Communication

The more you communicate with Jesus as you go through a day, the more you walk in His ways. He wants constant communication with us. Short prayers, long prayers. But most importantly prayers from our heart.

He already knows our needs but it requires us to step out in faith to ask Him. Be careful though. Don't just go to Him all the time with a shopping list. While our needs are VERY important to Him, He wants to spend time with us in worship, and in love. He already met every need we have when He hung on that cross. He is down from there making intercessory for us. And we do need to ask for what He did on the cross to be applied to our life. (our needs) But we were made and created to fellowship with God. Think about that for a minute. Our time with Him should not just be about us and our needs/desires/wants. It should also be a time of us giving thanks for what He has already done. Don't ever forget God gave His Son for us. To DIE for us. Do you love people (or do I ) enough to do that? For sinful people? For that person who ALWAYS rubs you the wrong way? I honestly don't think I do. But God isn't finished with me yet. And He knows that as well as I do. When I start thinking I have arrived and He is finished with me and I am perfect, then I am arogant and proud. Lord help me to never be either.

Jeremiah 6:16 This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

Wounds?

We all have wounds. Some deep, some superficial. Some new. Some old. Some hidden, some obvious.

The one thing in common is the pain.

7 Things we wrongly believe sometimes about our wounds:

1. Denial - I am not wounded.

2. Shame - Can't talk about it to anyone

3. Identity - The wounds reduce who I am or what I can do

4. Blame - It is God who did this to me

5. Pride - I won't seek help

6. Hopelessness - Others can't help

7. Abandonment - If God cared He wouldn't have allowed it

Ever think any of those things? I have unfortunately.  Sadly, these beliefs give your wounds more power then they deserve. We can't change the past. We can change how we view the painful realities that have touched our lives.

God heals. Pain need not last forever. Your life may not be easy, problem free, or painless but it can be abundant.

God never promised to keep us from wounds, but He did promise to be with us and to help us heal. God didn't prevent Jesus from receiving wounds. Do you think He deserved them and you don't? There is that pride again if so.

Some have wounds so deep in their soul they think they can't make it another minute. But once you are on the other side with God's help, you will have an amazing testimony. Just remember God's part in it when you reach the other side. Many forget to include Him once He has carried them through.

Remember God said in Deut 3:16: 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

God's Purpose For Women

God has created our body, soul and spirit. We come in all different shapes and sizes. Our spirit is where God lives. That is where God speaks to us. Our soul is our heart, our will, our emotions, our mind. That is where our feelings come from.

What does God say about those 3 areas of our life?

We can be very spot on in one area and out of whack in the others.

Jer 9:23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

:24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.

If you are going to boast about something it needs to be about God, not yourself.

God's word is for us to learn about Him, His ways, His heart, His character. The more we know and understand Him, the more we will understand His will for us.

2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Pet 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The bible was written by men. But God inspired them about what to write. He gave them the words and they wrote them.

God never creates anything without a purpose.

Ps 139:13 For Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb,

:14 I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

:15 My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

:16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

God knew us before we were even conceived! How amazing is that. There is not another person exactly like you. You are a one of a kind.

Purpose - to refer to an intention or determination

God's purpose for our life is His intention for our life.

He had a purpose in mind for us before He formed us. You (and I) were created for a specific divine purpose. As you study the word of God, you will start to determine what your purpose from God is.

We have to stop comparing ourselves to one another. God didn't create you like the lady sitting next to you at work, at church, etc. He has a different purpose for her then He does for you. Whenever we compare ourselves to others there will always someone we will find that is better (or so we think) then us and we will be insecure.

Or we will compare ourselves to someone who is not measuring up to us for whatever reason (or so we think). We walk away from that proudful.

Neither one of those bring glory to God. We need to be thankful for the way God created us. We are quick to put ourselves down for how we look. God doesn't make a mistake. That doesn't mean He doesn't want us healthy.

God has given us each gifts that we should be using to further His kingdom.

There are general purposes God has laid out for every woman.

1. Develop an intimate relationship with God.

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.

:31 And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

It is not just knowing He is in heaven, He wants to have a relationship with us this side of heaven also. He wants you to get to know Him now. If He is important to us we will spend the time it takes to make Him a priority in our life.

Priority - to prefer
We will still make mistakes. But we need to make God our first priority.

We need to spend time daily learning about Him. In different seasons of your life you will have different times, different amounts of time, you can spend with Him. But you should be mindful all the time that He is always with you. It is easy for us in the midst of everything going on in our lives during the day for us to forget He is always with us. He hears every word out of our mouth. We will be held accountable for each of them.

Ps 62:5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.

Nothing and no one can ever take the place that is reserved for God. He created us that way.

In God alone, can we find the rest for our soul.

2. To be a helper or influence for others

Gen 2:18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone: I will make him an help meet for him.

This is not to be a helper only for our husband. We all have it in us. If we see someone in need, we go help if we can.

Eve influenced Adam later on with the fruit.

We choose to influence for good or not good. By chosing to not influence we are still influencing the people in our surroundings.

Our mood, our demeanor, our attitude will influence even if we don't want to .

Even if you have no example of what a godly woman looks like in your past, God will guide you how to be one.

Don't mistake manipulation for influence. Influence is having the right heart and the right motive and representing God well in all you say and do. Manipulation is getting people to say or do something for your own benefit. And God will never bless that.

3. Is to be a crown to her husband.

Pr 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband; but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

Some versions of the bible says disgrace instead of ashamed

disgrace - dishonor, to lightly esteem, to bring shame or reproach on someone

Being a godly woman is for all women, not just married women.

crown - to encircle against attack

We should be protecting him from attack not attacking him ourselves.

Are our husbands perfect? Absolutely not, but neither are we. Why is it so easy to accept God's mercy and grace for ourselves but not desire it for our spouse when we are upset with them?

We can't change our husband. We can only change our own heart. When we stand before God we will only be judged by how we acted or reacted. Not how they acted or reacted. But yet we justify our reactions by what they do. God will not accept that. If we concentrate on dealing with our own hearts and release his to God we can step out of the way and allow God to work. We try to do it and alot of times we get in God's way. We say " God I got this." When in fact we should be seeing what God is telling us is our part in the situation. We are called to act in a godly way NO MATTER what our husband does. That is not always easy is it? But it is what we are called to do. We can justify to ourselves and try to justify to others when we don't react in a godly manner when provoked. We can say, no one could withstand that and react in a godly manner. Yet it is what we are called to do. We are not called to stay in a physically abusive marriage. Don't misunderstand me. But when there is an argument and we get as ugly with our words as he does, that is not being glorifying to God. We will have NO justification when we stand before God. I try to remember that every single moment of every day. Some people (not just our husbands) are hard to deal with. But we must if we are going to influence those He puts in our path.

When people change because God changed their heart it will be a permanent change. People will change temporarily to make us do what they want, etc. But it will only be permanent if it is a heart change done by God.

Are you shining your husband's crown or beating it up?

None of us have arrived. God is still working on all of us. But once we learn something God has called us to do we must do it because then we will be held accountable. Don't beat yourself over the past before you knew what God called you to do in an area. You won't be held accountable for things you didn't know.

　

Just Say No

Matt 3:8-9

John was not afraid to talk about the wrath of God.

It is an unpopular topic among proud unrepentant people. Go to the next person. Sometimes people won't accept the gospel as truth so we make it acceptable to them. We adjust the message we were given to tell. We are not supposed to change it. We are warned in the Bible to not change it. Yet people change it to fit what they want it to say.

John was very holy and they knew it or they would have called him out for whatever he was doing wrong.

Some are teaching that you can repent and yet not change. That is so very false. There must be fruit showing you truly repented. When you repent it is not a one time thing. God will continue to show us areas we have to repent. That is normal. We are not perfect.

People try to claim their ancestors repentance as their own. That doesn't work. There comes a time when you are of age and held accountable for yourself. Once old enough to be accountable you (and your children) can't get into heaven on your parents coat tails. You must stand on your own. You must work on getting holy by doing what God has told you to do, And then DO IT! Repent of those things you know God has called you to change. And then change them. For good. Remember the devil will return with the package again to tempt you. He knows your weakness. Don't open the door. It is ok to not let him enter.

Repentance?

Matt 3:3-7

Matthew quoted old testament often to prove Jesus fulfilled the prophesies.

John's entire ministry was to prepare people for Jesus' arrival.

John wasn't living a prosperous life. He was the exact opposite of a prosperity preacher.

His appearance may have scared some people. He wasn't the normal preacher.

True repentance requires you to own up to your sin. Not justify or excuse it. Jesus won't accept excuses or justification. Only us admitting our sin, humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness. Not what most are hearing from the pulpit today. Thankfully where I go to church he calls sin, sin.

In verse 7 those coming weren't coming in repentance. That is why he called them out. They were just following the crowd. Not repenting at all.

Are You Ready?

Matt 3:1-2 John's message was to motivate people to repent. It was to show the way of the Lord. God requires us to repent for salvation. If there is no change of lifestyle there is no repentance. If there is no heart change there is no life change. John was telling them God was on the way, it was time to get ready. How do you get ready for God? You do what God has told you through His word, etc that He wants you to do. It requires you to live according to the word of God. We know that God is merciful and giving people time to accept Him as Savior. But He is also waiting for us to get right with Him. There is more to being ready for His return then just accepting Him as Savior. Will some be surprised who think they are ready? I believe so. I pray I am not one of them. Are you ready?

God's Guidance

Matt 2:19-23 Sometimes God leads through dreams, but mostly He uses the bible to lead us. He gives us mostly general guidance in the bible, He gives more specific guidance in a few ways but we must listen to the general guidance of the bible before He will give specific. In everything He trains us with the smaller more general things first. We must be faithful in the small before we are ready for the bigger things. Joseph's first specific guidance was to go to Israel. That is a large area. After reaching Israel he was given more specific of where to go.This is how Jesus ended up in Nazareth. In order to learn the specific plans God has for us we must take the first step.