You've Already Got It!

Andrew Wommack

This is a great sermon by Andrew Wommack, entitled, "You've Already Got It."  It's part one of a series of messages he's done and I have listened to it a dozen times.  It has blessed me.  Andrew is a mighty teacher of the Word of God.  I invite you to listen to it.  I believe it will bless you also.

It's funny that some people on the internet are calling him a dangerous man!  To me that's just proof that he's on the right track.  The devil is mad and doesn't want the truth of God's Word preached.

This type of teaching is foreign to the church world today, but it is truth and the truth will set you free.

Family~A Beautiful Thing

My dad, mom, me and little sister

There's nothing more beautiful in my eyes than a man who is priest of his home, a loving, faithful wife, and their precious little children sitting together in God's house worshiping Him.  God made and ordained the family.  It was His idea, therefore, it was a God idea-a good idea.

God created a man and a woman to live together in a covenant relationship with each other with total devotion to Him.  That's the Biblical way.  With Him as the center of that relationship, all is right with the world.  Children are happy and secure.  When earthly father's lead in the ways of God and love their wives as Christ loved the church, then children have a model, a concept of what their Heavenly Father is like.  They see that God is love and God is good.

My heart is so burdened today for the family.  There are broken families all around us lying in ruins.  Why?  Because individuals make choices.  They make selfish choices.  It's about "me" in this day and age.  That's why we have millions of babies aborted, divorce is rampant, people are addicted to drugs, pornography.

The good news is you can change!  When individuals humbly bow and admit they need a Savior, who is Christ Jesus, He can restore that individual back to Him and thus restore the family.    When America has strong families, America will be strong.

Take Me To The King (a beautiful song)

I heard this song only a few weeks ago while listening to an online radio station.  I went around the house humming this tune all day.  That very night one of the contestants sang it on American Idol.  She did a fairly good rendition of it, (much better than I could do), but Tamela Mann sings it perfect and with much feeling.

If you haven't heard this song, give it a listening ear.  I believe it will bless you too.  We need King Jesus.  He's our only help and our only hope in this world.

Why It's Called Good Friday

What is Good Friday and why is it called Good Friday, when Jesus, the only Son of God died a bloody, gruesome death on Calvary's cruel cross.  What's good about that?

Good Friday is a religious holiday, observed mostly by Christians to remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and His death at Calvary.  The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover.  Good Friday is a widely-instituted legal holiday in many national governments around the world, including in most Western countries as well as in 12 U.S. states.

Crucifixion is a form of slow and painful execution in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead.  This type of execution has been since antiquity and is still practiced in some countries today.

Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb when the Holy Ghost overshadowed her.  She had never known a man, thus His birth was a Virgin birth.  He came to this earth to take back what the devil had stolen from the first man, Adam.  When Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command, the devil became the ruler, prince of this world.  Sin ushered in pain, death, and dying for all mankind, thus, when you and I were born, we were born sinners into a sinful, dying world.  Christ came to save us.  "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."  Phillipians 2:8  He was the perfect, sinless, Son of God.  A lamb without spot or wrinkle.  The perfect sacrifice.  The only One who could take away our sins, which were crimson, and make us white as snow!

Although, He had never sinned, (the Bible says, no guile was found in his mouth), He became sin for us.  He took our sins upon Himself at Calvary and the full wrath of God was poured out on Him!  That's why He cried, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me!"  He knew what it was like to be totally separated at that moment from His loving, Heavenly Father.

We know what that feels like.  We are all sinners and in need of Savior.  We have one in Jesus Christ.  He became sin, so we could be righteous.  He died, so we could live.  He was separated from His Father, so we could be reconciled back to Him.  He won the battle for us.  He died in our place, though us dying could never purchase our salvation.

The cross, represents punishment, cruelty, suffering, shame, guilt, blood, and death, but that's the irony of the cross.  To the Christian it represents freedom, love, life, and not only life, but abundant life.  That's why the Apostle Paul says, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."  I Corinthians 1:18

Stricken, smitten, afflicted, pierced, wounded, bruised, He died so that we might live.  Thank you Lord.

Minister or Ministry?

It seems like everyone these days feel they have to have a big time ministry in order to minister for the kingdom of God and that's not so.  Now God does call some into national or international ministries and they are big.  There's nothing wrong with a big ministry if that's what God's called you to do, but I think some feel they can't minister in the kingdom if they don't have a pulpit.

God can use the little grandmas who are teaching their grandchildren the ways of the Lord.  He can use the mechanic working on cars to witness to his customers.  He can use the receptionist at the front desk of a big corporation.  He can use a teacher in the classroom.  A doctor.  A nurse and even a child.  God can use anyone who will allow Him to minister to others.  

We all need to let our life shine for Him.  I Timothy 4:12 says, "Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."  One thing the world needs to see is good examples.  They need to see believers walk in love and purity and faith in their homes, in their schools, and in their businesses.

The Apostle Paul exhorts in Romans 12:17 to live above reproach in the sight of all men.  Other scriptures teach us to shun the very appearance of evil.  You should conduct yourself in a way that no one will have any doubt that you are a child of God.  Your example will go a lot further than your words.  The place where you work or go to school or even in your neighborhood might reject or argue with the words you say, but they'll never refute or forget your acts of love.

Bloom where your planted and let your light shine so that men may see your good works and glorify God.  You can be a minister of the Gospel wherever you go or whatever your doing.  You don't have to Pastor a church or have a pulpit to minister the Gospel.

Little ways to encourage others in those "down" times

Have you ever been down?  I mean really down?  I'm not talking about lying down on a bed, or in the bed sick, or falling down on the floor.  No, I'm talking about those days when you feel lower than a snake's belly.  I'm talking about those periods in life when we feel just down right depressed! Can anyone relate?  We all can, because life has a way of just knocking our legs out from under us at times.  Thankfully, it's not all the time, but it does happen and sometimes when we least expect it!

When your depressed the last thing you want is to be around people, especially happy people.  Why?  Because they just remind you of how unhappy you really are!  And they make you envious because you want to laugh and enjoy life once again.

If you have been feeling depressed for more than a few weeks, I would highly encourage you to see a doctor.  You need a complete physical exam to rule out any health problems.  Also, if your clinically depressed you may need counseling and even medication to help you through this dark time.  Depression is totally the pits!  I know.  I've been there!  But I would like to offer you encouragement today and say, "don't give up!"  There is hope and you can get better.

If you see someone who seems to be a little "down", here are some suggestions to brighten up their day.

1.  Invite them to go with you for a cup of coffee.  Talking over a cup of coffee can lift someone's
     spirit.  They may just need a listening ear.  Who doesn't in this day and time!  Everyone is so
     wrapped up in their own lives.  Learn to be a good listener and just sharing really helps.
2.  Send them a card to let them know your thinking of them.  Jot down some things you like
     about your friend.  This will encourage them.
3.  Pick up the phone and call them.  Again, be sure to listen and ask about them.  Let them talk.
     This is not the time to share all your operations or the trouble you've been having lately.
4.  Go for a walk with them at the park.  Just getting out of the house helps and this is usually the
     last thing they want, but it's what a depressed person needs.

Depression hurts.  It feels like a black cloud is hanging over your head raining only on you, while the rest of the world is experiencing sunshine and roses.  We all have our bad times, but if you have
a friend, you can make it.

Some symptoms of depression are:

1.   Doing things slowly.
2.   Your future seems hopeless.
3.    It's hard to concentrate.
4.   The joy has gone out of your life.
5.   Difficulty making decisions.
6.   Feeling sad, blue, and unhappy.
7.   Feeling fatigued.
8.   Feeling like a failure.
9.   Sleeping too much, or too little.
10. Spending time thinking about how you might kill yourself.

Again, if you have any of the above symptoms, you need to see a doctor right away!

This article is meant to raise awareness of depression and it's symptoms, but is also to offer suggestions about how to help other people through those "down" times that will pass.

Do you have any suggestions, not listed?  If so, please feel free to comment and share.

YOUR MIRACLE IS ON IT'S WAY!

Merry Christmas!  Yes, I'm a few days late, but better late than never.  Christmas came and went so fast, my head is still spinning.  Seriously, it did come and go amazingly fast, just like 2013 did.  Many, many things happened in 2013 and most were not good, so it's kind of a blessing to me that 2013 did go by so fast.

I'm praying 2014 will be better.  I'm believing for restoration and some wonderful blessings to come my way.  What about you?  What are you hoping and praying for?  Our God is a God of miracles and I'm believing for a miracle.  The word miracle keeps rising up in my spirit.  I believe it is turn around time for the children of God.

A few days ago I was telling my husband that the word miracle kept coming up in my spirit.  The very next day I read a friend's post who said exactly the same thing.  She said she kept seeing the word joy on people's Christmas trees, but the word miracle kept coming to her mind.  I was astounded, because this was exactly what I had been feeling.

So if you need a miracle, get ready, because 2014 is bringing one your way!  Do you believe it?  If so, then share this blog with your friends.