THE CHAMPIONS

Today marks the beginning of the Winter Olympics. I always look forward to these games. I love to downhill ski and ice skate and am pretty much a winter girl at heart. It thrills me to see the tremendous skill of all the athletes in both the winter and the summer games. They all are hoping for an opportunity to stand on the podium and medal for their country. In the eyes of millions this makes them a true champion.

A true champion can be an athlete who wins a medal but there are many types of champions. In my opinion a real champion is one who allows Jesus to be Lord of their life and lives for Him in every area of life. There are athletes that have indeed given the glory to God in front of millions of TV viewers and this always warms my heart. Athletes in Action has a prayer ministry during the Olympics to pray for the athletes. Go to link below for more on this ministry.

In the meantime are you a champion for Jesus? 1 Corinthians 15:58(NIV) reminds us 'But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus.'

PRAYER: I know I am a true champion and have victory when I follow steadfastly after you and not the ways of the world. Help me to remember true champions live for Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen.

http://olympics.athletesinaction.org/prayer-strategy/

WHAT'S YOUR STRUGGLE?

 Everyone has experienced some sort of struggle in their life if theyhave lived long enough. When you are in the midst of them they are notfun at all. Have you ever thought of your struggle as a proving groundor training ground? For just a moment think back and I am sure youcan recall going "through" something and it turned out after it was all said and done that the trial made you stronger.

When a person works out a the gym lifting weights at first it is verydifficult and you may want to quit, but you hang in there and yourefforts pay off. Have you ever heard anyone say "nothing good comes easy"? It is true. You have to work hard to achieve earthly success.

Things in life seem to happen. Maybe a bankruptcy, car wreck, failed business, furloughed from work, unexpected illness. Whatever be the situation God is still there. Sometimes he does His best work in hard times. There are many cases in the Bible to prove just that.

1 Peter 4:12-13(NIV) says 'Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.

Sometimes God has to take you "through" something to get you "to something".Not sure who originally said that but if you think about it is so very accurate.what are you "going through" today? Perhaps look at it as a training ground for maki you more into Christ image?

PRAYER: This is the day you have made Lord and regardless of my circumstances I choose to rejoice for I know you have a wonderful outcome waiting for me and my loved ones. I know Satan is the author of discouragement and he is the one who tries to get us to blame you. Father forgive me if ever I have blamed you. I choose to keep my eyes n the cross. In Jesus' name. Amen.


Click link for an awesome song of worship:

http://youtu.be/sBWHBrKqMdE

SATAN'S TOOLBOX

 Our chief enemy is Satan,aka the devil. He has an arsenal of tools he uses to try to cripple Christians. Some of these are doubt, defeat, despair, depression, worry, comparison, fear, lies, tricks, critical spirit, alcohol abuse, drug addiction, anger, abuse, hurt, self pity, jealousy, hatred,bitterness, sickness and I am sure you could add to this list. These are his  tactics to get us off course and feeling hopeless. He weaves a web to destroy and torture us and to get our eyes off Jesus. We defeat Satan by the word of God and the power of our testimony it says in Revelation 12:11.

Remember you need to talk out loud to the enemy, the devil, and remind Him God is in control, not Him. Fear and worry are two of his specialities. He can literally get us so focused on a problem or situation we feel powerless. The good news is we have plenty of power to defeat him through Jesus.

The Bible says in Isaiah 54:17 that "no weapon formed against me shall prosper."  That is a promise to believe in.

 Will you be victorious in the power and authority of Jesus or allow Satan to make you powerless and weak? Start today and use the best tool yet in a Christians' toolbox and that is the word of God! Read it daily,  study it, claim its' promises and let it guide you through the ups and downs of life. Satan has no authority over you so do not let Him destroy you.

 PRAYER: Thank you Lord that I can use the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God to come against the enemy, Satan. I will not allow him to distract me and get me down in the dumps. I will rise up each day Lord and praise your name. I know when I praise you the devil has to flee. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link below to worship the Lord and defeat the enemy.
http://youtu.be/xi0yLRX4d2M

WEEPING MAY LAST FOR A NIGHT....

 ....But joy comes  in the morning. Death is part of life but no one is really ready for it especially if it comes too early such as in the case of a baby,child, or teenager. In the past couple weeks a young lady I worked with a few years ago died at the age of 28. A friend of mine lost a work colleague who was in her thirties. Just a couple days ago my daughter in laws' 98 year old great grandma also passed away. No matter what the age or how it happens it is sad and leaves a hole in your life. It takes time to heal wounds and get beyond it and death anniversaries are particularly difficult. In the area I live in when someone dies in a vehicular accident at times some family or friends place a roadside cross with the name of the victim on the cross. This is a way to remember them and perhaps helps with the healing.

 For the believer there is hope of seeing your loved ones and friends in heaven some day. They are in a better place. Now do not go up to some one grieving and quote Romans 8:28 which many are familiar with. It says " All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." Perhaps later on that is okay but it is not necessary to say anything. Just give a hug.

Psalm 116:15 is a good verse for this time and it says "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." A dear friend of mine died at the very young age of 44 several years ago and in her obituary in the newspaper it had the following verse from Philippians 1:21-24. It reads "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.If I am to go on living in the body this will mean fruitful labor  for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know.I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ which is better by far but is is more necessary for you that I remain in the body."


Many times the person is sick and getting up there in years and it is still hard to say goodbye. Once in heaven all the pain, sadness, sickness will end and your loved one will be seeing Jesus face to face in a glorious place. There have been accounts of those people who have died and been brought back to life and have spoken of the peacefulness they felt as they were entering heaven and on occasion some said they wished they could have stayed.

2 Corinthians 4:17 says " For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."   We are on this earth such a short time compared to eternity.James 4:14 says "How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog. It is here a little while then it is gone."

 I have heard this acronym for the word Bible which is good and useful. Bible could mean Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. Are you reading your instruction manual now? You never know when God will call you home. Be ready.

1 Corinthians 7:31 says "Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away."  If you were to die today do you know for sure you will go to heaven? If not say this simple prayer. "Lord Jesus I want you to be Lord of my life. Come into my heart today and transform me. I want to live for you and serve you. Forgive me for my sins. Come into my heart now."

PRAYER: Lord I know life is short compared to eternity. Help me make the best use of each day living for you and serving you and help me not be scared to die. Thank you Lord for being my Saviour. Comfort those who have recently lost a loved one. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link to be comforted in song
http://youtu.be/LJTQPZuvAKo
Reference for title: Psalm 30:5

DAILY 'TO-DO' LIST TO KEEP YOU ON RIGHT PATH

Be thankful and say so
Smile
Be kind to others
Be kind when someone is mean
Be courageous
Let go of a hurt
Forgive even if person is still ugly to you
Let go of your right to get back or get even
Share
Say only what will build others up
Stop worrying and give cares to God
Go to church
Read your Bible daily
Pray
Find someone to bless each day
Shine for Jesus especially within your own home
Be honest
Do not lie
Do not judge others
Love unconditionally
Remember that God loves you
Don't fear
Do not worry
Know that God is your best friend
Don't compare
Don't belittle yourself because you are a child of the king and are of great value!!
Forget yourself.
Be a friend!

The scriptures say in 1 Peter 1:16 "Be holy as I am holy".   If you practice saying the list above out loud you will start to have a better outlook on life. No matter what is going on in life you can have victory through Jesus Christ. Stay in his word and the truth will set you free! Jesus is Lord!!

The point is to mentally remind yourself not only of the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20, which help you stay on the right path in life but to have these little 'to do' items in your brain as reminders of how to be Christlike. Do not get in a trap set by the enemy where you feel worthless and of no value. Each and every day set out and stay focused on what you can do to show Jesus love to those around you. Do not let situations or other people rob you of your God given joy!

1 Corinthians 15:57 says "But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!"

PRAYER: Lord make me a light in a dark world. Where there is hopelessness let me show the hope of Jesus. Where there is darkness let use me to shine your light. Where there is hate let me show love. I purpose to focus on ways to be Christlike to all those people you place in my path. In Jesus name. Amen!
Click on link to worship the Lord in song.
http://youtu.be/wutmEjdbedE

BEATEN UP BY YOUR FELLOWMAN??

Do you feel like Job in the Bible who seems to have everything go wrong? Has one thing after the other continued to press down on you til you think you can not take it anymore? Have you lost your job? Have friends turned their backs on you? Have you been betrayed by family? Have people told lies about you at work? Have you been wrongly accused of something and are having a hard time proving your innocence? Has there been a death that has left a gaping hole in your heart you feel will never be healed? Are bills piling up but you do not know how you will manage to pay them?

Not everyone has a rosy life. Some people bring on struggles themselves but others have things happen they did nothing to cause.1 Peter 1:7 says "These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."  Psalm 66:10 says "For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver." Sometimes we are put in the refiners fire,so to speak, to test us and grow us and shape us into more of a God like character . We know it says in James 1:2-3 it says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." That is what we are striving for. No one likes suffering. But somethings that happen that seem bad ultimately turn out for our good.

Psalm 145:14 gives encouragement to those who feel like they have lost hope. It says "The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. Psalm 37:24 says "though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." Psalm 57:6 says "They spread a net for my feet--I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path--but they have fallen into it themselves."  Psalm 108:13 tells us "With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies." Psalm 147:3 says "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

What is bothering you today? God is for you so who can be against you?(See Romans 8:31). That is all that matters. Hang on. God has a plan!

PRAYER: Lord God help me to trust you and you alone for all that I need in life. When others come against me and hurt me or ridicule me I know you are all that matters.Help me to learn to forgive those who have wronged me. It is love that covers a multitude of sins and love that will win out.I want to focus on your love Lord so I am not sunk into a pity pit or a cavern of despair. Lord I thank you for delivering me. In Jesus Name. Amen.
 
Note: Please take about 4 minutes and listen to the song by clicking link below. It will lift your spirits in a big way. http://youtu.be/cCwAkJQ4-Io

GRUDGES: GOOD FOR NO ONE

Has someone or something  hurt you in the past and you just feel so mad you can hardly think straight? You say you do not 'hate' anyone but yet you can not seem to let this hurt or offense go. It is time to move on in life and let God take this off your shoulders and if this person is still in your life do not be ugly to them. Should they ever contact you try to be nice. Show mercy and forgiveness even when you do not feel like it. If you do not think you can do this alone you do not have to. Call on Jesus who is always there ready to help you with your battles. The problem  could be a variety of things such as broken marriages, broken friendships, betrayals,  loss of a job for no apparent reason, stolen ideas at work, being passed over for something you felt deserving of and on the list goes.

Let things go. Move on. Do not look back. Stay positive. Know that you will not be in this rut forever. Let go of disappointments and pain.Focus on something good even if it is hard to. Start praising God even if you do not feel like it. Admit there is nothing you can do alone and God has a plan and will direct your steps. 1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Ephesians 4:31 says "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." Psalm 37:8 says "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil."  Proverbs 3:5-6 says to "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean  not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Romans 12:17-21 says "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.  On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;  if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Release your bitterness over things you do not understand to God. Do not get bitter, upset, confused and angry but ask God to calm your spirit and soul. Ask God for peace. Instead of getting bitter get better. Learn from problems in life and move on and use them to grow more into the person Christ wants you to be. If you have not asked Jesus to be Lord of your life you can do that right now. Don't allow anger and bitterness to get you defeated.

James 1:2-3 says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." Thank the Lord for the things that happen to help your faith grow.

PRAYER: Lord thank you for family and friends you have in my life. I thank you for situations I have had to go through that have made me aware of my need for you Lord. Forgive me if I have harbored bitterness towards anyone in my heart. I release that to you now. Give me your strength to walk each day victoriously with you. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Note: I have included a link to another wonderful praise song that will help lift your spirits.
http://youtu.be/KuGRaCrg9hE