Friday, April 19, 2013

Fear No More


Originally Posted April 7, 2007 but updated for today's post. :)



Picture by: Shine Design via Toia on Pinterest





The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)



"There is nothing to fear, but fear itself" is a familiar and famous quote. Fear corrupts your faith in God. Having God as your light, your salvation, and your strength, allow you to stand up, be strong and conquer all fears.




*Remember that the word of God says in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind." Fear does not have control over you; instead you have control over fear. Having the power of God dwelling in our hearts, allow us to be victims no more to fear.


"Fear is exaggerated. It can be overwhelming. It always takes you to the worst-case scenario. Fear is like a fog. It will always cloud the truth. It tries to make you stumble. It tries to block your vision and keep you from seeing the good plan God has on the road up ahead." - Joel & Victoria Osteen 


Could you ever imagine yourself living a life clouded by fog?  Fog can be so dense to a point where it's hard to see anything ahead, behind, and even on the side.  God does not want us to be trapped in a fog because of fear.  He wants us to trust Him and have faith in Him.  Faith in God allows us to see the light, have hope, and joy in our salvation.  Fear, on the other hand, keeps us trapped, surrounded by darkness, with no sense of hope or joy.






Picture by: Access-Jesus.com via Toia on Pinterest





In every and any situation, we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. So, there's no need to fear.






If you have any fears, no matter how big or small, ask God to help you conquer them. If anything, we should fear God and that's it. Be bold! Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! (Ephesians 6:10)









Your Sister in Christ,
Toia

"You are fearfully and wonderfully made!" -Psalm 139:14











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Saturday, April 6, 2013

Cheer Up or Tear Down?



"....An encouraging word CHEERS a person up."
(Proverbs 12:25) nlt




I love encouraging and inspiring people through my words. It's a wonderful feeling to lift someone's spirit. I just pray more people would take the time to build up people with their words, rather than tear them down. Having people tear you down, ridicule, or "joking" around with offensive, degrading, or disrespectful words, is anything but a great feeling. It hurts, agitates, and can have a very negative impact on one's spirit.










For example, when we have family function, my granddad loves to always and do mean always point out and I quote "How big my butt is" or "If I eat another bite of food (granted it's my first bite from my meal) I will be as big as my momma." or my favorite (sarcasm here)..."Hey everyone this one here (pointing to me) looks like she's pregnant!" (By the way I'm not that big.)



Can you say WOW!! I know right! Please tell me where the encouraging, loving words are in these statements. (Which is why I rarely attend family functions.) My family defends him by saying that's how he loves. But I know according to God's word, Love is not offensive, hurtful, disrespectful in any way shape or form. Because I know who I am in Christ Jesus, fearfully and wonderfully made, I know that I do not have to take it or stand for anyone (including family members) talking to me in any kind of way.















We are to lift our people up, edify them with our words; encouraging them, whether they are family or not. We can't say we love God; yet we kill people's spirits with our words, pulling them further away from the Kingdom of God. We are soul winners not soul losers. 

I am so blessed that God has connected me with a group of people from my church (that I call family; others my sisters) who builds me up emotionally and spiritually. The conversations we have are life-giving. We cheer each other up with our words. It's a liberating feeling every time we get together. So ask yourself....Do you cheer up or tear down?  Words can build as well as let you down.



















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Friday, April 5, 2013

Jesus, Our Advocate, Our Propitiation







I'm so bless and honored to have Jesus on my side as my Advocate. God knows that we are not perfect. He knows in some form or another we will sin everyday. But because our heavenly Father loves us so much, He appointed Jesus as our defense attorney to plead our case. In addition to being an Advocate, Jesus is also our Helper, Counselor (Lawyer), Intercessor through and by the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 John 2:1-2 reminds me of a Helen Baylor's song,






"If It Had, Not, Been For The Lord, On My Side
Where Would I Be?, Where Would I Be?.....

He Never Left Me All Alone
He Gave Me Peace And Joy I've Never Known
He Answered When I Knelt To Him In Prayer
And In Victory The Lord Brought Me This Way,
So...

If It Had, Not, Been For The Lord, On My Side
Where Would I Be?, Where Would I Be?....."





I don't think I even want to begin to imagine my life without Jesus in it!! Do you? Not only has God appointed Jesus as our Advocate, but He also provided Jesus to be the "propitiation for our sins", a covering for our sins. Propitiation means the appeasement of divine wrath by a sacrificial offering. Romans 3:25 says (amplified version),





"Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all]
as a mercy seat and PROPITIATION by His blood
[the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement
and reconciliation, to be received] through faith.
This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His
divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored
former sins without punishment."





I thank Jesus and give him all the praise for standing in the gap for my sin and coming before our Heavenly Father to plead my case, when at times I felt like I didn't deserve it. WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE IN THE NAME JESUS!!! HALLELUJAH AND AMEN!!!



























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Thursday, April 4, 2013

A Prayer for Spiritual Growth


Have you ever wanted to pray, but wasn't quite sure what to pray for? Well, if you are ever loss for words, you can always pray the word of God. You can't ever go wrong with praying God's word. One of the prayers I like to read as well as pray from the Bible is Apostle Paul's prayer for spiritual growth in Ephesians 3:14-21. It reads....




"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family
in heaven and earth is named, the
 

He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with might through His Spirit
in the inner man, that Christ may dwell
 
 
in your hearts through faith; that you,
being rooted and grounded in love, may be able
to comprehend with all the saints what is the width
and length and depth and height—to know
the love of Christ which passes knowledge;
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
 

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power
that works in us,  to Him be glory in the church by
Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Paul prayed that the Holy Spirit's power would fill every Christian in Christ Jesus. We cannot grow spiritually without the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul prayed that the Holy Spirit's power would take effect in three ways through Residency, Comprehension, and Fullness.



1. Residency. Paul prayed that Christ may dwell, be at home, take up residence in our hearts through faith, which means Jesus won't be a mere acquaintance but a close friend. Having Jesus take up residence in our hearts, will keep Him the center of everything, top priority.



2. Comprehension. Paul prayed that we would be able to comprehend and experience God's love without feeling the need to understand it theologically and/or intellectually. Can you imagine if every Christian grasp God's unconditionally love? Wow, that would be amazing!! God's love doesn't require us to be birth from a royal bloodline or to attend a prestigious university. God loves us for we are and who He created us to be. God's love is not partial; And if we can comprehend that we would definitely be on fire for the Lord more than ever.



3.Fullness. Paul prayed that we would be filled with the fullness of God, so that the Holy Spirit can give us revelation on scriptures, Jesus and His works, and so much more. With the fullness of God, you can boldly say with full authority that..."Now to Him who is able to do EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY above all that we ask or think, according to the POWER (the fullness of God) that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (emphasis added mine).




 





If you want to grow more in Christ Jesus and be fill with the fullness of God pray the prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21. Meditate on the words, let them sink into your spirit. In turn, the Holy Spirit will enable you to grasp God's unconditional love and fill you to the point where your cup runs over in the name of Jesus!!


















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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

In The Midst of Trouble



Sometimes we have the tendency to fear the unknown. When you are in a midst of distress or despair, it's naturally to fear the worst at first. However, you must be careful not to wallow in it. This is where you should not feed into your fear, but into your faith. One of the many reasons why I love the book of Psalms is that you can get a clear sense of his heartfelt relationship with God. David was in trouble so many times. Nonetheless, he knew His God, our God, will bring him out.


Psalm 138 is a psalm written by David about "The Lord's Goodness to the Faithful." Verses seven and eight are my favorite. It says,





"Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands."




David knew that God will stretch out His hand in his time of trouble and at the right time.  In addition, David knew that God will fulfill (perfect) all of His promises. One of them being, (just as He promised the children of Israel twice),.....






"Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
(Isaiah 41:10)

 
 


"For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’"
(Isaiah 41:13)





In the midst of your trouble, whether it's financial trouble, relationship trouble, work-related trouble, etc., FEAR NOT!! Take hold of God's hand when he stretches it out to you. Grab hold of it tight and don't let go. Remember, no matter what you are going through God will fulfill His purposes that He has planned for your life.




















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Monday, April 1, 2013

It was and is a CELEBRATION!!!


This past weekend was magnificent!!  We celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!! It was a celebration that's so indescribable. To understand where I'm coming from you had to be there. Jesus dying for our sin and rising up from the grave on the third is worth being celebrated every single day. We serve an Almighty God. He is the GREAT I AM. Death could not hold Him down. Jesus is the risen King!! I give Him all the praise and all the glory!!



Our church sang songs of praise and heartfelt worship. The presence of God was so strong. It would have been pretty hard to leave service the same way you came in. One of the songs we sang was "The Great I Am." This is my favorite part of the song....






The mountains shake before You the demons run in fear
At the mention of the name King of Majesty
There is no power in hell
Or any who can stand
Before the power and the presence of the great I AM

Hallelujah, holy, holy
God Almighty, the great I AM
Who is worthy, none beside Thee
God Almighty, the great I AM
 

 
 
 
 
 
Below is a video of our Easter service.  Start it at 23:00 and enjoy!!
 

 












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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

We All Make Mistakes







Let me start this post off by saying....WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES! Big ones or little ones...mistakes are mistakes. However, you should not condemn yourself when you make them. "There is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus....," (See Romans 8:1). 



If anything, we should learn from them so that we won't make the same mistake twice. And please do not allow your mistakes to rob you of your joy in your salvation. "Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm," (Winston Churchill). When you make a bad decision, do not allow the devil to steal your joy and make you feel anything but worthy of God's love, grace, mercy and peace.  Nothing you can do can separate God's love from you.





"He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever
confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
(Proverb 28:13)



When we confess our wrongdoings, God will have mercy. He will still love us as well as continue to grant us favor. God doesn't require us to be perfect. Nonetheless, we can pray for wisdom to make the right choices. Use your mistakes as stepping stones not stumbling blocks. With mistakes, you may fall or stumble. However, you must get back up, dust yourself off, and keep going in the name of Jesus.








Picture by: Heather Blaise.com via Toia on Pinterest




With every mistake, you will definitely learn who are and how strong you are in Christ Jesus.










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Monday, March 25, 2013

Do You Have A Life???



Most people define having a life as being popular, always having a full scheduled rather than staying home being bored. However, I am here to say (or post) that without God there is no life. Jesus came that we would have an abundant life. God did not sacrifice His Son, so that we may live an empty life. So whether you may be popular or not, please realized that if Jesus is not your personal Savior, then you have no life.




Picture by: Tumblr.com via Toia on Pinterest







Not only will you have a full life on earth, you will have a full life in heaven. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life," (John 3:16).  When you choose Jesus, you choose to live.







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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Charm, Beauty & Praise


The Bible is the best go-to manual there is if need an answer, information, perspective or even verification. If you ever wandered exactly how the bible defines beauty, all you have to do is refer to THE BOOK. Beauty is not about how good you look on the outside, but who you are on the inside. It's doesn't even matter how charming you are. It's all about who you represent.





Proverbs 31:30 says,

"Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.

The woman to be admired and praised

is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God."
(msg)






Being a woman who loves and fears God, is what make you admirable. This attribute is what makes you magnetic. You cannot depend on your charm or your beauty for what you need or to make yourself likeable by others. People will love you for who you are in Christ Jesus!  And in Christ Jesus, you are FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made!!  You are Designer's Original!!!






Picture by: Amen Designs via Toia on Pinterest











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Saturday, March 23, 2013

Walk His Way





It's amazing when you're dealing with a situation or have to make a major decision, everyone seems to have an opinion on what you should or shouldn't do. If that is the case, I found out that even though you may respect people's advice that doesn't mean you have to do what they say. At the end of the day, the choice is yours on how to deal or how not deal. But, keep in mind God's word from Psalm 1:1-2.




"Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night."



Whatever you do make sure it doesn't cause you to walk in a direction that is not pleasing to God. Walk by faith. Trust in God to direct your path. Walk God's way and be bless. His way is the only way that will lead you to your destiny. His way is the only way that will lead you out of the darkness and into the light.











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Friday, March 22, 2013

Yet Shall We Praise Him



Have you ever had those moments where you feel dazed, confused, down-trodden, weary or all of the above? I know I have. And I realized that's okay. It's alright to have moments such as these. According to Psalm 42:5, 11 and Psalm 43:5, even the psalmist have felt that way. Nonetheless, the psalmist knows that his only hope is in God. He found that hope by seeking God in prayer.






 
 




In the midst of distress or in the time of trouble, put your hope in God. Give Him a yet praise. Regardless of how things may seem, YET we shall praise him. Negative account balance in the bank....YET praise Him. A friend backstabbed you....YET praise Him. Don't know which way is up....YET praise Him. Your boss seems a bit bossy...YET praise Him. There's power in praising the one and only Almighty God!!! 








WE SHALL YET PRAISE HIM!!!























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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Diligence is the Key





One of the main thing we need to be as believers in Christ Jesus is diligent. We need to be consistent and diligent. We should not by wishy-washy or flipping the script on people from one minute to the next. We should maintain our walk in Christ with diligence and consistency.



 
Diligence - constant in effort to accomplish something;
attentive and persistent in doing anything

You would want to stay constant in every effort to accomplish your dreams as well as win souls for the kingdom of God. It is impossible to achieve anything without staying on task. The best way to show God how diligent you are is by studying His word.



Study it; Read it and Memorize it!!




2 Timothy 2:15 says, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."








Being diligent when it comes to God's word and His way of doing things is part of the growing process in your relationship with Christ. As time passes, you will see yourself applying the word more and more each day. When it comes to God, stay on task until you will no longer see it as such but as a lifestyle.










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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Pleasing to God


Have you ever thought no matter what you say or do...you are would never be good enough? (For whatever reason) But why is that? Why does it seem so hard to please people? On more than one occasion, some of us have been guilty of putting people standards higher than God's just for the sake of fitting in as if our lives revolve around pleasing them.

However, one thing I know for sure is that it doesn't take much to please God. You don't have be someone that you are not. You have don't have to sacrifice your identity, your morals, and all that good stuff. All you need to do is believe. Have faith!! It's just that simple. :)

If you don't believe me, I like to issue this scripture into evidence as exhibit #1.








Picture by: Pinterest via Toia on Pinterest







How to have faith? Build your faith by reading God's word. There are countless stories, scriptures of great men and women of God about their faith in God and it worked miracles in their lives. Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." I pray that you would read God's word, listen to what it is saying, so that you can activate your faith.












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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

1 Corinthians 15:57-58 Victory







I thank God that through Christ Jesus we have the victory. We have victory over our not-so-dear enemy Satan. We have victory over our finances, over our household, over our job, and everything else that try to easily beset us. Amen and Hallelujah!!! 



God's word will not return void. Therefore, if it says that I have the victory; Then I am going to claim, declare, and receive my victory from God in the name of Jesus.  I AM VICTORIOUS!!  Hallelujah, Thank you Jesus!!!











Because I know without a shadow of doubt that I have the victory, I know I can stand firm. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I can be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in God's word. Take Paul's word to heart and believe that you have the victory;
 


BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE VICTORIOUS!! 




And nothing by any means is going to stop you from walking into your destiny. Amen and Amen!!






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Monday, March 18, 2013

Come Back Again Now.....Ya Here!!!










Hello blogland!! It's been awhile since my last post. Time definitely has a way of getting away from you, that's for sure. But, one of the many things I love about blogging is that you can stop for whatever reason and for how many long of time that you need and still come back as if you never left blogland. Depending on how long you haven't blog, you might have to play a little bit of catch up to what's new, who's still blogging, or who's taking a blog-cation. Nonetheless, it's all good.


At this point, I don't know which way God is taking my blog but we will see in due time. God is awesome. He is not going to lead me astray!!! Won't you please join for the ride of a lifetime. :)









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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Stay Alert!!









Sometimes it is so easy to get distracted for a brief moment by the smallest thing. And a brief moment is all the devil needs to catch us off guard. All the devil needs is an inch so he can take a mile. That's why it's very imperative to, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour," (1 Peter 5:8).



Lions hunt for their food by waiting for the right time when their prey has its guard down, alone, and is very vulnerable. Just like the lion, the devil will sneak attack us when we least expect it and during our lowest, darkest hour. The devil does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (See John 10:10).




Do not allow your circumstances, the devil's evil schemes, and/or even the pressures of the world to lose control or lose your faith.





If anything, please make sure you.....
 
 
Stay clothed in the full armor of God,
Arm yourself with the word of God,
Be Sober,
Be vigilant,
Resist the devil,
and
 Stand your ground in the name of Jesus!!!







 
 
 










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Monday, January 14, 2013

Are You Dress For Battle?





For about two weeks, people (including me) have been expressing their excitement for the new year. Some of us have high expectations as well as dreams/visions before the Lord. But, how many of you know, that the devil is not going to allow us to go forth on our future endeavors without a fight?


With that being said, when the devil tries to attack, we have to make sure we are dress for battle.  We must be prepared, armed, and ready to fire. Hence the whole armor of God......


"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—," (Ephesians 6:10-18). 






The armor of God helps us stand against every evil scheme of the devil. The devil will push. However, with the armor of God, he will not be able to knock us down for the count.


We should put on the whole armor of God everyday, because we never know the day or the hour when the devil and all his satanic forces are going to attack. You must be prepared and alert for all those sneak attacks.


Again, I ask you.......ARE YOU DRESS FOR BATTLE?!?


If not, it's time to suit up and take a stand by faith and in the name of Jesus!!!







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Saturday, January 12, 2013

New Year New You Inspirations






Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!
- William Arthur Ward





Christ said that what he does, you too shall do and even greater.

~John 14;12~














I never said I wanted to be the Best. Because I always new I was already the Greatest.

Uniquely woven in to a true masterpiece by the perfect hands of our Creator.

~Victoria Grant~














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