Wisdom Word Wednesday ~ Renew Strength

Happy Hump Day everybody!! Today is officially the last Wednesday of September. The next time you read a Wisdom Wednesday Post will be in October!! Crazy.....right?!? I mean can someone please slow down the time!! I'm just not ready!!



**Sigh.** Okay, now that I have taken the time to exhale, let's move on. How many times can you recall feeling so weak and helpless in a situation? As for me, I think I have lost count. When going through difficult times, some of us may tend to look for other resources (whether it's a person, food, or other outlets) to provide us with strength to get us through tough times.



Of course, when we know very well our truest and only source for our strength is God. With that being said, we should be wise enough to allow God to renew our strength. Renew means to spring up, to change, to grow up, and to go forward. God renews our strength to be better and stronger than what we were before our situation. You won't stay down or defeated. He's going to to spring you up. You are going to change from old to new. You are going to grow from a lesson learned. Then from there, you are not going to look back, but press forward and fulfill the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.



Here's the bottom line. When God renews your strength, He will lift you up from the deepest pit, give you wings like an eagle to soar above your situation, the ability to run, and the authority to walk inside the enemy's camp (without an ounce of fear or even the desire to faint under pressure) and take back every single thing that the devil has stolen from you. 


(Can I get a HALLELUJAH!?!)



So,if at any time you may feel like you are too weak to go on, just call upon our almighty God in the name of Jesus.

Tuesday's Prayer ~ Weariness

To my dearest Heavenly Father,


I thank you beyond measure for your grace, love, mercy, and peace. There are many times where I have been so very weary and heavy laden in my spirit to the point where I just want to give up. But, You, oh Lord, always find a way through Your word a message, or even a song to remind me that my trial will only last but for a moment.




And I just have to wait on You to turn my mess into a message and in due time I will reap a harvest and faint not. Heavenly Father, I admit that it gets hard sometimes to wait. However, I remember what you said in Isaiah 40:13, "Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."




I stand and believe in Your word, which will not return void. Thank you in the name of Jesus for giving me the strength, the endurance, and the mind to wait. I give you all the praise and glory in the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Manic Monday ~ 14 Blessings From Waiting on God

Welcome to Manic Monday!! I hope and pray that everyone had a great weekend; And is ready to begin another week. This week's themed scripture is Isaiah 40:31. It says, "But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." Amen to that!! 

 In a post from another one of our scripture themed week, we explored the word WAIT. If you would like to read that post, click HERE.  Moving right along. Let's define WAIT again. Shall we? :)
        wait ~ [hebrew word:qavah; #6960] - to wait for, expect, hope, the idea of waiting hopefully



Waiting is not an opportunity for you to become discourage or doubt in God's word and His abilities to do far above what we can ever imagine or think. Instead, this is an opportunity to grow in godliness, to become strong in the Lord, to believe in the name of Jesus that you have the victory, to srengthen your faith walk, to draw closer to God. In addition to that, the Lord will bless those who wait on Him.


Speaking of being bless, according to The Dake Bible, there are 14 BLESSINGS from waiting on God. There are as follow.....

1. Salvation - (Genesis 49:18; Psalm 62:1)
2. Daily Necessities - (Psalm 104:27-28; Psalm 145:14-15)
3. Instruction - (Psalm 25:4-5; Psalm 106:13)
4. Answers to Prayer - (Psalm 25:21; Psalm 40:1-3)
5. Courage (Psalm 27:14; Psalm 31:24)
6. Protection and Help - (Psalm 33:18-22)
7. Inheritance - (Psalm 37:7-9)
8. Hope - (Psalm 130:5-6)
10. Renewed Strength - (Isaiah 40:31)
11. Blessings - (Isaiah 30:18; Isaiah 64:4)
12. Boldness - (Isaiah 49:23)
13. Goodness to God - (Lamentations 3:25)
14. Holy Spirit Power - (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8)

After reading this list, please fully understand that your waiting is not a waste of time nor is it in vain. In the midst of your waiting, "give God thanks, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And be steadfast, immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor (YOUR WAITING) are not in vain," (1 Corinthians 15:58, with emphasis added mine).

Sunday Scripture Reading ~ Isaiah 40:31

Welcome to Sunday Scripture Reading!! We are in the last week of September!! Wow!! Can you believe it?? I don't think I can. Be that as it may, the show must go on. Our themed scripture this week and today's Scripture Reading is Isaiah 40:31.



"But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."


This scripture is a redemptive promise from God. Isaiah 40:29-30 says, "He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,". This lets me know that even the strongest and the most powerful people may faint as well as grow weary and fall. However, there is a "but." If you wait on God, He promises to do four things.

1. Renew your strength
2. Mount up wings like eagles
3. Run and not be weary
4. Walk and not faint

God does not want us to give up or breakdown, when things seem like there are not going right. He wants to redeem, renew, and restore us in the name of Jesus and by the power of Holy Spirit. If you are in need of strength from God, If you feel weary in your spirit, or if you are in need of a change, join me this week as we dig a little deeper in His word.



  Other Bible Translations for Isaiah 40:31
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint. (nlt)


But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.  (niv)



But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind. (msg)



But those who trust in the Lord for help
will find their strength renewed.
They will rise on wings like eagles;
they will run and not get weary;
they will walk and not grow weak. (gnt)



But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. (amp)

Saturday's Stop & Reflect ~ Psalm 33:20-22

This Week's Scripture September 16 - September 22, 2012
   

Nuggets of Reflection:


The Holy Spirit is our Helper and our Comforter

We need the Holy Spirit to help us deal with the ups and downs of our lives as well as to endure the not-so-great things of the world system.


Make it a lifestyle to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit teaches us the way Jesus ministered, while staying in tune with our Heavenly Father.

Never be afraid to ask the Holy Spirit for help.









     

Psalms 33:20-22
Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him,  Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.








Happy Fall | Forward this Picture







"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." (John 14:26)

Feel Free Friday ~ Ask Him For Help

TGIF, everybody!!! I know so many of you are pratically doing cartwheels because you are so glad that it is Friday!! Well, I know you are ready to get your weekend started so I won't take too much of your time.



If you are joining us for the first time, our theme is based on John 16:13-15. It's such a blessing to have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us. As I stated, in previous posts from this week, I talked about the Holy Spirit being our Helper. So, for today's Feel Free Friday, I want you to feel free to ask the Holy Spirit to help you.

If you need help with building more of an intimate relationship with God, ask Him. If you need help with your finances, ask Him. If you need help in your marriage, ask Him. If you need help in parenting, ask Him. Even if you need help in school, ask Him. Jesus did not go away for anything. He went away so that the Holy Spirit can come to help and teach us all things.




Do not be afraid to ask for help. "...Where do our help come from? Our help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth," (Psalm 121:1-2).  And there is nothing our God cannot handle when it comes to helping us. So, I say it again....ASK HIM for help.

Quench Your Thirst Thursday ~ Holy Spirit Come Fill This Place By: Cece Winans

It's Quench Your Thirst Thursday time!! This week we have been talking about the Holy Spirit from John 16:13-15. Jesus went away so that we can have a Helper, a Comforter, a Counselor. God knew that the law alone would not be enough to sustain our relationship with Him. We needed power above all powers to guide and lead us in the way He would have us to go. And for that, I thank God in the name of Jesus.



So, for today's Quench Your Thirst Thursday, we are listening to "Holy Spirit, Come and Fill This Place" sung by one of my favorite contemporary gospel singers....Cece Winans. In order for the Holy Spirit to take up residence within us, we must first invite Him in by confessing our Lord, Jesus Christ, as our Savior. If you haven't accept Jesus as your own personal Savior and would like to begin a new life with Him, please click HERE.  Then return to this post.  :)




I pray this song is a blessing to you as it is always to me. The lyrics are included. Enjoy!!

Wisdom Word Wednesday ~ Ministry

Happy Hump Day!! You are officially half way through this week. Aren't you excited? Woo Whoo!! This week our themed scripture is based on John 16:13-15. However, for today's Wisdom Word Wednesday, I want to focus on verses 14 and 15. It says, "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."



The Wisdom Word for today is ministry. Spreading and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation and the key point for our ministry. The books of the bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John gave prime examples of how Jesus ministered to people. Because of the Holy Spirit we have the power to minister to others like Jesus did.   He ministered to people unselfishly, with compassion and righteousness. We should be wise to allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to go forth in ministry the way God intended and planned.




The Holy Spirit teaches us the way Jesus ministered, while staying in tune with our Heavenly Father. As we go forth in our ministry, the Holy Spirit will teach us how to do things in decency and in order as well as not to selfishly bring attention to ourselves. We are to minister to God's people according to His plans, not with our own hidden agendas.

Tuesday's Prayer ~ My Helper, My Comforter

To my Dearest Heavenly Father,

All can say is WOW!! A million thanks would not be enough to show you how much I appreciate all that you have done for me. Before I was conceived in my mother's womb, you did more than I can ever imagine. You created a place for me to live. You sacrificed your Son so that I may not die, but live. After all that, You sent me a Helper, a Comforter through Your Son,Jesus.



And all you ask of me is to give You the glory, be a reflection of Your precious Son, Jesus, bring other people into Your kingdom, and live a life that is pleasing in Your sight. Thank You Father for sending me someone who can help lead me in the way that You have prepared for me. Also, thank you for comfort when in I am in distress or when I feel so alone. You are my Help, my Strength, and my Refuge in the presence time of trouble.



Thank You, my Father, for sending me an advocate to stand for justice on my behalf, when so many have tried to do me wrong or judge me. I need the Holy Spirit, like the desert need the rain and like the earth need the sun.  Thank You for never taking Him away when I was disobedient. Thank You for giving me power and authority through Your Spirit and Your Son to rebuke the devil and to speak any hindrance that tries to distract me from Your grace and mercy. I love and praise Your Holy name. In the name of Jesus I pray....Amen.

Manic Monday ~ The Helper

According to John 16:7, the Holy Spirit is our Helper. We need our Helper if you want to dive deep into further truth, which Jesus told His disciples in John 16:12, that they could not bear at that time. However, the Holy Spirit fulfills that work of understanding the truth in Ephesians 1:17-18.

    Helper - [Greek word:parakletos strong's# 3875] ~ the word signifies an intercessor, comforter, advocate, counselor
The Helper in the natural sense symbolizes an attorney that appears on our behalf; pro bono, of course. Our themed scripture for this week is......,

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." (John 16:13-15)

We need the Holy Spirit to go forth in our true ministry that God has purposed for us. We need the Holy Spirit to help us deal with the ups and downs of our lives as well as to endure the not-so-great things of the world system.



The Holy Spirit plays a major role in our spiritual growth. Once again, the Holy Spirit is our Teacher, Counselor, Guide, Advocate, Attorney. "He is our source for true spiritual understanding. He lifts up Jesus and builds up believers enabling them to live the Christian life," (The New Spirit Filled Decision).




That's why we are able to "seek (aim at and strive after)first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right)," so that all of our other needs will be met in the name of Jesus. Make it a lifestyle to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit. He can Help you draw closer to God like never before and to live a Christian life that He had predestined you to live in the glorious name of Jesus.

Scripture Sunday Reading ~ John 16:13-16

Welcome!! It's Scripture Sunday Reading. Sunday is considered to be (for most people) the last official day of the weekend. So, relax and enjoy your Sunday as you prepared for the work week. Now, let's get started. 
 

In John 16:7, Jesus informed His disciples that He has to go away in order for our Helper to come to us. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the HELPER will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."



Our Helper is the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to help us and guide us through all things. Having said that, our themed scripture for this week is John 16:13-15.

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." (John 16:13-15)

It's the Holy Spirit who gives us the power in the name of Jesus to be effective in our ministry in order to attract people to the kingdom of God. We are so bless to have the Holy Spirit on our side. Nonetheless, I realize sometimes that I don't activate the power nor the gifts of the Holy Spirit as often as I should.



However, that's going to change as I dig a little deeper in the word    of truth each time. The power and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are definitely an upcoming bible study. Stay Tuned. In the meantime, let's wait and see what God reveals to us this week in regards to     John 16:13-15.







            Other Bible Translations for John 16:13-15 "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.  He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me." (nlt)




"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.  All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (niv)





"When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak of what he hears and will tell you of things to come. He will give me glory, because he will take what I say and tell it to you. All that my Father has is mine; that is why I said that the Spirit will take what I give him and tell it to you." (gnt)





"But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you." (amp)

Saturday's Stop and Reflect ~ Psalms 5:11-12

This Week's Scripture September 9 - September 15, 2012

   

Nuggets of Reflection:

• Refuse to let anything separate you from God's love.
• When going through hardships, you must acquire (or even beforehand develop) an inward certainty that God loves you no matter what.
• Going through hardships, doesn't mean that God has taken away His love. In fact, it's His way to take what devil meany for harm; He will make for good.
• When others begin to see how much you love and trust God wholeheartedly, whether during the good or the bad, they, too, will be fully persuaded in God's love for them.
• Promise yourself that you will hold on to God's everlasting, unconditional, heart-warming love.

         
Psalms 5:11-12
But let all those rejoice who put their  trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.


For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

Feel Free Friday ~ Hold On To God's Love

Aren't you glad it's Friday?? First, give yourself a pat on the back for making it through the week. Thank you Lord for your strength and mercy that carried us through each day, everyday. It's a blessing to serve a God who loves us so much that He gave us angels to watch over us every step of the way.




Speaking of God's Love, for today's Feel Free Friday, I want you to feel free to hold on to God's love with every fiber of your being. There is nothing that you can do or say to make God love you any less. God would never take His love from His precious sons and daughters. The only person that can block God's Love from dwelling in your heart is you.




Promise yourself this day that no matter how difficult or gut-wrenching a situation may be, you will not separate yourself from the love of our Heavenly Father. Instead, promise yourself that you will hold on to God's everlasting, unconditional, heart-warming love. I thank Jesus for providing us with a way to share in this glorious love. So, hold on and don't separate yourself from God's love. Have a blessed weekend!!

Quench Your Thirst Thursday ~ My Life, My Love, My All By: Kirk Franklin

Are you ready to quench your thirst? Are you tired of being spiritually dehydrated? Well, I am here to tell when you drink from the living waters of Jesus, you will never thirst or get dehydrated again. Amen and Amen.

So, join me for today's Quench Your Thirst Thursday. Just  to do a little recap, our themed scripture for this week is from Romans 8:38-39,.....



"For I am persuaded that
neither death nor life,
nor angels nor principalities
nor powers, nor things present
nor things to come,
nor height nor depth,
nor any other created thing,
shall be able
to separate us from
the love of God
which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord."  
With that in mind, I thought Kirk Franklin's song, My Life, My Love, My All, fits perfectly with this week's theme. Jesus is our Life, our Love, and our All. And we should not allow anyone or anything separate us from His Love. The video you see below is made by yours truly. :)  It's one of my favorite worship songs by Kirk Franklin. The lyrics are included. I pray that it will be a blessing to you in the name of Jesus.

Wisdom Word Wednesday ~ Persuaded

Welcome to Wisdom Word Wednesday!! I pray that your week is going good so far. If not, don't fret because God will give you all the strength needed to endure the rest of the week. For Wisdom Word Wednesday, the word is persuaded.



We must be wise to be persuaded just like Paul according to Romans 8:38, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,". In my opinion, Paul didn't have to be persuaded about anything separating him from God's love by what he saw; Because Paul knew and trusted in God. He was more persuaded by the unseen through his eyes of faith.  Persuaded also means to be confident.






persuaded ~ [Greek Word:peitho, Strong's #3982] - means to be convinced, to be confident, have inward certainty, trust




When going through hardships, you must acquire (or even beforehand develop) an inward certainty. You must not lean on your own certainties and understanding of things. You must, however, "Lean on, trust in, and be confident (be persuaded) in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths," Proverbs 3:5-6 gnt (emphasis added mine).






Keeping this scripture in the midst of your heart, will help reassure you that nothing can, no matter how much the devil tries, separate your love from God. Because,"in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us," (Romans 8:37). Not only that, when others begin to see how much you love and trust God wholeheartedly, whether during the good or the bad, they, too, will be fully persuaded in God's love for them.





Furthermore, your life living will be more than enough persuasion to show how awesome, great, and merciful our God is in the name of Jesus.

Tuesday's Prayer ~ Nothing Separate My Love

My Dearest Heavenly Father,

You are my King. You are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You are the creator of the universe, of this nation,.....of everything. You created us in Your image. You are the lover of my soul. Thank you for seeing me before I even saw myself. You know everything about me, the number of hairs on my head, my flaws, and even my heartbeat.



Thank You for loving everything about me. I love You my heavenly Father. The love I have for You is not based on how you bless me or what you can do for me. But, for who You are. You are a promise keeper. You are my bestest friend. You are an everlasting Father. You are my Source not my resource. Even more than ever before, I realize I cannot live without Your love.



My prayer is that everyone will experience and get a taste of Your amazing love. I know it's easier for some people to feel like they are abandoned by You in the midst of hard times, whether it be an illness, the loss of a loved one, tragic events, financial despair, or relationship troubles. But, I know You are always there. Just as You will always love me. I will always love you.





I promised You, my Heavenly Father..."that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—NOT EVEN THE POWERS OF HELL can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Romans 8:38-39).


In the precious and mighty name of Jesus, I prayed.  Amen.

Manic Monday ~ Graphics

It's Manic Monday time!!  I think the soundtrack for the beginning of each week should be, "I Will Survive," by Gloria Gaynor.  No matter how much we struggle with Mondays, we always manage to survive the week.  This week's themed scripture is........



"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor principalities nor powers,
nor things present nor things to come,
nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us from
the love of God which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord. "  
According to Romans 8:38-39, we should not let anything separate us from the love of God, including Mondays. So, here are few cheerful Monday graphics.