Abundant Life

Would it make any difference to you today if you received the truth that Jesus came that you may have life, and to also have it abundantly?  How much different would your life be if you understood that God has a specific, fruitful plan for you; one that is immeasurable by man?.

God does have a distinct, predestined purpose for all of His precious children...both individually and collectively...and it is far beyond anything we can possibly conceive in our humanity.

Our unchanging, unwavering Provider has unlimited resources and He is exceedingly able to bless us far beyond our heart's desire...according to His power that is at work within us...today, tomorrow and forevermore!

All of the trials, temptations, fears, possessions, pain and worldly pleasures we attain or experience on Earth are temporary. But, a life that is sustained through The Holy Spirit is exceedingly abundant and eternal. Through His provision of truth, freedom, and grace...we should not just be alive, but experiencing our lives abundantly!

Ephesians 3:20

Now to Him who is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,

Psalm 37:4

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Philippians 4:19

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:11

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will... James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Romans 16:25

Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past,

2 Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

The Cure for Loneliness & Despair

Christmas is a time of good cheer, excitement, expectancy, warmth, busyness and feelings of joy surrounded by family and friends. But for some, it can be a time of extreme loneliness.  Loneliness can be described as a feeling of emptiness in the pit of your stomach when someone you love has left you either through death or broken relationships. You may feel abandoned, unwanted, or unneeded as if you’re all by yourself when you are actually surrounded by all kinds of people. You may feel like no one really cares.

These feeling can intensify if you begin to believe that your loneliness is a result of something being wrong at a core level with you – that you are somehow unacceptable, unworthy, don’t measure up, or unlovable.

When this happens, you may feel hopeless and have nothing to live for. Your pain can erode your self-worth, and drain you of strength.  Loneliness puts a huge wall around your heart and prevents you from allowing others in including God.

When you feel as if the entire world has abandoned you, and that no one understands your pain and sorrow God’s Word promises that the Lord is with you and He will never leave you.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

In your loneliness and despair, have you distanced yourself from the Lord?

It is never too late to draw near to Him again. You are His precious child. And when you return to Him, you will be welcomed with open arms. You will have heartfelt joy when returning home to the shelter of God’s unconditional love and acceptance. You are never alone!

The Author of Peace

God brings order out of chaos, even the chaos we create ourselves.

If there is conflict and confusion in your life today and you lack peace, chances are you are looking at the relationship, situation, or problem through the eyes of the world. Doing so brings about impatience, disorder, and anxiety, which can cause us to lash out unlovingly at others.

But when you shift your focus through God’s lens, His peace begins to reign in your heart. God is able to help you respond to others in love, patience, and forgiveness; thus, maintaining peace with those around you. It’s your choice – you can live in confusion or chaos, or you can live a life marked by peace.

Proverbs 16:7 

When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Isaiah 26:3 

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

John 14:27 

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 16:33 

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Philippians 4:6-7  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

God Is The Strength of My Heart

Others may have done things in the past that leaves us feeling  angry, victimized, unappreciated, and used. Indeed, you may have a valid reason to feel anger.

You may have been taken advantage of and victimized by others. You may have been unappreciated by others. You may have been used by others. These are common life experiences  many people go through at some point.

However, when these kinds of occurrences happen in life, we have a choice to make. We can choose to be drawn into the darkness put upon us by others, or we can choose to remain in the light and love of Christ.

If you are truly a child of God, others may try to do things to make you angry but you do not have to respond or feel angry.

In Christ, others may try to victimize you but you do not have to be a victim. -

In Christ, others may not appreciate you but you do not need the appreciation of others.

In Christ, others may use you to their advantage but you do not need to feel used because you have given over all of who you are to Him who died for you.

The power we live under in Christ is an insulating power for our hearts. This insulating power keeps us from feeling angry, victimized, unappreciated, and used by others.

Proverbs 4:23

Above all guard your hearts, for out it flows the issues of life.

Luke 10:42

“But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her."

Lamentations 3:24

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him."

Colossians 1:13

He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.

Luke 6:28

bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Pray, Let God, And Let God Take Over

 

Nothing is more grieving than loving someone bent on destruction.  Feeling powerless can drive us to insane levels of trying to save our loved ones from the consequences of their poor choices by fixing, managing, and trying to change and control their lives.

Often we don’t even realize that we may be hindering the work of the Holy Spirit that convicts, leads them to a place of brokenness,

surrender, and repentance.

Our greatness act of love must be to pray, let go and surrender them to God.  When we get out of the way, our loved ones stop looking to us to be their savior and turn to their true Savior Jesus Christ who has the power to heal, restore, redeem and set free.

Whether it’s a spouse, child, sibling or a friend, we must release them to the care of God, yet it’s difficult to do because many of us have a misconception about what it means to let go and release. The following poem was written byJune Hunt. It’s a beautiful picture of releasing. -

Releasing You:

Releasing you is not to stop loving you but loving you enough to stop leaning on you.

Releasing is not to stop caring for you but to care enough

to stop controlling you.

Releasing is not to turn away from you, but it is to turn to Christ trusting His will over you.

Releasing is not to harm you but realizing my help has been

harmful to you.

Releasing is not to refuse you but to refuse to keep reality

from you.

Releasing is not to prove my power over you, but it is to admit that I am powerless to

change you.

Releasing is not to stop believing in you, but it is to believe the Lord alone will build character in you. 

Releasing is not to condemn the past but to cherish the

present and commit our future to the Lord. -June Hunt

To let go means to get out of the way, release our loved ones at the foot of the cross and offer them up to the care of God.

If You Live for the Approval of Others You Will Die from Their Rejection

It’s been said that if you live for the acceptance of others, you will die from their rejection. If your sense of self-worth is based on the approval of others, your value is at the mercy of what others think about you. Your identity, who you are, how you see yourself is determined by how others see you and respond to you.

In our brokenness, we tend to give people a lot of power. People on the outside control my thoughts, feelings, and my will. They own me. I don’t know who I am, and I live in fear of failing to meet their approval and being rejected.

Only God is allowed to have control over our lives. We need to give our fear of rejection over to the Lord. He created us and established our worth. When we let His love pour into us, we learn to trust Him, and He will turn our fear into faith, and we will find full acceptance in the arms of our precious Savior.

If you believe that you may be living for the approval of others, evaluate the following statements and see if you identify with any of them.

I am not good enough.”

“I have to try harder.”

“I have to earn love.’

“I flatter people so they will like me.”

“I have to be perfect.”

“I always feel less than.”

“I know what I think is not important.”

“I know that I am not likable.”

“I never feel like I belong.”

“I don’t measure up.”

If you can relate to any of the above chances are that there is a deep root of rejection driving your need for approval and acceptance from others. Please understand that just because you have been rejected in the past, you don’t have to walk in fear that you will be rejected again by others. We can be so crippled by the fear of being rejected that without realizing it we can push others away, or create situations where we will be rejected fulfilling a self-imposed prophecy which causes us to continue to believe lies about ourselves and feel alone and rejected.

The Lord Is With You

 

Christmas is a time of good cheer, excitement,  expectancy, warmth, busyness and feelings of joy surrounded by family and friends. But for some, it can be a time of extreme loneliness.  Loneliness can be described as a feeling of emptiness in the pit of your stomach when someone you love has left you either through death or broken relationships. You may feel abandoned, unwanted, or unneeded as if you’re all by yourself when you are actually surrounded by all kinds of people. You may feel like no one really cares.

These feeling can intensify if you begin to believe that your loneliness is a result of something being wrong at a core level with you – that you are somehow unacceptable, unworthy, don’t measure up, or unlovable.

When this happens, you may feel hopeless and have nothing to live for. Your pain can erode your self-worth, and drain you of strength.  Loneliness puts a huge wall around your heart and prevents you from allowing others in including God.

When you feel as if the entire world has abandoned you, and that no one understands your pain and sorrow God’s Word promises that the Lord is with you and He will never leave you.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

In your loneliness and despair, have you distanced yourself from the Lord?

It is never too late to draw near to Him again. You are His precious child. And when you return to Him, you will be welcomed with open arms. You will have heartfelt joy when returning home to the shelter of God’s unconditional love and acceptance. You are never alone!

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God Is Love

 

God is the author and originator of love. HE IS LOVE. It is because of His love that we exist and are also able to love.

There is absolutely nothing that can alter The Father's pure, authentic, unconditional love for His precious children. He will never leave or forsake us. His love cannot be earned; the debt has already been paid in full. His love is based on Who He is, not who we are or what we do or think.

Choose His love. It is a holy, perfect, perpetual gift that guarantees grace and freedom. And it can be unwrapped every day...for eternity.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life..

Romans 5:8

But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:10

For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!

1 John 4:9

This is how God's love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.

Romans 8:32

He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?

Romans 8:39

neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He Is Able!

Nothing encourages a weary heart like the pure, undefiled word of the Living God. If you are struggling and weary my sweet sisters fall back on what you know....HE IS ABLE!

I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able....

Able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.

Able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Able to aid those who are tempted.

Able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.

Able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself?

"Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." According to your faith let it be to you.

2 Tim. 1:12; Eph. 3:2;, 2 Cor. 9:8; Heb 2:18; Heb. 7:25; Jude 24; 2 Tim. 1:12; Phil. 3:21; Matt. 9:28-29