Faith crushes worry!

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Matthew 6:31

 

As I walked up to the cashier in a tiny coffee shop I frequent for breakfast, I picked through the coins in my purse, trying to find quarters to cover the cost of a sandwich and coffee. I sighed on my way back to the car, the cost of living is very high and like most people, everyday expenses eat a huge chunk of my salary. When I started my car, I found myself worrying about my future as I had been doing more and more recently. How will I be able to afford a house? What will I do when I am ready to have kids?  I was putting myself in a cage of doubt and defeat. But God, as always, stepped in and comforted my heart with peace and assurance in Him and His power to make the impossible, possible. Jesus’ words always insisted on us turning our attention and focus on God. In this verse He is telling the multitudes to not worry about things of this world. He says do not worry about what you shall eat and drink. He did not say that these things should be ignored, we all know we need to eat to live. But the key word He is using here is “Worry”, do not worry about where your next meal will come from. Stressed about not having a job and not being able to buy food?! Beloved, your Father rained down manna from heaven to feed the Israelites and as they are His children so are we. He will never leave you without. When Elijah the prophet visited a poor widow who had little to nothing, God blessed her “So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah” 1 Kings 17:15-16. God is your provider! Your Jehovah ireh! Your jar will never run out, your supply will never stop as David said “my cup runeth over” God will provide for you, trust Him and see. Do not waste another minute worrying, send up your prayers and thank Him, open your heart to receive what He has for you. He knows what you need and He is ready and willing to give it to you. I’ve seen it happen so many times in my life, a co-worker being tipped money for no reason, allowing them to buy lunch, finding an extra five dollar bill in my purse or someone giving a friend of mine clothes when they really needed it. It happens everyday, pray in the morning and expect God to show up, He will honor your faith and will exceed your expectations.

 

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for being such a gracious and giving Savior. As with the miracle with the fish and loaves of bread, you are able to do abundantly more than we could ever ask. We pray Oh Jesus for your powerful provision to take over our lives. Thank you for what I have dear God, I am forever grateful to you in the wilderness and in surplus because every good thing comes from you God. I expect good things Lord God and I trust you in the midst of my hardships. Thank you Jesus for the fullness I have in you, in Jesus’ name I pray Amen.

Jesus - our only hope

But emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross Phillipians 2:7-8

Photo credit: Krystal Cartwright
Blue Tango plant, local Bahamian plant show. 

In the spirit of this beautiful Easter season we must all take a deeper look beyond the commercial holiday hype to what Easter is all about. Easter is the time of year we as Christians celebrate and honor the Son of God who was sent down from heaven to be sacrificed for our sins. It's all about JESUS. Jesus, the name above all names. Who is mighty to save us. The greatest truth in the Bible, the greatest act of love by God. Sacrificing His begotten Son to stand in for us, to take our pain, sins, filth, shame, fear, wickedness, darkness on Himself, to bear it all and pay the penalty - death. To ransom our hearts from the death and destruction of sin. And all we have to do to receive this atonement, to reap the benefits of this sacrifice is to confess our sins and turn to God. Wow! Would you bear the consequence of a crime for a friend? Would you go to the judge and say "I will stand in for him and I will be punished in his place"?, would you still do it if the punishment was death? Jesus was a beautiful, compassionate person. He spoke life to all, embraced the broken-hearted and cried with the weeping. He was perfect in His doing, he never sinned and He reached out to all in love. Telling people of forgiveness, of living a righteous life, of believing in God who loves them. This gentle Son of Man was beaten, spit on, mocked and crucified - though He didn't deserve it. Jesus did this for us! He did it for you and me and everyone before us and after us. He did it so that you would have freedom from sin! "and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him"​ Hebrews 5:9 So that you will no longer live in the darkness of shame and guilt of sin, but that you might be free! Your forgiveness is not based on your merit it does not weaken or wane when you make a mistake Jesus' blood purchased a perfect, indestructible bond of perfect love. God does not see your mistakes, once you accept Christ He sees you in His glory, perfect, holy and His. God's forgiveness never falters because Jesus never faltered. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL Hebrews 10:10 Even if you are a Christian and you sin, simply confess. Do not shy away from God in guilt and shame, confess quickly and do not let the devil keep you down. Admit to God you have sinned, confess and move on. Always move on, the fact is, while we are still on earth we will always sin, our human nature is constantly fighting our spiritual nature. Even Paul said "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing" Romans 7:19. But be encouraged, Jesus came and eradicated the power of sin over you, trust Him if you battle with a particular sin, pray and ask for His guidance and strength. But always be encouraged, Jesus is always before us, pleading our case to God and constantly forgiving us. He knows our hearts and loves us through it all.


Dear Jesus,
Thank you for your finished work on the cross. You endured hardship, betrayal, pain and torture all for our sakes. You stood in for me and you took my punishment, you destroyed death and call me to a life of freedom. Thank you for continually washing me clean, for presenting me holy to God. Help me with this particular sin, forgive me and guide me to follow your will. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Expect Awesomeness!!

"But when you ask [God], be sure that you really expect Him to answer." James 1: 6-7 NLT

A new day is upon us. A bright, beautiful morning, full of possibilities, opportunities and happiness. We just have to keep our eyes open and our hearts expectant. Today might bring disappointments but let us make up our minds to keep moving forward. Life's troubles makes us stronger and for every issue we triumph over God will honor us. "But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor" 1 Samuel 2:30 How do you have victory over everyday issues that arise to steal your joy? Prayer, gratitude and hope for a bigger and better outcome than your current situations. Got a flat tire? Thank God that it did not blow while you were driving, which could've been a major accident. Didn't sleep well? Thank God you are alive, some people go to sleep and never wake back up! Didn't get that raise you were expecting? Keep expecting and keep a good attitude while you work hard, even if your bosses don't value you God does and He will open their eyes soon or your eyes to a better working opportunity. Your kids driving you bonkers? Pray for your patience. "Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him." Psalm 127:3. Lift them up to Him for correction and guidance. Always look for the silver lining. In every situation that arises and you feel any negative emotion starting to brew, say a short prayer ask for strength and comfort and move forward. Always move forward. "To give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" Isaiah 61: 3 This is the day that the Lord has made! We are alive, we are His and all is well for us to trust and hope in Jesus! Put a smile on, read a encouraging verse and compliment someone day. We can live in victory if we choose happiness even in the tough times!

Dear Jesus we come to you today because you are everything. You are our hope and we trust in you. You have bought love and peace into our lives and we call upon that peace. Strengthen us with your love. You are the lifter of our heads and the song in our hearts. We expect, wait and hope for amazing things today and the most amazing thing of all is that we have an inheritance with you in heaven. Thank you Jesus for all you have done.

Faith --> Blessings

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. Luke 1:45 KJV

There is something so delicately marvelous about this verse. Let's break it down and look at it, "Blessed is she that believed", simple truth for our belief and trust in God, we are blessed. The woman this verse referred to was Mary. Her faith and her youthful, perfect trust in God by the Word of the Lord that came to her. In all sincerity she believed with her whole heart the fascinating truth that she, a virgin, would become pregnant supernaturally and bear a child - not just any child - the Son of God. Whoa!!! Could you imagine?! Mary's faith in God was not perturbed by logic, practicality or reasoning. She did not stop the angel and say, this is physically impossible! She gracefully accepted what the Lord was saying to her, and for it the Bible calls her blessed.

Blessed 

1. consecrated; sacred; holy; sanctified: the Blessed Sacrament.

2. worthy of adoration, reverence, or worship: the Blessed Trinity.

3. divinely or supremely favored; fortunate: to be blessed with a strong, healthy body; blessed with an ability to find friends.

4. blissfully happy or contented.

Our whole identity in Christ is based on our faith in Him, in God our Father and in His Holy Spirit. Faith is the root of our foundation and keeping the faith and passing it on to others is our mission on this earth. Abraham's faith in God rewarded him favor.
"Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness"  Gal 3:6. Here we see how much God values faith. I think there is something really beautiful to the fact that we have to believe in Christ to be saved. Amid a world where science reigns and human knowledge is the standard, God asks us to believe in the unseen and hold fast to what we can not touch. But the realization and the knowing we have in our heart when we accept Christ is beyond any scientific proof. It's a sweet and satisfying knowledge in our hearts that what we are believing is true and right.
Blessed are we, for what we hope God for will surely be given to us.


Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you so much for faith. Thank you that you have all called us Children of God, despite our race, nationality or heritage. Thank you for giving us freedom from a life of death and destruction and thank you that we can receive that freedom by just believing. Help us to trust you Lord and help our faith to grow strong Holy Spirit so that all the good things you have in store for me will be realized. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Desires of Your Heart

"Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's"

Psalm 103:5

Photo source by me (Krystal H. Cartwright) Taken in Nassau, Bahamas (Eastern part of the island)

In today's world there is so much focus on desire, money, power, lust, sex, pleasure and gratification. Married couples fall off the foundation of "keeping the marriage bed holy Heb 13:4" and into the "excitement and thrill" of affairs. Young people subject their bodies to sexual lusts that leave them unsatisfied. People use mind alternating drugs, which leave them miserable after the high has faded. We have all put ourselves in jeopardy in some way or another in pursuit of unbridled happiness. Drinking the night away, waking up saying "Oh I'll never drink again", sleeping with people who don't treat us right just for the physical pleasure or just simply for the fleeting comfort. We search and search, we give ourselves away to our lusts, leaving a piece of ourselves in each unfulfilling pleasure. The only true pleasure, the only true love, the only real satisfaction and contentment you will ever experience is in God and God alone - not in a career, another person, money or material things. "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" Psalm16:11. It is only in our Creator we have that peace of being enough just the way we are. Come to Him and open your heart up to that exhilarating truth and love that only He can give unconditionally. "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart" Psalm 37:4. God knows the desires in your heart, come to Him, learn of Him, in His word and your heart will be restored and grateful. "But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14 You were not made to live apart from God, you were made to be loved and it is God's love that will sustain you, cleanse you, release you from the world's harshness and bondage. Spend time in His Word, make an effort to pray every day and see for yourself how those pleasures of the world that seemed so important and vital before, can never compare to what you will find in Him. "Casting the whole of your care -- all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all -- on Him; for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully" 1 Peter 5:7. Spiritual freedom, supernatural provision, freedom from anxiety and worry, powerful protection, contentment and rest in knowing you are completely loved.

-Krystal H. Cartwright

(broken to chosen)

Revengful, hurt, angry?!

 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you”. Luke 6:27-28

 

Whooooa those enemies! This is definitely one of those controversial statements that Jesus made to the people during His ministry. Love your enemies! Pray for those who hurt, abuse, curse, treat you horribly, take advantage of you and make fun of you. Pray for those people! Pray for them to be successful, safe and happy. After recovering from the initial shock of reading this verse we tend to consider who our enemies are. Our minds fly to the office bully, the frienemy that stays in our life even though they continual hurt us or even a family member who puts you down any chance they get. We are taught to love these people, not just tolerate them but love them. Do nice things for them, speak highly of them, be nice to them and respect them. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” Ephe 4:32 I think this is a powerful and beautiful lesson. Jesus endured torture and a horrible death by His own people, but with blood in his eyes and nails in his hands, He looked up to God and said “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” Luke 23:34. Mocked, beaten, ridiculed, betrayed and abandoned – Jesus turned around and prayed to God to forgive those same people. Jesus’ words are profound “forgive them, they do not know what they are doing”. The people who upset us most times don’t know the effect they have on our feelings. When we pray for them and love them anyway, we open the door for God to take care of the situation while leaving you in peace, “if your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the LORD will reward you” Prov 25:21.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, you are my perfect example. Your life was one of love and forgiveness. Teach me and change me to love others despite the way they treat me. Help me to be your representative on earth so they may see You in me. Help me Lord to give you my battles, to not sit in bitterness and plot revenge. You are My God and I know you will protect and care for me. Thank you Lord for the freeing truth of your love.

Quality Time

Spending time in God's Word is so restoring. It is packed with true stories of sorrow and triumph, epic wars and victories, heroes and justice with His love and forgiveness prevailing over all. He cleanses us with the Truth of His love for us and the knowledge of His grace. There are so many resources out there that can help with your Bible reading - reading plans, Bible Apps, even a small Bible that can fit in your pocket can be a window of hope when things get hectic at work or if your stressed out in a situation and you can't find a quiet spot. Let Jesus and His love for you be your quiet spot. But if you do have time to spend with God - do it! Don't get distracted, spend that time, read the Word and whisper a prayer. You will feel so light and relieved afterwards.

Also for my people out there who don't really like to read, there is a awesome line of comic/ graphic novel Bibles that are reader friendly and are guaranteed to keep and peak your interest, the graphics are awesome! 

Light & love,
Krys

Let Him Bind Your Wounds

 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 

Photo source: Passion of the Christ Movie

Depicting Jesus reaching out to a woman who was about to be stoned for adultery 

Behold this amazing love from God. The God who created the heavens and the earth sent His only Son to die for you. He died for every sin, for every wicked, evil thing you have ever done or will do. First off, when you commit sin, you commit it against God. When Adam ate the forbidden fruit and unleashed sin into the lives of every man after that, God immediately initiate a redemption plan to bring us back to Him. The Bible is a epic story of reconciliation. Jesus suffered a horrible, torturous death so that we might have everlasting life with Him, but also that we might have freedom from the bondage of sin in this life as well. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corin 5:21. God paid the ultimate price for you, for all of us, even His enemies so that we may all have the chance to be reconciled with Him in eternity. We don’t deserve it, we could never thank Him for it, but we can do our part and live our lives in honor and glory of Him. God gives and gives, He holds nothing back for us, in fact He encourages us to seek Him for anything we need. (read Matthew 7: 7) God is a gracious God, do you not see He will go to the ends of the earth for you. You are cherished and beloved, honor God's love with your life. 


Prayer:
Heavenly Father you have shown me so much love. You raised my life from the pit and set my feet on solid ground. You have saved me from a life of misery, loneliness and sin and have given my freedom, grace and abounding love. Help me to know you more, to know the great I Am. As I draw nearer to you, I know by your Word, you will draw nearer to me. I need you every day of my life Lord. Without you I am
aimless in a lost world. You lift me up and call me beloved and treasured. Teach me how to show that love to others in honor of you.

I am

Copied from Isick Alba via Facebook