Sometimes, it is not what we talk about as believers that requires addressing. Often it can be what we are prone to 'dare not mention' for various reasons. But now more than ever it's truth time, because "our salvation is nearer now than when we became believers" (Ro.13:11 ISV). Today's church is very apt to repeatedly give you the 'how to' for seemingly every aspect, while often failing to create an environment in which members can freely 'fess up' about their frustrations with those very aspects being so enthusiastically promoted as a 'sure thing.'
You think it will never happen to you, but the call seemed straight forward enough. By all appearances it was from management with a simple request. It even sounded like her boss and caller ID showed the correct number. In retrospect, the call was timed perfectly to coincide with the pressure of the morning rush. There was no time to contemplate the request, but to quickly login and confirm the information needed. The result was a $2,000 loss for the company.
I'm glad you opened this message but to be honest, no matter how hard we try not to, we will have moments when we stumble and fall short. What really matters is how we respond to it. When we lose our temper, succumb to temptation, or miss the mark… these moments, no matter how big or small, can build up and weigh on our hearts, and cause us to feel far away from our heavenly Shepherd and unloved.
How do you combat fear? Do you try to fight it off? Do you just give in to it and hide? As you know, neither of these is effective. Trying to fight fear in your mind only seems to magnify the fear, because what you are FOCUSED on is the FEAR. Giving in to fear or anxiety and hiding from it sort of guarantees that this cycle will happen again and again. I have found that the most effective action in getting free from fear is to memorize and say out loud (even if it is a whisper in the night) Psalm 91 and Psalm 23.
This afternoon the Holy Spirit showed me an animated illustration of a spiritual truth. He showed me a fruit tree that was dying. This tree was once vibrant, and flourishing, but its life has now been diminished. The trunk was decayed, the branches were withered, and its bark was cracked and peeling. Although it was still standing, it was frail and weak. The tree's limbs were brittle, and they cracked under pressure, and snapped with wind gusts.
Many years ago, while flipping through the channels, I stumbled across an enticing infomercial. This one was stacked with uber-fit people all attributing their rock-solid abs to some electronic stimulator belt. Strap it on for "just 15 minutes a day and you'll have a six pack in no time," it touted. It had my attention. Within minutes of their "abs-with-no-effort" spiel, I was sold. A couple weeks later, I opened the package of my newly-arrived miracle worker in great anticipation of major life change. I lathered up my tummy with its "toning gel," affixed the belt, sat down for a TV show, and pressed "go."
God is alive and well today and He still speaks to us, but many people don't know how to hear Him. So, I thought I would talk today about some of the ways God speaks that you can recognize. God speaks through many ways but here are some more common ones. God speaks through the Bible and illumination; God will illuminate or make something you read in scripture just apply to you and hit you between the eyes. Through teachers or preachers and sermons. There will be sermons or teachings that just speak to you and hit home.
One of the biggest excuses we have is that we somehow feel God doesn't speak to us. This excuse shuts down our ability to hear from Him, trust Him and surrender to Him. All three things are integral when we are trying to change our habits, lose weight, get healthy and follow God's plan for our lives. When we don't think we have any clear direction from God, we are relying on our own intellect. We may know what to do, but our minds are overridden by our emotions.
A popular question I receive when I am ministering in new places is, "how can I see someone raised from the dead?" My usual response is asking how many dead people they have prayed for, but it doesn't seem to be the key people are looking to receive. If you do not pray for someone who has died – you will not see a resurrection. Years ago, I knew how to hear the voice of God but was trying to learn how to hear Him outside of a church setting. As I am in the Christian section of a bookstore – the Lord gives me a word for the woman standing next to me.
Proverbs 18:21 states, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Therefore, the scriptures suggest that whatever we say will be manifested into our lives. When we speak negatively, we can potentially cause death, but when we speak positively and truthfully, we are able to bring life into this world. Words allow us to express our feelings, our wants, our desires, our intelligence, our connection to one another, our creativity, and much more. Most of our conversations and communications are conducted through the use of words.
