Category: Truth

God Loves YOU!

Sheri Yates2 Comments
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Ever had thoughts like this: What am I doing? Did God really call me? I feel discouraged, insecure, ashamed and unworthy?
 
I have.
In fact…
Those were my thoughts.
 
I am just like you. I have baggage. I have pain. I feel rejection. I feel discouraged. I lose heart and expectation of God.
 
Even though we may feel this way, feelings are not true. The Truth is what God thinks about us! The most humble thing we can do is actually agree with God!
 
It is very hard to agree with what God thinks about you.
 
I mean, hello, you know your flaws better than anyone. You know your own thoughts – when no one else does.
 
Because of this, it’s hard to agree with God. But, not agreeing with God is actually pride.
 
Yep.
 
I said it.
 
You are elevating YOUR opinion above God’s opinion.
 
I guess I needed a reminder of God’s opinion of me because –
Then, I heard THIS song – live. It overwhelmingly encouraged me!
 
I soft sobbed.
 
With real tears. [I don’t usually do that.]
 
It encouraged me so much,
 
I came home and began my frantic search for this song!
AH! I found it!
 
Wow!
If you are not encouraged from this, you must be dead.
 
What is holding you back today? Oh how Father loves YOU!
WATCH THIS VIDEO

Free Bible Study

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Want to know God more? Want more peace? You want to SOAR in your life?

 

When we know God intimately, we SOAR!

 

To SOAR is to “to climb swiftly or powerfully.”

 

The power of God is available to you to overcome and live in freedom! SOAR (a FREE four-part study consisting of eight lessons each) is designed to create in you a longing to know our loving God. To know Him is to know the love and the power of the living God that can SOAR far above any mountain in your life. Spiritual growth begins and is maintained with intimate fellowship with the living God through Jesus Christ.

 

When you know whose you are, who you are and what you have, you will know what to do!

You will learn to seek God, obtain your own revelation from reading and studying the bible, strengthen your ability to walk in the Spirit more than your flesh and then turn all your efforts into pursuing the calling God has for your life through reaching out! You will never be the same.

 

If you are like me and you need some direction to learn to read your Bible and get more revelation, check out our free Bible study!

 

 

Gripped in Fear

Sheri Yates7 Comments

Have you ever been gripped with fear? Maybe you have face the fear of death, or you have no idea how you will pay next month’s bills, or you are afraid for your safety.

Whatever it is, fear is NOT from God! His love drives out fear.

Below is a testimony of a 6 year old who battled with fear for many, many days. It was a constant battle – 24 hours a day 7 days a week – for 38 days!

Here is her account. She asked me to share it with others who struggle with fear. This is to you from a darling little girl that wants to encourage you to fight the good fight of faith!

How has this testimony impacted your life?

Being a Woman of God

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I had a God encounter. I spoke with a woman who loves the Lord with all her heart. We shared testimonies while we did some dishes. It was a random meet for only a moment between women a few generations apart.

She had lost her husband of thirty years. I began to weep at the thought of even starting to lose mine. All those little things I am nagging about—like his socks beside the bed and the protein powder he sprinkles but never wipes off the counter—started to grow faint. These are minor issues. They’re immaterial, really. Why does this type of thing bother me? Why does it nag me? Why do I have to open my mouth? Shut up. Shut up. I hear it repeating in my head. I would rather have those socks on the floor, and the protein powder on my counter than not have him there at all. Who cares about the house? It’s about people.

She told me her last words to him were, “Hey, you aren’t supposed to be doing that.” He was on doctor’s orders not to do certain things because his heart was fragile. She said she had to forgive him for doing things outside of what he was supposed to do because that was who he was. He didn’t want to be someone different. He didn’t want to live a different life.

I have been thinking about this nonstop. I thought that if we knew how to war in the name of Jesus Christ, then the dead would be raised up until they had long lives. When we are given a doctor’s report, we don’t have to receive it. We don’t have to receive the doctor’s report. We have to stand up in the name of Jesus Christ and receive the truth for our medicine, not a fact. I thought to myself, “If that happened to me, I would not only have to forgive my husband, but I would also have to forgive myself for not being the warrior that I was supposed to be, for not being someone so firmly established in the truth that facts don’t faze me.”

Truth is my fact. The truth should be my reality above everything else in this world. I do live in this world. I live in a body, but the truth is that I am a spirit. I am a spirit with God living in me. The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in me. It does no good to have that power inside of me if I can’t use it in this world, if I can’t draw on it to help people. It does no good if I just receive all the dark, sick evil in this world. It does no good whatsoever.

I want to be a woman of God. I want to be a lioness arising, according to Lisa Bevere. I want to be a woman standing at the gate with my sword and refusing to let in any stealing, killing, and destroying. The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in me, and I have been commissioned and called by God and given authority over darkness in the name of Jesus Christ.

I hope you have a God encounter today and a revelation that changes you forever. Stand up, ladies. Stand up, women of God. Stand firmly in the truth, knowing that this is a spiritual battle. It is not a battle in physical. It is won through the name of Jesus Christ.

Conquer Negative Thoughts

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The abiding (continuing, staying, dwelling) believer enjoys mountaintop joy even in trials and sufferings. Paul says it best in Philippians 1:18(b)-26:

“Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or death. 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 it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith so that through my being with you again, your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.”

Paul’s relationship with God was far more rewarding than any earthly treasure he had. If you lost everything, would you still trust in God? Could you keep your joy in tough suffering like Paul in his imprisonment?

Paul’s words in Philippians 3:8 (NLT) express the great value he placed on his God!

“Yes, everything else is worthless compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, to gain Christ.”

Negative thoughts and emotional commotion generally result from valuing things or people more than we value our God.

Ask Father God to reveal to you the things you place above Him.

What are the things you need to lay down, like Paul, so that you can allow the desire to know God to consume you above all things?

Jesus Wants Your Heart

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Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”

God did not create us to be His worker bees. We were created to love Him, who loved us first.

Now do not misinterpret what I am saying. Yes, Jesus wants us to do good works. He even calls us to do so.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” (John 14:12-13)

So, yes, He is pleased when we do good works, but He does not require us to.

He just wants us to put the relationship with Him first. In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us not to worry about food, clothes, etc. He says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

He wants our hearts more than He wants our works. That’s why He made salvation a gift. He did not want us to work for it. He wanted it to be freely given because He loves us. He would like us to love Him in return.

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (John 4:8)

Praise the Lord! Isn’t that good news? We never have to work for His affection or His love. Go and tell everyone! He loves everyone-even His children who do not know Him or speak against Him.

I pray that every day, you grow closer to Jesus and learn to love Him even more. I also pray that everyone around you would be able to see the love and want to learn more about Jesus. 🙂 I also pray that you do not grow weary. Ever. I pray that you never let anything steal your joy!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Kathleen 🙂

One Key to Happiness: Family

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Everyone’s searching to belong. We search to belong to a family, a friend circle, or some other sort of group.

When people become Christians, they start searching for where they fit within the community of believers. They wonder, “Where do I fit in? Where is the place of community for me? Where am I going to be encouraged and loved? Who will hold up my arms when I’m about to fall into temptation?” 

May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers
until you become a community of peoples.
Genesis 28:3 NIV

We can find what we’re searching for within our own families. The problem today is that families are dysfunctional. Parents don’t stick together. They get a divorce. Strife steps in and tears down the bonds in marriage and families. It tears mother from daughter, father from son, sibling from a sibling, and families splinter.

Even in school, what do we do? We promote segregation within the family. You go into your grade, and your siblings go into their grades. You don’t see each other every day. When you do, the older one probably looks down on the younger ones because they are not the same age. The school categorizes everyone by age.

The ultimate community we are all searching for is provided through the family. A family doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to be united. I think God set it right there in front of us: “May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples” (Genesis 28:3 NIV). Ask people from big families. They have built-in friendships and bonds that small families may not experience.

Pray with me:
I pray today, Father, that the walls we have built up in our families and close friendships would be torn down and we would choose unity over having our own way. I pray that we will be like-minded and one, as Christ is one with God. I pray that we would choose to lay down our lives over taking up our platform or grievances against each other. I pray that we will no longer be easily offended by one another and that we will encourage each other every single day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

A Fresh Start

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“This new year had better be better than last year!” “Maybe this is the year the molestation will stop.” “Maybe this year I will have true friends.” “Maybe this year I won’t screw up my life AGAIN.” “Maybe this year I won’t be such a failure.” “Maybe this year no one I love will die.” “Maybe… just maybe this will be my year…”

These were just some of my new year’s thoughts as a young child and a young adult.

The new year was a FRESH start, a new hope—a new beginning to this life that I so frequently messed up or regretted.

I anxiously anticipated “ringing in” the new year! I celebrated at midnight with great relief that the past year was FINALLY OVER.

Today… I read on Facebook about all the great plans people have and their anticipation for the new year, but I don’t seem to care. I don’t care that it’s New Year’s Eve. I don’t care that it’s a new year.

I am asking: Why?

Since I truly fell in love with Jesus Christ, every day… every minute… every breathe is a new day, a new year, a new start, a new beginning in Him!

I don’t need a new calendar year to begin again. I’m not in bondage to man’s timing. I don’t need a party to start over.

ALL I need is the Truth that sets me free! Jesus!

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!  John 8:32

So… when you feel crushed, when someone you love dies, when you fail, when you hurt someone, you can CHOOSE life. Embrace a new beginning every day! Choose a new start in the love of Jesus!

Sing Your Way into Truth

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Some people think that because you, as a Christ follower, refuse to live out of your trials or base your identity on your trials, you may not believe you will face trials and suffering—but this is just not true.

It’s simply a different view that, while in the middle of trials and suffering, your mind and heart continue to focus on God. You don’t surrender to the desire to drop your head and pity yourself. Sure, sometimes you feel like it, but you choose to rise above your feelings because you know your God is so worthy of you. You choose to believe His truth more than you believe what your heart feels.

God is unmoved by our circumstances. They are merely shifting winds to Him. He is steady and able in all things, not just some things. He is our Rock, our Provider, our All in all. There is nothing we lack in Him, even when we feel lacking. We lack no good thing in Jesus!

The reason I love “You Satisfy My Soul” by Laura Hackett so much is because of this line:

“Sometimes, you gotta sing your way into the truth!”

Powerful words!

It’s easy to receive and embrace your trials and suffering, but when you really think about it, you are making it about you—you are still glorifying yourself. But when you glorify God, He gets it all. He is magnified. He is the One who is worthy of everything—our attention, our songs, our joy, our everything.

Sometimes—though it’s so, so difficult—we have to choose to sing our way into the truth!

Reach for truth. Make it your mantle. Make your afflictions last on your list of concerns compared to the awesomeness and glory of our God. “Let God be true but every man a liar”—including yourself (Romans 3:4 NKJV).

So sing your way into the truth. Sing it!

Do We Really Have Free Will?

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Jesus also said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. … By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me” (John 5:19–20, 30 NIV). He said, “I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it” (John 12:49 NIV).

Jesus said that He is just like the Father. He didn’t do or say whatever He wanted but only what the Father willed Him to do and say.

Jesus never made one person sick. He never refused to heal one single person.

If all this is true—which it is—then Jesus would have misrepresented God if God is the One who gives sickness, disease, and problems. If God just allowed it, well then, Jesus misrepresented God because He never refused to heal a single person.

I can, however, show you a couple of instances where people refused to accept healing from Him. 

Look at Mark 6:1–6. When Jesus visited His hometown, “He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief” (Mark 6:5–6 NKJV). Notice that it’s “could,” not “would.” It’s that He couldn’t do it, not that He didn’t want to do it. He couldn’t do miracles there because of their unbelief.

Not His unbelief. 
Their unbelief.  

You see, there are a couple of instances where Jesus could not heal people—not because of His lack of power but because of their lack of faith. It says the same thing in the book of Acts and other places. But you cannot find a single person on whom Jesus ever put sickness. He never said, “No, you didn’t learn your lesson, so suffer a bit longer with this disease.” He even healed unbelievers. Check out the story of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11–19). That is how loving our God is!

If you really believe that Jesus is a perfect representation, the exact image, of the Father (Hebrews 1:3), then you have to take Jesus as the example and say, “It’s not God’s will for sickness to remain in our bodies.”

The only time God ever struck people with sickness was in punishment and judgment, and ALL of our judgment has been fully placed upon Jesus in the new covenant. It is no longer our portion!