"This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscious. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith." 1 Timothy 1:18-19
When I was reading this, I stopped and asked my husband, "Did you ever realize that Timothy had prophesies spoken over him?" He says, "No, but that doesn't surprise me."
"But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.'" Isaiah 43:1
God has called each and everyone one of us by name. He has spoken words over our lives. Some of His people are paying attention, and heard some of these things, which they then share with us.
But if you're thinking you've never had a prophesy spoken over you, don't feel left out.There have always been prophecies spoken over us. The first being when God said, "I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine."
That right there, is our sword for warfare. Remembering that God has prophesied grand things over us, starting with us belonging to Him, will hold us to faith and good conscience. By keeping this very basic truth at the center of our hearts, we will always be going strong, and wreck free.
---Joy
Friday, November 8, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
"Fresh Start"
Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:23
"His mercies are new every morning." A phrase that keeps coming to mind a lot lately. His kindness is so very present in my life and I love that this verse is such an awesome promise not only for today but for all the tomorrows to come. "New every morning" means that every day He is bent towards me to bless me with is mercy. His kindness.
Don't you love that with Him each day is a fresh start. A new opportunity to not only be blessed by Him but to bless Him and to "Praise Him, for His mercies endure forever." Psalm 136 Every morning is a new opportunity to serve Him as we yield to His will and allow His mercy and kindness to flow throughout this day into the lives of those around us.
Every day He gives us a new, fresh opportunity to know His love and mercies in our life and to proclaim, "Great is His faithfulness!"
"His mercies are new every morning." A phrase that keeps coming to mind a lot lately. His kindness is so very present in my life and I love that this verse is such an awesome promise not only for today but for all the tomorrows to come. "New every morning" means that every day He is bent towards me to bless me with is mercy. His kindness.
Don't you love that with Him each day is a fresh start. A new opportunity to not only be blessed by Him but to bless Him and to "Praise Him, for His mercies endure forever." Psalm 136 Every morning is a new opportunity to serve Him as we yield to His will and allow His mercy and kindness to flow throughout this day into the lives of those around us.
Every day He gives us a new, fresh opportunity to know His love and mercies in our life and to proclaim, "Great is His faithfulness!"
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Loving My God-Family
Have you ever been really mad at someone? I mean borderline despising this person. Constantly grumbling about them, making faces behind their back, and wishing you could "accidentally" step on their toes?
Have you ever felt this way towards another brother or sister in Christ?
"We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers..." 2 Thessalonians 1:3a
The beginning of this verse says it all.
At some point, we are all going to mess up, and someone will be upset with us. And there are times we will be very upset with them. We are human.
However, our human condition has never given us the right to stop loving our neighbor.I don't want to be wishing my brother in Christ ill, just because he is being a pain. Response #1 is so easy-hold a grudge. Response #2 takes more practice-give thanks for him, her, or them. Tell God thank you for putting that person in your life. As time goes by, it will be easier for us to stop being mad at them, and start thanking God for them.
"The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:31
Have you ever felt this way towards another brother or sister in Christ?
"We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers..." 2 Thessalonians 1:3a
The beginning of this verse says it all.
At some point, we are all going to mess up, and someone will be upset with us. And there are times we will be very upset with them. We are human.
However, our human condition has never given us the right to stop loving our neighbor.I don't want to be wishing my brother in Christ ill, just because he is being a pain. Response #1 is so easy-hold a grudge. Response #2 takes more practice-give thanks for him, her, or them. Tell God thank you for putting that person in your life. As time goes by, it will be easier for us to stop being mad at them, and start thanking God for them.
"The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:31
Monday, November 4, 2013
"A Crown Of Seaweed And The Stench Of Fish Innards"
"The waters encompassed me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds wrapped around my head." Jonah 2:5
Now there is a quote from a person that I would least like to be! I always talk about my favorites, so today I was thinking about who I would most like not to be like. I thought of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego. After all neither a fiery furnace and or a lion's den sound very pleasant to me. The thing is, I can't really pick them because they were in those situations because of their stand for God. I can't say I don't want to stand for him! This brought me to Jonah who was in his situation because he refused to be obedient or as scripture puts it, "He fled from the presence of the Lord." Jonah 1:10 So, I decided he was my least favorite and that he was in the worst spot ever. He ended up trapped in the belly of a big fish, with his head wrapped in seaweed because he ran from God's presence. I was thinking about how awful that place must have been! The darkness, the smell, the seaweed, etc. I would definitely prefer the cartoon versions with the lit candle than the reality of how bad it must have really been. As I was contemplating this fact, God brought to mind someone else whose state was even worse. Worse not because Jonah's situation wasn't bad but because Jonah at least knew the presence of God and he knew how to get help in his situation. He knew how to repent and to turn back to God!
This other guy, his was a tough place with no hope. Not even repentance! We don't know his name just that he was rich, clothed in fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day until he died. Then he uses these words to describe his situation, "Have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." He is then informed that there is a great gulf fixed that prevents any relief to his suffering. Luke 16:19-31
So I have decided that between between Jonah or this man who learned too late about repentance and the comfort of the presence of God that I VERY MUCH prefer a crown of seaweed and the stench of fish innards then eternity with regrets and no hope. How about you?
Now there is a quote from a person that I would least like to be! I always talk about my favorites, so today I was thinking about who I would most like not to be like. I thought of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego. After all neither a fiery furnace and or a lion's den sound very pleasant to me. The thing is, I can't really pick them because they were in those situations because of their stand for God. I can't say I don't want to stand for him! This brought me to Jonah who was in his situation because he refused to be obedient or as scripture puts it, "He fled from the presence of the Lord." Jonah 1:10 So, I decided he was my least favorite and that he was in the worst spot ever. He ended up trapped in the belly of a big fish, with his head wrapped in seaweed because he ran from God's presence. I was thinking about how awful that place must have been! The darkness, the smell, the seaweed, etc. I would definitely prefer the cartoon versions with the lit candle than the reality of how bad it must have really been. As I was contemplating this fact, God brought to mind someone else whose state was even worse. Worse not because Jonah's situation wasn't bad but because Jonah at least knew the presence of God and he knew how to get help in his situation. He knew how to repent and to turn back to God!
This other guy, his was a tough place with no hope. Not even repentance! We don't know his name just that he was rich, clothed in fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day until he died. Then he uses these words to describe his situation, "Have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." He is then informed that there is a great gulf fixed that prevents any relief to his suffering. Luke 16:19-31
So I have decided that between between Jonah or this man who learned too late about repentance and the comfort of the presence of God that I VERY MUCH prefer a crown of seaweed and the stench of fish innards then eternity with regrets and no hope. How about you?
Brotherly Love
"Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more." 1Thessalonians 4:9-10
1) Paul is writing this church a letter, and comes to brotherly love, and he tells them that they are doing an awesome job in that area. He doesn't need to give them any instruction.
Why is my first thought about that, that this church was really special? They must have really had their act together because no one is like that today. This shouldn't be abnormal for us. People on the outside, looking into our churches shouldn't see a varying degree of Godly love for each other.
2) God taught them how to operate in brotherly love.
Are we open to God teaching us how to love our neighbor? That doesn't come easily. Jealousy, anger, lying, and quick, hot tempers are easier to operate in our lives. They are normal. This church learned from God, and His response tends to be a little nicer than slapping someone upside the head.
3) Paul's only piece of advice, was that they focus on working in love more and more.
Are we I've-done-my-good-deed-for-the-week Christians? Acting in love is a daily, minute by minute choice. Paul urged them to choose Godly love more and more. To stop and actually think, "I'm going to respond like Jesus would."
Remember this isn't special behavior. Ask God to teach you His brand of love. And choose to walk in His love.
---Joy
1) Paul is writing this church a letter, and comes to brotherly love, and he tells them that they are doing an awesome job in that area. He doesn't need to give them any instruction.
Why is my first thought about that, that this church was really special? They must have really had their act together because no one is like that today. This shouldn't be abnormal for us. People on the outside, looking into our churches shouldn't see a varying degree of Godly love for each other.
2) God taught them how to operate in brotherly love.
Are we open to God teaching us how to love our neighbor? That doesn't come easily. Jealousy, anger, lying, and quick, hot tempers are easier to operate in our lives. They are normal. This church learned from God, and His response tends to be a little nicer than slapping someone upside the head.
3) Paul's only piece of advice, was that they focus on working in love more and more.
Are we I've-done-my-good-deed-for-the-week Christians? Acting in love is a daily, minute by minute choice. Paul urged them to choose Godly love more and more. To stop and actually think, "I'm going to respond like Jesus would."
Remember this isn't special behavior. Ask God to teach you His brand of love. And choose to walk in His love.
---Joy
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Dry Ground
"And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.' The Lord said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up you staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.'" Exodus 14:13-16
"Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left." Exodus 14:21-22
The red sea was parted, and the people of Israel crossed over on dry ground. Dry.
When use to read this, I use to have an image of my mom's driveway after a heavy rain. Wet, soggy, muddy, rocky. Puddles everywhere, and a small stream where there was once a road. A mess, but one we could get through.
God didn't say, "Oh, I parted the sea, and made it a wall on either side of them. I have to concentrate so the cloud preventing the Egyptians from following them doesn't dissipate. They can deal with some mud and puddles." No! The Word says they crossed over on dry ground. This wasn't some half-baked plan. God gave the best for His people and when He said dry ground, goodness, He meant dry ground!
God will do the same for us. Whether it's physical, emotional, spiritual, or symbolic dry ground, God will do the same for us. He will take care of His people, and give them the best.
---Joy
"Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left." Exodus 14:21-22
The red sea was parted, and the people of Israel crossed over on dry ground. Dry.
When use to read this, I use to have an image of my mom's driveway after a heavy rain. Wet, soggy, muddy, rocky. Puddles everywhere, and a small stream where there was once a road. A mess, but one we could get through.
God didn't say, "Oh, I parted the sea, and made it a wall on either side of them. I have to concentrate so the cloud preventing the Egyptians from following them doesn't dissipate. They can deal with some mud and puddles." No! The Word says they crossed over on dry ground. This wasn't some half-baked plan. God gave the best for His people and when He said dry ground, goodness, He meant dry ground!
God will do the same for us. Whether it's physical, emotional, spiritual, or symbolic dry ground, God will do the same for us. He will take care of His people, and give them the best.
---Joy
Friday, November 1, 2013
Mobs, Sleep deprivation, and Time
As some of you know, I am a newlywed. When my husband and I went back to work after our honeymoon, we were in for a real shock. My husband was sent to overnights without any warning. We had been on the same schedule and the same sleep pattern. It had been easy to spend time together, and we didn't expect that to change.
Things got busy. In the midst of that, we became very aware that we need to make time in our busy, long, sleepy schedules. Because we love each other and we want that time together.
"But now even more the report about him (Jesus) went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray." Luke 5:15-16
Even when Jesus was being mobbed by crowds who needed healing, He knew that He still needed His time with the Father. He would go to quiet, empty places and pray. He did this because He loved God, and wanted that time with Him. This wasn't out of obligation, but a real desire to be with God.
When our lives are crazy with mobs, sleep deprivation, work, and life in general, do we make that time to be with God? Is it because we feel guilty, or because we want to be in His presence?
---Joy
Things got busy. In the midst of that, we became very aware that we need to make time in our busy, long, sleepy schedules. Because we love each other and we want that time together.
"But now even more the report about him (Jesus) went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray." Luke 5:15-16
Even when Jesus was being mobbed by crowds who needed healing, He knew that He still needed His time with the Father. He would go to quiet, empty places and pray. He did this because He loved God, and wanted that time with Him. This wasn't out of obligation, but a real desire to be with God.
When our lives are crazy with mobs, sleep deprivation, work, and life in general, do we make that time to be with God? Is it because we feel guilty, or because we want to be in His presence?
---Joy
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