Fighting The Amalek's In Our Lives

"Under the banner of God, victory is always assured; but apart from it, defeat is a certainty. When the banner of God's rod was not held high, Amalek prevailed. you can't do battle against the flesh under your own power."
~Kay Arthur~

I am so tired of Christians being beat up and defeated by Satan. Recently I had a heartfelt conversation with a dear friend who is really going through the trenches of a very dark valley. Satan is a liar and his only purpose is to completely destroy lives. He is whipping up on Christians all over the world. These people are crying out in desperation seeking refuge from the darkness of sinfulness. Why is this happening to people in our churches?

We know that we must read our Bibles and pray daily in order to cultivate a close relationship with Christ. Even though this is so true Christians are not doing it. All of us have "Amaleks" waging sin against us. No matter how strong we are as Christians we will continue to face temptations until we take our last breath on this earth. If we are not constantly filling our minds with God's Word and spending quality prayer time with the Lord we will not be equipped to resist the devil when he comes knocking on our door. We just don't have it in the flesh to tell him to take a walk. Sin is fun. It is exciting and the flesh craves it. So unless we are prepared to fight this battle with God by our side we are going to lose in a huge way.

Why do we doubt God's power and His strength in our lives? The Bible is full of testimonies of those who have gone before us who truly experienced God. Jesus healed the blind. He raised the dead. He healed the woman who crawled through the crowd with the issue of blood. She simply wanted to touch the hem of His garment and she was healed! He performed miracle upon miracle. Why do we doubt Him today? Doesn't the Bible tell us that He is the same yesterday, today and forever? He hasn't changed. His power hasn't changed. His miracles haven't ceased. Why do we live like we don't believe?

When Satan strikes he leaves his mark on his victims. People are overwhelmed with guilt and shame and he constantly reminds them they are losers. That is nonsense! My Bible tells me that God buried my sin in the deepest sea. He restores us and wipes the slate clean. We are a brand new creature in Christ when we ask for forgiveness with a repented heart. Chase Him with perseverance. Seek Him with passion. He gives strength. He gives each of us purpose in this life. He has a plan for you and me.

We have a huge responsibility to disciple people in our churches. When someone comes to the altar God instantly changes them. They truly are a new creature but it doesn't stop there. We must come alongside those people and mentor them. We need to disciple and coach them. Will Satan strike again? Most definitely and they need to be aware of that also. Just because we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior doesn't mean that we will never again experience another problem or trial. Matter of fact there will probably be more problems and trials to deal with but the difference is the Lord will be there to help us through the situation.

We won't walk the road alone. God will be there to help us make the right decisions. And through discipleship, mentoring and life coaching we can teach others to resist the devil when he shows up attempting to destroy their lives and families.

Under the banner of God victory is always assured. That statement my friend is our strength today. Be steadfast under His banner today. God has a plan!

Blessings friends!

Listening For God's Voice - Thankful Thursday

Busyness seems to crowd our lives today. There is always something else that needs to be done. I find it so difficult to simply relax for a few minutes. My mind continues to race and I think of all the things that have to be completed! Instead of listening to my body that is telling me to rest, I jump up and proceed to take care of all the other things which need to be done in the house.

The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27

How many times has God called us and we refused to listen? Instead of responding in obedience to the voice of the Lord, we ignore His voice and respond to the flesh. His voice becomes crowded by the busyness in our lives. Soon we find that our priorities are not His priorities.

Make time today for God and listen for His voice. He definitely has a work for each of us this week. If we are not obedient to the sound of His voice we are going to miss out on something incredible!

Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage is hosting TT today. Stop by and read what other ladies are saying today regarding The Voice of God.

Blessings to you today!

Appreciate Your Pastor's Wife

The role of the pastor's wife is a very challenging position. Many congregations expect her to be all things to everyone. She is often scrutinized for her choice of clothing, make-up, and hair style if it fails to measure up to the expectations of the cookie cutter model from the past. She may also be criticized for working outside the home especially if pursuing a career is her choice. Do you know that the pastor's wife is the only profession the spouse is often addressed as The Pastor's Wife when being introduced?

Pastor's and their families truly live in a fish bowl. It can be a very thankless and frustrating profession. What other profession publicizes your salary and benefits? How many families in the congregation display their salaries within the church? How often is a pastor's family scrutinized for purchasing a new or additional automobile? Many pastor's wives refuse to open their homes to their congregations fearful of criticism regarding their selection of furniture, decor, etc. Or they fear being scrutinized because of how they live. And the pastor's children are expected to be the perfect role models.

Many years ago I met a retired pastor's wife who was suffering from severe depression. My husband and I went to the hospital to be with the family while their oldest son was undergoing heart surgery. She shared horror stories with me regarding the mistreatment her and her family had received during their many years of ministry. They were treated with such cruelty and disrespect. She spent those years trying to deal with the actions of the congregations while trying to protect her family. There wasn't anyone to talk too regarding her feelings of sadness and loneliness. The result of that treatment took her to a place of counseling twice a week for the remainder of her life. As she spoke to me that day my heart ached for this frail heartbroken woman of God who had served the Kingdom faithfully her entire life.

Pastors and their spouses carry overwhelming burdens for the families they pastor. There are things that are shared in strict confidence that are sometimes devastating. Many pastor's wives have women friends within their congregations but we all know that there are issues we can never discuss openly. In a pastor's home plans are often changed at the last moment due to an emergency within the church. This can also alter vacation plans.

I encourage you to express your love to your pastor's wife this week. It is a very challenging role that many do not understand. It can also be a very lonely and isolated place. Send her a card, invite her to lunch or surprise her with a special gift. And most importantly pray for her and her family daily.

Blessings to you!

In "other" Words - Take Up Our Cross Daily

“Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.”

~ C.S. Lewis~

When I read this quote I immediately think of the following scripture, Then He said to them all, " If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily", and follow Me. Luke 9:23 (NKJV)

Then he said to all, "Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences and carry his cross with him every day and keep close to me! Luke 9:23 (TLB)

Accepting Christ and serving Him is not a one time experience. It requires picking up our cross daily, carrying that cross and obeying God's Word. This is where many people fall short of successfully fulfilling God's will for their lives. People often remain in their comfort zone regarding their relationship with Christ and neglect to think about how it is necessary to renew their relationship daily with the Lord. A Sunday morning sermon will not carry us through an entire week of trials and turmoil.

People are willing to pay a high price for something they value. Is it any surprise that Jesus should demand this much commitment from those who would follow Him? There are at least three conditions that must be met by people who want to follow Jesus. They must be willing to deny self, to carry their crosses, and to give up their lives. Anything less is superficial lip service.

"Keep close to me" is literally translated "follow me"! The Christian follows his Lord by imitating His life and obeying His commands. To carry our cross means to deny our selfish desires to do things our own way. Living in this way is costly now, but well worth the pain and effort in the long run.

Each day when the alarm clock sounds we make decisions that determine who we will serve. Everything we do that day identifies where our relationship stands with the Lord. As Christians we must strive everyday to be more like Him in all areas of our lives. Even though that is a tall order and a difficult task remember, "No pain, no gain". That certainly applies to our walk with the Lord as well. We face challenges and temptations each day and how we respond determines if we are truly carrying His cross or simply picking it up when it seems convenient to do so.

Serving Christ is a daily walk with Jesus. It requires cultivating a strong relationship with Christ by reading our Bibles and praying. It means striving to become more like Him every day. Picking up His cross daily requires demonstrating Godly character and integrity in all areas of our lives. As Christians we are to exemplify Christ in every aspect of our lives.

I admit that I don't always pick up my cross daily and follow Him as I should. Sometimes the flesh gets in the way and I don't want to carry the cross that particular day. If I am upset with my husband or a situation in the church is bothering me I certainly my not feel like carrying my cross. Sometimes the flesh tells me that it is better to whine and pout about a situation in my life and that response hinders my walk with Christ. If I choose to make Christ my number one priority each day it is much easier to pick up my cross and represent Jesus Christ in my life. That type of action will cultivate a growing strong relationship with the Lord.

Dear Jesus, I pray that You will always help me to realize that I need to pick up my cross daily and follow you no matter what situation or circumstance I may be facing. Please keep me humble and don't allow pride to cloud my vision. You are my strength and my salvation. Only You can provide the direction that I seek for my life. Thank you Lord for always being there and for Your willingness to help me each day to stay focused on You and Your will for my life.

Ladies, I apologize that I have not been successful today with Mr. Linky. There appears to be a problem.

Blessings to each of you today!

A Whole Bible Can Make a Whole Christian

The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
~Aiden Wilson Tozer~ God warns against anyone taking anything away from the scriptures, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Revelation 22:19 (NIV) This warning is given to those who might purposefully distort the message in this book. We must also handle the Bible with care and great respect so that we do not distort its message , even unintentionally. We should be quick to put its principles into practice in our lives.

God is calling His children to a place of spiritual perfection. We cannot achieve this assignment unless we apply and practice the instructions God has given us from His Word. A Christian's life must reflect Godliness and holiness in all areas. We cannot pick and choose which scriptures would be most suitable for our lifestyles.

There are churches all over the world preaching and teaching false doctrine from their pulpits. And worse than that, Christians who are not able to discern truth from error because they don't know the Bible. Their relationship with Christ is very weak and as a result, they have placed themselves in the hands of the enemy, being led down a path of deception and destruction. The apostle Paul warned that false teachers would attempt to infiltrate the Christian church from both the outside and from within. (Acts 20:29-30)

The designer of a counterfeit dollar bill does not make the counterfeit bill to look different from the genuine. He designs the bill to look exactly the same as the genuine. The counterfeit dollar bill must be able to come alongside the genuine dollar bill and appear to be a true dollar bill.

Those who are trained to work with money must be trained to know the difference between a counterfeit dollar bill and a genuine dollar bill. Spiritually speaking, we can apply these same truths when it comes to exposing false doctrines or teachings that are being propagated in the body of Christ today. We must allow the Lord to minister to us and train us according to His Holy Word and by the power of His Spirit. We must be cautious that we do not allow deception to lead us into error.

A huge problem existing in the church today is that people simply do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. Many have settled for counterfeit religion filled with false teachings, much less than what God has to offer. A lack of spending quality time at the feet of Jesus in prayer has opened unending doors of deception. Many have negated the power of God because they do not know Him in the way that they should know Him. Our society has embraced everything or anything that comes from a pulpit. We have not yet learned to embrace the Cross and the Christ who died upon it.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matthew 7: 21-23)

Partial scriptures taken out of context makes "greasy grace" preaching very popular. People love that warm and fuzzy feeling and often feel irritated and uncomfortable when a preacher challenges them with the truth from God's Word. There is danger in preaching only selected scriptures and partial truths. The Bible clearly states that sin does separate us from God and no sin will enter heaven. If only part of the Bible is preached and people do not have the opportunity to hear the truth, they are being deceived into believing that they are doing well spiritually and on their way to heaven, even if they are living in sin.

Churches are convincing people that they are fine just like they are because Jesus loves them. These folks are in church but not in Christ. They participate in all kinds of activities in the church but have no relationship with Christ. They are experiencing a Mr. Roger's neighborhood and are being told there is no need for salvation. Authentic Christianity results in life transformation but the truth must be preached because people's lives are hanging in the balance.

Spiritual perfection comes from seeking God, reading and meditating on His Word, and spending quality time with the Lord in prayer. These must be a part of our lives on a daily basis if we are serious about pursuing and demonstrating the character of a whole Christian. Can the people who you encounter each day see that you have a genuine relationship with Christ? Are you producing good fruit or is there an unholy mixture of bad fruit in your life? Are you seeking after the latest charismatic teaching with partial truths or are you really seeking after Him?

If we truly want to see the power of God manifested in our lives, we must focus our eyes on the things of God. We must be willing to allow ourselves to be saturated with His Word so that we will have the ability to discern between truth and counterfeit. Spiritual perfection as a whole Christian can only be obtained by applying the entire Bible to our lives.

Blessings !

Thankful Thursday - Nature

This week's TT is hosted by Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage. Visit her blog to read other posts for TT.

I love warm weather and the opportunity to be outside when I am home. My patio is my "secret place" and I love to sit there and meditate on the things of God while sipping a hot cup of coffee. My flower gardens are an incredible stress relief. I planted three flats of flowers this week. Pure therapy for me!

The beauty of God is all around us. Nature, the trees, the flowers, the bees, the sky, the clouds. I am so thankful that I can enjoy and appreciate the beauty of God's creation. Sometimes we become so overwhelmed with the things of life that we fail to appreciate the simple things. Stop for a moment today and appreciate all God has created.

Blessings friends!

This is staff day at the office and we are heading to Washington, DC. I hope you are having a great day!

Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.

C. S. Lewis

Blessings friends!

In "other" Words

Brandon and Casey came to the East Coast last week for a conference. We traveled over the weekend to be with them for a few hours before they departed for MO. It was great seeing them both and spending quality time with them. God is doing an incredible work in their lives. They leave for Greece at the end of the month for a mission's trip.

Today's IOW quote, "What if I stumble, what if I fall? What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all? Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl? What if I stumble, and what if I fall?"

Chorus from the song, "What if I Stumble?"

Artist: DC Talk

Album: Intermission

This week's IOW is hosted by Miriam at Miriam Pauline's Monologue.

Proclaiming Christianity brings much responsibility. When we profess that we love Christ and our lives are focused on living for Him, people watch what we do.

Then he said to them all: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23 NIV)

People are willing to pay a high price for something they value. Is it any surprise that Jesus would demand this much commitment from his followers? There are at least three conditions that must be met by people who want to follow Jesus. We must be willing to deny self, to take up our crosses, and to follow him. Anything less is superficial lip service.

Will we stumble and fall as Christians? Absoulutely! Will we remain crawling or will we pick ourselves up, wipe off the dirt and proceed forward? That decision or choice makes all the difference in the world. There are many challenges that come along with serving Christ but the rewards are incredible! Making the decision DAILY to pick up his cross and follow HIM will determine what choices we make throughout our lifetime as Christians.

I don't worry about failing as a Christian. I am more concerned with doing as much as I can for God before the trumpet sounds or He calls me home. Don't allow the enemy to distract you with worry and stress regarding your walk with Christ. Focus on what God has done for you and what you can do for Him.

Blessings friends! The Lord loves you and has a great work for you.

Thankful Thursday - Wisdom

Proverbs 2:1-6, My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Wisdom comes in two ways: it is a God-given gift and also the result of an energetic search. Wisdom's starting point is God and his revealed Word, the source of "knowledge and understanding". Wisdom is God's gift to us. But he gives it only to those who earnestly seek it. But because God's wisdom is hidden from the rebellious and foolish, it takes effort to find it and use it. The pathway to wisdom is arduous. When we are on the path we discover that true wisdom is truly God's and he will guide and reward us for our sincere and unrelenting pursuit.

We gain wisdom through a constant process of growing. First, we must trust and honor God. Second, we must realize that the Bible reveals God's wisdom to us. Third, we must make a lifelong series of right choices, we must learn from our mistakes, pick ourselves up, brush ourselves off and recover. People don't develop all aspects of wisdom overnight. Some people may have more insight than discretion; others have more knowledge than common sense. We can pray and ask God for all areas of wisdom and take the necessary steps to develop them in our lives.

Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage is hosting TT today. Visit her site and read the other posts today from women who are full of wisdom.

I am thankful today for the wisdom God has given me over the years. I would have certainly made many more ridiculous mistakes in my lifetime without it.

Blessings friends!

Be Encouraged

God is awesome and He loves and cares for each of us more than anyone else ever could. I encourage each of you today to focus on Him and what He has for your life. His plan is awesome and I know from experience that life's busyness often steals our joy. We become so overwhelmed with our daily routines and obligations that we forget why we have been placed on this earth.

God has a plan and guess what... You and I are in it! Isn't that exciting? He wants to use you and he wants to use me to further the Kingdom of God. That makes my heart jump with excitement. Serving Him is challenging and exciting. We never know what tomorrow will offer but we can know with confidence that our God will be by our side walking with us no matter what the day may bring.

Give Him priority today and thank Him for His awesome plan for your life. Tell Him how much you love Him. We owe God so much for what He has done in each of our lives. Be encouraged. God loves you!

Blessings!

In "other" Words - Faith

I learned that faith isn't tested by how often God answers prayers with a yes, but by my willingness to continue serving Him and thanking Him even when I don't have a clue as to what He is doing.

God blesses those who TRUST Him. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Leaning has the sense of putting your whole weight on something, resting on and trusting in that thing or individual. When we have an important decison to make, we often feel that we can't trust anyone - not even God. But God knows what is best for us. He is a better judge of what we want than even we are!

Life is sometimes beyond us. Difficulties strike and tragedies happen in our lives. Life certainly can be hard at times. Life can be uncertain. Life is beyond our control. When we are in the midst of the storm and the seas are raging all around us, we must learn to trust in God. Life might seem as though it is beyond us but our lives are never beyond God. Nothing that we face in this life is beyond God. I believe that God allows us to walk in the trenches at times because that is the place where we grow in our faith and trust in the Lord. The mountaintop experiences tend to sometimes cause us to be "slackers" in the Lord. It is easy to serve God when we are on the mountain but it can be extremely challenging when we are facing some heavy duty life stuff. Bring your decisions to God in prayer; use the Bible as your guide; and then follow God's leading. He will make your paths straight by both guiding and protecting you.

I lost my dad to lung cancer when he was 49 years old. I was seven months pregnant with his first grandchild when he passed away. My dad was an unbeliever for most of his life and accepted Jesus Christ a few weeks before he died. His life was transformed and he told everyone about the Lord that came into his hospital room. It was a very difficult time for our family but God gave me peace because I know where my dad is spending eternity.

My brother passed away with pancreatic cancer when he was 42. He was also an unbeliever but accepted the Lord a few weeks before he passed away. That was another difficult time for our family because he was so young and had two sons but God again gave me peace. I know where my brother is spending eternity.

My husband and I knew in January of our last pastorate that our work was finished at the church we were pastoring. We spent that entire year praying and seeking God for direction. When the right door opened at the end of that year, we had a peace and knew we were making the right decision. I grew in my faith so much that year. The Lord used that situation along with others to grow me and perfect my walk with Him. He is so awesome!

To receive God's guidance, said Solomon, we must acknowledge God in all our ways. This means turning every area of our life over to him. Make him a vital part of everything you do, then he will guide you, because you will be working to accomplish his purposes.

Visit Loni at Writing Canvas today for other posts on this topic for IOW.

You ARE Worthy

God knew you long before you were born or even conceived. When you feel discouraged or unworthy, remember that God has always thought of you as something of incredible value. God created you and He doesn't make junk! God has a purpose and a specific plan for your life.

Many times we struggle with new challenges because we lack self-confidence. We should not allow feelings of inadequacy to keep us from obeying God's call. He will always be with you. God will open amazing doors for you if you will completely submit yourself onto Him. If God gives you an assignment to do, he will provide all you need to complete it.

Blessings!

Pursuing Excellence

I just returned from District Council a few days ago. It was incredible but extremely busy for those of us responsible for making it all happen. The attendance was record breaking with over 1,000 attending the Sunday evening service with Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke. The District staff and the staff from Victory Church in Winchester, VA did an outstanding job. Excellence and commitment to God was obvious in all that they did. Kudos to all who made District Council a huge success!

Watching the events unfold each day at Council made me realize how important commitment and excellency in leadership is to our daily life as Christian leaders.

The first step toward excellence is to be grateful for the gifts and opportunities God has given us. God's purpose and plan for our lives is original. We are not called to be a copy.

Most people go through life saying, "Well, that's good enough." Good enough for whom or for what? For the challenging times we live in? For a future that needs deeply committed leaders?

Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." There are people and projects in this world that are worth the struggle for greatness.

We need to remind ourselves that greatness should not be our goal. It is the pursuit of greatness that will set us apart from people who are willing to settle for good enough. It's our commitment to giving that will make us leaders who can make a difference. Good is the enemy of great.

Excellence doesn't mean being better than everyone else, just being best as the original we are called to be.

Blessings friends!