Philippians 3:12-14 MSG

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.

Philippians 3:12-14 MSG

Believe In God?

Just believing there is a God isn't enough. Scripture tells us in James 2:19 NKJV

"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!"

However, you must believe that Jesus is the Son of God; that He was crucified for the remission of your sin; that He died, was buried and on the third day He rose again and He sits at God's right hand. Now just one other very important thing you must do....You must turn away from sin and ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life. Seeking a relationship with Jesus and allowing Him to direct your steps will help you walk away from the sins of this world.

Remember….Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:24 NKJV

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

The Apostle John calls Satan the ruler of this world. John 12:31 NLT

In Ephesians 2:2 NLT we are reminded that Satan is considered the commander of the powers in the unseen world and he is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 

Haven't you allowed Satan to rule over your life long enough? 

I pray that today will be a fresh start for you, my friend; that you will walk in the Lord’s total blessings and favor as you continue to seek His direction for your life. 

As for me, "I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father." John 14:31 NLT

Love you all!

Cyndy

What Controls You?

Ever wonder why you do the things you do; whether good, bad or indifferent; sin versus holiness?  I do.  Honestly, there are times I struggle to do what is right.  Good thing is, I hold myself to a very high standard of accountability; not only to myself but to the Lord.  Even so, there are times when I still do things I shouldn’t even though I know it won’t please God.   

I can’t tell you how many times my flesh wars against my spirit man.  Which battle I win depends on me.  If I’m honest with myself, I need to ask myself if I was prepared to fight the spiritual battle that would please God or please my flesh; a battle that comes to each and every believer at one time or another.  Have I taken the time to establish a relationship with the Lord; seeking Him with a true heart of repentance; feeding my spirit man with His Holy Word on a daily basis; being sure that I put on His full Armor, (Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT) which will protect me against the schemes of the enemy of my soul?  Or do I allow myself to become lazy in my pursuit to follow God; therefore giving full reign to Satan; allowing him and his vicious demons to lead me down a road of worldly desires; pleasures and ultimate destruction?  It’s not hard to see that clearly those are the times I allow myself to be controlled by my flesh instead of by the Holy Spirit.  And honestly, there are times I have to literally fight my flesh with fasting & prayer to overcome the battle within me; the desires to fulfill my weak flesh versus my spirit man warring to do that which pleases the Lord.   

The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:5-8 NLT “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.”

Let’s face it folks -
When there’s a fork in the road; one leading to death and destruction and the other leading to everlasting life, the decision we make on which road we take will determine our eternal life; Eternity with Jesus or Hell with Satan.   

Which road will you choose? 

It’s not too late to turn away from sin and make a fresh start with God! All you have to do is truly repent and turn away from sin and ask Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of your life.  Ask Him to renew your mind in Him according to His Word. He is faithful to meet you right where you are this very moment. Please don’t put it off until tomorrow.  Tomorrow could be too late.

But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua 24:15 NLT

Be blessed my family & friends!

I pray you walk in the Lord’s total favor!

Love you all!

Cyndy

When I vote, I allow the Holy Spirit to direct my path according to what God's scriptures tell me.

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."(Galatians 1:10 NIV)

Psalm 84:8-12 NIV

Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob. Look on our shield, O God;
look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless. Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Joshua 1:7-9 NIV

 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.   Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.   Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Pride; My Evil Twin

Since my girls were little, I dreamed of making their wedding dresses one day; and very fortunate to have had the opportunity to do so.  Lately, my weekends have been packed trying to prepare for our daughter Nikki’s wedding and as promised years ago, I have been diligently attempting to make her wedding dress.  With lots of communication & direction from the Lord, Nikki’s wedding dress finally started to take shape the way she envisioned it.  However, all my efforts came to a cease when I just couldn’t grasp what I needed to do on the back bottom portion of the dress to achieve the look Nikki & I were after.  This past weekend, my girls & I went back home for Nikki’s wedding shower, so I decided to take Nikki’s wedding dress with us in hopes that my Mom & sister, Anna, could help me understand what I was doing wrong.  (Both of them are amazing seamstresses!)  They found the solution right away.  And without hesitation, my sister volunteered to go ahead and do that section for me and then send it back.   

But oh no; I wouldn’t hear of it!  After all….it was my daughter’s wedding and I was the one making it for her.  So I “ungraciously” declined her offer.   To be honest, I completely over-reacted; not only offending my sister, but I grieved the Holy Spirit too.  And when my sister went home, she left without the dress.

Ever have one of those gentle nudges on the shoulder from the Holy Spirit saying, “What are you doing?  Is your pride more important than your daughter having the dress of her dreams and feeling like the most beautiful bride in the world?”  I immediately turned to my Mom and said, “I’m leaving the dress with Anna” and without further hesitation, I brought the dress to her and apologized for my response to her generosity. 

I learned a valuable lesson in pride this past weekend; one of my evil twins that surfaced when I least expected it too.  Although I’m not proud of that moment, I’m glad it happened so that I could recognize & address that area in my life that needed to change.  All because of pride, I almost robbed my daughter’s joy for her special day and more than likely could have crushed my sister’s spirit; which was not my intent.   

Folks, pride buried deep within us is just not worth it!  We end up hurting others around us; we grieve the Holy Spirit, it hinders us from growing closer to the Lord and most of all, it hinders our witness as a Christ follower. 

Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 NKJV  Haughty actually means arrogant, puffed up & over-confident; none which will ever be pleasing to the Lord. So if it doesn’t please my Lord, I don’t’ want any part of it!

So ask yourself, “What’s my evil twin?” 

What is the Lord dealing with you to change today?  Let me encourage you to be open to His direction and remember what we are told in Hebrews 12:6 NCV, The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as His child."

And most of all, remember that the Lord loves you more than you can imagine; especially when He disciplines you.

^“My child, do not reject the Lord's discipline, and don't get angry when He corrects you. The Lord corrects those He loves, just as parents correct the child they delight in.”  Proverbs 3:11-12 NCV

Make it simple on yourself!  Stop resisting the Holy Spirit and wave good-bye to your evil twin.

Be blessed my family & friends and walk in the Lord’s total favor!

Love you all!
Cyndy

In You, O Lord, I Put My Trust

Finding a quiet place with You is key when discouragement sets in. No one could ever understand the magnitude of Your love unless they take the time to bask in Your presence.  Seems when all else fails, You're still there! Though the darkness over shadows me, You, and You alone shine a glimmer of hope that restores my soul!  I will rest in You; knowing that You give me a peace that passes all understanding!  For in You do I put my hope!  In You, do I put my trust!  What can mere man do to me that hasn't passed by You're throne for approval? Come quickly, Lord; and send Your Holy Spirit to minister to my Spirit man.  I am like a sail in the ocean: drifting out into the deep!  Come quickly Holy Spirit and give Your servant direction, understanding and a renewed hope!!!!  You have yet to fail me!  I love You, Lord!

“In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me. For You  are  my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You  are  my strength.” (Psalm 31:1-4 NKJV)

James 1:31-15 NIV

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.