Get a Strong Hold!

Psalm 18:1-2
1 I love you, LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Normally when I think of strongholds I think of something that has an authority of my mind, body, and soul. Sometimes strongholds can be not so good... like overeating or even smoking. Sometimes people can have a stronghold of unforgiveness or bitterness. Most of the time strongholds take joy from our lives. When I give things that are not of God authority over my life I wind up feeling drained and depressed sometimes even convicted. However, when I give God authority over my life and allow Him to be my stronghold allow Him to take a strong hold over the situations I face I feel peace, comfort, and overwhelming joy. Whatever our strongholds are God is more powerful than them. We need to remember that He is our strength our fortress, He protects us... He shields us... He provides salvation so we do not need to perish.

Today we all have New Year's resolutions flowing through our heads. Some of us may be even saying to ourselves that we are trying to shake off strongholds in our lives. Perhaps a stronghold of unworthiness or maybe just trying to be more healthy. Whatever our New Year's resolutions are we need to remember that they will fail without allowing God to help us with them. We need to lean on Him for our strength we need to lean on Him to be our shield. GOD has a strong "hold" on your life He is just waiting for you to surrender completely to His will. So this New Year's let's make a resolution to allow God to be our one and only "stronghold".

Happy New Year! I love you all and be safe!

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Plant Your Praise

Psalm 103:21-22
21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the LORD, my soul.

This holiday I sang Hark the Herold Angels Sing on Christmas Eve at a service at my church. When I walked into the sanctuary I had this overwhelming feeling of darkness surround me. I know the lights were dim and the candles were lit but lately I've been feeling overwhelmed with darkness quite a bit and I really need to get into the presence of God through worship. It's amazing how overwhelmed I can get sometimes and when I get overwhelmed sometimes I forget to stop and smell the roses. Sometimes I forget to count my blessings and thank God for the wonderful things I do have.
I'm not proud to say that today was a bit emotional for me. I'm growing and maturing and sometimes when we grow we get growing pains. You ever feel like spreading your wings but your cage is too small? So I have to learn to be patient and wait on God until the environment I'm in allows me to spread my wings to soar. However, I'm continuing to praise Him I'm continuing to honor Him. I am continuing to just keep moving forward until the time comes when I am able to not only soar with my God given "mature" wings but I am also able to use my spiritual gifts to their fullest capacity. The bible says that when we are children we think like children but when we are older we put away childish things. I'm realizing I've been holding onto a lot of childish things lately. Even if it's the hurt that I've been holding onto my whole life or maybe insecurities. God wants me to grow in Him, He's calling me out of those childish things. He wants me to continue to praise Him but not as a child anymore. He wants me to praise Him with a mature heart. A heart that is firmly planted in the word (truth) and spiritually rooted in His unconditional love. When I stretch my branches toward the Son I worship Him wholeheartedly not with the faith of a child who is sheltered but with the faith of an adult who has gone through some major storms but is still able to hold strong and worship Him. That's worth praising for wouldn't you think?

Matthew 22:27
Jesus replied, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'

Heart of Worship

Psalm 103:19-20
19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.

When I think of praising God someday in heaven I always imagine Him seated on the throne and I'm dressed in a beautiful dress. I twirl around and around and the dress just keeps sparkling as I dance before Him. It is almost as if I'm a ballerina but then I am able to float and keep twirling. Usually this vision occurs to me when I get lost in worship and when I open my eyes again I loose my balance because I feel like my feet just touched the floor again. I wonder if anyone else feels this way. When my grandma died everyone told me that he was in heaven singing for God. My grandpa loved to sing. I can just imagine him sometimes in God's presence singing and worshiping the one he lived all his life for. I just get an overwhelming sense of adoration when I think of being in the presence of God and I'm at the foot of His throne. I can't imagine what it will be like to be free from all the affliction and oppression of earthly things and to be able to freely worship Him. I wouldn't doubt that I'd be able to float as I danced because I would feel so happy there would be nothing able to keep me down. For once everyday would be filled with just praise and adoring the one I love and the one I'm living my life for.
On earth we try to praise God but sometimes our earthly bodies are burdened with stress and maybe even sickness or handicap that keep us from worshiping in our fullest. However, if you close your eyes with me sometime and just allow the worship music to play, enter into His presence with thanks giving then realize how free and amazing it can be worshiping Him without those burdens.

Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.

Honor Starts in the Heart

Psalm 103:17-18 AMP
17But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children's children-- 18To such as keep His covenant [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it] and to those who [earnestly] remember His commandments to do them [imprinting them on their heart].

A while ago my parent's church was doing a series on honor. The pastor gave several examples of biblical characters who chose to honor God by obeying Him and having fear and reverence for Him. These characters were blessed in return for their obedience and honor. The bible reminds me to live like the saints but sometimes I get caught up in my flesh telling me that God will love me no matter what. One time (in my past that I repented of) I actually convinced myself that I was able to sin because God would forgive me. WOW did I feel awful after sinning. I thought my life would never be better and I knew I didn't deserve the mercy of God. I don't even know why I ever convinced myself to dishonor Him. I will never do that AGAIN!

When we deliberately step outside the will of God it does not honor Him and He will not bless us. If anything His will is to keep our path straight so we will be safe and healthy. His path keeps us out of danger. However if we don't know God's word we wont know His will and we wont be able to honor Him. That is why we are suppose to meditate on the word of God day and night and get to know God's will and plan for our lives.

I am sure you all have heard the scripture "obey your mother and father and your days will be long upon the earth"? I certainly do my parents wouldn't let me forget it growing up. I knew that if obeyed and honored my parents I would be blessed but if I dishonored them my rear end would be pretty sore. If God wishes for us to obey Him and we are His children than shouldn't we obey and fear Him just like we do our parents. Shouldn't we want to try our best to please Him? Not because we are afraid of getting a spanking but because we love to hear Him say "well done good and faithful servant". I know I want to honor and obey God. I am going to try to read my bible more so I can learn how to stay in His will.

If we set the example and obey and honor our heavenly Father our children and children's children will learn to be obedient an honor God also. Not only will they honor God but in doing so more than likely they will honor their us as well. We need to teach honor and obedience to our youth and the only way we can do that is to get them into the word of God and practice what we are teaching.

Psalm 119:105 (The Message)

By your words I can see where I'm going;
they throw a beam of light on my dark path.
I've committed myself and I'll never turn back
from living by your righteous order.
Everything's falling apart on me, God;
put me together again with your Word.
Festoon me with your finest sayings, God;
teach me your holy rules.
My life is as close as my own hands,
but I don't forget what you have revealed.
The wicked do their best to throw me off track,
but I don't swerve an inch from your course.
I inherited your book on living; it's mine forever—
what a gift! And how happy it makes me!
I concentrate on doing exactly what you say—
I always have and always will.

Flourishing Flowers

Psalm 103:15-16
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

A wise counselor once told me that my problems were only temporary. When I get so caught up in worrying about life sometimes I forget that it is temporary. I forget that there is a greater thing waiting for me when my time on earth comes to an end. I feel that I am meant to reveal that life on earth is meant to be enjoyed. My life is meant for me to shine His light and use the spiritual gifts that He has given me. Without using the spiritual gifts and without living for God my life has no significant purpose. However, with those spiritual gifts I can flourish like the flowers of the field. And although the flowers of the field are gone tomorrow the still have the ability to pollinate other flowers or release seeds that will be blown in the wind and carried away to other places to again repeat the process of pollinating and releasing seeds. God calls us to be flowers, although our time on earth is short we are called to reach as many people as we can in that time. If I plant a seed in another they will plant a seed in another person. Sooner or later we will all bloom into something beautiful. It's not about how long my life is... it is about what I've done to make a difference while I lived. So start living today, be a flower! Hold onto His promise and His purpose for your life and realize... our problems are only temporary and so is life so don't let problems consume our lives and let's make the most of life instead!

Isaiah 40:8
" The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.”

Gust and Dust

Psalm 103:13-14
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

I am basically nothing but "dirt" without His breath of life in me. He had enough compassion for me to die for me. When my earthly flesh gets a hold on me and I sin I am forgiven because He sent Jesus to die for me... someone who is merely dirt with the breath of God which makes me come alive.
It is interesting that dandruff resembles dust. When my body flakes off old skin it basically forms dust that floats and settles somewhere. It might be distributing for you to think about but it is very interesting to me. At a funeral they say "ashes to ashes and dust to dust". When I get buried my flesh will be worm food basically. Without that breathe that God put into me (my spirit) I am just dust. When I die my flesh wont live on but my spirit will.
I know you are probably saying well I wasn't formed from dust I was formed in my mother's womb or woman was formed from Adam's rib. Well think about it, no matter where you came from that person came from Adam and Adam was made from dust. It is something very humbling. What would you be today if not for God?

Genesis 2:7
7Then the Lord God formed man from the [a]dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being.

God's Love is HUGE!

Psalm 103:11-12
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

When I was a little girl I enjoyed laying in the grass and I felt like I could see where the sky would curve. I really believed that the world was round even if I had never seen it. I also really believed that God's love was immense and deep. Not only was God's love for me so great that He had His "only" begotten Son die on the cross to save me from eternal suffering, but He would not hesitate to reach me "anywhere". It was a deep thought for a young child but I really believed that God was real because I felt Him flowing in my heart. I never understood the Holy Spirit until I was older but I knew God's love was something indescribable and unimaginably huge something that could and was suppose to be shared with everyone.

I also felt that it was my calling to be a missionary when I was eight years old. I met my first missionary when I was eight and I was ready to follow them back to Africa where they came from. I told my parents that I wanted to go to Africa and they told me about every danger that lurked over there. I soon realized what fear was and what "limitations" it puts on a person's faith. When I was older my pastor once said "It's more dangerous to be outside of God's will than it is to step out in faith and be in God's will". I realize now that He was talking about anything we are afraid to do for God. Has fear ever kept you from doing something you felt called to do? If God's love is sooooooooo huge it stretches from the earth way up to heaven and His mercy is so incredible it reaches as far as the east is from the west than can't He protect us? So often I put God in a box. I do realize I limit God but I only realize it after I've already said no thanks to His will. When I'm outside God's will I am miserable. When I take that step of faith even though it might not be a comfortable one I realize that God has HIS BEST plan for my life. AND WOW IT'S AWESOME! I can't wait to see what He has in store for me over the next couple years of my life. So the next time someone approaches you and tells you about "how dangerous" it is... take them to God and let Him show them how amazing He is.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

Keep Your Stupid Stone

Psalm 103:9-10
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

Wow! Am I happy that God does not treat me like I deserve because of my sins. I've made a lot of mistakes in life and I have been shown a lot of mercy from God. I'm very lucky to be in the place I am right now. There were times in my life where people tried to shoot me down or persecute me. Some people spit on me and mocked me. I had to deal with judgment from church members. I didn't always live a pure, godly, dignified lifestyle either. I am very thankful to God for His mercy and not giving the punishment I deserved.

Another woman in the bible felt this way also. As a woman myself I always wondered about the woman in John chapter eight. I wanted to know where was the man during this all? He was just as guilty as she was for the adultery and yet he was not being stoned. I am very thankful that God intercedes and "draws the line". I am grateful that His judgment is the only one that truly matters. I am sure this woman felt as thankful as I am today. I hope that she went on to live a happy guilt free life and finally met the man of her dreams who would treat her like the jewel God created her to be, polished, cleansed, and glimmering with the glory of God.

John 8
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

God has mercy for you also. If you have ever done anything where others have cast stones of judgment or hypocrisy at you please share your story. I will pray that God helps you to realize that they should not be casting stones. Realize that God forgives and cleanses and erases "anything" with the blood of Jesus.

Be blessed!

Fear Not: Get Grace

Psalms 103:7-8
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

When I was younger I read the poem Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. This poem was written by a puritan who clearly did not read this scripture. Many people will tell me that God is love and in God there is no fear because perfect love casts out all fear. Whereas others will tell me that God will pour out His wrath on the world like He did in the times of Sodom and Gomorrah. There are parts of the bible that tell me that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Fearing God is a good thing... however, irrational fear is a bad thing. God "is" a God of compassion and grace. I don't deserve His grace but He gives it to me. I do not need to fear because God is in charge of my life. However, when I step outside of God's will I need to realize I allow bad things to happen. God's will protects me when I walk down the path God wants me to walk down I are safe. However, if I step off that path and I get scraped by a pricker bush I can't say it's God's wrath. It was my choice to step off the path. There are consequences for my actions. It is a good thing to fear God because He is the only one who offers me life or death. I chose to server God so that I can be free of fear and walk in His will daily. The only fear I have now is the fear that I will step outside of God's will in my life. Other fears are needless because God is Almighty and All Powerful and He has already conquered everything I can face in life. I do not need to fear the wrath of God because Jesus Christ shed His blood to spare me from that wrath. The agony that Christ went through kept me from experiencing it ourselves when I accept Him. However, if I did not believe I would have suffered a far greater wrath in the lake of fire. Yet because I believe in Christ, although at times I may suffer on earth I will always have the promise of a mansion over the hilltop in my Father's place.

John 1:16
Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Oppression Suppression

Psalm 103:5-6 AMP
5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]!6The Lord executes righteousness and justice [not for me only, but] for all who are oppressed.

Have you ever felt so oppressed it weighs you down? Sometimes some winter days it is so very difficult to get out of bed knowing that the day ahead may not be easy. God has to feed us that strength and courage to get through. Some days I lay there and stare at the ceiling and say "God okay I'm going to move my leg now ... we can do this together I know You will give me the strength to stand". I literally have to move my body inch by inch sometimes trusting that God will just get me to where He needs me.

If you've ever watched the movie The Princess Bride there is a scene where Wesley is completely paralyzed and could only speak. That is what oppression is like sometimes. Sometimes the only strength we have our our words. We need to learn to use our words wisely. We need to speak verses of promise over our situation. We need to pray in tongues. We need to tell Satan who REALLY reigns in our life. Remind Satan who already conquered the world. God will give you the strength He will get you through.

We can do it! Step by step one LEAP of faith at a time. Overcome that oppression and spread your wings and soar. Accept those blessings waiting for you beyond the clouds. Take new challenges and trust in God.

Isaiah 40:31
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.

In a Pity Pit?

Psalm 103:3-4
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

I have to admit I wasn't always the happiest, most joyful, person I am today. I had my times where things were a bit depressing. I was in a pit ... a pitty pit. I thought that everything I was going through was the worst I've ever been through. However, God showed me differently. He showed me how that self pity had gotten me into a thick gloppy mess of miserableness. I was sinning in order to get myself out of that gloppy mess of miserableness also. I wasn't even thinking about what God wanted because I was to stuck on myself. I to this day thank God for saving me and forgiving me and rescuing me from that pit of pity. I am thankful to God because when I was depressed no one wanted to be around me. However, God showed me love and compassion. So now when I see others going through some awful times and they thinking everything is the worst thing they can go through I can show them love and compassion and help them climb out of that pity pit and into a nice wellspring of overwhelming joy and peace. The peace that God gives us.

Psalm 40:2 AMP
He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings.

The Benefit of Praise

Psalm 103:1-2
1 Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—

How many of us realize that being a Christian is not easy? Some people think when they come to Christ everything will be a breeze. Well, God blesses us when we remain faithful to Him through our storms. When we praise His name all the time even when we really are struggling to find hope. The times that the Psalms were written were not exactly happy times entirely. However David and Solomon really continued to praise God even through the storms. We see sometimes David wept and other times he lept. He was crying one second and rejoicing the next. God does love to hear the cries of our hearts. David did turn to God in his hour of trial. That is what God wants us to do. David worshiped God through it all even if he questioned God he still kept worshiping. By reading the Psalms we see this this. Our soul should be praising God no matter what. He will turn our mourning into joy, our sorrow into gladness, He will restore our strength. All these "benefits" you can read about if you just spend time in the Psalms. Being a Christian isn't always easy no but we do have the promises of God to hold onto and the blessings for persevering under trials.

James 1:12
Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Generations of Joy

Psalm 45:15-17
15 Led in with joy and gladness,
they enter the palace of the king.

16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes throughout the land.

17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

I love when our youth gets so excited for God that they "want" to be at church. When I see teenagers inviting other teenagers to youth group it makes me smile. The youth is important because they are our future. Okay ladies don't say eww or think I'm crazy but... someday you will be mothers if it is God's will for you to be. Ultimately though you have the ability to do great things. You can shine your light to the world. The world looks at you yes... the world looks at our youth and thinks why are they so messed up? Well, you ladies and yes you guys also who are going to church and bringing your friends, you are looked at as a light. A light we need in our world today. A light that is greatly lacking. This verse above says to take the "place of your fathers". So many times... we compare ourselves to our parents. We do not want to be like them. We think maybe even sometimes they are boring or don't understand us. However, God hasn't called us to be like our parents. God wants us to take the place of our parents. If we have generational curses it is up to us to break them. Time to shine the joy that past generations have been lacking. Bring your light to life. Stand up and realize that we are called to battle and it takes us young people to show God's glory and victory over the enemy.

Some of you who read this may be older but it's still not to late for you to be joyful also. God calls us to have a childlike faith. He wants to keep us ever joyful and youthful in our hearts. Also, God wants you to know that you will have a great impact on today's youth if you can shine that light inside you enough for them to realize joy doesn't fade. It's so easy through the years of hardship for our lights to fade. I'm sure a lot of you older readers have had a lot of hardships. It's time to release those to God and keep shining and moving forward.

Generations to come will still be learning to worship learning to express the joy of Christ's salvation. However if it doesn't start now it will fade. So be strong be like Jehoshaphat's army our worshipers at the front and let's win this battle! Are you ready?

1 Timothy 4:12
Let no one despise or think less of you because of your youth, but be an example (pattern) for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.

Be a Princess!

Psalm 45:12-14
12 The city of Tyre will come with a gift,[a]
people of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber;
her gown is interwoven with gold.
14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
her virgin companions follow her—
those brought to be with her.

Have you ever played dress up? You want to be the princess you want to have your prince charming. Or you may even go kiss a frog. Perhaps you've lived so long trying to believe in fairy tales. Well today I'm teaching you that your fairy tale comes true. Jesus Christ is our prince charming. No really? seriously... He is the Prince of Peace and we are His Princess. We are the bride of Christ and He wants to clothe us in beautiful garments. He wants to put His crown of anointing upon our heads and claim us as His chosen. We are to serve Him and love, honor, and adore Him just as any real princess would. We are to allow Him to spoil us also. We should receive His favor and blessings even if we feel that we don't deserve it... because WE DO! We are to adorn ourselves as jewels as rare treasures. We are to present ourselves as pure and forgiven and clothed in beautiful clothes. Keep believing you are a princess girls because you are!

Isaiah 61:10-11
10 I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.

Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder

Psalm 45:9-11
9 Daughters of kings are among your honored women;
at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

10 Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:
Forget your people and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord.

God looks at you as His beautiful creation. He created you to be His bride. He wants you to honor Him. By honoring God we become more beautiful in His eyes. We might wake up some days and feel like we have the worst hair day or our face is broken out. We do not feel beautiful. God doesn't see our outward beauty. He sees the beauty of your heart and your actions.

When I realized how God saw me as beautiful He opened my heart to love myself more. The more I saw myself the way God did... forgiven, cleansed, purified, beautiful. The more others saw me as beautiful as well. It's really something when my heart reflects the beauty of my Creator.

The next time you compare yourself to worldly beauty remember... the bible says not to compare ourselves. It also says don't conform ourselves to patterns of the world... instead be transformed through the renewing of your mind.

One of my favorite symbols of beauty is a butterfly. When I think of my walk with God I started off low to the ground (the world) like a caterpillar. I was not very beautiful but the more I munched on the word of God the more I grew. Until I meditated on it I formed a chrysalis in God's presence. While I rested in the presence of God I transformed into something beautiful. Until He was ready for me to burst out and show the wonderful gifts He gave me. However, even as butterflies in the wild... my wings were not strong immediately. I had to rest in the protection of God in order to grow more until I was strong enough to soar. Now I am soaring for Him... for His glory. I am beautiful, I am transformed, I left my old self in that chrysalis and I am now soaring to see what God has planned for my future.

Keep your inner beauty girls.

Proverbs 31:30
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Get God to Smile :)

Psalm 45:8
8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
from palaces adorned with ivory
the music of the strings makes you glad.

Yes I dance around the kitchen floor sometimes in my socks and pajamas singing praise and worship music. Sure someday I would love to dance before God and praise Him every day. Wouldn't it be great if we could constantly be in His presence and praise Him? It's actually not as bad as you think. Really, whenever I get the opportunity I burst out into praise. Even in the gloomiest of days when nothing seems to be shimmering and everything is dull I can't help but praise God. You know why? It's beyond the earth it gets me to picture myself by His throne in His presence where the air is sweet and fragrant and the palace is beautiful. Yes I will praise Him like David. David praised with a harp and singing but we have been gifted with many ways to praise God. Some of us may not be able to carry a tune but we praise God in our everyday life by helping others and being a living testimony.

Whatever your praise language is God is smiling at it! God rejoices when we praise Him.

In your gloom of your room or in the joy of your kitchen offer up your praise to Him today!

Psalm 150:6

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

Give Me Oil in My Lamp

Psalm 45:7
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.

Today I will be talking about oil and what the oil represents. However, first because it is Saturday you all know that we have our women of the week. This week's women can be found in Matthew 25, the ten virgins. We represent the bride and the Holy Spirit represents the oil. Of course the bridegroom is Jesus Christ.

Matthew 25
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

So what does this scripture tell us? Unless we have the oil inside and unless we are filled with the Holy Spirit we will not be allowed into the Kingdom of Heaven when Christ returns. We need to keep ourselves prepared and filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit. We need to burn for Him constantly. So keep filling yourselves with that oil. The oil in Psalm 45 that brings joy.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22
21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

What's in Your Heart?

A throne or an arrow?


Psalm 45:5-6
5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

So often we hear about the full armor of God but we forget how significantly important it is. God just doesn't want us to stand protected He wants us to fight. Fight for justice and honor. Fight for the real truth that the world often forgets. It is important for us to stand firm and tell the truth. The truth is our biggest weapon against the prince of lies Satan himself. It rescues the prisoners and sets them free it unshackles them from the things Satan has convinced them to believe. We are not fighting against people we are fighting against Satan. We don't want to lose people we want to capture their hearts for Christ and hold them safely and retrain them to become faithful to the King of kings.

God wants us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. That is the just thing to do. If God is truly on the throne of our hearts that is what we will learn to do. However, that doesn't mean that we keep our enemies in darkness. That doesn't me we don't walk and talk in truth with them. Even people who are not believers of Christ need to hear the truth of God's word.

Today I was talking on the phone with a girl who my brother was ministering to. She was explaining how she's been in abusive relationship after abusive relationship and is tired of the jerks. She said and the sad part was the nice guys like the bad girls. I told her to keep holding onto the promises of God... but I told her... without mentioning God at first. I said realize who you are and realize you deserve the best. We need to realize who we are in Christ (we are a new creation purified through His blood) we need to realize we never have to settler (I shall not want). Everyone of us needs to realize God's plans for us are for our best (Jeremiah 29:11). We need to stay in the truth in all times!


Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.