If anyone knows Melissa…

DAVID was left alone in a field. MOSES was left alone on the backside of the desert. NAOMI, in a strange land, ELIJAH in a cave. JACOB, JEREMIAH, JONAH and even JESUS were left alone! Be encouraged today and know, ANYTIME God gets ready to use a person in a massive way, He sets them in a place of isolation for the purpose of preparation! And The GREATER THE PREPARATION, the GREATER THE BLESSING! You may feel alone, but it will soon be worth it all!

Resist the urge to look for “signs” and pray in the Holy Ghost. That in itself is part of the distraction. The enemy’s plans are not always visible. Most of the time they are hidden. Whatever may be visible to the human eye is only the tip of the iceberg–the Holy Spirit will reveal what is beneath the surface. When we begin to see in the natural it may already be too late.

Watch in the spirit, pray in the Spirit, and listen. The Holy Spirit is here to show us things ahead of time and point us toward the truth. If we consult with Him daily, we cannot fail. He will shine the light in the unexposed areas and show us what the enemy is doing. Again- Watch in the spirit, pray in the Spirit…and LISTEN.

Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. [Proverbs 8:34-35]

A few years ago my friends and I took a trip to a conference in Virginia. While there we were talking about and sensing the winds of change beginning to blow. We even danced on our pocket change during the conversation…haha. It was a lot of fun, but we had no clue the magnitude of change that was coming and that we are all now experiencing. Change is here and some of it is very challenging. The world we live in today is not the same economically, socially or spiritually as the world of only a couple of years ago.

During changing times we can start feeling insecure and begin to question stuff concerning our lives. Some change jobs, churches, friends. Some even change their spouse, as life is not what it once was.  I guess we all are tempted to take things into our own hands and start making changes in response to changes. I believe we should be very careful in that! If there ever was a time to walk circumspectly, it is now (Eph. 5:15-18).

Some change is forced upon us and when it is we must not put our heads in the sand and hope it goes away. It is an undeniable fact that one year from now our life will be better or it will be worse, but it will not be the same. I believe one of the best things I can do is to be intentional and steward myself through theses changing times and to stay committed to the course of life that God designed for me (2 Tim. 4:7) regardless of the changing circumstances.

I say all that because I have learned through a whole lot of trial, error and angst that sometimes in life, the only thing I have control or decision-making authority over is myself. My response, attitude and focus is what I can decide upon for myself. No one has the right to determine that for me unless I give the right to them. A few years ago, I made a conscious decision that I was not going to live with a victim mentality. I was not going to allow my history, shortcomings, circumstances and what others said or did to determine the course of my life. And I am not to be a victim of change.

Change should serve us and reposition us to be enlarged and prosper (not talking monetarily necessarily here) in His kingdom. I think many at least hope that is so, but the feelings of change are so misleading that we easily misinterpret what is going on and start reacting and doing stuff that works against us. But God desires to use change to bring us into prosperity of soul and life (3 John 2). I personally define that as having and living a quality of life that inspires and benefits others.

King David is a great example of this. He not only served God in his generation (Acts 13:36), but has been a source of inspiration and an example for every believing generation since. David could have easily become a victim of his father ignoring him, his brothers resentment and put down, Saul’s insanity, his terrible sin with Bathsheba and on and on, but in the end he was the man raised up by God, the man anointed by God, the sweet Psalmist of Israel (2 Sam. 23:1). David was truly a magnet for blessings. That is the change God wants to make in all of our lives, to change us until we become and recognize that He loves us and the changes He brings forth in our lives or the changes He uses position us to advance His Kingdom and thus receive His blessing.

Dancing again this morning on change!

“Honor your father and mother, that it may be well with you and that you may live long in the earth.” This was the first command God gave that came with a promised blessing. Certainly this applies in the natural, but I believe it also applies in the spiritual and that we are to remember and honor those who have gone before us like spiritual mothers and fathers who paved the way for us to walk in the Kingdom of God.

So today I must take a moment to remember and honor one of our own spiritual fathers, Brother Lee Skidmore. I thank God for bringing him into my life. I only knew him for a little over four years but in that time he stood out as a wonderful example of Christ living in and through a man. From the day I was baptized on, he encouraged me in my walk with the Lord. He always showed me love and was happy to see me.  He always wanted to talk – about my life, about his life…and he was truly interested enough to remember details about my life that I sometimes didn’t even remember telling him. Yes, I know… he did that with most everyone. Exactly the point!!! What an example for all of us.

Each Sunday Brother Lee slowly made his way over to me, if I didn’t get to him…thus my nickname for him- “Speedy.” He always laughed at that. He allowed me to joke with him and he allowed me to pray with him.  He always smiled and was ready to praise the Lord no matter how much pain he was in. He was precious to me and I am so thankful for his friendship, his service to our community and our country, and for the spiritual legacy he left to me and all of Life Church.

I press onward on the roads that others built. Thanks for paving the way for us Brother Lee!

God bless our Military and their good work to defend and protect us. A job well done however does not necessarily make it a day of celebration. I don’t believe that the Lord rejoices in the death of the wicked. Neither should we. I mourn the death of Osama who most likely died without the Savior. For in doing so he is forever lost.

Christian brothers and sisters, we are called to love our enemies. They and many in the world are watching our responses. Let’s overcome and displace evil with good rather than celebrate the death of another.

This scripture comes to my mind: Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him. Proverbs 24:17-18

To not take up satan’s offer to gloat in the presence of someone else’s downfall is wisdom and a good allegiance of faith. It says, “I surrender my will to God on this occasion.”

I have a very supportive pastor praise God…but I listen to alot of ministers online throughout the week and I have to say I am VERY TIRED of hearing sarcasm coming from the mouths of the men and women of God regarding the benefit of short term mission trips. What if you feel called to do that? What if even one life is changed in that trip? What if it is your own? Are you telling me that one life isn’t worth it all? ….spoken from one who’s life was changed.

Here am I Lord, send me…AGAIN!!!!

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you – Matthew 5:43-44 (NKJV)

Until you forgive and pray for your enemies, you don’t know the crisis in your own spirit. Forgiving and praying for enemies opens your spirit to LIGHT. Opens up your spirit in a way that nothing else does.  It’s critical that you bless your enemies. – Mike Bickle

In a sermon on the Sermon on the Mount, Mike Bickle inserted this statement and it really spoke to me. Well to be honest it shook me up. Has me thinking tonight about something that God has been speaking to me lately….I have heard many say and even said myself, “I can forgive but I can never forget.” So glad that God did not say that in regards to me.

When I hear these words it kind of makes me sad.  I can testify both to forgiving and forgetting. I know that in my own power I could have never forgiven much less forgotten some things of my life, but in God’s power both of these really are possible. It was possible for me to actually forget and it was possible for others to forget my transgressions and sins against them. We are all human. We all have at sometimes or maybe alot of times sought to help ourselves and our own and sometimes step on, over, or around others to do that. We’ve been hurt but probably actually no more than we have hurt.

I was forgiven much by my heavenly Father and because of the sacrifice of His precious Son, I was washed white as snow. I dont deserve it one bit. I am so thankful and I believe in my heart there is nothing that can be done to me by any human that is worse than what I have done to God, my Father.

So God is speaking to me about this. There is alot of “big” evil out there but what about the everyday stuff. See there is an everyday application required here for me too. Yes I know I can walk in forgiveness and the freedom forgiveness gives and yet still I feel God wants me to take these Words of Scripture and apply them because within my spirit there is a “crisis” this minister spoke of. So, tonight I start praying for my enemies…even if it is hard.

Think I don’t have any? Think you don’t? Jesus never said just pray for and bless those that hurt your really, really bad in a violent or even public way. He didn’t qualify it like that. And He knows my heart.  Somedays I am really good about not speaking harshly about someone I don’t necessarily mesh well with but in my heart I go to places that the Lord knows I go. Maybe this is just someone that gets under my skin and on my nerves. Busted! He knows!  How about those?  Can I bless them? How about those that have blatantly spoken evil,  accused? What of those that just ignore?  Those I am offended with for whatever reason?  Tonight I pray for and bless my enemies. Tonight I want to walk in the LIGHT!

We’ll see where this goes because just something that is being developed in my heart and truly convicted me tonight.

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns — 3/28/11:

I had a vision of a mine, and I saw one of the mine shafts being dynamited so that it would collapse. This was a safety measure for the miners. And, I heard the LORD say that He is going to cut off certain areas of exploration that have been dangerous to our spiritual stability and growth.

________

This is the season for pruning – This morning in the prayer room I found myself singing the words…”Oh that I can love you more Lord”.  I felt the spirit of the Lord say if you love me more you will love the hard to love more. And then there will be a grace and an anointing on you to love them more and only then will you truly love me more. As I walk I notice that this time every year it’s a natural process of pruning the trees so the new growth can come out even more.

I had a dream in which I was to be a maid of honor. When I put on my dress, that I chose out of many “common” outfits, there were a few wrinkles in it. Just then, I noticed a person whom I knew to be very critical. When I woke up, the Lord said to me, ‎”When you do something new in ministry to My bride, there are bound to be a few “wrinkles” in it. DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE CRITICS. We’ll get the wrinkles worked out together!”

I just pray that I don’t fall into the trap of being one of the “critics”! We are all imperfect, learning and growing as we go!