BREAK LOOSE!!!

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me...to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8
With a strong and mighty hand, the Lord will bring his people out of bondage! We must be careful to not allow fear or past experiences hinder us or become a stumbling block for us. Anxiety and fear is a tool used by Satan to detour us. Let's focus on what God is and all He will do in any situation life brings. God is our absolute defense! God is our fortress and strength! He is a healer and protector in sickness and in health! With Him by our side, fear cannot reside! He does not work only in cases where there are no obstacles; but takes pleasure in overruling and prevailing against circumstances and bringing victory to His children. He loves us more than we can comprehend and just as you and I can't bear the thought of our children being in a state of fear and worry, how must the Lord feel for us when we are in this mind set? Scripture reminds us time and again to resist the temptation to fear and doubt.
"When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul."
Ps. 94:19
"So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless. Ec. 11:10
"Therefore I am all the eager to see him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety." Php. 2:28
" Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Pe. 5:7
Scripture points out the importance of putting our faith in Him and giving the worries of this life to Him. There is a little saying written by Mary Crowley that I absolutely love; "Every evening I turn up worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway!" Don't worry about tomorrow, live one day at a time. In Matthew 6:34 the Bible gives us a specific prayer to pray during our times of worry. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things that I can not change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference."
Everyone worries from time to time but remember that at these moments Satan will try to convince you of all sorts of lies to discourage you and keep you in a state of hopelessness and confusion. We must remember God is in control of all, He loves us and wants the very best for us. He is not against us but for us, and there is nothing the Lord can not handle. There is nothing hopeless with God, He is the only real hope we have!

DAILY DEVOTION

Daily Devotion - Monday, March 30, 2009

Forgiven Much
Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth
“Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him.” Psalm 32:2

Woman to woman!
Luke 7 introduces us to a woman who endured her shame publicly. She was guilty of something, though we are never told what. She is simply described as a woman “who had lived a sinful life.” Though she is nameless to you and me, the people of her town surely knew her name. The Pharisees knew enough to condemn her with judgmental thoughts.

Her sin was public, not private. Yet, the public disgrace of this broken, sinful woman became the perfect canvas for Jesus Christ to paint a beautiful picture of extravagant grace.

REMEMBER WHAT YOU LEARN TO GROW,GROW,GROW!!!

Asking God daily to help us remember the things He has taught us will better prepare us for future tests. Let's for a moment say you are a student who has spent much time preparing for a test. Now the time has come to take the test, you complete the test and it is now behind you. What have you gained or profited from that test if you remember nothing that you were just tested on. If you have ever taken any Algebra classes in your life, you know that one test is a fundamental building block for the next upcoming test. It is imperative that you remember the material you just learned in order to build on that and grasp greater algebraic equations. It is a steady growth process, much like our walk with God. We must build on what we learn from the tests we pass through in our lives. Although God is always faithful and never changes, we are changing continually. Hopefully for the better! Learning to trust in the Lord at all times seems to be one of the hardest things to do even as Christian's. We tend to want to take control of the matters in our life, and fix our problems instead of waiting upon the Lord. We know God doesn't need our help, yet we have this incredibly strong urge to give the creator of the universe a helping hand! It's only then do the matters in our life only worsen, while God quietly sits back letting us learn yet another lesson. Trust the Lord with your life and only good will come from it! Every moment and trial leads to a deeper and greater relationship with God. With each lesson learned you are wiser and better equipped to succeed the next test. God is already perfected, we on the other hand are a constant work of art! God is slowly but surely molding us into the image he would like for us to be. Each moment with God comes a new moment of spiritual growth. Step by step we are building under our feet an unshakable foundation. With every step we become a little wiser, stronger, and all the more powerful. Able to withstand anything that may come our way through the power of His spirit and through his loving guidance. Even when you feel you can not take another step, lean on Him, trust Him, and know He will not bring you to anything that His spirit won't lift you and carry you through!
"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me." Philippians 3:12

AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!

"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 89:1

We serve a God who's love is everlasting. He is our refuge and strength, through Him we have power to conquer any battle or situation that may come our way! He has promised us our households would be saved through Him. After all, the blood was applied to the lintel and doorposts for the salvation of the entire house! In Exodus 12:22-23 the bible explains the day of the pass over, where God would "pass over" the houses and not destroy the occupants of the houses that were under the sign of the blood. Even today we are spared by the blood of Jesus Christ!
"Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire? In 2 Samuel 23:5

Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross so that we could be saved. Will he not do now for you what he did then? Yes, He is God, He is hope, He will never leave us or forsake us. He doesn't tire, he welcomes our every cry. Cast your cares upon Him and His mercies are endless. His grace and mercy is extended to all generations who seek Him!