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.

The Morning Watch

The Morning Watch


And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic,

Exodus 14:24 ESV

Picture taken during my vacation with loved ones in New Hampshire 

God is ever vigilant, ever watchfully of you. In this verse the Israelites are fleeing from the Egyptians and God has parted the Red Sea to make for their escape. During this time as the children of Israel were leaving Egypt, God had a visible pillar of fire and cloud in front and behind the people constantly, day and night. This was a visual comfort for the Israelites to reassure them of God's presence. The verse says in the morning watch, God looked down. The morning watch as you may know is when someone is posted to guard others in the early morning time, to be observant and to be on the look-out. And when God saw the Egyptians pursuing His people, He sent them in a fury of confusion, sabotaging their efforts to recapture the Israelites. This is the same Lord God who looks over you and fights for your freedom, safety and health. Sometimes these old Bible stories are so familiar to us we loose the real truths nestled between the lines. God in His almighty power looked down from His throne and saw His people in trouble and rescued them. My God, He is a more than a Superhero, He is the epitome of power, love and strength. "The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore" Psalms 121:7,8
He protects us because He knows we need protecting, He considers you to be His child, we are not left alone to fend for ourselves in this wicked world and what a comfort it is to know that! The daily news reports are saturated with crime and natural disasters that strip the world and leave us feeling vulnerable and alone. "If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the Lord, who is refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent" Psalm 91:9, 10 Those with small children worry about the world that they are exposed to BUT we have God!! God who has redeemed you is a very present guardian, watching over you by His Holy Spirit. Trust in God, cast your cares on Him for He is listening and watching, eager to hear from you. He will protect you from your enemies and shelter you from anyone who wishes you harm. He is our protector and Saviour. In Him we have everything we need.

Dear Jesus, we come to you in a time of turmoil. Our world is full of wars, riots and crime. People do ill to one another and wickedness overflows. But we know that you reign oh Lord and that you see everything and you dispense justice and protection. Protect us as we sleep, protect our loved ones and the precious children. We call upon the Word of God which shows your promise of shelter and we hold true to it. Thank you Lord for looking over us and gracing us with your presence.

Freedom in Choices

"I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments" Exodus 6:6.

Bondage -
The state of one who is bound as a slave or serf.
A state of subjection to a force, power, or influence.


What weaknesses keep you bound? Are you a slave to anything in your life? Is it a drug addiction, a bad habit of smoking, eating unhealthy, always in a state of fear and worry, insecurity, negative thinking or even addicted to a destructive relationship? We have so many choices in our lives, but sometimes instead of choosing God's best for us, we choose what is familiar, comfortable and easy. God encourages us to choose life, "See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction" Deu 30: 15 I knew I had a choice and I knew that God's way was best for me, but sometimes I would just ignore the truth and chose to do what I wanted to do. Instead of trying to stop smoke you just give in, it feels good so why stop? Or have a physical relationship with someone who does not treat you right, or who you are not married to. Isn't it easy to just give in to the pleasure and have some fun? Don't let the devil deceive you into choosing death over life. Yes it is easier but afterwards the shame, guilt and regret sets in and soaks your soul. But be encouraged! God can and will set you free, He WILL rescue you. When you make that first initial decision to make a change in your life and follow God's will - you will be amazed at how much easier it is each time. Saying no becomes easier to say :) Say No to addiction, brokenness and passivity! Say Yes to God and stand up against those things that hold you down, look to Him for guidance and His power to help you overcome. "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you". Luke 10:19 You have the Power of God on your side. Nothing can keep you from the perfect, loving and happy life He has planned for you - you need only look to Him and let Him guide you. Let's choose life together friends, let us all choose to follow Christ!


Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank you for being my best friend and savior. Holy Spirit please remind me that Jesus did not die on the cross to save me once, but remind me that Jesus continually cleanses and saves me. Thank you for your good and perfect will and help me live according to it and have a life of happiness, love and prosperity. Amen 

Your Body is a Temple

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in  you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought  at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

This is such a lovely verse that speaks to our hearts and souls about the sanctity of our bodies by the Holy Spirit. It is phenomenal that God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, allows His Spirit to reside in us and become a part of our mind, body and heart to ensure we live in love and guidance. Just consider that verse a minute, you have the Spirit of the Living God residing in you. You have the ability and power of the Holy Spirit in you, this is not a gift you have to achieve or earn. This is a blessed gift of love that you receive from believing. "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit" Ephesians 1:13. The power of the Holy Spirit is immeasurable favor poured out on to you from God. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Gal 5:23 And these gifts are all available to us through Him.
"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you". Romans 8:11. We are sealed by God, for God. This verse is reminding us of that saving power, that against all odds you are bound to Christ and are a part of Him. Therefore honor God with your body, respect it and take care of yourself. Your body is the vessel of which you live in on earth, and we only have one - that is reason enough to take care of it the best that you can and to not abuse it. You are purified in your body, mind and heart by Jesus, so remember that and treat it as such. No matter what you have done you are made perfectly clean and whole by Jesus. Give thanks to God for His abiding presence in our lives and thank Him for the power and grace that is available to us through His Holy Spirit.

Dear Jesus, we thank you for your amazing sacrifice that led us back to God's presence. It is through you we are healed and you made the way for us to have the Holy Spirit. The cross you embraced was the bridge made to reinstate us to God and we thank you that we belong to you for you are a good God and a great Father. Help us to honor our body and to not pollute it with abuse, immoral sex and bad health. Teach us how to love and honor your presence in our lives.

You Can Be Healed

For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD. Jer 30:17

 

This verse is short and simple and can be taken literally. As Jesus walked upon the earth doing God's will - he healed many people. "He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.  Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men" Psalm 107:19-21. God sent Jesus in to the world to save us, to heal our every hurt. Not just physical pain, but emotional, mentally and spiritual healing. "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" Psalm 147: 3. The Lord God who made you, can heal you and cleanse you of all sickness and disease. Jesus' stories of healing people in the Bible are not mythical, magical stories from the past, this is a truth that you can take hold of today. "For I am the Lord, I change not" Mal 3:6. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever". Hebrews 13:18. I think everyone at some point asks the question, "Can God really heal me?". Even small things - if you have a headache in the morning, is your first response to ask God to remove the headache or show you what is causing the headache, or do you automatically reach for a aspirin. Sometimes Christians are not sure about the question on medicine or seeing a doctor. For example, one might think, if I am asking God to heal me should I show my faith by not taking my medicine and wait for God to heal me? God wants to heal you, He wants to bind up your wounds and release you from the bondage of sickness. God gives doctors and scientist the knowledge and wisdom to produce medicine, procedures and treatments that help us heal, be strengthened and cured. I think God treats each of us individually and lovingly, every case is different, ask Him to establish your steps and help you. If you pray and seek God for answers for a on-going problem you have, there is no doubt He will guide you to truth and put people in your life that can help you."If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you" James 1:5. Inquire of God, hold fast to His truths and believe that He can do miracles in your body and mind just as He has done before and is doing today. "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10 And in the end, let God's will be done, we can not question His ways but I do know He is in charge and will comfort you and love you no matter what the circumstances are. I pray blessings, peace and good health to you in the Name of Jesus. Amen. Don't stop believing.

Also here are some great books I read on healing:

 - Healing Promises by Joseph Prince

 - Christ the Healer by F.F. Bosworth

 - Be Healed in Jesus' Name by Joyce Meyer

Bright New Skies

What a beautiful day. The sun graced the sky this morning with hues of pink and lavender, the waves rolled with morning vigor, the trees swayed in the lazy sea breeze and I celebrate my 26th birthday today!! I've been in valleys and I have been on top of some mountains and I thank God for every trail and trouble for they made me stronger. I have suffered pain, but every morning brought joy and gladness to see another day. To know that whatever happened the day before - was in the past and it is my gift (and yours) to start over on a new day. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 I thank God for every blessing in my life, my family, my friends, my readers, my job, my home, my writing and my health. Everything good in my life comes from Him and I am so blessed. Show Your marvelous loving-kindness, O You Who save by Your right hand those who trust and take refuge in You from those who rise up against them. Psalm 17:7 Maybe not with riches and material things (they're coming soon though! lol), but with a love so strong it has helped me to move past sorrows and scares. .I am in a place of freedom now because He has taught me how to forgive and how to love, which was something I could not do on my own. So on this bright morning give thanks for all that you have and all that God has in store for you. In our broken world with wars and countless victims, children fighting for their lives and hate, let us learn to love each other and fight for the greater good, to give of ourselves as we can and to stand up for peace and love. Surround yourself with like-minded people who encourage you and inspire you, respect those you work for and if you are in a valley right now -stay in His Word and be encouraged, He has never lost sight of you and is working in the background. Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. Psalm 89:33

 I pray His blessings, peace and love be on you and yours, now and forever.

- Krystal
(Broken to chosen)