And this is difficult to remember, but TRUE🤔

If you’ve experienced this, can I get an Amen?? Amen 🙂

A BOLD APPROACH IS NEEDED:)

How BOLD are you feeling? Now, that’s an odd question isn’t it?
Our War Room study tells us that we need to do our fighting in PRAYER.

HEBREWS 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Prayer is our approach to God, and we are to come “boldly unto the throne of grace.” Some Christians approach God meekly with heads hung, afraid to ask Him to meet their needs. Others pray flippantly with little thought. Come with reverence, for He is your King, but come with bold assurance,  for He is your Friend and Counselor.

To approach God boldly does not mean we can approach Him disrespectfully or pridefully- but as God’s children enjoying a “freedom of speech” before our loving Father. Because of what Jesus has done for us we are no longer enemies inhibited by sin, guilt, shame, or doubt.

FRUITFUL OBSERVATION: We are beloved children who, by faith, can pray openly and freely with confidence in our Father’s care for us and ability to handle any request.

Let’s remember to ask God to remove anything that would hinder us from praying freely, confidently, and boldly today and every day :))

2 minute 12 seconds FRUIT BITE 3/31

The seventh piece truly means completion and perfection:)

Did you know that Prayer is part of the FULL Armour of God? It is!!

While participating in doing my homework for the War Room Bible study, I’ve come to understand this important aspect. I count six pieces of the armor, but prayer makes seven. Most of us know that in  the Bible the number seven represents completion or perfection. I’d say that prayer truly is both! 🙂
In Ephesians 6:10-17, we are told that in the Christian life we battle against “principalities and powers.” (the powerful evil forces or fallen angels headed by satan who is a vicious fighter, see 1 Peter 5:8). To withstand the attacks, we must depend on God’s strength and use every piece of His armour. Paul is not only giving this counsel to the church, the body of Christ, but to all individuals within the church. The whole body needs to be armed.
As we do battle against “the rulers of the darkness of this world,” fight in the strength of the church, whose power comes from the Holy Spirit.

One does not commonly equate prayer with battle attire, but it is no accident that Paul commands believers to pray when engaging in spiritual warfare.
EPHESIANS 6:18
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
One way to pray constantly is to make quick, brief prayers our habitual response to every situation we meet throughout the day. Another way is to order our life around God’s desires and teachings so that our very life becomes a prayer
FRUITFUL OBSERVATION: We don’t have to isolate ourselves from other people and from daily work in order to pray regularly. We can make our prayer our life and our life a prayer while living in a world that needs God’s powerful influence.

Let’s remember that we have a POWERFUL WEAPON and that we can use it today and every day! 🙂

LUKEWARM…EWWW NO THANKS!!

We are starting a five week Bible study this evening on the WAR ROOM movie.

The primary focus is how PRAYER IS A POWERFUL WEAPON!

Jesus invites us into a closer and more intimate fellowship with Him. Prayer is our ultimate conversation with Him, and He wants us to be on fire for Him.

The first lesson addresses LUKEWARMNESS
Revelation 3:14-22
Laodicea was the wealthiest of the seven cities, known for its banking industry, manufacture of wool, and a medical school that produced eye salve. But the city always had a problem with its water supply. At one time an aqueduct was built to bring water to the city from hot springs. But by the time the water reached the city, it was neither hot nor refreshingly cool-only lukewarm. The church had become as bland as the tepid water that came into the city.
Lukewarm water makes a disgusting drink. The church in Laodicea had become lukewarm and thus distasteful and repugnant. The believers didn’t stand for anything; indifference had led them to idleness. By neglecting to do anything for Christ, the church had become hardened and self-satisfied, and it was destroying itself.
FRUITFUL OBSERVATION: God does not want us to be cold, but there is more hope for a rebel to repent than for a halfhearted, in-name-only Christian who is self-sufficient. Don’t settle for following God half way.

Let Christ fire up our faith and get us into the action today and every day!  :))

No matter how BIG the glasses,IT won’t be any clearer:)

How often is it difficult for us not to look back on our past?

             And even more difficult to look forward to our future?

 

 

 

 

This question comes after several encounters this week with other believers.

We can feel as if we are in a place that seems so unfamiliar to us. At times,

we may even long to go back to the familiarity of when life was comfortable for us!

PHILIPPIANS 3:12-14

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul said his goal was to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all Christ has in mind for him. This goal absorbed all his energy. This is an example for us. We should not let anything take our eyes off our goal-Christ.
Paul had reason to feel sorrow about the past-he held the coats of those who stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:57, 58), he is called Saul here). Most of us do not have the type of guilt that Paul had due to his past when he was a persecutor of Christians. We all have done things for which we are ashamed. Because our hope is in Christ, however, we can let go of the past guilt, as well as the comforts of familiarity and look forward to what He will help us become. We should not dwell on what we had (that which we thought was so good), instead, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on our relationship with Him now.

FRUITFUL OBSERVATION: We know that we are forgiven, and then we move on to a life of faith and obedience. We need to look forward to a fuller and more meaningful life because of our hope in Christ. He has the BEST PLAN FOR US!

Let’s start living the life that Christ wants us to have today and every day! 🙂 No looking back…only FORWARD FOR HIM:) Take the first step!

Fruit Bite 3/8/16 Scoffers

Scoffers, READERS and HAPPY ROOTS:))))

Do you ever feel challenged or a little-disappointed when trying to share God’s Word with others? It can seem as though they think that you may be too excited about studying a boring history book of days long ago. I want to encourage you not to get discouraged for one moment:))))))) God is working in our heart and mind! I feel a real sadness for people who don’t show any concern or excitement about our God that they profess to ‘believe’ in for their eternal salvation.

PSALMS 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the man
that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

God doesn’t judge people by race, sex, or national origin. He Judges them by their faith in Him and their response to His revealed Will. Those who diligently try to obey God’s Will are like healthy, fruit-bearing trees with strong roots (Jeremiah 17:5-8) And God promises to watch over them. God’s wisdom guides their lives. In contrast, those who don’t obey God have meaningless lives that blow like dust.

FRUITFUL OBSERVATION: As a tree soaks up water and bears luscious fruit, we also are to soak up God’s Word, producing actions and attitudes that honor God. To achieve anything worthwhile, we must have God’s Word in our heart.

Let’s soak up God’s Word today and every day! Man-made sources are temporary…But salvation is FOREVER:)) We NEED the correct WATER SOURCE:)

We shall be like trees planted by a river NOT like an overflowed puddle that leaves our roots compromised

Washed, Emptied, and NO RECORDS to file:)))

OH MY!!!!!! You all know me by now that I can’t pass a picture like this up without a blog post:)))))

NO RECORDS OF SIN, ONCE WASHED AND CLEANED

PSALMS 51:1-4
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions:
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.

We see that David was truly sorry for his adultery with Bath-sheba and for murdering her husband to cover it up. He knew his actions had hurt many people. But because David repented of those sins, God mercifully forgave him. No sin is too great to be forgiven!
While God forgives us, however, He does not always erase the natural consequences of our sin-David’s life, and family were never the same as a result of his sin (2 Samuel 12:1-23).

We are also told in Scripture that God does not keep a record of our sins.
HEBREWS 10:17
17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

The writer concludes his argument with this powerful statement that God will never remember our sins. Christ forgives completely, so there is no need to confess our past sins repeatedly.

We are told in REVELATION 21:27

27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie:but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

FRUITFUL OBSERVATION: As believers, we can be confident that the sins we confess and renounce are forgiven and forgotten.

Let’s live our life today and every day knowing that God keeps NO RECORDS of our past and forgiven sins! STAY CLEAN IN HIS SIGHT:))

A PRIDEFUL chip on the shoulder causes death!!

The book of Esther is unique-God is not mentioned. The heroine of the story is even cautioned to keep her Jewish heritage a secret! Nevertheless, God’s work is evident.

I didn’t realize that Haman had a thousand-year-old chip on his shoulder. His ancestors, the Amalekites, had attacked the people of Israel without provocation when Moses was leading them out of Egypt. The Amalekites lost the battle, and this feud was never entirely settled. More than ten centuries later Haman held the political power to destroy all Jews.

ESTHER 3:1, 2
1 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
2 And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

Haman enjoyed the power and prestige of his position, and he was enraged when Mordecai did not respond with the expected reverential bow. Haman’s anger was not directed just toward Mordecai, but toward what Mordecai stood for- the Jews dedication to God as the only authority worthy of reverence. Haman’s attitude was prejudiced; he hated a group of people because of a difference in belief and culture.
Prejudice grows out of personal pride-considering oneself better than others. In the end, Haman was punished for his arrogant attitude.(7:9 10). God will harshly judge those who are prejudiced or whose pride causes them to look down on others.

FRUITFUL OBSERVATION: It’s better to let go of issues in this life, rather than keep on harboring a time to ‘get even’ through selfish pride. Haman would’ve found himself a lot better off serving our ONE AND ONLY God instead of holding on to a one thousand- year old- grudge… Haman learned the hard way!!!

Let’s give unsettled accounts to God today and every day and let Him settled all debts for us! LET GO AND LET GOD!