Darkest Before the Dawn

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."
(1 Peter 4:12–13, NIV)

Don't Be Surprised

If you know you are going into a challenging season, you can get prepared for it.

You can make sure you are mentally ready.

But what about the difficulties that we don't see coming?

The unexpected crisis that catches you off-guard?

Sometimes, it can seem so overwhelming that it almost knocks the wind right out of you.

The scripture says that we shouldn't be surprised by fiery trials.

That's because the forces of darkness would not be fighting against you if they didn't know that God has something amazing in your future!

Sometimes, those unexpected difficulties are just a sign that you're on the right track.

It's always darkest just before the dawn appears.

The enemy always fights the hardest when you are closest to your breakthrough.

The key is to stay the course and keep fighting the good fight of faith.

In the difficult times, keep your joy and keep declaring God's Word over your future.

God has promised that you will overcome every obstacle.

You will defeat every enemy, and you will embrace the blessing and victory He has in store for you!

A Prayer for Today
"Father, thank You for walking with me in every season of life. Today, I cast all of my cares on You. I cast all of my difficulties, all of my questions, and all of my concerns. Thank You for working all things out for my good in Jesus' name. Amen."

From Today's Word by Joel O

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Trust....in every situation

"I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation."
PSALM 13: 5

"Jesus is never offended by your confusion — or your questions.

He knows exactly what you're feeling, and He takes the initiative to help you understand.

You simply have to trust Him to know best.

For most of us, that's never easy!

You have to trust His silences, respect His mysteries, and wait for His answers.

Trust Jesus each and every time, in every situation: 

When you pray for the healing of someone you love, and she dies.

When you pray for reconciliation, and you're handed divorce papers.

When you pray for a promotion, and you get laid off.

Trust Him.

We serve a sovereign, living Lord whose ways are not our ways.

Be patient.

Trust Him to know best!"

From Joel O

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Mind Set

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
(Philippians 4:8, NIV)

Think on These Things

God wants you to be blessed in every area.

The Bible says that Jesus came so that you and I could have life more abundantly, but it all starts in your thinking.

That's why the scripture tells us very clearly what we should be thinking about—things that are noble, right, lovely, pure and praiseworthy.

In other words, when a thought comes to your mind that you're never going to be successful, replace it by saying,

"Father, You said in Proverbs that if I would put You first, You would crown my efforts with success.

You said in the Psalms that You surround me with favor like a shield.

You said in Deuteronomy that Your blessings would chase me down and overtake me!"

That's how you take every thought captive, one thought at a time!

Today, refuse to allow any negative thoughts to take up space in your mind.

Fill your heart and mind with the Word of God and open the door for His hand of blessing in every area of your life!

A Prayer for Today
"Father, thank You for Your truth which sets me free. I choose to meditate on Your goodness and dwell on the right things. Help me to keep my heart and mind set on all that is pure and lovely in Jesus' name.
Amen."

From Joel O

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Constant and Proven Help in Distress

We all have been granted a gift that is constantly at our disposal and fail proof in times of need, distress and trials.

To put it into action we simply need to trust it and ask for His help!

Stay Strong!

"I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."
   - JOHN 16: 7

Jesus' promise recorded in John 16: 7 contains a name for the Holy Spirit —
"Comforter" —that reveals the uniqueness of His nearness to us.

It's equally translated from the Greek into six other names, each describing a different aspect of the Holy Spirit's ministry in our lives:

Comforter: One who relieves another of mental distress.

Counselor: One who gives advice.

Helper: One who gives relief and support.

Advocate: One who pleads the cause of another.

Strengthener: One who causes you to become stronger, to endure and resist attacks.

Standby: One who can always be relied on.

Isn't it reassuring to know you have Someone in your life with all these attributes?

That Someone is the Holy Spirit, who is Jesus in you!

From " Fixing My Eyes on Jesus " by Anne Graham Lotz

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The Key

"I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me."
PSALM 13: 6

Praise is often the key that turns defeat into victory …even when your life seems to be sinking into darkness and despair and the enemy seems to have the upper hand.

As life gets more complicated and problems and pressures grow, don't forget the key!

Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, used the key when he "appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying, 'Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.'

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the [enemy] …and they were defeated"
(2 Chronicles 20: 21 –22).

Paul and Silas, sitting in a Philippian jail, used the key.

And as they sang praises, the prison doors were opened, the jailer was converted, and they were set free
(Acts 16: 25 –36).

When you seem to be facing defeat …when you feel imprisoned by ill health or by your circumstances …when friends betray you and foes attack you …

It's time to use the KEY!!

It's time to start praising God!

From "Fixing My Eyes on Jesus " by Anne Graham Lotz

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PC - K. Osterman! Thank you!

Banish All Fear - Forever!

Happy Monday All!!

A double dose of Inspiration and confidence regarding the eradication of crippling Fear in all of our lives!  

Be Bold and Confident in your Faith!

Hope, Believe and Trust!!

Enjoy and Stay Strong! 

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."
(2 Timothy 1:7, NLT)

Finished with Fear

So many people today are missing out on God's abundant life of joy, peace and victory because they are living in a spirit of fear.

They are afraid to make a decision, afraid to confront issues, afraid to step out, afraid of the past, and afraid of the future.

But as believers, we don't have to live that way.

Fear is not from God.

God has given you power, love and a sound mind!

Today, make the decision that you are no longer going to walk in fear.

Scripture says that perfect love casts out all fear.

Ask God for a deep revelation of His love.

Meditate on His Word and let it fill you with faith.

Equip yourself spiritually to stand strong in the face of fear knowing that God has good things in store for your future!

A Prayer for Today
"Father, thank You for giving me power to overcome fear. I receive Your love and choose to stand strong in faith. Fill me with peace and joy as I keep my mind stayed on you in Jesus' name!

Amen."

"God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
2 TIMOTHY 1: 7

The apostle Paul taught Timothy, his "beloved child,"three things we should be teaching our children and each other  today:

1. Don't be afraid to live for Jesus.

2. Don't be ashamed to live for Jesus.

3. Don't be apathetic in living for Jesus.

Paul reached out in encouragement in 2 Timothy 1: 8:

"So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord…. But join me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God."

And later Paul says to Timothy, "Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it"(3: 14).

Give your children the example of a parent who isn't afraid to live for Christ.

Be courageous.

Be confident.

Be absolutely committed to God's work and God's Word!

Start setting the example now.

Stay Strong!

The Antidote for All Fear

GOD WILL HIDE YOU FROM DANGER

Psalm 27:5.   "He will conceal me in His shelter in the day of adversity; He will hide me under the cover of His tent."

Do you ever feel like everyone is out to get you?

I know it sounds a little paranoid, but there are days when it just seems we can't get a break and that everything and everyone is marshaled against us.

In the early verses of Psalm 27, David spoke of evildoers who came against him to devour his flesh.

He even spoke of the possibility of an army being deployed against him.

That's because when God rejected Saul as king and chose David in his place, Saul sent his army to destroy him—the one man who was the imminent threat to his kingly reign.

Thus, David's fear was well grounded.

Today you may be facing both adversaries and circumstances that seem overwhelming.

How should you respond?

Let's take a lesson from David.

Listen to the dramatic beginning to Psalm 27:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear?   The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?"

David made two profound declarations about the Lord, followed by two questions.

If the Lord is your light, your salvation, and the stronghold of your life, is there anyone or anything you should fear?

The answer is an obvious "no one"and "nothing."

How did David summon such courage in the face of opposition?

He sought God's presence with passionate intensity.

David knew that God's presence was the antidote for all fear.

In Psalm 32:7, David declared:

"You are my hiding place;
You protect me from trouble;
You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance."

Today let us take a lesson from David as we face our relentless storms, our difficult crisis, and our endless night:

Find your shelter in His presence."

Stay Strong and have an amazing and blessed weekend!

Choose Wisely

So much of our happiness and lack thereof stems from comparisons and the "measuring stick" we use to value our lives.

We must be very careful in choosing the proper measurement criteria or suffer the consequences of constantly chasing something elusive and wasting our valuable and precious time here on this earth.

Choose wisely!

Choose Peace!

Choose Happiness!

Choose the Lord! :)

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 5:3

The Bible presents many paradoxes that challenge our human way of thinking.

We think of the poor as possessing very little, yet Jesus said the riches of heaven belong to the poor in spirit.

Self-reliance robs us of God's good gifts.

Jesus insisted that in order to follow Him, we must deny self.

As long as we rely on our own resources, we will never place our trust in Him.

As we acknowledge the poverty of our souls, we realize how desperately we need a Savior.

Jesus declared: "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near"
(Matt. 4:17).

God has so much to give the one who recognizes his need and will call upon Jesus!

Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

He had just encountered the rich ruler, who valued his possessions so much that he could not give them up to follow Jesus (Luke 18:18–24).

Jesus later encountered Zacchaeus, a wealthy, notorious sinner (Luke 19:1–10).

Despite Zacchaeus's material wealth, he recognized his spiritual poverty and found salvation.

Jesus taught the disciples that true wealth is found in a relationship with God.

Those who realize their inherent spiritual poverty apart from God will trust in Him, and He will enrich their lives immeasurably.

Do not allow your resources, wisdom, talent, or abilities to prevent you from trusting the ONLY Person who can bring you abundant life."

FROM " EXPERIENCING GOD DAY BY DAY " BY RICHARD BLACKABY

STAY STRONG!

Daily Trust

"Give us this day our daily bread."
Matthew 6:11

Jesus often reminded His followers not to worry.

He told them not to be anxious about tomorrow's needs or potential problems (Matt. 6:25).

Rather, Jesus stressed a daily reliance on the Father, who provides for His children day by day.

As the Israelites wandered in the desert, they had no way to get food.

Miraculously, God provided manna that appeared on the ground each morning.

God's provision was sufficient for one day at a time.

Each day the children of Israel received fresh manna as a tangible reminder of God's love for them.

If they attempted to store it for the days to come, they found that it had spoiled by the next day.

It was impossible to stockpile God's provision because God wanted them to trust in Him, not in their pantry.

God's grace was sufficient for each day.

God wants us to trust Him daily with our needs.

This trust does not make us poor planners or careless with our futures, unprepared to face what may come.

Rather, it keeps our relationship with the Lord in its proper perspective as He reminds us daily of our dependence upon Him.

God is aware of what tomorrow will bring and how we should prepare for it.

He knows the problems we will face, and He has already made provision for us to overcome them.

He asks us to trust in Him daily.

Our faith in Him today cannot substitute for our trust in Him tomorrow.

If we walk with Him closely today, we will be in the center of His will tomorrow.

From " Experiencing God Day by Day " by Richard Blackaby

Stay Strong!  :)

In Times of Crisis

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you."
ISAIAH 26: 3

The reason a crisis is a crisis is because it usually catches us by surprise.

To be prepared for the unexpected, we need to spend time every day in prayer.

That lifetime habit of daily prayer helps us deal with a crisis when it hits because we've spent time in our Father's presence.

When you neglect prayer, you deprive yourself of the spiritual strength you need to endure and overcome it.

It's totally possible to handle a crisis with confidence when you've spent time with your heavenly Father in prayer.

If you want the kind of peace that the Bible says passes all understanding, especially when you're confronting a crisis or come under enormous pressure, listen to me: you need the spiritual strength and refreshment that only comes from spending time in prayer.

Pray.

Trust Him.

And experience His perfect peace."

From "Experiencing God Day by Day " by Richard Blackaby

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If We Will But Ask

"Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."
Matthew 6:8

Even before we call on Him, the Father has already begun to provide all that we need (Isa. 65:24).

Jesus wanted His disciples to learn how intimately God knew and loved each of them.

That is why He told them to pray.

He assured them that even before they prayed, God knew all about their situation.

Prayer is not designed for us to inform God of our needs, for He already knows them.

Why, then, should we pray?

Prayer enables us to experience God more intimately.

The more a child experiences the loving provision of a parent, the more convinced he becomes of his parent's unrelenting love.

Often a parent will anticipate a child's need before the child recognizes it and be prepared in advance to provide for that need.

Our heavenly Father knows exactly what we will face today and next week.

He is eager for us to experience Him as He provides for us.

To our surprise, we often discover that God knows far better than we do what is best for us.

At times we assume that we know what would benefit us.

We can even be foolish enough to assume that we don't require anything of God.

Yet God wants us to go to Him in our need (Matt. 7:7).

He is ready to show His strength through our weakness.

Our heavenly Father knows exactly what is best for us, and He is prepared to provide for every need, if we will but ask (Phil. 4:13).

From "Experiencing God Day by Day " by Richard Blackaby

Stay Strong!