You Rebel You!

The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him. Daniel 9:9

Rebellion is not a good thing when it comes to we humans rebelling against God. Now rebellion can be a good thing when it means to rebel against a evil government. For the purposes of this writing it deals with we mere humans acting like we know more than God. Does Adam and Eve ring a bell?

Being rebellious is not a fruit of the spirit. It can often be a demonic influence. God hates rebellion against His authority. A person can be hard hearted and think they don't need God and in a sense that is displaying a rebellious attitude. 1 Samuel 15:23 says it is "as the sin of witchcraft" and I say "ouch" to that. 

How many of you reading have had rebellious children? Perhaps a spouse at times may have acted  in a rebellious way. Criminals rebel against police authority meant to keep us safe. Don't be a rebel. Turn from wickedness of any form and seek God continually.

PRAYER: Oh Lord your commands are meant for our good. Forgive me if I have ever rebelled against you in any way by sinning against you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Be His Light

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. Psalm 89:15

When I was a child I loved to sing the song "This Little Light of Mine" and I still think it is a neat song I never outgrow. It paints such a  vivid word picture of what we as a believer are to do. Let your light shine and do not hide it and do not let Satan blow it out. 

Ask yourself if you are being a light for Jesus where you go each day. The workplace, your home, running errands, in school.  We are to be able to attest to the love of Jesus to anyone who may ask. 

Today Lord I want others to see you through me. Help me show love to those around me no matter how difficult it may be.

PRAYER: I am your sunbeam and your little light Lord. I want your light to shine bright through me so I can proclaim your love to others. In Jesus' name. Amen.

You Have Need Of Patience

Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

As I sat gazing at a lady in her van at a coffee shop, myself being inside by the register, as we both waited and waited and waited some more for our order, I simply smiled at her and shrugged. Why get upset? Our world is so much for instant everything. That is not God's way. When things don't happen fast or according to our time table it is easy to give up or get mad.

This is not what God wants. Throughout the Bible are stories of waiting. Man's way is always rushing and getting things now. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, God does not operate according to our rules. I know I am thankful for that! His plan is better and sometimes it involves waiting.

Do you have a problem with trusting God and waiting? Just as a farmer waits for a crop or lady  waits for her newborn baby, we too need to develop patience so as to not wreck God's plan.

PRAYER:Lord I am thankful for the times I learned to wait and want to forget the times I messed things up by not. Thanks for guiding me along the way. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Love People, Period!

He answered, "Love the Lord your of with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27

'Love'  is a pretty simple command but how many of us really do it? Love those who hate you. Love those who are different. Love those who don't love Jesus. Love when you don't feel like it. Love indeed, does come from a pure heart. Love is from God.

When we don't show love to those around us we are giving our enemy Satan, more fuel for his tiny little fire. He loves it when there are arguments, contentions, and disagreements. It is easy to fight and bicker but hard to forget self, be humble and show true love to all those you come in contact with.

If you are tempted to argue with someone stop for a moment, say a silent prayer, and show love when you don't feel like or. Love wins in the end.

PRAYER: I know your command is to love one another. I choose to do this even when it is hard. In Jesus' name.Amen.

Unconditional Love...Just Live It!

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:7

It is so easy to love people when they are nice to us, but when we are mistreated by someone, sometimes even a family member, it is difficult to act Christlike. But guess what? We are supposed to do just that.  Sometimes when I am confronted with a situation that requires unconditional love I think to myself 'be kind Becky and overcome evil with good.' Then there is the standard 'what would Jesus do' response which is often helpful as well. 

Make up your mind that you are going to love like Jesus' loves. If you catch yourself thinking mean or revengeful thoughts pause and pray and ask for God's strength to show His love to those you are dealing with.  This could be co workers, your children, your spouse, a friend, or a total stranger.  

God's way is always the way of love. 

PRAYER: When I feel upset or angry Lord I know you understand but I know you want me to be loving and be a good example and not fuel the fires of meanness. Give me strength. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

To Share Or Not To Share

 Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured unto you. Luke 6:38

Recently I bought a container of breath mints that had two openings on the lid. One a small opening said "to share" and the other larger opening said "not to Share". This struck me as funny in a society that tends to be all about me, me ,me. This implies take more for yourself and do not give them away.

 Many places in God's word we are told about sharing and giving to others. Reaping and sowing so to speak. We should not share to get things but we should share because we know as Christians that is the right thing to do.

Is your heart stingy or is it giving? Remember the things we have are all God's anyway. Now go share something.

PRAYER: Help me open my heart to those in need and even to those not in need just because I want to. I pray for people who are recipients of gifts to be grateful for them and realize it is a blessing from God. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Under Construction

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

A few years ago there was a saying "Please be patient. God is not finished with me yet." A few days ago as I ran past a construction site, a big sign on their fence said "Under Construction." When something is being built we often wait with anticipation for what is to come. As a believer I am constantly under construction. I guess when I am finished or when God is finished then I will enter heaven.

 Your life is constantly being built and changed too. I for one am glad we do not stay the same age and do the same things. When you feel all is lost or are facing some challenge in life, know that  if you love Jesus He is there with you and will see you through to what lies beyond. One of the biggest things for being "built" in Christ is knowing that trials help to shape you. It says that in James 1:2-4. Take a moment and read it.

 Go back out in your 'construction zone' and know the 'master builder' is shaping you into just what He wants you to be.

PRAYER: Thank you for working on me and making me just what you need for your kingdom. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Half Full??

Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Philippians 4:8

What kind of person are you? Do you consider the cup half full or half empty? I love Hampton Inn's encouraging words on paper cups, elevator doors and elsewhere throughout the hotel chain. This is what made me think of half full as that is what their drinking cups in rooms said. Their hotel chain has words of encouragement throughout their hotel.

A half full person is more of a positive sort and looks at things in a more promising way than say a half empty one who tends to think the worst of things and be on the doubting negative side. Even when things tend to not look hopeful I want to keep my mind positive and uplifted knowing the story is not over yet. There is always hope.

What do you need to adjust in your life to make you become a half full person?

PRAYER: Today and everyday I want to start out the day being positive and to try to turn conversations around that get negative or condemning. Help me Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Make A Difference

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope you have, but do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15

I am blessed right now, in that I do not face the same type pressures that people who work outside the home do. I know different personalities can clash at work and you always have to be doing your best. Perhaps you are the boss, then it is necessary to treat your employees with fairness, kindness, and respect. Wherever you are, be it in the home taking care of children, free lance writing in a coffee shop, the head of a Fortune 500 company, or a myriad of other jobs, no matter what, you can make a difference in someone's life. Look at your job as a ministry. It isn't necessary to go to the far corners of the Earth to impact someone but right in your corner of the world you can change a life.

Being a Christian at home or in the workplace and even out in public is a big responsibility. Your light of Jesus should be shining brightly. You should be looking for ways to impact the world around you for Christ. It can be as simple as a smile or opening a door. Keep your thought life good as well. By this I mean do not start forming opinions and judging others. Would Christ do this? No He would love all mankind and try to find good things about them.

You never know what people around you are going through. Medical problems, a death in the family, bankruptcy, divorce, job loss, legal battles, wayward children, rejection. A host of issues could be weighing on people. Pray God will allow you to impact someone's life that needs a kind word.

PRAYER: Today Father I thank you for the chance I have to shine Your love into a life around me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Shhhh!

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Psalm 34:13

How many readers would say they think they have a trouble controlling their mouth? This could be as simple as lying, yes even white lies, or gossip? Our mouths can get us into major trouble and even wreck relationships if we are not careful. It is essential to think before we engage our mouths and speak. Wanting to share  opinions sometimes is unnecessary and indeed can backfire. The less said the better is often the key. 

Let's say you are in a room with Jesus and someone is arguing with Him. Do you suppose He would continue on? First of all, He would not be verbally battling someone. We as His  followers are to set an example in words and deeds. Often it is easy to let situations make us get upset or even something someone has said to hurt us. Best to overlook an offense and be at peace than to try to start a war of words. 

Try something if you will. Make a list of people you feel angry at and ask God to help your speech and thoughts towards them be kind and pure. 

PRAYER: Today and every day Lord help me live a life pleasing to you in the things that I say and do. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer Rooms Abuzz

Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

I have had people wonder why I go to Starbucks since they tell me they are anti-Christian.  I say to them that I am to be like Jesus and go spread His love not just in Holy places. One day as I sat in Starbucks early in the morning  the place was so loud with people talking. Every table was occupied. I was in my cubby hole back In a corner writing. With all this activity buzzing around me I got to thinking about how excited people seemed to be while enjoying their friends, coffee, and socialization. I thought "wouldn't it be great if there were little prayer houses similar to a Starbucks that is so popular and people could get excited about congregating to pray and have fellowship"? 

It was not my place to stand in judgment of anyone in the coffee shop but I did wonder how many had spent time with the Lord before rushing into their busy day. Often times it is so much more convenient to do worldly things such as the morning shows on television, stop for coffee on way to work, hit the gym, read the morning paper. All these are fine activities but if anything takes the place of Jesus that is dangerous territory. When you spend less and less time with Him your thoughts can become more and more like the world. 

So what do you think. Anyone want to open a chain of morning prayer houses? 

PRAYER: Forgive me Lord when I allow other activities to squeeze you out or only give you a passing thought. You are so patient but I know you miss me when I rush into my day without you. Help me in time management to put you first. In Jesus' name.Amen.

It Hurts So Bad!

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2

There was a song in the sixties whose lyrics said "And you know that it hurts so bad to see you again"  and it was referring to a young couple who had broken up.  If you can remember back to high school days it did hurt when you broke up. It also hurts for children to be left out. It hurts when a spouse leaves. It hurts when a spouse dies. It hurts to lose a child. It hurts when you are excluded from your extended family. It hurts when you are a grandma being kept from your grandchildren. It hurts to be abused and abandoned. It hurts to be fired or laid off.  It hurts to be shunned. It hurts to be rejected. It hurts when you feel like a failure. There are many scenarios where a person can suffer excruciating emotional pain which at times they feel they can never escape from.

We all come from different backgrounds and have different stories. The one thing to remain is that God's love for you will never go away. He is there. He loves you. When you are deep in  pain you feel like your world is just falling apart and you can't possibly go on. The good news is it takes time but you can heal and even grow from whatever it is you have suffered. Our enemy Satan would love to use your pain to cripple you and keep you away from God. This is when you need Him more than ever. Cry out to Him my friend! He is listening and cares! 

PRAYER: Lord I need you oh I need you. Every hour I need you. Oh bless me now my savior, I come to you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click on link for wonderful song of praise and worship.

http://youtu.be/6_KXsMCJgBQ

Fear Not, Okay?

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Fear can really get a grip on people if they allow it to. There are common fears of say skydiving from a plane and have your parachute tangle and not deploy. On my bucket list is skydiving but I am only 50/50 primarily due to that fear. Some are afraid to fly in airplanes for fear of crashing. I love to fly and I have to admit when it becomes turbulent at 35,000 feet  it can be unnerving but I simply start quietly praising God. One time though I did not realize I was audible to man next to me and he asked if I was okay. 

The thing is we can not let fear control our lives or we will be miserable. I have heard it said, you have to face your fears. In other words, get back up on the horse and ride after you fall off to not allow it to control you. What do you fear today? God can get you through.

PRAYER: I need you every hour, oh God most high. When I am afraid I will trust in you. In Jesus' name.Amen.

Weeds in Your Garden

But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

2 Corinthians 11:14

Springlike weather has arrived in most parts of the country. On beautiful  days you may have the  urge to mow, plant flowers or a garden,  play in the sprinkler, cookout, hike, fish, canoe, go to a park,  or take a walk.

I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of our strawberries in my little garden. Unfortunately weeds cropped up that had to be dealt with or if they did not, could overtake and choke the plants. Some weeds look pretty such as dandelions but they are still unwanted.

Sin is like a pretty weed.  It can look pretty but it is down right nasty and no good. Its’ beauty often times can trick you into believing it is okay. Satan has deceived many people into believing lies  and some are even Christians. The latest thing I think about is making the population believe same sex marriage is okay with God, because it is not. The enemy has deceived many well meaning people.  The devil wants to destroy us.

If you are caught in a  jungle of sin that is choking out the truth of the word of God, stop now and pray and ask God to deliver you and set you free.

PRAYER; Jesus I need you every hour. This world needs you. I choose to pull up weeds of sin and pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Your Mind Matters

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Philippians 4:8


I heard an advertisement once that said "a mind is a terrible thing to waste" and if you think about it, it is true. I believe if we are claiming to be Christians we should be careful what we allow into our minds. Our mind sort of controls us. You feed your mind on garbage such as pornography, movies with continual cursing, violent video games, music with unwholesome lyrics then after a while you could start being desensitized to messages within these.

 I am not perfect by any means and recently I saw a PG13 movie and ended up walking out of the theater half way through as it's content disturbed me. The little voice inside me said, "leave", and I did. It has delighted me that in the past couple months good movies such as 'Heaven is For Real' and 'God's Not Dead'  have been released. I am not saying just go to Christian movies but you need to be discerning. After all you are the temple of the living God and He is with you at all times.

The verse above is a good one to memorize. It can help you make decisions on what you should allow into your mind. Keep your mind daily in the word of God to be able to know the difference in right and wrong.

PRAYER: Lord guide me each day as I make decisions about what to read, watch, or participate in. Help me to run the other way when things are not of you. In Jesus' name.Amen.

Debbie Downer

 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. Proverbs 17:28(NIV)

 Impulsive people have trouble in life. I tend to be impulsive and am working on taming this monster of fast reactions. It is especially helpful to be able to control it when it comes to talking and emailing. If we react to something then do not wait and think and immediately respond then we can cause trouble which was never intended to happen.

My husband always reminds me of this too. "Why pass on bad news to the kids he will say" if I see something about a storm or accident for instance.  We should only want to pass on that which will build up or uplift not possibly drag down. But if you are impulsive and do not think things through first, or wait 24 hours because you just have to act on something, then things could backfire or create turmoil and misunderstanding.

Yes indeed in life it is good to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry as it says in James 1:19.

 PRAYER: Today Lord I need your help to be calm and peaceful and wait. Help me think before I act or react. Forgive me if my impulsiveness has ever hurt anyone. Put a watch over my mouth. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Breaking Through

God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. 2 Samuel 22:33(KJV) 

To get beyond a problem in your life you have to press on to other things and not dwell on the bad stuff. Consciously make your thoughts focus "above", staying positive and thinking about how much God loves you. I had to do this as a very special friend shut me out of her life. I wanted to dwell on it and try to fix things but realized that was beyond my ability. Only God could set things straight. Sometimes those bad things help us "break through" to better things that lie beyond the hurt and the pain.  

God alone is your strength. He gives you the power and ability to get through every day no matter how tough it may seem. Our enemy Satan, is the character who wants people to continually dwell on hurts, rejection, and pain. God can and does set us free from all the junk swirling around us and provides hope for a brighter tomorrow. You only need to let Him into your life. 

PRAYER: You have great things in store for me Lord and I choose to think about your mighty power and wonders instead of letting issues in life get me down. I choose to look to you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Hurting?

Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:4(NIV)

Everyone has hurt sometime in their lives either emotionally or physically. It is hard to know what people are going through. In church one Sunday  in front of me were two individuals who appeared to have hurts. One ended up sitting down, got on his phone,  then left ten minutes into the service. This person just looked lonely. The other was with their spouse and during altar prayer went forward. The spouse stayed behind sitting down praying. It is not just us that have bad days. We who call ourselves believers should reach out to and pray for those in despair as we have all been there. I have a mountain I like to go to and get alone with God. Even Jesus went alone to a quiet place and prayed. (See Luke 6:12-13). 

What creative things can you do to reach out to those in pain? We can pray. If it is a friend, you can send a note or a card. Perhaps you can visit lonely people in hospitals, prisons, or nursing homes. Just know you are not the only one who has ever hurt so go beyond yourself to help others.

PRAYER: Wherever life takes me today Lord help me be aware to give encouragement to others even through a smile. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Shout For Joy

 "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (NIV) Psalm 118:24

I love songs about joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength. There is joy unspeakable and full of glory. Joy to the world the Lord has come.I've got that joy, joy,joy, joy down in my heart. 

Joy is defined as "great happiness or being delighted." When you sing about the joy of the Lord do you feel joy and show it on your face? I absolutely love praise and worship music. I can't help but raise my hands in praise to the Lord. I do not imagine in heaven we are going to be just sitting there singing and not excited. If you sing a song that says "I lift my hands up" do you lift them up? I imagine up in heaven it is going to be one fantastic praise fest. I mean can you imagine coming face to face with the King of kings and Lord of lords!? You won't be able to contain your joy.

Are you missing that joy in your life? Many who are in churches feel church is enough and don't really feel joyful on Sunday. If this describes you maybe you need to ask Jesus to come into your heart and transform you. 

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I want the joy only you can give. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Has Not Abandoned You

 

But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.Psalm 10:14(NIV)

Every day is a day with things different happening. Bad news or good news may be just around the corner. It is how we react to this news that matters. Some of the news can be worse than others and harder to cope with. For instance the news you may have a terminal illness. Maybe a family member passes away unexpectedly. Life does have both ups and downs.

No matter what happens you can run to God. Do not be mad at Him shouting "If you really loved me you would have let my mother live" or "if you really loved me Lord my dog would not have been hit by a car". God is not the one that made them die. Things in life happen. We all will die someday and the thing is to be ready as we do not know when Just know God is there to comfort you.

PRAYER: I thank you for the blessing of another day. When I feel sad Lord help me to learn to reach out to others in my pain. In Jesus' name. Amen.