accept Satan’s lie that we must fend for ourselves. Yes, it is true that if we would simply trust God fully, and depend on His Strength and Direction for our provisions, we would see His Hand bless us mightily with more than we need.

Sadly, though, there are those with the best of intentions that simply do not yet know how to trust in and wait on the Lord, and therefore take the matters of their lives into their own hands…and fail miserably. Praise God that He is our Father of Mercy, He loves us, and in that Supreme Love, He corrects and instructs us in His ways. You may be paying the price for your ill-fated decisions, friend, and if that is the case, consider this a blessing from Him…the fact that He loves you enough to correct you is a blessing indeed.

The beautiful thing about God’s Will for our lives is that everything but everything happens for a reason. I believe, with every fiber in my being, God’s Word when He says, “ALL THINGS work together for good for those that love God.” (Romans 8:28) Bishop T.D. Jakes recently told an extremely large crowd sitting in His presence (and many more via the web,) that our lives are mysteries. We are allowed by God to walk a certain way, into painful situations, through fire and turmoil, in waywardness, because it is part of His Supreme plan for us!

Each and every person’s life is a novel, a mystery novel, and it begins in one place, in a certain way, as determined by the author, and, just like a novel we hold in our hands and read, progresses in a certain way in order to produce the outcome that the author has in mind. The same is true for each and every one of our lives.

Friend, it is not a mistake or misfortune that you were born where you were born, that your mama didn’t raise you, that your daddy left, that your brother died, that you lost everything that you had, or that you have found yourself where you are at right now, and don’t let Satan lie to you and tell you that it is! God has a specific purpose for your life and the events in your life; bad decisions and all, are clues to what that purpose is.

For instance, if the author predetermined to write a story with a character stepping in to help another character in their time of distress, he would obviously develop that character into someone qualified for the role he created it to fill. The author would not use a plumber to perfectly set a person’s broken arm into place; no, instead, I’m sure he would choose the doctor to carry out that purpose. Likewise, the Author of our lives has predetermined our purpose.

Friend, don’t close that book or attempt to write your own life just because of the pain that you have experienced…no, keep turning the pages because His Plan is perfect….His Story for your life is superior to anything in your wildest imagination…better than you could ever write. He needs your character. He has big plans for you in unfolding His Story. Do not give up. Find your purpose in His plan and LIVE ON PURPOSE….HIS PURPOSE!

Nothing in your life was a mistake. Everything in your life He has a purpose for. Do not believe anything different, and you will be able to take each event in your life and use it for the PURPOSE He intended it for. Indeed these events are meant to strengthen you, to refine you, to teach you, to give you a heart for others that are in the same position, to further His Kingdom, to bring His people to Him, to give hope to others, and to spread His love and His acceptance.

He Himself says, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

He wrote your story; do not let anyone or anything stop you from being the character that He created you to be.

01/06/2012

“Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, Who is great and awesome, and fight or your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” Nehemiah 4:14

These are trying times. The economy is poor, and virtually all of us have either been affected by this downward spiral or know someone that has. You may face giants such as the mortgage company, credit card companies, or even the electric company. We must remember, however, that the Lord we serve is bigger than the biggest corporation or lender on the face of this entire planet.

So many have faced job displacement due to employer cut-backs, and you yourself may wonder how much longer your job may be secured; however, the Bible teaches us to go to the Lord with all of our concerns, and to not fear. He promises us in the end of the 6th chapter of Matthew that if we will seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness, everything else will be given to us.

Jesus tells us to not worry about the things of this world…what we will eat, drink or wear…that He will provide all of these things for us. Then what is there to worry about? Nothing! What is there to pray about? Everything! You see, prior to Nehemiah telling the Israelis to not be afraid of the enemy, the Bible says, “They all plotted together to come and fight and stir up trouble…BUT WE PRAYED…” Nehemiah 4:8, 9.

Let me tell you something, friend. Our Lord did not make us to worry and fear anyone but Him. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus warns us to not be afraid of those who can kill our body, but instead the One Who can destroy both our body and soul. He has given us gifts such as our children, our spouse, our homes and yes, our ability to provide for them. It is our job to defend what God has given us from being taken by Satan the thief and destroyer.

One day we will all have to stand in front of our Father and give an account for what we have done with what He has given us. We want to hear Him say, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.” I do not want to have to give an account for anything else that He gave me and I let Satan steel…I already have enough explaining to do.

It is past time for each one of us to do what Shammah did in the 23rd chapter of 2 Samuel when he clothed himself with the Power of the Living God in faith and FOUGHT and DEFEATED the entire Philistine army for his pea patch!!! A pea patch, for crying outloud….a piece of land given to his people by God. Now if The Lord gave him victory over land, how much more will He give us victory in keeping our children, spouses and homes?

It is time now for us as children of God to do what the people of Judah did in the 20th chapter of 2 Chronicles when they faced opposition. Verse 4 says that they came together to SEEK HELP FROM THE LORD. Quit hiding behind, “I hope” or “I just don’t know” or “Well, if it’s the Lord’s will”….friend, if He gave it to you, it’s His will that you have it….so get into battle.

Stand up against Satan and inform him that he will not be taking your home, your children, your husband, wife, or the dog for that matter! Nor will He take your ability to provide…your Father knows nothing about recession!!! Nor does He know defeat, for that matter.

“Do not be afraid or discouraged…For the battle is not yours, but God's…march down against them.” Nehemiah 20:15,16

01/03/2012

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” — 1 Samuel 16:7

Have you ever been passed over or not chosen for something that you really wanted because of the way that you look? Maybe because you were not tall or strong enough to meet someone else’s standard, or smart enough for their criteria? Have you ever shunned someone else because of their hair color, weight, or tattooed body? We as humans often judge others by their outward appearance; however, isn’t it reassuring to know that our Lord is not concerned with our height or our hair, but instead our heart?

I wonder why that is. Could it be that He knows that our heart holds the substance of our soul? Perhaps our Creator made our heart His window into our spiritual being. I imagine hearts as spiritual-ometers. When we allow ourselves to be filled and led by His Spirit, our hearts are bright, and our souls full of the very Being that is Light and Life; this creates a beauty that radiates from within. Our Father sees the good inside of us, even when others do not.

He sees it all; the good, bad, and the ugly. So many times, we attempt to control our thoughts and actions by our own power. Steering our own wheel, following our own compass, and charting our own course, ultimately leads to one place: hell; and on the way are many pit stops called despair, discontent, defeat, and destruction. When we give up control and let Him steer, we find ourselves out of the ditches that we try so hard to avoid. He will never steer us wrong.

The truth is, on our own, we are oh-so-bad, and wind up way too short; however, by handing over the key of our heart to Him, we can trust that He will clear it out and keep it beautiful. He’s the best property manager ever! He’ll leave the Light on for you!

Truly, the best way to keep a clean heart is to let Him make all of the decisions. Let go and hand over the key….give it back to the original owner, and see the condition in which He will restore it! ;)

12/31/2011

And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. Matthew 13:58
Faith. I’ve heard it described in many ways. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is taking God at His word. Faith is focusing on our Father and not our fears. Faith is the light that shows there is nothing God cannot do.
Jesus spoke vehemently about faith. Many times He rebuked those that worried in fear, calling them, “…you of little faith.” Time and again, the Bible states that “because of their faith” people were saved from their sins, healed of their sickness, and delivered from the chains that bound them….because of their faith. Not because they were good, or because they did not sin, or because they led a near perfect life; no, instead, because of their faith.
You see, in Matthew 9:29, Jesus tells us that, according to our faith, it will be done. In fact, He specifically says this, “According to your faith, it will be done to you.” We can easily insert our name in the beginning of that verse, couple it with what our hearts desire and it would read something like this, “Laura, according to your faith, landing that awesome job that you want is done.” Let’s try it this way, “John, because of your faith, I am giving you that new truck.” Or, “Cindy, because you believe Me, I have healed your heart.”
The more I learn about faith, the more I am convinced that faith is the road that God travels. If we do not lay out our faith, He has nothing to travel on. Laying out that road of faith is like putting out the red carpet for His delivery. Jesus says in Matthew 21:22, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
We need only to ask Him once, believe that He has indeed answered, and wait patiently to see what He did the very moment we believed. There is no need to keep asking and asking. Instead, keep thanking and thanking Him. Even before we actually see our prayer answered, He wants for us to know that He has given us that which we have asked. That is faith – knowing that He did it before we see it.
Hebrews 11:6 says that, without faith, it is impossible to please God. Our Lord and Savior looooves to see us exercise our faith muscle. He delights in our faith. He loves to show us who He is and what He can do. When we shine the spotlight on an empty stage, He will step into it.
He tells us to delight ourselves in Him, and He will give us the desires of our heart. (Psalm 37:4) Not delight yourself and He might, not delight yourself and He probably, not delight yourself and if He’s not too busy….but delight yourself and He will! How do you delight yourself in the Lord? Get excited about His promise to you! Trust fully in His promises!
Faith is not knowing that He can. Faith is not knowing that He will. Faith is knowing that He has!
“For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:10

12/27/2011

He will call on me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. Psalm 91: 15&16
As I sit here and write, I am surrounded by pictures of my four children. When I look into their eyes, I feel ropes pull at my heart, threatening to yank it out of my chest. You see, they are not here with me, and I long for them. With each one in a different place, there are many ways that I wait for them. I wait until it is the time of day to call, wait until the time arrives for me to go visit, or wait for that much anticipated letter or phone call.
If I received such a call right now, or even in the middle of the night, I would gladly converse with them. One of my children is incarcerated and, because I am unable to cover the cost of talking to him, I ache inside, just waiting for the day that I can speak with him for as long as we both desire. All the time, anytime, anywhere, anyhow, I desire them; my children, the dearest ones on this earth to my heart.
This is the same for us with our Father in Heaven. We are His children – He designed and made us – and He loves us more than anyone on this earth is even able to love us. He waits for us to call Him; He would never ignore our call. But are we calling just to tell Him that we love Him or do we only call when we want Him to help us? He may want for us to talk to Him longer before He actually answers back, because He just might know that as soon as He does, we won’t talk to Him again for a while.
Are we not, at times, like spoiled little children? We play outside with our friends until we have a need, and then we run inside the house crying, “Daddy!” We expect for Him to come immediately to our rescue and when He doesn’t do what we want Him to do, we think that He doesn’t love us? We don’t want Him until we need Him to do something for us, and then we expect it done right away. Little children indeed!
Ah! But then what might you want to teach your child? Patience?
In our trouble, He is with us. If we would simply quit trying to climb out of the pit on our own, and give Him our hand, we would find ourselves away from our troubles much faster. (And then hold onto His hand and we won’t fall back into it!) Be still, trust Him, move out of the way, and let Him work.
What are you doing? Just give up and gain it all….all that He has to give you. Read the verse again. He hears you, answers you, is with you, delivers you, honors you, satisfies you, and saves you. What more do you want? Let go of yourself and hold onto Him.

12/27/2011

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you…to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deut. 8:3&5
Ever been humbled by God? Have you ever been flying high, so-to-speak, on your merry way, enjoying life as you know it, doing exactly what you want to do with little regard for the One who created you, and then get knocked flat on your back? I have. I’ve had The Lord knock me flat on my back so fast and hard that the breath was knocked clean out of me.
Turns out, He had been chasing me for a long time, but I was going so fast down the wrong road that I wasn’t even paying attention. Most of the time the very reason that He puts us down is to get our attention. He does not like to see us traveling down a road that He didn’t intend for us to travel. He intends for us to follow Him, and to do His work. He wants for us to depend on His Strength and not our own; however, all too often, He must humble us first.
When we are humbled, the hunger for Him begins. We realize that we need someone and something bigger than ourselves, and that is Him, His help, His Word, His Strength and His Love. When we are hungry, starving, and dying inside, I promise, my friend, He feeds us. Go to the table, child of God, it’s dinner time.
He has your tray hot and ready. It is called The Holy Bible and it is full of all the nutrients you need for the life that He has for you. The good life. The one that He created you to live. You were dying in your life, now live in His.
Get to the dinner table! He’s waiting for you…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

12/20/2011

‘’There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the Heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
Most of us have made a list of those that we intend to gift this year, whether mentally, or with pen and paper. We have dutifully embarked on the journey of purchasing either on line or on foot. We address Christmas cards, and perhaps stuff them with a family photo that we took great pains to make sure is “just right.” Stockings are hung, cookies are baked, menus are planned, trees and lawn are decorated….but how much time have we actually spent glorifying Jesus? Are we saving that for Sunday morning on Christmas day when we spend more time getting ready for worship than we do actually worshipping? “Jesus is the reason!” we chant, but are we not, then, spending more time on that which is not the reason? Why is that? Could it be that we actually are buying (literally) into the commercialism that we are so “against”? Could it be that we are indeed actually more concerned with giving gifts than glorifying Jesus? We could prove where our loyalty lies.
If your birthday was being celebrated this Sunday, and everyone that you had ever done anything for was invited to celebrate this special day in honor of your birth, how would you feel, if all who profess to love you, went out and bought gifts for each other and spent all of their time celebrating with their gifts and food and fancies….some not even stopping by your house, others not speaking to you at all, every one instead choosing to focus on themselves and their relationship with others instead of the event that should mean the most….how would you feel?
Maybe, just maybe, if we gave to Him – His church – half of what we spend on others, spent half the time that we spend shopping, instead, on our knees in prayer, or replacing some of that baking cookies time with baking a birthday cake for the Birthday Boy, we just might be a bit more convincing to Him when He hears us say, “Jesus is the Reason.”
As Christians, we should not fit the world’s mold. Let’s look at our list for the next few days and ask ourselves, “What am I doing this CHRISTmas season to look different than everyone else?”

12/13/2011

Let’s face it, we all fight fear in one form or another. Fear of not knowing what the future holds, fear of failing financially, fear of losing a dear loved one, fear of not being accepted by our peers, or maybe even fear of dying. Whatever fears we may wrestle with, the Bible teaches us that if we dwell in Him, He will actually send His angels to protect us. Read what our Lord says in the 91st chapter of Psalms verses 9-11: “If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you – to guard you in all your ways.”
No matter the plans we make, not one of us knows what the future holds, there is not a lot of anchorage in the stock market, no insurance that our loved ones will still be here tomorrow, or even a promise that all will be well with these bodies of ours; however, we have assurance that the “harms” of this world will not overtake us, when we dwell in Him. When we set our eyes on Him, anchor in His goodness, trust Him with the one’s we love, and lean on His promises, He will comfort and protect us in our times of trouble.
“Because he loves me, I will rescue him; I will protect him, for He acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and acknowledge him and honor him.” Psalm 91: 14-15
Love Him, acknowledge Him, call on Him. Let Him prove His power in your life today. He will rescue you wherever you are. He will deliver you from the stronghold of fear in your life. He promises to be with us in our trouble. We have nothing to fear. Wherever we go and whatever we face, we can have assurance that we are not alone… He is our Shelter in the Storm, our very present Help in time of need! Because of Him, there is no need to fear; just to sit back and trust fully in His promises.

12/09/2011

The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”
While we as Christians may not question whether or not there is a God, do we not, inadvertently, at times, doubt the certainty of what He says?
For instance, Proverbs 3:6 states, “In all thy ways, submit to God, and He will direct thy paths.” How often during the course of the day do we worry about the path ahead of us? There is no need to worry about what may or may not lie ahead when we are following Him. Why do we fret over which way to go when He goes before us? Because of Him, we have a trust worthy guide to follow down a straight, well-lighted path. There is no darkness when we follow The Light. Talk about GPS! We will never find ourselves at the end of the road not knowing which way to go following God’s Positioning System. If ever we are lost, Because of Him, we have an arm that is forever long enough to reach out to wherever we are and take our outstretched hand, pick us up, and put us back on the path of righteousness. Oh Yes! His arm is indeed long enough, and Because of Him, we have a Hand to hold on our paths in life!

12/07/2011

“Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bo***ge. He has shown us kindness…He has granted us new life to rebuild…and repair…He has given us a wall of protection…” Ezra 9:9 NIV
Man! What a glorious thing God’s Mercy is! Though we are slaves…whatever our bo***ge…whatever our sin…whatever our poison…regardless of our situation, regardless of whose fault it is, regardless of ourselves, GOD has not forsaken us! Glory! Hallelujah! He is still on the scene showing us kindness, loving us, and lifting us up. Won’t you reach out your hand to Him and let Him bring you out of your bo***ge? The Bible says that He will grant us a new life and that we, along with Him, can rebuild what the enemy tore down. He wants to us to let Him repair what we have allowed the enemy to ‘mess-up’ or destroy, such as our self-esteem, relationships with those that love us, and our outlook on the future. Because of Him, we have HOPE, a way up and a way out of our bo***ge! Then, the Bible says, He has given us a wall of protection. There is safety in the Hands of the Lord, and that is where we can rest if we will let Him pick us up and pull us out of the pits of life. Because of Him, we have a safe place…in His will…and Because of Him, we can get there.

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Pensacola, FL
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