by | Faith Lived Out
from The Confident Woman Devotional by Joyce Meyer
Want to see a prime example of perseverance? Here is a look at pastor John Wesley’s diary:
Sunday, A.M., May 5 — Preached in St. Anne’s. Was asked not to come back any more.
Sunday, A.M., May 12 — Preached in St. Jude’s. Can’t go back there, either.
Sunday, A.M., May 19 — Preached in St. Somebody Else’s. Deacons called a special meeting and said I couldn’t return.
Sunday, A.M., May 26 — Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.
Sunday, A.M., June 2 — Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.
Sunday, A.M., June 2 — Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.
Here’s where I like to add some Emeril and say, “Bam! Kick it up a notch!” (that’s from me, not Joyce)
Wesley succeeded because he had a classic case of confidence. A refusal to give up is one of the components of confidence.
Have you persevered with confidence through a difficult trial?
by | Faith Lived Out
Jammie Fielder and I have been friends for about 14 years. She currently serves as the Administrator at Table Rock Freedom Center, a non-denominational, faith-based recovery residential program for women. Here is an incredible, vulnerable guest post from one of my best friends.
Psalm 37:4 says to Delight in Him & He will give you the desires of your heart.
Wasn’t I doing that? I thought I was delighting in the things He had given me. He brought me a loving Godly husband that I had desired most of my life. He brought me the career I had been dreaming of since I was a teenager and practically dropped it in my lap. He was faithful in fulfilling these desires.
Shouldn’t all of this be enough? It’s more than most people have right? So why do I find myself wanting more? Why is there a part of me that seems empty? My heart desires a child of my own. Motherhood has been my hearts desire since I was old enough to talk. You know the question you get asked when you’re a child – what do you want to be when you grow up? “Mommy” was always my answer. I’ve had the names of my children picked out since I was a little girl.
He has allowed me to practice my motherly skills with a very special little boy & I feel I did a good job. Was it not enough? Should I have done more? He has brought me a stepson. Shouldn’t that be sufficient? Why do I long for more? I know God has something great planned for us in the area of children. I just need to be patient. I need to delight in Him and all that He has done thus far.
There are days I am lacking in the delight area. Is this why I’m still longing for the desire in my heart?
I used to delight in serving in the nursery at church each Sunday. I couldn’t get enough of it. I would go home with a smile on my face. I got my baby fix each week and it was all good! In recent months, however, I find it hard to look in the nursery. It can be painful and some days I walk away with tears in my eyes.
Then I began to realize that I have let Satan steal my desires. Today I am here to say I CHOOSE to delight in God. I know He will be faithful in His time, not mine.
After hearing an amazing sermon at church recently, my pastor reminded me of something amazing. For those of us who have lost children, whether through miscarriage or abortion, we will have the opportunity to see those little ones in Heaven. I had never thought about that. Several years ago I had a miscarriage, and of course I asked the why questions.
I walked out of church that day shedding happy tears. I imagined the reunion with my little child. I look so forward to that day. Is it a boy? A girl? It’s so exciting to think about!
Today God brought me 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: I realize He is growing me through my weaknesses, through my hardships, through my difficulties. He is making me strong!
by | Faith Lived Out
I once knew a girl who thought salvation meant wearing a cross necklace around her neck and saying her prayers every night. She was living in a lifestyle the world deemed appropriate. As long as she said her prayers, though, she was okay. She had heard of Jesus Christ, but didn’t really understand who He was. She was baptized at 11, because that’s what the other kids were doing.
She was a good person. She did good deeds for people. Surely that was enough. There were times she would sit around with her friends after an eventful night at the local bar and have drunken debates about the love of God. “Child molesters will never be in Heaven, but I will. God knows I love Him.”
There was always a question in the back of her mind that someone had asked her a few years earlier. “If you died tonight do you think you would go to Heaven?” Of course I’ll go to Heaven. I’m a good person. I pray every night. Look at my cross necklace. Her reality was not reality at all.
That girl was me. I was another lost soul walking around in a big, big, broken world. Then I met Jesus in my office floor on an emotional day in July of 2006. I haven’t been the same since.
I was reading the book of Daniel last night. Daniel had a vision. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. Daniel 7:10
As I read that I was reminded that our works, no matter how good, will not be able to save us. When that book opens, will your name be in it? Or will you be among those who walked around like I did, thinking I was a good person, and that was enough?
I keep thinking about Francis Chan desperately wanting to bring his grandmother to Christ on her deathbed. So desperate in fact, that he kept yelling in her ear to wake up so he could tell her about Jesus. At that moment reality set in where her destination was going to be. Hell – for eternity! At that moment he stopped caring what other people were going to think about him. This moment was about Christ, not about Francis. Because of his willingness to step out and be radical, his brother even came to Christ and is now a preacher.
What am I doing to be radical? I admit that far too many times in my life I care about what other people think. There are so many around me that aren’t walking with Christ. They are simply relying on their works to get them to Heaven. Life is too much fun right now to give it their all. Yet, I am too worried that if I get too radical with them, they will stop talking to me altogether. Isn’t it worth the risk?
There was once a girl who loved Jesus. She wanted others to know Him like she did. She saw their lives and shook her head in sadness as she simply whispered a prayer for God to change their hearts, then went on her way.
There was once a girl who loved Jesus. She wanted others to know Him like she did. She saw their lives and begged God to use her in changing their lives. She became radical for Jesus, not for people. She kept trudging through the laughs, the stares, and the judgment as she begged those she loved to give up their ways and follow His. She didn’t just pray. She went into action.
I want to be the latter.
What do you want to be?
by | Faith Lived Out
Rijul Sen forbid his wife, Daya, to go see a film about the life of Jesus Christ. She went anyway. That day both of their lives were changed.
Rijul had a dream. Jesus picked him up in a Jeep and gave him a ride home. In the back of the Jeep were an abundance of Bibles. Then Jesus commanded him to take the Bibles and give them to the needy.
Daya came home to tell her husband about her disobedience, but she was quickly surprised to his reaction.
Read the rest of this amazing story here…
Have you had a soul stirring dream?
by | Faith Lived Out
Bible Gateway recently released the ten most searched Bible Verses. They gathered the results from their 8 million plus visitors to the popular site. Here they are:
10. Matthew 28:19: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
9. Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
8. Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
7. Proverbs 3:6: “In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
6. Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
5. Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
4. Philippians 4:13: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
3. Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
2. Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”
1. John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
What do I see when I read these verses? That those 8 million viewers are searching for a purpose perhaps. Is there something they are missing? Should they trust in the God that so many people talk about? Does God love them?
Of course the most popular verse since the existence of Jesus, John 3:16 would be number one. I think it’s come to the point that everyone, even non believers knows that verse. Let’s change that. People don’t necessarily need to hear anymore that God loves them. They need to see that He loves them. We, as Christians need to show them through our actions how much the God that created the heavens and the earth loves them.
Maybe we should show them there is hope for the weary and burdened. Let’s show them we are not judges, but brothers and sisters in Christ. Remember though, we have to pull the plank out of our eyes to do so. Let us not make our brothers stumble. Let’s remind them that shame isn’t something they have to hold onto. I could keep going, but you get the point.
As a Christian, what are you doing to show the incredible, never ending love of the God who created us?
by | Faith Lived Out
Dread. It’s an ugly word really. It means to fear greatly.
When we are letting dread fill us, how can we be enjoying the gift Christ gave us of life?
Lucy has plans for tonight. She made them a week ago, and she wasn’t excited about it then. Well, tonight has finally come. She woke up this morning thinking about the task at hand. Before she even gets out of bed she’s telling herself, “This is the last thing I want to do. I can’t believe I have to go.” Before her feet even touch the floor, dread fills her mind.
The rest of her day stays the same. She reads her Bible and spends quiet time with God, but she doesn’t focus on the lesson because she’s thinking about the awful task at hand later. She lets everyone else that comes in her path know what she has to do later, with a “please feel sorry for me” tone in her voice. Her day is consumed with dreaded thoughts of what hasn’t even happened yet.
Do you think she will enjoy the evening event? No, because she has spent the whole day telling herself how horrible it’s going to be.
I am a work in progress here. There are some things I don’t want to do that are necessary. If I’m not careful I can quickly play the dread game. But I am learning that if I do that I am missing an opportunity for God to do something great. He can’t bless us when we’re sucking the joy He has so richly blessed us with, right out.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 6:22
Joy. We already possess it. It’s a gift that God has given us. You can choose today whether or not you are going to use it. Don’t let your feet hit the floor until you do a fruit check.
What are you allowing to steal your joy?
