Redemption wins....

Redemption wins....that began to be a daily confession.  I don't know why, but God had caused those words to imprint strength in my mind and heart....I was at a really, really dark place...I needed help....or I needed out....one or the other but I couldn't stay in the suffering any more and the more I reached out to God, the further away He seemed...

A song came on the radio, Worn by 10th Ave. North, and the lyrics hit me in a place so deep....."Let me see redemption win, let me know the struggle ends..." with the little strength I had left, I just said, "God, that's what I NEED!" .....then I just laid back down in my bed, where I had been wasting away most of my days....not sleeping, just dying....But then I could feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit to say aloud, "Redemption wins..." and so I did without any understanding the reason or what it was suppose to accomplish...every time something in my body hurt, "Redemption wins...", every time someone attack me, "Redemption wins...", posted it on fb numerous times as a proclamation to the world, "Redemption wins..."

The situations in my life didn't seem to be getting any better...things were still very difficult in every area....so why was God having me go around affirming something I knew nothing about? I have made so many wrong choices, mistakes and faced battles most people couldn't fathom...but I had never seen redemption....How could I? Somebody that is as broken and selfish as me didn't warrant any such gift...

But God....He was very persistent in His Gracious Love, he spoke to my very spirit ....Redemption wins and makes an open show of My Glory when you submit to not only where you are, but to whose you are....It was like a light was instantly turned on for me, illumination filled my heart and mind and I understood....God I am Yours, even if I'm nothing else, I am Yours....and if I am here, in this pit then You are here with me...and You have been here with me all along...and You won't leave me here, there's no glory in that...I can't get myself out, but YOU can....In my mind, that was a powerful revelation...God is with me, and I am His....that's all I need to define me, all I need to deliver me....and ultimately, That is what redemption is.....taking away all the things that wanted to define me as someone less than who I really am and giving me a new name.....HIS

Faith brings results....

Romans 9:30-32 "....the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law...."

When we receive Jesus as our Lord, He makes us righteous. It is not by works, what we do or don't do, but rather by faith that we attain righteousness.  The same is true for Grace and Mercy. The only requirement for us to receive these gifts is faith. Actually, it is impossible to be saved and have a relationship with God without faith. Faith is essentially, belief and trust. So when we are growing in our relationship with God, what is really happening is we are learning more and more to trust Him and believe in the love he has for us.

It is by this faith that all of God's gifts and promises are manifest in our lives. So i know if there is an area in my life that isn't in line with the best that God has for me, I got to check my faith. If there is any part of my life that isn't covered by faith that God loves me and He is in control, then I block the blessings that God desires for me to have.

We must make faith a daily priority. The bible tells us "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." We have to feed on His word daily in order to build our faith.  When we stand firm in our faith, God will do the rest...

Keep your foot out of your mouth...

"In quietness and comfort shall be your strength..." Isaiah 30:15

This scripture applies more to my life than any other. When the bills are more than the cash inflow, or when someone is attacking my character, or the doctors report isn't what i wanted to hear, or most of all, when my children are making wrong choices I have a choice to make - i can either complain and make things worse or i can be quiet and confident knowing that God already knew what was going to happen in my life and He has a plan to deliver me.

God has always got my back, if i let Him. When i don't choose to be quiet and trust Him, but instead let fear and anger rule my thoughts that's what is going to come out of my mouth. "...I believe, therefore I speak.." When I react to discouraging situations with a negative attitude, the situation is only going to get worse and there is nothing God can do to help me.  We take the control away from God and put it in our own hands and then wonder why things aren't getting better.

So if you find yourself in circumstances that produce anger and fear, and you don't know something positive to say - Be Quiet and trust in God! He will in fact deliver you, bring you through with more than you had before.....if you keep your foot out of your mouth!

Are You Better or Bitter?

Recently, A close friend, we'll call him Michael, came to me for wisdom on how to handle a situation that wounded him and left him angry. In this particular matter, Michael was in every sense of the word, a victim. He had done nothing wrong, nor did Michael do anything to provoke such an attack. The more he thought about it, the more wronged he felt. Being a new convert, He didn't know what he was suppose to do with all this anger or rather, what God would have him do.

You see, It produced no benefit to view himself as a victim- as a matter of fact, the victim role he was casting himself in only continued to place power in the hands of the offendors. I shared with Michael the different battles I've had to face, some were of my own doings- others were all out attacks when I had done nothing wrong. Through every battle, in every offense- I had to ask myself, "Am I going to let this make me bitter, or Am I going to grow and be better?" This is where a lot of people get stuck in life- they're victims of an offense and because they were not taught how to come out of it better, they spend the rest of their lives in that one moment....reliving it....victimized over and over again....a month later, still there....5 years later, still the victim...the cycle continues until there is no more life to be lived.

We have all faced situations in which we were the victim, but trust me, no body's sympathies can dig you out. So you were right, they were wrong- does that help? No. The only way out of an offense is to stop being the victim. My montra is, "It's not what happens to you that defines who you are, It's what you DO with what happens to you that defines who you are." The bible says, "God will take anything the enemy meant to harm you and turn it around for your good." "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." "Every tongue that rises against you in judgement, God will show to be in the wrong."

With each offense, we have to go to God and ask what He would have us do. Your focus cannot be on who is right and who is wrong- it leaves no room for growth. Find a deeper meaning, search for God and His ways, His thoughts and you'll be empowered....If you settle for focusing on right and wrong, you'll stay a victim and there is no glory in that...

Never Let Them See You Sweat...

I read an article once after our high school football team, who was considered the underdog, won. The opposing team's coach said, "They aren't really a good team, they just exploited our weakness." As soon as I read those words, I heard God say, "That's how the enemy is- he doesn't really have any power, he just exploits your weakness." You see, the enemy doesn't have the power to do anything but lie to you and convince you of untruths. You are actually the one with all the power to control the things that go on in your life- Proverbs 6:1-2 "...They ensnare themselves by the words of their mouth", Proverbs 18:21 "The power of life and death is in the tongue", and Mark 11:23 "...he shall have whatsoever he saith." The bible makes it clear, whatever you say will manifest in your life- good or bad. The only power the enemy has is to lie to you- if he can get you to believe a lie, you will most certainly speak it.

An even bigger key here is the enemy can't hear your thoughts, he can only determine what areas you are weak in by the words you speak. It is so important to speak words that place the direction of your life in God's hands and not in the enemy's. When bad news comes in- do not speak fear-filled words over the situation. Instead, simply say, "I trust you, Father.." and see how He'll turn it around to bless you. Too often, we speak out of our mouths the very things we don't want to happen and then we find ourselves confused when they do happen.

Determine to live a life of victory by speaking the Word of God everyday over every situation. Your life is and always will be dictated by what you say. Deny the enemy any right to your life....when something that seems bad comes your way-praise God for turning it around for your good and God will manifest blessings before your eyes. Keep the enemy silent by Living The Word Out Loud.....