Have you ever been in the right place at the right time and that position brought a change in your life?  Maybe you had been seeking a job and “happened” in at the exact time the employer needed you?  It was a GREAT experience but you realized that God was very much involved.

It is very important that we obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit so that not only our destinies will remain in Him but that the destinies of others will also reap the benefits.  Think about it…God…you know the one that created the heavens and the earth…knows the end from the beginning and in His Hand is our destinies.

Share with us a time in your life when through obedience you were blessed.

Deb

Aw, a good, strong cup of coffee!  It tantalizes the taste buds to bring satisfaction and pleasure.  The coffee beans have been roasted and the smell comes alive in our kitchens. The beans were planted, watered, cared for, and then harvested for our pleasure.  They were even transported to Polk County and all we had to do was to purchase, prepare and enjoy the cup of java.

But, forgotten for the moment, the cup sat alone and the liquid  got lukewarm and bitter.  Why? It was to be consumed when at its hottest temperature and before it became stale.  It is still coffee with the same properties that it had when it was planted and harvested.  The caffeine charge is still there; but the presentation is no longer as appetizing as when it was first poured.  Don’t make a new cup.  Drink it because even though it is not enjoyable it will produce the same results.

Any thoughts?

Deb

“Why are you so downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God,  for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.”

Sometimes the cares of life can sidetrack us from the reality of how powerful and wonderful our God really is.  I would like to state the truth about who He is…

He is Wisdom.

He is Holy.

He is Righteous..

He is Good.

He not only cares for us, He made provision for us to be with Him forever.

He is Longsuffering.

He is Faithful.

My job is to praise Him and let Him be God.

Would you tell me something great God has done for you?  Let’s hope in HIm.  Let’s tell of His greatness.

Deb

In our morning service today, we will be receiving The Covenant Meal”, The Lord’s Supper, or Communion.  Jesus said (when He took the bread and gave thanks), “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  When we share the elements of The Last Supper together we are remembering His body which was broken for us.  He paid the price, not us.

When someone makes a sacrifice for you, there are usually conditiions to the commitment.  In a marriage commitment it is understood that the two have become one and no one outside of Father God is allowed in the marriage covenant!

“The body is not meant for sexual immoratlity, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.  By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?  Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute?  Never!  Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body?  For it is said, “‘The two will become one flesh.”‘  But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

Flee from sexual immorality.  All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.  (I Corinthians 6:13-20 NIV)

Every person will look at this blog and the above passage differently.  If you need it literally, I mean if you are thinking about sexual immorality, STOP!  God says NOT to be involved in immorality because it will hurt your body.   If you are taking this passage and using it as an allegory in the church (body) of Jesus Christ; then we must be careful not to succumb to the temptation to defile the  ”church” body. If you are looking at this passage and the Holy Spirit is gently reminding you that your body needs proper nutrition and exercise ( Yikes!), whatever way it is taken today…one thing is known. WE NEED TO BOW TO WHAT HE IS SAYING BECAUSE HE PAID THE PRICE FOR US AND WE CANNOT DO WHATEVER WE WANT WITHOUT SEVERE CONSEQUENCES!

I would love to hear from you about what the Spirit is saying to you today.  If you don’t want it published, just say so, but my desire is to help you in anyway that I can.  See you at the morning service as we share His body and blood together.

Deb

When you focus on something, “it” receives your priority. All five of the senses participate and you command attention from every living organism in your physical and mental being.  The target is clearly seen and everything is positioned to hit the bull’s-eye.

Pastor Dave is asking us to pray with focus together as a body using the prayers found in Ephesians 1 and 3.

“Father God in the name of Jesus, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.  I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”  Ephesians 1:15-23 NIV

Put your name, my name, your children’s name and whomever you desire and let’s focus on praying in unity one for another and see what power and authority will be made available to us.

If your problems are trying to be in your “sight” right now, take every thought captive and refocus looking in the “sight” praying the Word of God and what HE says and watch the change that takes place.  (I have taken my liberty with using the word “sight” as if I was a master with a gun; I am not; just remember that when my brother would try to teach me to shoot;  I concentrated more on the “kick” and pain I would get once the gun was shot so I could never focus and hit the target…..food for thought).

Blessings to you and your families as we focus on Him,

Deb

Over the past few days I have had an opportunity to reflect over our lives (my husband and myself) and how God has changed us and where we find ourselves today.  It appears to me that sickness and infirmities were designed to thrawt the very destiny that God had planned for us.  Reading Psalm 32 this morning, I realize that the Lord takes us down the path that is needed for spiritual development but we have our part in submitting to His plan.

In Psalm 32, David refers to dryness.

“When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me; my moisture was turned into the drought of summer. Selah!  (verses  3 and 4, Amplified)

There is a submission, when accompanied by confession, that  will bring forgiveness and a very hiding place from trouble.  Sometimes we try to hold back something that really just needs to be confessed so that we do not:

“be like the horse or the mule, which lack understanding, which must have their mouths held firm with bit and bridle, or else they will not come with you.”  (Verse 9, Amplified)

I want to serve the Lord faithfully walking into the very destiny that He has chosen for me but realizing that I must change and conform to what He wants and not continue in my way.  I want my Father to surround me with mercy and loving-kindness.

“Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on the Lord shall be compassed about with mercy and with loving-kindness.  Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you who are upright and in right standing with Him]; shout for joy, all you upright in heart!  (Verses 10 and 11, Amplified Bible)

Reflecting over our lives for the last thirty-five (35) years, we would like to thank all of the men and women of God who were instrumental in helping Dave and I step into the next piece of our assignment and this morning I am especially grateful to Bill and Patty in Cordele, Georgia who we were blessed to serve. God used them to open our spiritual eyes in the area of healing. That teaching has been the “hiding place” we have gone to when infirmities and sicknesses have come. Thank you.  Truly ”by His stripes we have been healed.”

If you are in a “dry” place, seek the Lord, confess your thoughts or sins to HIm and He will bring you into a place that is filled with the morning dew.  I love you.

Deb

As we journey through this life we accomplish some wonderful assignments.  Sometimes there may be a moment of satisfaction and even delight due to the outcome of a situation.  But I believe that when that thought comes to the mind, it also needs to be taken captive, and replaced with new thinking.

This kind of thinking can be a snare from the enemy and it exalts the pride that is lying dormant waiting for some fertilizer to be thrown onto it so that it can grow. As it grows it becomes a stronghold and then it must be overcome and we start the process all over again.   We confess our sin of pride, ask Jesus to forgive us because we realize our pride has once again cost us dearly, tell the Lord if He can use us to please do, and then when He does, we get puffed up and say, “I knew I could do this, I knew this was for me”.  Then we are brought low  because it became about us and not about Him again.

A very thick and scarlet thread that is woven through the New Testament says that Jesus is the ONLY one that is worthy  to stand as the perfect Lamb of God and we can only stand in righteousness through what HE has done not because of anything we have done.

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  Neither circumcision or uncircumcision means anything, what counts is a new creation.”    Galatians 6:14, 15  NIV

A better approach in our thinking is to immediately realize that on any given day at any given time, if something that we are involved with happens to have a good seal stamped on it, that it was not our brillant thinking that caused this, but the wisdom of God that operated in us when we became His son/daughter.  EVERYTHING has to point back to the cross or it will be as filthy rags of righteousness and really when something is filthy it is just a matter of time before it starts smelling.  Phew…

I boast in nothing but in Him crucified.  Blessing to you today as He accomplishes His desire for you today.

Deb

I learned a song about twenty years ago that really defines the word “miracle”.  I don’t know who to give credit to for this song but understand I did NOT write it but it is awesome.

“I anticipate the inevitable, supernatural intervention of God, I expect a miracle, I expect a miracle.”

Today why don’t we reflect and share on just one miracle that we have seen God do?  Has He ever performed a financial miracle for you?  Has he healed you, your husband, your child, etc?

 ”No eye has seen,

Nor ear has heard,

No mind has conceived

What God has promised for those

Who love Him.”      I Corinthians 2:9

Our God is mighty!  He made nature so He can overcome it anytime He needs to.  Sometimes we receive so much from God on a daily basis because we are His children, that we forget to says, “thanks.”  Let’s proclaim His goodness and His ability to supersede the natural laws of the earth in order to perform a miracle. He wants to be praised also.  Let’s not take His blessings for granted and let’s not limit His ability. He is miraculous.

I would like to thank Jesus who took thirty-nine stripes on His back for my healing and in 1993 that act resulted in my neurological system being changed so that I could accomplish the plans and purposes that He had for me. He healed me of epilepsy and because of that supernatural intervention of God, I can serve Him on this earth in whatever capacity that He desires!

Can I get a witness from you regarding what He has done for you? Let me know and let’s tell of His excellent greatness!

Deb

What God has prepared fpr tj

How many farmers plant seeds, water, fertilize, pull weeds and as the food needs harvesting decide, “well, maybe I wasn’t supposed to plant broccoli, I should have planted corn,” and then abandon their crop.    NONE!  How many farmers at harvest time plan a vacation because they want to?  NONE!  Not only has there been a financial investment but the reward of that investment is at hand.

In Central Florida many seeds have been planted for various vegetables, fruit and flowers but the farmer must watch for bugs, birds and COLD weather.  The weather will affect his crop but he does not abandon the field when bad weather comes,  he makes arrangements and warms the air around the crop so that the harvest is not lost.

The Bible tells us in Galatians 6:9-10

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Don’t lose your harvest that you have sown so heavily in because you don’t see your harvest coming as quickly as you expected it, or because you want a vacation.  Cover that seed when inclement weather comes, baby that investment and don’t stumble and you WILL reap a harvest.

Hunker down as we face some cold weather for the next few days, get out those sweaters and jackets that we haven’t worn this year, and go forth into the harvest field.

Deb

Are you pushing back those thoughts that are trying to steal your peace?  At Lake Wales High School there was a cheer that we yelled at the pep rallies during football season…..”Push them back, Push them back, Way back”.  I think we were talking about the defense pushing the villain enemy team back so that their team could NOT gain yards that would eventually result in a touchdown. Are you willing to let the enemy team tell you lies or replay old videos of past mistakes?  No, the cheerleaders of heaven are saying, “Push them back, Push them back, Way back.”

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight ) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, looking away [from all that will distract] to JESUS, who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection].  He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the Cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

New day, new year, let’s do what is right and make baby steps toward change.  Be blessed in the new year!

Hope to see you in the morning service at 10 AM and tonight at 6:30 PM.

Deb