Too busy for God - by Debbie McGrath

Are you too busy and you need to let some things go?

This past year I have been way too busy - many times I was too busy for God.  I was too busy for my family and too busy for my friends.

Satan loves for us to be so frenetically busy, so occupied with the things of this world - that you have no time or energy left to devote to your spiritual life.  The greatest New Years Resolution you could make is to be a more active-authentic follower of Christ. My New Year's Resolution - to reset my walk with God.  Have you thought that this is the year you would make a commitment to spend every day in God's Word and in Prayer.

When was the last time you enjoyed time alone with God?  Time so good that you didn't want to leave.
The greatest thing you can do today is spend time with the Creator.  There is no substitute for being alone with God.

If you do not have time to spend time in God's Word - you need to quit something to make room.  Skip a meal, cancel a meeting, end some regular commitment, etc.

I have learned when you spend time with Jesus - you will not get what you expect - you will receive so much more!  A person in the Word of God is less consumed with themselves and more consumed with Jesus.

What Word has God Given You this Year? by Laila Wahba

What is the word that God has sown into the good ground of your heart? Which word has the enemy come to steal in you? It may be a seed of a godly spouse. It may be a seed of a business flourishing. It may be financial independence. It may be healing. This one thing I know for certain, GOD HAS SOWN A WORD, a particular word in you. And when God sowed it in you, it became yours.
Satan only bothers people who are doing something for God. He only attacks those who are making an impact and he only steals, or attempts to steal what is of value. If he is attempting to steal your word it is for one reason; he knows it is of great value and he has to do anything he can to stop it from coming to full fruition.
 
The good news is that he doesn't have the power to stop that word in you. 
Only you have that power and if you refuse to let go of that word, it will remain in your heart and keep growing. It will grow until it has come to fruition and you see it manifest.

When I went through attack after attack and loss after loss, I realized the enemy was attempting to steal worship from me. Worship is my power tool. It is the place from where everything flows for me. Everything wonderful that has ever happened in my life has come from intimate times of worshiping God. That was the thing the enemy wanted to stop in me. And I will admit, it was very difficult for me to worship freely during those times - but worship I did. I worshiped by faith when I had to, but I worshiped. Now, worship is free flowing again. The enemy can't steal your word, if you refuse to allow him to.

There is something that God has put in your heart. You feel you have fought for it for years and years and still haven't seen it come to pass. Don't give up on that word, don't stop believing, if the enemy is attempting to steal it, it can only be because he sees what you will do with that word, he sees the value in it. Hold tight to that word.  It's YOURS. It is your word, sown in the good ground of your heart. It is safe, keep believing that it is yours and you will see it come to pass.

You know...God will sow many more words in your heart. The moment they are sown, they are yours, it's time we learn to hold fast to those words, refuse to let them go and see them come to pass...don't you agree? This is our year to see it all. Hold fast!-Kim Potter

A Prosperous New Year

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

 

Around the world New Year’s Day is celebrated with different customs meant to bring good luck and prosperity.  Each country has its own superstitions and traditions including special meals, clothing, and decorations.  Millions of people adhere to these rituals.  Some do it just for fun; but most believe or hope that it will bring them good fortune and happiness in the year to come.

 

The Spanish people, for example, have the custom to eat 12 grapes at exactly 12 o’clock – one grape for happiness in each of the coming 12 months.  Greek people eat a specially prepared cake with a coin in it for happiness and good luck in the year to come.  The first piece of the cake is left for Baby Jesus; the second for the father of the house, and the third is for the home.  If the coin is found in the third slice, the family can look forward to happiness throughout the year.  In America, we practice superstitions such as kissing at midnight and eating black-eyed peas and greens to bring good luck and money in the coming year.

 

Jeremiah 29:11 is perhaps one of the most widely known verses in the entire Bible.  It reminds us that God has a plan for our lives…and that His plan is good.  The word “prosper” in this passage does not mean what many people think it does.  It does not imply material possessions, but rather prosperity of the inner man.  It means completeness, soundness, welfare and peace.  It is a tranquility and contentment that rises above circumstances. 

 

In order for God to glorify Himself through our lives, He often pushes us out of our comfort zones.  He leads us to mountaintops; but He also leads us through dark valleys.  His will does not always make sense from our limited perspective.  But we must remember that God anything He allows into our lives is for our good and His glory. He can prosper us, giving us hope and a future no matter what is happening to us now.

 

As Christians, we must not put our hope in silly superstitions and traditions.  Remember that what you need isn’t something from God…you need God.  His plans are always good, because God is always good.

Father, Thank you for this promise from Your Word.  Help me to remember that Your plans are always for my good, even when I may not understand how You are working.  Increase my faith in You, Lord.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Adapted from Touching Lives _ James Merritt

Reading God's Word: Adapted from Anne Graham Lotz

Life-Giving Power Your word has given me life. Psalm 119:50, NKJV Sometimes when we are depressed, we feel lifeless. It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. We seem to have no energy to do even the most routine functions. If you are depressed by the greatness of your problems, read God’s Word! That’s where you find help. That’s where you find joy. Let the rushing waters of the living Word drown out all other sounds and voices. There is life-giving power in the Word of God! At the most difficult times in my life – the loss of a baby, the forced removal from a church, the execution of a friend, the robbery of our home – God’s Word has sustained me. There have been times when I have only been capable of reading a few verses at a time, yet the supernatural life-giving power of the Word of God has not only helped me maintain my emotional and mental balance, it has given me strength to go on, even if only one day at a time. Blessings,

Start the New Year in Prayer - 2016

We live in an upside down world! Those who insult Islam or stand for Christianity are beheaded. 
Terror attacks in Paris, Colorado Springs and San Barnardino have left us dismayed and horrified.
Our country is experiencing government corruption, lies spun as truth and our youth being mislead by the false propaganda of the media. We no longer trust our government, our leaders, our newspapers, our investors and even our religious leaders. 

As we approach 2016 - Isaiah 60:1-2 is a verse to focus on!
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. We live in a world that is enveloped in thick darkness, God commands us to arise, let our Light shines, and the distinctive glory of our Lord will be obvious to all.  

What do we do - knowing the enemy is advancing?  Follow the example of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. When Jehoshaphat knew an evil army was advancing he inquired of the Lord and proclaimed a fast for all of Judah.  We like Jehoshaphat should cry out in a desperate prayer for help before we plunge past the point of no return into the abyss of God's judgment.  As believers we need to come together to seek help from the Lord. 

God reassured Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:15, 17 - Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.  For the battles is not yours, but God's.  You will not have to fight this battle.  Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.

What do we do - we start the 2016 year in a position on our knees as we humble ourselves, seek God's face, repent our our sin, and intercede for  out nation.  Then having done all, we stand firm in our faith that God has heard and will answer our prayer. 

Adapted from Anne Graham Lotz

Joy verses Complaining by Angelika Smith

October 1 - The Divine Mentor Reading Plan - Psalm 126:3


S: My verse was Psalm 126:3 - 
The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy (NIV)

Application: 
My A was that God has done so much in my life, so many blessing, and the good far outweighs the bad, the best of all was Him loving me, saving me, Jesus giving his life for me, dying for me so that I may live. I should be joyful all the time, a smile on my face, but what do I do? 
The slightest problem and I am praying for help, asking for more and more. 
He has done so much and it is never enough for me.
Compared to most of the world, I live a life of privilege and am blessed beyond compare.

Prayer 
My prayer is that the next time I feel like screaming over a messy house, dishes not done, not enough money to pay this months bills, someone being mean to me or just waking up feeling depressed over the bad things and heartaches that happened in my life, for Jesus to remind me how blessed I truly am and to be joyful no matter what the circumstances, after all He has done great things for us.  I called it "enough already"

Another reason for me to share this today is that after I wrote in my journal, I turned on Joyce Meyer and she was speaking on joy. On how we so often live by our feelings instead.

Thanks for letting me share. Have a great day.

Lots of love,
Angelika

Finding God's Call for your Life: by Phuong Schuetz

“Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.” Romans 12:2   

Until a few years ago, I had always pursued what my mind thought was good without considering or including God in my plans. The idea that God’s purpose and my calling or vocation are connected sounded strange. I believed in God, but not to the point of seeking his counsel in determining my life’s work. Financial security, the job market and status in society were factors I considered in pursuing a career, not God’s wisdom. I was paving my own path in life and it led to a joyless, unfulfilled and passionless end. My job at the time was stagnant and it seemed God was closing doors I thought should be open. I was getting through the daily grind as a means of earning an income all the while sensing God was calling me to something more.  During that time, I prayed harder than ever before but it seemed God was silent.

Then, in 2007 when I was pregnant with my first son, God used Romans 12:1-2 to prepare me for his purpose and my calling as a homeschooling mom. Over a span of several years, I began to see a change in the way I was thinking which in turn affected my decision making process. As my sons went from babies to toddlers to school age, I found myself having increasing confidence in not conforming to the patterns and ideas of those around me. Instead, I had an intense desire to do what was contrary to the norm of society in order to follow Christ. God’s Word had touched my heart and transformed my mind, giving me the ability to discern his good, pleasing and perfect purpose or calling for my life.

Even though God’s purpose for me is good and perfect, I haven’t always agreed with or liked what he has called me to do. Like Jacob, I’ve wrestled with God! I’ve questioned, resisted and tried to take a different path only to conclude that when you’ve been transformed by God, you will choose to follow where he leads even though you may feel inadequate for the job. In my inadequacies is where I’ve witnessed God working through me to accomplish the work he has called me to do.  

Friends, God has a calling on each of our lives. To find your purpose or calling, do not conform to the ideas of the world but allow God to renew your minds with the truth in his Word. Only then will you be able to find his good, pleasing and perfect purpose for your life. Your calling will demand more than you have, challenge you beyond your human capacity, take you out of your comfort zone, bring you to unfamiliar places and put you at odds with others. In spite of all this, you will choose to follow the calling not because it is the natural thing to do. You do it because there is complete satisfaction and great passion in living out the purpose God has predestined for your life! 

Phuong Schuetz is a home educator for her two sons at Romans 12 Triad Academy. She loves to share God’s story in her life with people and is passionate about transforming the world for Jesus through her speaking and writing endeavors. She shares her ongoing faith journey by blogging for Christian radio station WCTL in Waterford, PA and The Christian Post. Her writings has been published in Today’s Christian Woman of Christianity Today and It’s A God thing series with W Publishing Group (An Imprint of Thomas Nelson). Phuong currently lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband and two young boys.