Blessed

When we think of being blessed we typically think of the fact that we have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs and certain opportunities. Those are major blessings, but there is soo much more in store for all of God’s children.

We have the blessing of Abraham, we are abundantly blessed and it is up to us to claim it. This means we can’t ask God for access to only a little of what you need or want we have to reach out for more than enough, to be soo blessed that you are able to bless others.

In fact if you think about it, you are being selfish to not want or seek more from God.You are not in this world just for yourself, you are here for a reason-you have a purpose to fulfill and that purpose no matter how great or little always involves someone else benefiting as well.

Genesis 12:1-3

New King James Version (NKJV)

Promises to Abram

12 Now the Lord had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
² I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
³ I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

All the promises that Abraham was given is also given freely to us.

We all as believers have an inheritance that is sitting there waiting to be claimed. Think of it as an inheritance from a loved one that you haven’t don’t even know it’s there or choose to ignore it. What sense does that make?  Grab a hold of it! And be blessed! Then spread the wealth!

Galatians 3:9

King James Version (KJV)

⁹ So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

Joy Of The World V.S. Joy Of The Lord

Psalm 126:5-6

New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Those who sow with tears
    will reap with songs of joy.
⁶ Those who go out weeping,
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them.

The word ‘joy’ has such a specific connotation of extreme happiness, so much so that it is often used sarcastically because “who could really be full of joy?”.

noun

1.      1.

a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

"tears of joy"

synonyms:

delight, great pleasure, joyfulness, jubilation, triumph, exultation,rejoicing, happiness,  gladness, glee, exhilaration, exuberance, elation,euphoria, bliss, ecstasy, rapture; More

However the joy of the Lord is not necessarily the kind of joy the world defines. Joy in the Lord is being able to stand in the midst of chaos and not be moved. To be able to smile when the enemy tries to knock you off course, but you push him back under your feet.

I use to think that joy was an emotion that I would filled with happiness, smiling all the time and having it easy in life for whatever period of time. I learned that this isn’t true, you can have joy and not be happy about your circumstances but have joy because you know that things get so much better because you are a child of God.

Remember to “count it all joy” even when things are “blah” or things look like it’s going “south”.

Don’t assume that just because someone is not jumping up and down, clicking their heels or smiling all the time, that they don’t have joy.

Financial Blessings

In general people are very “funny” about money in relation to religion. It has always been the general consensus that if the Pastor says anything about finances other than give to the poor, that he must want your money in some way.

However, finances play a big role in our lives because that’s how we are able to live in this world. We have to change our thinking when it comes to finances. We have to think higher than what our bank accounts reflect in order to be blessed with more.

If someone makes just enough to cover bills but doesn’t believe that their state will change for the good then they will just stay at that bare minimum. If that same person doesn’t tithe either they are easy “prey” for the enemy to take what money they do have.

Now, if that same person who just “gets by” prays and believes that they will have financial increase and doesn’t waver on their faith and tithes, they will have increase in due time and what they do have will be protected from the enemy.

You have to give to get-You have to give God your trust in Him and He will get you where you want and need to be.

Introvert

Most people whether they are Christian or not view those who are introverted as weird and sometimes scary. As a Christian most people expect you to be outgoing, socializing, going on mission trips and starting conversations with people you don’t know and being an all-around outwardly bubbly person.

There really isn’t much of a shift when someone who was already introverted becomes born again, it doesn’t automatically make you peppy and outgoing like what some expect it to be. However this is not a flaw it doesn’t mean the person isn’t saved or depressed.

One of the most awesome things about living in this world is that we are surrounded by different people with different personalities, interests and pursuits and some people who seem like your twin and share a lot of things in common.

It’s hard to understand what it’s like to be inside of the mind of an introvert and it’s equally as hard for an introvert to express their experience as one.

I am an introvert and always had been, so now as a Christian I have noticed that there has been push from other Christians, mainly the older saints, to do things that are further beyond the person’s scope. There is nothing wrong to encourage someone to go outside their comfort zone, but don’t keep pushing it. I had experienced this more so as a babe in Christ than now, however it was on my heart to share this topic now.

Introverts feel socially awkward because we typically go over what we’re going to say over and over again in our head until we feel like we are ready to say whatever it is. We usually are interested in just listening to other people talk and observe rather than interact. But we are always connected to whatever is going on, the main difference is how we communicate that we are connected.

To be continued…..

Moving On

My family recently experienced a loss in the family and the thought of death has been ever present in mind, not of doom and gloom but how everything comes together in the end.

Revelation 21:4

King James Version (KJV)

⁴ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Death to the living is so permanent because we have no other concept of what living is other than what we see with our eyes and experience on this earth. We forget or simply don’t know that we are all spirit beings and our spirits can never die or disintegrates it simply moves on to be with the Lord, assuming you have made Him your Lord and Savior.

2 Corinthians 5:8

King James Version (KJV)

⁸ We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Knowing that your loved ones have accepted Christ, don’t be worried or sadden about their departure because they have simply stepped away from their “earth suit” as Pastor Drew would say, and have gone to be with the Lord in Heaven. Although the pain of not having that person with you on the earth anymore, know that you will see them again when it’s time.

Believe and Be Free

Matthew 17:14-21

New King James Version (NKJV)

A Boy Is Healed

¹⁴ And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying,¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic^[a] and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief;^[b] for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”^[c]

Unbelief is a dangerous combination when dealing with demonic spirits. Never attempt to cast out a demon if you have any doubt in mind or spirit about anything pertaining to faith in the word of God. However it doesn’t take much to believe; you had to believe in order to become saved so with that same faith you could move mountains. Imagine the power your faith has on things/circumstances when you have built up your faith.

Faith can remove a demonic spirit out of a person, place or thing. This is why some people struggle to believe, because they haven’t witnessed demonic activity that they have been able to recognize as such. For example most everyday people would describe demonic activity as something that resembles something out the exorcist or any older paranormal movie. Fortunately and unfortunately movies are depicting real common demonic activity, however those who are ignorant to the things of God and how Satan works, just see it as something fun to watch.

Believe in every single word in the bible and you’ll have all the authority God has available to you, as a believer who walks in righteousness.

Have What You Say

Matthew 8:5-13

New King James Version (NKJV)

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

⁵ Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, ⁶ saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

⁷ And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

⁸ The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! ¹¹ And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

The power of words spoken is beyond what most people can comprehend. An employer, your parents or even you yourself can tell someone to do something and they do it. Like the centurion, his words come to pass.

This is a prime example of how we have what we say. If the centurion can have what he says he surely knew that Jesus will have what He says.

Having what we say is an amazing gift to have!

Someone is sick or injured-speak health over them and have them recover. Faced with debt that seems out of control-speak financial prosperity over your debt and have it go away sooner than projected.

*The key as a believer is to actually believe what you say, it may sound silly, but how often have you said something but didn’t really believe it… “Yeah, I’m going to win the lottery someday”, “I’ll get a new mercedes, just watch.” Don’t tell me you or someone you know has said something along those lines and know that they or you don’t really believe those things will come to pass.

Say it and mean it! That’s the only way you can have the good things you speak forth.