Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Because of God's GRACE

God has implanted his law in our hearts for it is how our conscious distinguishes between right and wrong.  Therefore, no one is without excuse on judgment day.  God has also given us the ability to choose to serve Him or the devil- who is the master of this world for he is the reason why there is so much evil in the world today. 

So some ask, why choose for when I die I will no longer be living? Well, I can tell you that is further from the truth.  When we physically die it does not mean we no longer exist, no, our souls/spirits live on, now, whether we go to be with God or hell it is all up to YOU.  You choose your destiny because God has given you the privilege to decide what you want.

For Jesus came to give us life and give it more abundantly.  He was born of the Virgin Mary, lived on earth among us, died on the cross, resurrected on the third day, and ascended to his Father.  Now, once we have acknowledged and accepted God’s truth which is the gospel of Christ-the good news, we are born again of the spirit becoming Christians- followers of Christ.  We have been given the opportunity to make things right with God.  His grace and love reconciles us back from the time Adam and Eve disobeyed Him and ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Repenting of our sins and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ has our Savior and Lordship of our lives keeps you from going to hell- a place created for the devil and his angels, a place where there is constant pain, agony, and suffering- a place where you no longer will have contact with God.  How horrible!

Lake of Fire

So some are saved, but still live as those people in the world live, why?  Well, they have not allowed the word of God to convict and work in their lives.  To experience spiritual change in our lives, we need to receive, accept and allow God’s holy word to transform our hearts, minds and souls.   You see many of us are attempting to play God with our lives which we fail miserably.  God’s power through his Spirit, who is in us, empowers us to change.  When we submit to his word, we make Jesus Christ Lordship of our lives. 

My friends, God has been very patient with us all, therefore, we have to get our hearts right before him.  Salvation is the good news of Jesus Christ- who was in the beginning, is and will come. 

Yes, it is not easy to submit to God’s will, but we have to ask Him to reveal his truth to us for it shall set us free, and that is a promise.  Amen!

+EWSF

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Glory Glory to our GOD

Psalm 104 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honor and majesty.

Let us praise our God this morning because of who He is.  Let us lift up His name and thank Him for His unfailing love and faithfulness.  Jesus is our Lord our strength and refuge.  Don’t stumble over your thoughts and be deceived by the culture of this world.  No, but be transformed by the words of the Lord for He will change your thinking; He will equip you so you can stand against the wiles of the enemy.  

Jesus is your Armor, your Shield, your Shelter his wings will cover your soul and protect you for the rest of your days.

Rejoice!  Rejoice!  For you serve a GOD that is able to withstand anything that comes against his children.  There is nothing in this universe, cosmos, or world that can defeat your GOD.  Holy!  Holy!  Everything and everyone will bow down to our king one day.  Alleluia!  Jesus!  Come and let us worship our Lord with Praises, let us magnify His name for He is holy and faithful.

Lord have mercy upon us, O Lord; for we are weak: O LORD, heal us; transform us to your likeness and peal off everything in our lives that does not bring you Glory!  Jesus you are our master, our healer, our refuge there is nothing in the world that we would desire more than YOU!  Amen! 

+EWSF


Monday, March 24, 2014

GOD

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Do you know who the Word is?  The Word that took human flesh to captivate our hearts. The Word that was and is to come depicted in the scriptures as fully divine and fully man.

He created the heaven and earth for there was nothing formed without Him nor will there ever be anything form without Him.   His hands knitted us together in our mother’s womb for He predestined us before the foundations of the earth were formed. You were always on His mind, in everything He created, you were the life He cared about.  For everything on earth was created for our ownership, and even though, we handed over our kingship to the god of this world, God has reconciled everything back to Himself by Himself.  Amen!

We serve a powerful, mighty, sovereign God for without Him nothing is.  The everlasting eternal God is a spiritual being with all-power and majesty.  The God we serve has no cause for Christ is the Creator and Sustainer.  Yes, our minds cannot fully comprehend the complexity of the Trinity but we apprehend that the same God that created the heaven and earth is the same God that holds everything together.  He is all in all!  

God loved us so much that He took human form to save us from condemnation, to save us from eternal hell, for we were created to fellowship with Him, to be loved by Him, and to take part in His glory.  Jesus is the reason for LIFE.  

Come let us thank our sovereign God for all His blessings upon our lives.  He has gone through immeasurable lengths to win our hearts. 

+EWSF



Tuesday, March 18, 2014

You are merciful

O LORD, we are thankful for your grace and merciful ways.  We are grateful that you have preserved our lives for eternity, and saved us from all our iniquities.  O God, you are loving, gracious, and wonderfully good to us.  Your heart continuously searches our inner thoughts, guides our every move, and faithfully seek to transform us with your word.  O Lord, we love you and sincerely desire to stay in your will.  Empower us with your word, instill your ways in our hearts, drive us to our destinations for you only know where shall we go. 


All our hope is in you.  Continue to dwell in the hearts of your righteous people, for we live by your word, and trust that it will guide us to do your will.  Reveal your inner thoughts to your children and bless us with your knowledge and wisdom so we can become stronger in our faith.  We want more of you Lord, more of you, we want to be consumed by your presence for there is nothing greater than this.  We desire that your will be done in our lives and that your strength empowers us to be faithful people in all our ways. 

Thank you for your faithfulness, your patience and for being so merciful and gracious in all your perfect ways.  Your love is everlasting constantly transforming us to your likeness.  We want to glorify you, we want excel and stand strong in our faith and your truth.


We honor you with our lives.  Amen!

+EWSF

Monday, March 17, 2014

Perfect love cast out all fear

1 John 4:18  There is no fear in love; but love cast out fear, because fear has torment.  He that fears is not made perfect in love.



God is love, and we know that His perfect love is in us.  His Spirit has given power, love and a sound mind to help us overcome anything that comes against us.  God’s power and love will always protect and save us.  You and I are sheltered by His mighty wings and protected by His Armor of Love. 

Let’s not grow weary and anxious about nothing, but instead, let’s consume ourselves with His peace that surpass all understanding and guards our hearts, and embrace everything that is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. 

O’ Lord, thank you for the making your strength work perfect in our weaknesses.  Strengthen our faith, so we can do all things according to your will.  I know that our imperfections limit us from pleasing you, however, I know we walk by faith and not by sight. We believe in you and therefore you have given us the authority and power to ask for anything in your name for it shall be given to us according to your will.  Thank you for believing in us and given us the most powerful weapon we can ever posse, which is your WORD.  Continue to guard our hearts so we can project your love through our lives.     



We believe in your name and continue to seek you with all our heart, mind and soul.  O’ Lord, work in us and do as you wish with our lives for we surrender all to you- our King. 

We love you Lord, thank you for all your blessings.   


+EWSF

Thursday, March 13, 2014

God's light shines in you


Photo: God's light shines in you

Corinthians 4:6-12 6 The Scriptures say, “God commanded light to shine in the dark.” Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ.

http://encouragewomentostandinfaith.blogspot.com/2014/03/gods-light-shines-in-you.html#.UyG8S_ldVP9
Corinthians 4:6-12 
The Scriptures say, “God commanded light to shine in the dark.” Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ.


We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again. 10-11 We face death every day because of Jesus. Our bodies show what his death was like, so that his life can also be seen in us. 12 This means that death is working in us, but life is working in you.

Did you hear that?  You have God’s good treasure stored within you.  It is no longer a mystery, He has revealed His inner thoughts to you.  Your strength and power comes from Him.  He did not promise us a life without pain and suffering, however, He did promise us that He will never leave us. He will be right there fighting our battles every step of the way. 
 
Today, we are grateful to experience His power and blessings in our lives.  Therefore, keep believing in Him, keep running the race towards the heavenly things, keep the Lord first in your life.  When you get knocked down “GET UP” don’t stay down for you serve a God that has all the solutions for your life, and is able to provide you with protection. 

Psalm 92:12-15 
Good people will prosper like palm trees, and they will grow strong
 like the cedars of Lebanon. 
They will take root in your house, Lord God,and they will do well.  They will be like trees that stay healthy and fruitful, even when they are old.  And they will say about you, "The Lord always does right! God is our mighty rock.



We are God’s priority.  He will never stop pursuing his people.  Amen!


+EWSF

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Seek and you will find HIM!

Romans 8:25 However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it.

Don’t lose hope nor become anxious, weary or troubled about anything because you'll wind up stepping ahead of God and destroying his plans for you.  Always remember that He has nothing but blessings for you. 

We perfectly know that God has great plans for us and wants to get us to a better place.  There is nothing God would not do for us.  When you bring your petitions to him, believe that He will provide, He will not fail you. 

Don’t give up!  Don’t go by your feelings for they are irrelevant to God’s word.  Instead, with all your strength, seek the Lord for He will deliver you from all your fears and provide you with all you needs.  God is faithful and loving.

I promise you, you will delight in Him all the days for your life.  He will give you more than you have imagined for you have not yet imagined the things God has in store for you.

Seek the Lord, and you will find Him.  Don’t lose hope!  He does not give up on us neither should we give up on Him.  Amen!


+EWSF

Monday, March 10, 2014

You are not perfect But He is!

Joshua 1:9 I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.



You've heard your Lord, be strong and brave.  Go and do whatever your heart desires for He is with you.  What or who is stopping you?  

I am lost for words…God is with us all.  He will stay with us till the end of our journey. Our paths have been carved by our Lord, what we need to do now is walk by faith and not by sight.  We have to believe that the desires that come from our hearts come directly from our master’s heart.  God equips us for the battle do not think for a second that your strategic plans come from you, no, they all come from the Holy Spirit of God. 

God will drive you where you need to be, continue to walk in his path no matter how many times you fall - just get up, lift your head up high and move forward.  Don’t allow the enemy to take you down and keep you down.  Jesus has overcome the world therefore receive what’s yours, receive what has been taken from you, and believe that you will receive everything your heart desires. 

Yes, you and I are not perfect, but He, who is in us, IS.  The Spirit will help us please God.  He will fight for us. He will come against anything or anyone that comes against us.  Remember, that God is always for us, and we perfectly know that there is absolutely nothing that can come against the Creator of creation... 

Don’t lose hope!  Continue to hope for the things that are unseen for God will bring them to pass.  There is nothing that God will not do for his children.  He will make it happen for you.  Don’t stop believing, Don’t Stop having faith, but with all your might grow in your faith.  Don’t believe your current situation, God will change it… Don’t lose hope!  God is with YOU, He will never leave you, He lives in you…

Ask and you shall receive for you don’t have because you don’t ask.  Again, I say, Ask Him, because you serve a God with unlimited power, nothing is impossible with God.  

When the world says there is no hope it will never happen it is just impossible, our Faith in God tells us Yes there is, "For I serve a God of miracles, a God that loves his children and will do anything for them."  He will never give up on us.

Amen!  Amen!  Amen!  There are no limits with God.  Whatever you need He will provide.  He is Johovah Jireh the Great Provider.





Friday, March 7, 2014

The Intercessor

Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, 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.

Sometimes, we find ourselves in positions where we don’t know how to proceed, but thank God for the Holy Spirit.  God has not only given us the opportunity to pure our hearts and desires out to Him, He even provides the Holy Spirit to intervene in our prayers.  God knows we need an intercessor, someone who can interpret our inner thoughts to Him.

There are times we find ourselves incapable of uttering a word due to the emotional, physical or mental state we are in.  However, this is where the Holy Spirit comes in to help us, to speak for us, to translate our prayers according to God’s will.  While the Spirit intercedes for us, He is also asking God to provide us with our needs, with a remedy.

At times, all it takes is being still in the Spirit, just allowing Him to be the mediator between you and God for they both know what we truly need.


Psalm 33:20-22

20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.


+EWSF




Thursday, March 6, 2014

He will come!

John 14:2-3 Jesus said to his disciples, “There are many rooms in my Father’s house.  I am going there to prepare a place for each of you.  After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me.  Then we will be together.”


This is the hope we have in Jesus that one day we will all be together full of happiness, joy, and peace.  We look forward to being in perfect fellowship, communion and love with Him.  Jesus has carved the perfect path for us.  His death has set us free…don't focus too much on your circumstances, issues or problems, instead focus on the heavenly blessings for your reward will be greater.  You will look back and say, it was all worth it….I have gained it all through Christ who strengthens me.  His death has brought us victory, we are conquerors, and righteous.  Perfect in God’s eyes. 

God’s grace has given us the opportunity to repent, receive salvation through his son’s death, and bestowed abundant blessings upon us.  We have gained it all through Jesus’ death for there is nothing you can gain in this world that supersedes it.

It is a promise!  Jesus will come back for us.  He will come back for all those people who have accepted his message of salvation.  Rejoice for the time will come when we will all be with our Father praising and exalting His name. 

Jesus is King, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Everlasting God….There is no greater name on earth with this power… Jesus has all powers!

We will all praise Him that day saying:  Holy, Holy, Holy is the Almighty God, the one who was, is, and has come.   

God’s grace is upon us all, and we must continue sharing his gift with others for we don’t know when his return will be. 


+EWSF

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Strengthen your faith and believe

Believe that God is always with you!  Stop doubting!  Strengthen your faith!  Keep moving towards Him!  Live for Christ!  Allow His Spirit to give you knowledge and wisdom. 

There is no situation that you are going through that limits his power over your life.  He will rescue you.  He will bring you out of it victoriously.  Don’t stop having faith, but in everything strengthen your faith in Jesus, your Lord and Savior.  Recall that you are already a winner.  He has defeated death for you nothing can strip you off his hands.
 
He has brought you out of death to his eternal kingdom with the opportunity to share in his glory.  While the enemy accuses us day and night, Jesus is our advocate constantly pleading our case before his Father.  The accuser has no power over us for God has already forgiven us for all our sins through his son, Jesus.  Romans 8:34 says, Who then is the one who condemns?  No one.  Christ Jesus who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  

Therefore, Rejoice!  He loves you!  He cares for you!  Stop feeling guilty!  Stop feeling ashamed!  Rejoice for God sees you perfect in Christ.

Jesus said in John 14:21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.  He who loves me will be loved by the Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.
 
Amazing!  God and his Son, Jesus Christ desire to be loved by us.  Their love for us is unconditional, however, they will never force their love on us nor would they force us to love them.  Amen!  
  
+EWSF

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Pray with confidence

John 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Our confidence in Jesus comes from who He is and reliance on what he does for us

Colossians 1:16 For by Jesus all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.  Therefore, since everything was created for him, it means that you were created for him to worship him, for nothing else.  We are his creation, not our own.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  God protects and guides us; he is constantly watching over us.  His power gives us strength to withstand all circumstances.  Our relationship with God should be at an intimate level in order for us to have a clear understanding of what his will is for our lives.  We need to be in constant prayer and meditation of his word for it is the only strength we have.  

Psalm 91:14-16 guarantees us that Jesus hears us when we call out his name. “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." 

Therefore, if we have confidence that Jesus is for us and will do anything for us, then trust that he will get you through it.  Trust that God has a purpose for everything you are going through, and believe that He is with you at all times.  James 5:16 says, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."  Always remember that you are righteous in Christ for there is nothing that will separate you from the love of God.  

John 5:17 Jesus said to them, “My Father is always doing his work. He is working right up to this very day. I am working too.”


+EWSF

Monday, March 3, 2014

Is your salvation manifested in your lifestyle?

John 3:5 Jesus answered, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can enter God’s kingdom without being born through water and the Holy Spirit. People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised when I say, ‘You must all be born again.”

Can you really say you have been born again and saved?  Is there evidence in your life to support it?

Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Now, I ask you, are you living up to these verses?  Is your life reflective on what the Lord has done on the cross for you?  Is your lifestyle impacting people's lives in a spiritual and positive way? 

There is no doubt that we are going to fail in some areas of our lives, however, it should not be to the extent that we are living as those in the world; otherwise, how else are we going to impact the lives of others as Christ did.  You may say, isn't it enough just to say that we are believes, Christians, followers of Christ, and that we have accepted the Lord as our Lord and Savior?  Absolutely not, we are to live a holy life to the best of our ability.  What else are we doing as Christians if we are not living as Christ commanded us to live?  Who are we fooling? We are only fooling ourselves.  Remember that we were chosen by God, by his foreknowledge, and not by anything we have done. We have been sanctified, set aside, to do his will, not ours.

On a daily basis, we ought to reexamine our lives to see where we need to change for Paul was clear about this in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.  16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

We are strong Christians and no longer should be struggling over the little things, and be done with the baby things in Christ.  But instead, we should be in the process of being matured in Christ. 

Ask yourselves, how long does God have to deal with your immaturity?  When are you going to allow his Spirit, which is in you, to transform you out of spiritual babes to spiritual maturity. 

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. 

We cannot impact others if we ourselves are not being impacted by the Word of God.


+EWSF