Kick the "CAN"

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.  Ephesians 3:20, 21 (KJV)

Earlier this morning I heard something that gave me a "pause"...a moment to really THINK about what the Holy Spirit allowed me to hear, and now "chew on" that truth.   I'll share it here with y'all.

 

I'll start with a question.  Do you believe that God can do anything?  In other words, when you read His precious promises in His Word, do you believe that God can honor His Word?  More than likely you will answer, "Yes."  

 

For so long now I've had faith that God can do anything. . .but here's the next question:  Do you believe that God can do anything through (Christ in) YOU?  Do you believe that He CAN accomplish His will through your surrendered heart?   Hmmmm.     Now, THAT's a tricky question.  

 

Like I said before, for so long I've believed that God CAN do anything. . .BUT~~there's that big BUT.   But, can (and WILL) He accomplish His perfect will through (Christ in) me?   Sometimes we get stuck right here.  Like the children of Israel, we're just stuck wandering in the wilderness, right outside of the Promised Land.    Many of them perished in the wilderness, without ever having experienced the Promised Land.  Why?  Because they didn't believe that God could defeat the "big enemies" in that land through (His power flowing through) THEM. 

 

How much faith do you have?  And what is your faith in?  Just God's Word?  Or in His Word, applied to YOUR very own heart, by the power of His Holy Spirit?   It's a personal thing here--- we can have a "boo-boo" and stand in front of the medicine cabinet and believe that the ointment and bandages will provide protection and promote healing...but if we do not reach in and apply those things to our "boo-boo," healing will not come as quickly, as well as other adverse things could happen (infection, etc.)  We'll never experience the benefits of those remedies unless we apply them to our particular area of need, right?    We can believe that God CAN, but until we believe that He WILL accomplish His perfect will by His power flowing through us, we'll never experience the FULL power of His Holy Spirit and Divine Direction upon our lives.   He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think---all He wants is for us to surrender our hearts and lives to Him, and allow HIM to do His work in and through us.    God has a special plan for each of our lives, personlized to each of us, and He is waiting for us to surrender our hearts to Him, to be a vessel, a channel, through which His power can flow.  All we have to do is offer ourselves to Him and BELIEVE He will do His work in and through us~~if only we will believe.

 

So...for today, I'm kicking the "CAN" and just believing HE WILL accomplish His will for my life, for His glory.  After all, doesn't He say that He not only gives us the desire to do His will, but also the ability to do it as well!??  Yes!   :)  

 

Dear Father, For so long I've believed in Your Word, trusted that You CAN.  But I think I've not had enough faith to believe that You CAN and WILL accomplish Your desire through my surrendered heart~as long as I remain obedient to You, and believe You.   Please forgive me for this lack of faith.  Please apply the lesson here to my "boo-boo"---to my heart, and promote healing, restoration and recovery to my spirit.  Not for my glory, but for Yours, for You've promised that You will turn everything around~ the good, the bad, and the ugly~ for OUR good and Your glory if we just allow You to---and also You want us to BELIEVE that You WILL do this for each of us, on a personal basis.  May this truth cause a richer, closer relationship with You and Your Son, Jesus to develop, and may the power of Your Holy Spirit rest upon me, as well as each dear person who is here today, with a desire to serve You and further Your Kingdom.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 



Do you know a R.O.B. ? ? ?

Roots and Stoney Ground

"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." 

Hebrews 12:15

Just wanted to share something that the Holy Spirit just pointed out to me.  It's short, it's quick, but it's TO THE POINT: and sometimes these types of lessons get "right down to the quick" (so to speak.)

The following quote was taken from "The Golden Treasury of Bible Wisdom~Words of Encouragement, Hope, and Wisdom" by Herschel B. Dean.   It's a wonderful compilation of scripture verses, with a quote by Herschel for each verse...something extra to "chew on."  And boy, oh boy, have they been such a blessing to me??!!  You bet!

For the above written scripture in Hebrews, here is what Mr. Dean said:"We must fight negative thought patterns and poutings or else they will neutralize our lives, leaving us ineffective and miserable.  Cheer up!  God loves you and has plans for you beyond your greatest dreams."

Look at the scripture again, and the phrase "Root of Bitterness."   Do you see the initials R.O.B. ??????????   What does a Root of Bitterness do?   Scripture tells us it ROBS not only US, but MANY others around us, of an effective, enjoyable, PRODUCTIVE, Spiritually-Successful, God-Driven, Christ-Centered, Spirit-filled, peaceful life! 

Is it possible to have a root of bitterness without having been offended by someone?  I used to associate a root of bitterness with what happens after a grudge is held for a long time against someone who has offended me.  But the Holy Spirit just showed me:  A negative spirit; a discouraged, seeing-the-glass-half-filled, gloomy outlook-on-life~~all of those things ARE a Root of Bitterness. . . and THEY ROB not only ME, but also EVERYONE AROUND ME ("thereby defiling MANY.")     O u C h !!   

Guess what happened, though?  

Keep the Candle Burning

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.   Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  Matt. 5:14-16

Happy New Year to everyone!   2011.  As you and I begin a new year, we face an unknown future.  To some, this may bring excitement at the prospect of change; to others that change may bring a sense of fear and insecurity.  As I began to think about the New Year, a sense of insecurity began to overwhelm my heart. . .that's when the Holy Spirit urged me to pull a promise card from my little "Daily Promise bread box."   The verse I pulled was John 14:27b:  "....Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  Then the back side of the card said "Never be afraid to entrust an unknown future to a known God." 

The Lord couldn't have called my cell phone and made that message any clearer to me than He had just done through His written Word! *sigh* Relief! :o)

Anyway, I'm in the process of taking down all the twinkling lights, and decorations---all of the typical reminders of Christmas.   This past Christmas I wasn't able to decorate the outside of the house, nor even put the lights in the window, due to lack of time. . .which made me sad.. But I was able to decorate the inside--which made me think: 

Aren't we supposed to have the Lord's light burning within our hearts?  Why yes!  How many of us try to "let our light shine" on the outside, but His Light hasn't yet begun to burn deep within our hearts? 

Now that the lights and decorations are tucked away 'til next Christmas, we can keep the candle burning within our hearts, keep the Spirit of Christmas--the true meaning of Christmas---burning within our hearts. . .we can let our lights shine for all men to see the Reason for the Season still shines within our hearts!   And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all [men] unto me.  (John 12:32)  Let us lift Him up with our hearts in tuned to His Holy Spirit's power, so that He can draw all men unto Himself this year! 

Let's let our little lights shine...and guess what you get when you put a bunch of tiny pin-point lights shining, side-by-side?One GIANT BEAM OF LIGHT!  

The Christmas Lights don't have to be dimmed this year!  Let's let His light shine in the windows of our hearts to reach out to the lost and dying world around us~~for Christ!!

Happy New Year to each of you!

HUGS!

Dear Father, Even though You're not bound by time, we are facing another year. . .and this gives us time to reflect:  Have we grown closer to You, closer LIKE Your Son, and less like the world?  I pray for You to let the Light that You lit within my heart begin to burn even more.  Be the Holy Breath that fuels the fire, Holy Spirit.   I come to you, unwavering, believing You, for Your faithful promises are true--just like You are.  Thank You for bringing me, my family and my dear blogging family, through 2010. . .now hold our hands firmly as we journey into the New Year . . .burn within us; lift up Your Son--and draw ALL MEN unto You, for His name's sake, and glory, Amen.