More

It is very obvious that people today want MORE.  More success, more beauty, more wealth, more networks and relationships.  Snail mail evolved to e mail, e mail to Instant messaging, then phone texting.  My space gave place to facebook and tweeting. 

We have gone from house phones to cell phones the size of backpacks to ones we can wear in our ear.  We no longer have to heat with wood, light with candles or ride horse and buggy.  We have life coaches, beauty consultants, plastic surgeons, and physical instructors to keep us in line, beautiful and stronger bodied. 

We are moving and expanding all the time. God intended for us to grow, to increase and to make progress! 

God spoke and framed the worlds, placing plant life, fish, fowls, animals, and all creeping things in the land.  He then placed mankind there.  In His own image he had made them, and within each plant, fish, fowl, animal, insect and man he put seed within itself that each might multiply.

God did not intend poverty.  He proclaimed multiplication and increase.

For people to assume God is pleased with poverty or that he expects his children to live within that realm is to err of the character and nature of God.

God himself takes pleasure in the prosperity of his children.  Faith pleases God.   Romans 10:17 lets us know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word and Heb. 11:1 tell us that faith is the substances of things hoped for and the evidence of things we cannot see.

As we read the Word from which faith comes, we find God bringing His enslaved children out of Egypt and into the promised land.  A land flowing with abundance.  His desire was to bring them out of lack into more. 

You find him instructing military leaders in how to win wars that gave them more land and ownership.  And lepers entering a land to gather up three days worth of spoil.

Deuteronomy 28 speaks to us about blessings over taking us.  Malachi talks to us about the blessings being poured out on us in measures that could not be contained. The gospels speaks of multiplication of food insomuch that all were fed and baskets were left over,   and this is just to jot down a few examples of God's glorious idea of provisions for his children.

False religions will again enslave people to the bondage of lack and defeat.   True religion will enable people  to walk blessed and be a blessing.  Truth empowers people to care for widows, fatherless (orphans); the hungry, naked and imprisoned, caring for the destitute and prostitute.

Some live with the idea that we are to do all these great works, but have nothing ourselves.  Poooh!  How can that even be possible from a biblical stand point?

According to the gospel of  Jesus Christ, when we give it comes back to us pressed down, shaken together and overflowing.  When we sow seed it multiplies 30, 60, 100 fold.  When we put our hands to things ... any thing, God causes us to have good success.

Many people have a very wrong mindset of the character and nature of God. God is a good God.  He is creator!  He is provider!  He is physician! He is protector!  He is Bread to the hungry!  He is drink to the Thirsty!  He is all in all!  What ever you need ... He is!   However, to access Him and His goodness ... it takes faith!

People must believe that He (God) is ... and that He is a re-warder of those who diligently seek Him.  They must believe that He hears them when they pray and that He answers.

It would do people well, to get to know God.  To seek Him.  To call upon Him.  To study the Word.  To ask the Holy Spirit to teach them. 

They would soon find God is love.  And love is faith's activator. They would soon find that if they did not love their fellow man the love of God was not in them.  And that with God nothing is impossible, nothing to hard. 

They would find that Jesus healed all the sick and diseased expect for those who would not put their faith in him as healer. They would find that He feed the hungry and ministered the good news of the gospel to the poor.  That good news to the poor is this ... you don't have to be poor.

Certainly the poor will always be among us.  This is because people will refuse to open themselves up and receive the truth that will set them free from poverty and lack.

Many will refuse the Lord Jesus Christ and His goodness.  Others will receive Him as far as to open their hearts up to the idea of His life, resurrection, accession and return.  But they will never operate from the means of prayer that Jesus taught His disciples years ago, when He told them:  "pray in this manner ... ~thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven".  Oh, these people would tell you, there is no lack or sick and diseased in heaven, but yet they refuse to believe that they could walk in that heavenly life here in planet  earth.  But Jesus made it clear to pray and reach toward that reality. 

As for the Blind man and his son who received their sight, they would tell you that heaven can come to earth.  The widow who received her dead son to life would tell you that she experienced some heaven on earth, as would Jairus and his family. 

If Martha were here today she would not just talk to us about the resurrection, but she would speak to us about how her brother came forth from the grave in his present life with a promise of a future resurrection.
And who could deny that God sent heaven to earth when when gave us Jesus?  

Oh, how  people need to seek God, read the Word, find out the character of God.  How they need to allow the Holy Spirit to teach them truth.  Jesus came to earth to show us the way of LIFE 'and' of  life eternal.  As well as to atone for our sins.

He came proclaiming the kingdom of God is among you; [has came to you; is present with you; is in you].  He came to give us truth that would set us free!  He came to give Life and that MORE abundant!  

Oh, that people would open their heart to truth.  That they would open the Word of God [Bible] and let the Holy Spirit teach and renew the mind.  They would be glad they did, as they would  find that God is a good and that He is not withholding any good thing.  Matter of fact He wants to be more than enough for you in every area of life.

God wants to Help

God desires good lives for each of us, it is His will for us to live prosperous and productive lives. 

Jeremiah reveals to us in chapter 29 verse 11 that God has good plans for our lives. They are plans of hope and future!  Jesus assured us in John 10:10 that he came to give us life and that more abundantly.

To walk in these good plans we must learn to accept that they have been offered to us. That they are God's will for our lives.  

We are made creatures of free will. We have the ability to choose life or death, blessing or cursing. We can accept or decline according to our will. That is a God given privilege. God does not control us as some assume. 

In a sense people do what they want to do, and when their want to is large enough they move into their desires. God cannot and will not help us until we call upon him and accept His response to our cry. 

According to Biblical Truth,  God is a present help in time of trouble, but we must call upon him. He is willing to aide us and relieve us from the effects of noonday sun, physical ills, spiritual dullness, poverty, ignorance, pestilence, fears and all evils you can imagine (not that you should try to imagine evils, please don't). 

However, if you find yourself embarking evil it is a great time to call upon the Lord for His help. Even for temptations He provides way of escape. 

God is a every present.  He is just waiting for you and I to call upon Him. Once we call, He makes help available. 

Therefore, if you are embarking evil today ... Call out. If you have physical ills, allow him to offer his healing balm. If you heart has been broken, He waits to mend it.  Needing Wisdom?  He has it in generous supply and He is willing to offer it to you. 

Maybe you are tired and weary, if so go to him for rest and recovery. Perhaps, you need help monetarily, allow him to lead you to your supply. It may be a job, a raise or perhaps favor. Whatever the problem, God has your solution.

If you are WILLING to call upon him;  if you are WILLING to obey His ways and work with Him, you will soon find yourself free of the problem and walking in the victorious life and abundance that He sent Jesus to provide for you! 

Why not let go and let God help? He is waiting for you to will Him into your life!  He has already willed you into His!  

Words have Power

The entire Bible is a textbook that comes alive by Spirit.  It reveals to us who God is, who we are and offers us the means of power through Jesus Christ unto a godly and successful life.

Jesus himself came to us as "God from God".   God who was and is and is to come.  Jesus the Word made flesh.  That human flesh then sacrificed to atone for our sin, that we might live free through our belief (faith) and confession.  In a sense we are a whole sum of Words ~ God himself creator who according to the Bible and our Faith was and is Word, operative by Himself (the Spirit of Love).

We came into existence by Word.  When we are born again it is through the life and blood of Jesus and Faiths confession.  Today we live by our Faith ... through heart belief and Words!
Pro. 18:21
Mt. 12:37
Lu. 19:22
Job 22:28

Realizing it or not  we daily live and receive good and evil according to words.  We have the power of choice, the power of decree.

Truth be told:
Fear, sickness, diseases, poverty, evil manifestations is all set in motion through the power of decree and or by a decree received.  The good news is ... so does all good such as happiness, success, healthy, joy, peace, prosperity, and all manner of good.   Our amazing God first decreed it to be this way, so it is today!

Word is like seed ~ it has power within itself to create.  Thus by our Words we create weedy dry, fruitless lives that cause problems for ourselves and others or,  clean, well watered, fruitful lives that we enjoy and bless others by and  glorify God.

As said, the fruitful live glorifies God.  The weedy, dry, fruitless life becomes a land for all evils.  You can see this from Jesus own words in Matthew 12:43 and Luke 11:34 as well as John 15:8.
In Matthew and Luke we find the enemy seeks rest, and of course he never finds rest (evil doesn't rest),  yet he walks through dry places seeking (they hate watered lands ... speaking of the watering of the word God.  They know they have no place in these kind of areas.

The word says that our of our bellies shall flow rivers of living waters.  What are rivers?  The rivers of God are streams of faith filled God Word.

Everyone has something flowing out of them all the time ... the words spoken are either sweet unto life or bitter and poison unto death.

Our minds are breeding grounds for good or evil and as we think we become.  We will think on a thing and then speak of it and become it.  The tongue is what takes us down rivers for good or evil.  It is like a rudder on a boat steering our course. 

The Kingdom of God is a kingdom ruled by the law of love.  All good dwells within the kingdom.  There is no darkness there.  The Son is the light.  We are to live by those laws here in planet earth as Christ like.
We are here as ambassadors to reconcile people back unto God. We are to witness life, truth, the way ... the Christ.  And our prayers should be in 'kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven form'.

We are according to truth Kings and priest ... we are chose to be in royal position here and now.  We as those Kings and priest must learn to live clean lives of decree.  Understanding the royal position of King one, must know that when the King decrees a thing ... it is so.  It is like saying ... "let it be" ... and then it is so!

Decree defines as:

• an official order from a delegate (one who has had power delegated to them)
• a court ruling that holds
• a divine will that is processed

God decreed (spoke with and by) his own authority (power of his word) and the worlds were framed.  He said, "let there be ... and it was so".  He willed it, he ordered it and he ruled it!

It is in Hebrew chapter eleven that we read:
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed "by" the word of God so the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Hebrews chapter eleven is commonly called the Hall of Faith which precedes to share with us that it was through (by) faith those who have gone before us obtained a good report ... a better life.  God word (will) spoken in faith is always equivalent to life and good.

We cannot be reminded often enough of the power that dwells within us for good or evil.  Our thoughts and words actively producing.  We must come to the knowledge of the truth concerning these matters.  Our thoughts, imaginations and words are loaded with power.

Think of it in the terms of a loaded weapon.  Weapons can be used for good in the sense of survival, but also for evil in the sense of murder.  We would never in our right might play around with a loaded weapons.  Yet, unconsciously we play with loaded words, thoughts and imagines every day to the point of causing hardships and even death.  It is time to wake up unto the power of our Words!

Attached Only to The Spirit

This morning I was reminded of something a friend had said recently about how challenging it was to detach from things and even people. This being on my morning plate, I decided to chew on it a bit, as I have learned to flow with the Spirit.

This does not mean that I let random thoughts control me. I listen to see if thoughts such as these are are productive God thoughts or random thoughts of the soul. If they are thoughts that can and will be productive for good, I then continue in the through process. If not, I simply discard them for a higher thought life.

The Word attachment defines as, the act of being attached which means:

• to fasten to
• to connect with as to adjoin or associate with as a part of
• to covenant with
• to be assigned to or with
• to bind emotional with great affection and loyalty, or by Law to seize upon

I think the most sever case of attachment disorder that I have ever witnessed is when people are labeled "hoarders." When a person is a hoarder they have ties to things in weird and unusual ways. I recently watched a person cry over a small kitchen appliance that might have to be released to someone else.

I watched as a lady could not depart with a broke down, gutted out, molded computer casing (hers was a need to control, than of a breaking down emotionally), but what ever the reason for such hoarding, it is unhealthy. It is a robber of life.

Jesus came to give us life and that more abundantly. A life that we must guard and refuse to allow anything or anyone to take from us.

As Christians we need to arise to spiritual truth that liberates and keep ourselves from unhealthy attachments. This means living our lives awake and aware of God, and of self.

It means connecting with the Spirit, and disconnecting with all that would hinder us from walking in love, liberty and success.

I have been around people who I believe have attachment disorders other than hoarding. These are people who don't know how to say goodbye and be done when a relationship is over. They can't release and let go when it comes to people.

There are times when people will engage with one another and then never see each other again. It is a mere one time acquaintance and then it is over.

There are times when people will be in our lives for a season with a God ordained purpose and then that season passes. Others will be long term relationships. But people like things must be received and released in accordance to the plan of God for our lives.

Attachment disorders like these often come from a lack of proper care and nurture during childhood. Because of being mishandled, these people may find it difficult to separate from things or people, even when the things and people are unhealthy for them.

These disorders usual have fears and the nature of men pleasing attached to them. These people will have low self-esteem and insecurities from hurts and/or rejection.

To live our lives to the fullness of God intentions, we must press in to the truth for healing and recovery. To live well rounded lives people must learn to detach when it is necessary, as well as attach.

I find it very interesting, as Christians we often sing "I surrender all" ... we do this with hands up and eyes closed, while inwardly we are hoarding all kinds of things.

Things like:

• jealousy
• envy
• fear strife
• worry
  
• doubt
• discrimination
• hate
• insecurities.

Behind closed spiritual doors are hidden:

• personal agendas and ideas
• vulgarity
• quiet criticism,
  
• evil thoughts
• scary images and all sorts of ungodliness
  

It is not until we really surrender that our lives will change, and we will be endued with all the good that we desire.

Full surrender to God is full surrender to love.

Jesus left us with one command, and that was to love God and one another ... thus He leaves us understanding the two are actually one. When we have love for one another, we have fulfilled our love for God. If we are Christ like we can not say I love God and hate our brother. If we do this the love of God is not in us.

Jesus also made it very known that God alone is good. The Word also respectfully reveals that all good and perfect gifts come to us from the Father of light.

God absolutely withholds no good thing from those who love him, and are called according to his purpose. He never has withheld good, and He never will. He gave us Jesus when we were yet sinners. When we deserved nothing good, He loved us and gave us Jesus, whereby we could enter into his rich heavenly kingdom.

He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the unchanging! The good God that He was when He loved us and gave us Jesus, is the same Good and loving God he is today.

The problem we run into as Christians when it comes to the receiving doors of our life, is we tend to block our receiving doors with all of our attachments and disorders!

We leave little to no room for God to move in our lives, as we stand and sing, "I surrender." We actually are unconsciously singing ... I am storing up, I am holding back, all for me and me alone, I am keeping all!

We desperately need to surrender.

We need to learn how to release, to let go, to refuse to be attached to anything that is temporal. We also need to learn to release and let go of relationships that have ended and move on.

As long as we are attached to manifestations of temporary gifts, whether it be a relationship, finances or material substance, we are keeping ourselves from God's next opportunity, from God's best, from God's now assigned mandate and blessing!

Faith is NOW, and Faith pleases God. Here again, let me with great opportunity of word usage bring a reminder that, Faith is activated by Love!

Our lives are just not the lives they are meant to be until we learn to properly attach and detach. And the only way to do this is to be totally, inseparable when it comes to our relationship with the Holy Spirit. This is the thing that you can hold fast to and refuse to detach for God is eternal, he is your forever, your one unchanging element that will take you over in every situation.

In Romans Chapter 8 we find a great pictorial of our life in Christ. It begins like this:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

As we continue to read, we find that it is only as we live according to the Spirit that we walk free!

We cannot live our lives according to the flesh (the temporary) and walk free and blessed.

Romans 8:5 reminds us that those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

Thus, we must not hold to our own flesh ideas, ideals or lust. Instead it is vital to set our mind on Spirit. When we do this we are open to all that God may want to say to us, offer to us, or use us in here and now!

Every thing past this present moment is over. The future is ahead of us, therefore, to live in anything other than NOW is to miss God opportunity.

This does not elemental vision and plans for our tomorrows. It does not discard goals and guidelines, nor does it omit our ability to recall the greatness or failures of the past in order to move forward. But we can not attach to anything ... we must be willing to flow with the Spirit in all things. Recall and release. Look ahead and step back to the Now. Listen to what the Holy Spirit has to say in all things.

Let everything serve the purposes they are meant to serve, but live NOW in the Spirit.

• See Now, what the Spirit wants to show you
  
• Hear Now what the Spirit has to say
• Obey Now what the Spirit relays to you
• Receive Now what the Spirit has for you.
  

Remember if you are not willing to let go of the last thing God gave you or assigned you to, you can't receive the next thing He has for you.

Does this mean you can't have anything in your life. No, not at all.

God adds things, and people to our lives. He gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Increase the kingdom way, is about being faithful with what God has given you stewardship over. We are to do what ever God says to do, with that which he has given. We are to be willing to receive, and to let go that we might receive again.

There was a time when Joseph was given stewardship wisdom to store back supplies. He obeyed and it brought both recognition and opportunity. Because Joesph obeyed God there was a storehouse of blessing in a time of famine. Yet, a time came, when Joseph was required to release what was in his care. As he obeyed, that release brought forth blessing and the plan of God for his life and for others.

I have given clothes, cars, money, material things and time ... and it has always returned in multiplies. The is no lack in the kingdom, or for those who belong to God and operated according to His Spirit laws.

There was a time when a very rich man was asked to release ... but he could not. He had attachment disorder in his life.

Had this rich man understand the laws of the Spirit and the goodness of our God through Christ Jesus, he would have released (detached), and moved forward in the Spirit and multiplied besides. Instead lacking understanding he went home with his riches (which by the way are meager in comparison to that which he could have had, if he had obeyed and release); he also went away sorrowful.

God's provisions, make rich and add no sorrow. If this man had only known this truth. If he had only be aware of Jesus Words, and awake to the ways of kingdom laws. He would have walked away singing ... "I am glad I surrendered all. In all my surrender God has made me cheerfully rich in all things."

Life in the Spirit ... Oh, what a life it is! What a glorious life!

Romans 8:6-8 tells us that the mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

But as born again believers we are adjoined (grafted in to the family of God). We are of the Spirit, for we have been born of the Spirit.

We are to no longer live from the realm of the flesh, but the realm of the Spirit, and those who do; those who are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14

The spirit you have received is a spirit whereby you can say, Abba Father God.

This Spirit is the same spirit that raise Christ Jesus from the dead, and now dwells within you. As a born again believer, you are one with Him. Thus you have become a joint heir of all things.

But you must learn to live in this realm, receive from this realm, and act in this realm, if you are to reap the benefits of the kingdom.

Romans 8:17 says ... if indeed we share in his sufferings...we may also share in his glory (wealth, greatness, all of his goodness).

In other words if you can't detach from flesh lust and desires then you can not share the wealth.

Jesus in his sufferings detached from everything that was in heaven ... laid aside all deity and left a heavenly rich kingdom to come to planet earth to show the ways of God to men.

He came to redeem men and purchase them out of the hand of evil. To restore men again to that which was lost because of deception and flesh weakness.

I am sure that was a great surrender, to leave the glory and to come to our poverty stricken cause, but He did it. And in doing so he gained and so did we. This was his surrender to the perfect will of God.

Jesus then, was asked (as man) to detach again, to leave his all on the altar in the garden. His sufferings was now to be seen by men . He was to suffer great suffering in surrender ... Sufferings even unto sweat as it were great drops of blood, but he did it! He surrender his will once again to great gain.

The surrender of will is the first battle of detaching.

Jesus had to be willing to let go of family, friends, followers and all this world had to offer. The ultimate detachment, but He did it!

He had to be willing to suffer being mocked, criticized, judged, misjudged and mistreated, but He did it! He did it for love, in love and with love for his Father, and for us.

On the cross ... He had to attach to some things ... things I am sure that he would rather have left behind. He had to take on all of our sin, all of our infirmities, all of our weaknesses, all of our sicknesses and diseases, all of our poverty; He took upon himself all evil, that we might walk in all of God's goodness.

Defeating death, hell and the grave, Jesus regained the keys to the kingdom and left them in the hands of followers that we might continue to walk and free in the Spirit and partake of kingdom goodness, while living here in planet earth.

Any suffering we might be ask to undergo in 'attachments to or dis-attachment from' ... is nothing in comparison to the future glory set before us, nor in comparison to what has already been done for us.

Paul says it like this:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Today we have not been left alone. We have a Spirit counselor, teacher, comforter, standby, intercessor. One just like Jesus himself living in us and with us. He is our helper ... this Spirit (Holy Spirit) helps us in our weakness.

We do not know what we ought to pray for on many occassions, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. ~ Romans 8:26-27

As we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit we know then, and only then does all things work toward our good. When God is for us ... there is none who is powerful to over take us.

When God is for us, who then can be against us?

God loved us with such a great love ... that he gave us his own son freely. In full release and surrender. Because we know and understand this we also understand that he is not going to hold back good from us.

We may be asked to release some things for good, but in the mind of God there is no with holdings of good. Anything we are asked by God to release, simply means blessings to others and multiplication back to us.

We must learn to attach and detach properly, to remove the barricades that hinder our receiving if we want to live in higher realms of glory.

Even when charges come against us, we are to simply release and rest. For justice will come and not be with held.

This justice is not going to come as long as we are on our knees crying and anger pleading with God to send angles to chase our enemies, or to knock their teeth out. God is love and there is no evil way in Him.

Men sentence themselves, not God. God is not judgmental nor should we judge. And to pray evil prayers is to keep yourself in the realm of evil.

When men operate outside the realm of the Holy Spirit, and walk outside the boundaries of truth (Gods written Word) sentence comes upon them. It is from our own personal actions that doors are open for good or for evil, for sentence or acquittal. God is the one waiting for repentance that He might deliver and acquit in his love.

God will however, justify his own when evil comes to try to bombard their lives with no cause.

Romans 8:33-34 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one.

No matter what people might say, condemnation comes from within ... it comes from a persons own thoughts and actions. No one can heap condemnation on the man or women in Christ, who lives by the Spirit. Condemnation will roll right off them, for there is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, for those who live by the Spirit.

Thus we must daily detach from anything that holds us back from walking in the Spirit. From anything that keeps us from the Faith Now life.

We must be only securely and inseparably attached to the Spirit of God. We must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us! We must learn to walk in Love, for our faith to be active and powerful.

Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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. ~Romans 8:35-38

Submit to God ... Resist the Devil ... Pray for People.

I recall a day when my husband and I was enjoying a peaceful afternoon together. Nothing unusual about that as we have a blessed life of which we are both thankful. However, there are times in the midst of the peace that a wind will arise from outside elements.

Sometimes these winds are winds of circumstance, other times they are windy people being embodied and used for evil. Either way, we have been given power over the power of the enemy. As believers we have the ability to keep our peace, and continue victoriously in life.

When people come into your life to try to control you, refuse the bait. Resist the controller, continue self-controlled and hold fast to your peace.

The Word of God speaks to us about the battles of life; battles that are never flesh and blood, rather they are principalities, powers and wickedness in high places. People can be used by the enemy, but they are not your battle. They have been taken captive by the enemy, who then operates through them to try to rob others of their peace and victory.

Sometimes you need to just allow the dogs to bark and know they have been de-toothed.
James 4:7 tells us that when we submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, he will flee. He never hangs around long when you walk in the way of the Spirit.

Kingdom truths teach us how to live our lives.
In these truths we find that a soft answer (response) turns away wrath.

So when the wolf comes huffing and puffing at your door, all you have to do is keep your heart guarded, put a watch over your lips, speak soft and stay submitted to the ways of the Lord. Simply resist the devil, and soon and very soon he will find himself in a very heated place.

Also, remember to pray for those whom the enemy has taken hostage. They are the ones who are troubled and hurting. They are the ones who need to be liberated.

When the old wolf showed up at our house, we refused to allow him to have any part of our peace, nor would we fight against him. Why would one fight a defeated foe?

So what did we do? We continued in the ways of the kingdom, and it wasn't five minutes until the old dog was done barking and fled away. Leaving us to continue with our peaceful afternoon.

I wish I could say the same for the hostage the enemy was using that day. But the reality is the people who the enemy has blinded; those he has taken hostage will continue to live troubled lives. Thus, we are responsible to pray for people while resisting the devil.

Things to Remember:

• The wolf may come huffing and puffing, but he cannot blow your house down when it is built upon the rock.
• Don't open the door to the enemy, don't give him a place. Instead continue to guard your heart and life.
  
• Pray for those who are blinded and held hostage by the enemy. (A precious price has been paid for whosoever will believe on Jesus the Christ and allow him to be Lord over their lives).
  

Replenish

To replenish defines as:

• To nourish
• To fill
• To fill with inspiration
• To fill with power
• To build up
• To rebuild
• To make good

Have you ever felt the need to be nourished, inspired, empowered or built up? If you are empty, not only are you out of sorts, you have nothing to offer to anyone. Therefore, it is vital that you take time every day to replenish.

As Christians our meat is to do the will of the Father. However, we need daily bread (God's Word), we need fresh living waters, as well as the meat of purpose (will).

I have seen to many Christians fall by the way side as they attempt to "do the will" of God. They begin well, but soon burn out because they are burning at both ends. They work in the office all week, prepare for several weekly services, counsel, and then take service home with them, often sitting up all hours of the night praying and mulling around ways to help others. They become "World Fixers". Which I will add, is an impossible task.

God has not called us to fix people. He has called us to be ministers of reconciliation. We are to reconcile men to God. We are to direct them to the Father and his way of living and doing things. But it is up to each person whether they receive him and/or apply truth that will set them free.

I find people are often more driven than led, and when a person is driven so far, they are tired, frustrated, they become cranky and get ill. We are not to be driven, we are to be led. To drive holds the idea of control and tyranny; to be led, offers direction and leaves one free to choose whether they follow or not.

God has never driven anyone. He has spoken, shined a light and gave us his assistance toward life and abundance and empowered, but never driven. God offers us the ability to choose. He gives us free will. Anything that is driving us needs to be kept in check ... even our godly passions.

The Word of God tells us that we are to receive daily bread; that rivers of living waters should be bubbling up within us. We are also to be filled and re-filled. We do this from spending time in the presence of God. Reading the Word, praying and meditating. We are not to be left bone dry and wanting.

When a person is driven they often fail to eat, they forget to replenish. Their sleep is disrupted. They forget that Jesus came to give life and that more abundantly, and they often end up losing their own soul.

Our lives are to be lived in balance. God gave us seasons for reasons. He created us to sleep and to wake. He even shares with us how we are to live our lives unto godliness and success. So be sure to look unto the author and finisher of faith (of life) for direction. You and your family are as important as anyone else in the World.

When God tells us it is possible to win the entire World and lose our own soul. We must hear him. When he says, Woe to the man who goes to bed late and gets up early. We need to take heed. When he says that we are to use temperance in all things, he has a purpose.

God cares deeply about you, and longs to empower you to greatness. He longs for you to live a rich life without sorrows. But he will never drive you, he will however help you. Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit ... our helper, the one that will lead us into all truth; truth that will set us free and aide us in living our lives strong.

The next time you are feeling driven. Stop and regroup. Take some time out to put things into proper prospective.

• Get into the presence of God and replenish.
• Get built up.
• Get direction

and led the Holy Spirit lead you into better days!

Life is good when we live it in Balance!

Anger Management

Recently I was directly by the Holy Spirit to notice the amount of anger within the body. And it saddened me to see the ratio of people living their lives angry. Some call it righteous indignation (as an excuse to justify themselves), others use the word to excuse their wrath. I hear them say, "well even Jesus got angry". But those same people do not like to speak of not letting the sun go down upon their wrath, nor do they want to talk about handling anger effectually. They just stay mad.

Angry people are losing in life on so many levels.
They are not happy.
Their physical health is harmed.
They are emotionally unstable.
Their relationships are hurt or destroyed.
Children are emotionally scared and often physically harmed.
They financial well being is hindered, because they often lose jobs or refuse to stay with a job long term.
And as for material gain it too is often destroyed by tantrum fits of anger.

But the thing that we normally don't hear is ... As a Christian our witness is marred by refusing to deal properly with anger.

The bible has much to say about anger and we have wonderful counselors and programs that are offered to help us. As spirited Christians we also have the Holy Spirit (our helper) living within us.

The word of God tells us that "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit". And where love abides, anger subsides.

Here a few good scriptures that the Holy Spirit leads us in line with:

Ephesians 4:31
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Colossians 3:8
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

1 Timothy 2:8
I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

James 1:19-20
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

So many Christians think that once they are saved they will just automatically be sweet and loving. But according to the Word although we take on a new nature, we also have an old one to take off. These are things that we have to do, God is not going to do it for us, yet the Holy Spirit (the one just like Jesus) to be here on planet earth with us will help US! While he is directing and aiming to help us all times, we still must listen to and heed Him. We must do what He gives us unction to do.

If you take note in every one of these areas beginning with ...

Eph . 4:31
we are told to "put away" wrath. We must put it in it's place and stay in charge of our emotions.

Col.3:8
Here we told to "put off" wrath (anger). In other words if it has came on you, recognize it and get it off of you, by dominating your flesh lust with it's appetites.

Timothy tells us to lift up Holy hands, without wrath or doubting. So surrender, to the nature of holiness. Put your hands up without the filth of anger (that often ends in blood shed). Understand that God can be trusted and He cares for you. If you have been wronged He will be be sure that justice is served if you will trust Him and not doubt.

And the last one for now is...

James 1:19-20
Here James tells us to be slow to speak and slow to anger. Watch those quick tongues and tempers. They both hold a dangerous fire that destroys. Learn to communicate properly. Many a war has been stopped by proper communication, many relationships built and strengthened the same way.

Remember wrath does not work the righteousness of God, nor construct anything good!