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A New Song For A New Year

~ kathrynspen ~ Leave a comment

Can you believe that it’s already the middle of February?…. But here we are..

We’ve made the switch from the old year to the new..

But early on into the year 2016 –

God gave me a thought about that.. which I’d like to share with you…

It is..that..sometimes there are some new things we can add to our life..or do

Things that don’t have to be hard to keep – like the resolutions you’ve already “canned” – and left behind you!

It could be as simple a thing as getting some new music – or changing what you routinely watch on TV….

You might try putting a different picture on your wall – one that voices pleasant things and lends to peace – especially if your job and lifestyle is a busy or hectic one…

Those few things are just thoughts that came to me as I write – because the thing that the Lord actually said to me was about getting the new music…

And He even explained “WHY” this can be a good idea for some people…. especially if you know it’s time to move into some new things that God’s already laid out for you…. (We’re talking here about “good things” – not about chucking responsibility!)

In a nutshell.. the reason we may need the new fresh music.. is this… Our “OLD” music has “our emotional ruts” imprinted all over it…. Think about it – the music that we listen to.. deeply affects our emotions.. and we tend to go to the same music time after time.. knowing how it will make us “feel” before we even get there….

And if that is NOT a good thing for you – or – you just need to get “a different mindset” to be a little more ready for some new challenges or mountains to climb…  that He’s adding to move you a little higher…. Then this small change can be very helpful and you’ll love it as well…

And that – in a nutshell – is the reason you might want  to bring in some fresh music which could help redirect your thinking and get you ready for a new thing this year … That’s why God gives some of us a new song for a new year!

 

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And I would like to add this scripture which just came to me – for any Christian who frequently feels down (25-30 years ago – that was “me”..That’s awhile ago, but I can still remember how it feels!) …. So, I want to share this scripture which speaks of the value that a new song can bring to your life and also affect the lives of others…..

Psalm 40:3  “He has put a “new song” in my mouth – even praise unto God... Many shall see and fear.. and trust in the Lord.” (He did this for me – when He brought me out of a “horrible pit” and set my feet upon a Rock – and established my goings.”.. Psalm 40:2)  Glory be to God!  He IS incredible!

 

 

 

I Have Learned … Dealing with Difficult Feelings and Emotions

~ kathrynspen ~ 1 Comment

Note: I first published this post in May 2015 – but because so many people report having some of their most difficult times after Christmas as they go into the new year, I thought it good to share it again.  I share it from a Christian perspective …. because Jesus Christ really is “where my help comes from”… but  He is there and offers the same help for all who will come to Him.

So… I share this post about “dealing with difficult feelings and emotions” with compassion in my heart – because that is an area that used to “eat my lunch” – so that I very well understand how those things feel – and the way that they can negatively affect everything you need to do.  BUT this is one of the  “I have learned” things in my life…… not that I am always 100% perfect the minute I recognize a feeling I don’t like,  or an emotion that hurts – but I have learned what to do – and when I rise up and do it,  those things do not control my thinking or my day.

First of all, you must understand this – EMOTIONS CANNOT BE IGNORED! We struggle to get away from them – only to find that indeed they are still “with us” – they cannot be ignored!….. BUT fortunately –  they can be “TURNED”! …  I’ll show you an example of that in the Word of God……

I Samuel 30:1-19 (Paraphrased)  After being away for three days, David and his men returned to their place at Ziklag – only to find it burned and their wives and children all carried away captive……. “Then David and the men that were with him lifted up their voice and wept – until they had no more power to weep.” …..then came another “turn for the worse” ….. for David…..

“And David was greatly distressed – for the people spoke of stoning him – because the soul of every man was grieved for their wives, sons and daughters.. …..( which is not too surprising as people in deep grief often divert some of that grief to “assigning blame” for what has happened.) …. So that David who had suffered as much loss as the rest of them – now faced still another crisis…..  But the way that he chose to handle the mounting crisis is the thing that made ALL THE DIFFERENCE for him. 

So, what did he do?  Verse 6 says “David was greatly distressed… but David….  but David did what? – “But David encouraged himself in the Lord!!  To give you a better idea of exactly what David did, I will give you the definition for the Hebrew word “encouraged”…..  It means:  “to fasten upon – be stubborn, strong, courageous – which, by so doing – is causative to heal, cure, fortify, strengthen, or repair a situation….. David CHOSE to encourage himself in the Lord….. and the Lord obviously began to influence the situation so that the men who wanted to stone David in their grief begin to think differently….

AND – David prayed –  he inquired of the Lord saying -“Shall I pursue after the troop/this enemy? Shall I overtake them? And the Lord answered him “Pursue; for you shall overtake them – and without fail recover all”!   We then read the report of the outcome in verses 18,19 ……  “And David recovered all that the enemy had carried away –  there was no person nor spoil of what had been taken that was not recovered……. David RECOVERED ALL!  Of course that is what was important to David and his men……

But for us today, I am pointing to THE REASON  he was able to recover all the loss – which, of course, was that he fastened his eyes on God – David steadied himself in the midst of his distress – and looked to God for help and direction.  In the same way, when we are confronted with challenging or hurtful situations,  we have a choice to either “embrace” the negative feelings and emotions that often accompany those situations – and let them” swallow us up” – OR – we can begin to encourage ourselves in the Lord so that we can think and hear what He would say to us more clearly…….

HOW do you do that??  I am going to just list some ways I have learned that work for me   (and everyone of them you will find in God’s word)……

First, pray anything that you know to pray if a person’s safety etc. is involved. Also, forgive anyone that needs forgiveness – do this by faith – feelings follow.

  • Begin to give thanks for different things/ways God has helped or blessed you.  (This has nothing to do with what you feel like at the time – for basing what you do on feelings and emotions is like building a house on shifting sand.) You give thanks because God is good and offers help and deliverance to those who look to Him.
  • You might put on music that lends to worship – and deliberately focus on Jesus and the deliverance you have already tasted by His hand. Get into worship!
  • You can start speaking to yourself in psalms and hymns – sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord – with thanksgiving for every good thing.  (Ephesians 5:18-20)
  • Speak God’s word as scriptures come to you. (God’s word has the power to change things and to accomplish what He sends it to do.)
  • Pray in the spirit quietly – and continue in these things until your mind and emotions have quieted….. which will lend to hearing any scripture or words of direction the Spirit of God would put in your spirit for you at this time.   (Jude 20,21)

Setting yourself to do any of those things will have the effect of turning negative or painful emotions.

In the beginning, I found it hard to “make myself” say what I “didn’t feel” – but over the years I have learned to not go so much by what my mind or emotions are saying at the moment – but rather to choose to take Jesus up on His invitation to come to Him with all your cares and let Him give you rest.  Once I established myself in choosing to not embrace the negative feelings – but to labor to turn those emotions, I have seen a change happen in less than 5 minutes, but that’s not always the case – and you need to stay there with God until you have quieted your mind and let Him have some time to touch you.  Then if there be a valid reason for any of those negative feelings, He WILL show you – because He delights in our well being – the well being that comes from walking in the truth.

God bless and keep you.

 

 

Thanksgiving – A Day to Celebrate…. and an Attitude to Cultivate

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One day as I began to ponder “why” I should be feeling a little “dull and testy” when nothing was actually “wrong” with my day…. I heard something  in my spirit – which was this – “The secret to keeping things fresh and new.. is a thankful heart”…..  

And now having gotten my attention, the Spirit of God began to add more to what I had just heard! …… It was to this effect…..”The secret to keeping things fresh and new – is a thankful heart”….. And having a thankful heart is also the secret to walking in and letting patience have its perfect(ing) work in your life… Which thing the Word of God tells us is very important – i.e. “Count it all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations, knowing this – that the trying of your faith worketh patience….. But let patience have her perfect work – that you may be perfect (complete) and entire, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4).

In thinking about it, I can see how that having an overall thankful heart attitude makes it much easier to be patient … with things and with  people  …. Because we know that patience is the secret to possessing your own soul (the mind, will, and emotions)  Luke 21:19….. So a thankful heart makes it easier for you and me to stay in control of our own thoughts and actions….    

I am beginning to see that developing a thankful heart is the foundation upon which other strong and desirable qualities in our life are built.   I am not generally an ungrateful person, but I see today that there is still room for (and cause for ) improvement in having this irreplaceable heart attitude of thankfulness….   (Do you suppose that this could be one reason why God – in His love for us – has commanded us to give thanks and be thankful?)

I hope this that I just shared with you will cause you – as it did me- to check out the attitude of your heart and see if there is room in you for more of this wonderful virtue of a thankful heart ….. It just might be the very thing that is needed for the opening of some other doors for you!

Thanksgiving – a day to celebrate….. and an attitude to cultivate!

 

 

An Example…… Confessing God’s Word in Prayer and Worship

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Today I am sharing a “writing” which I call “a confession sheet” because it is full of the word of God …… It came to me early one morning as an answer  to something I had prayed the day before – when I had asked the Lord to show me how to pray for a Christian friend who was struggling with some bondages in their life.

Before I get into the post – I’m going to share a few strong reasons  for learning to spend some time worshiping God and confessing His word as you pray…..

  • Mark 16:20 – informs us that “the Lord works with and confirms His Word with signs following.“
  • II Timothy 2:9 – says that “the word of God is not bound!”….. It can go into places and reach into situations where we ourselves are not able to go or get into – to affect a situation – (including people’s hearts and minds!)  + Psalm 107:20 “God sent His Word and He healed them and delivered them”…..   And remember the centurion (in Matthew 8) telling Jesus “You don’t even have to come to my house to heal my servant – but just speak the Word – and he shall be healed.“
  • In the same way, the Spirit of God will quicken/send a word to us….. with the expectation that we will receive that word and keep it – in our heart and in our mouth!!!….. speaking the life that is in that word into our own life – or even into someone else’s life.  In this way, you can cover someone’s life with the word of God – as you spend time thanking Him that His word is true!

CONFESSING God’s WORD IN PRAYER AND WORSHIP

I worship You, Father – You are the one true God, the Great Creator, Our Healer and Deliverer…. Provider and Keeper…….. Great and mighty God You are …. I worship and adore You! ……(Personal worship touches God’s heart deeply because He wants to be close to each one of  us – So I urge you to use your own words of worship here – expressing what is in your heart to God.).

Father, I thank You that You ARE  a rewarder of those that diligently seek You. I believe that You “are” – and I am a diligent seeker!…. Father, I am seeking You now for (name of person)….. and I thank You that You ARE perfecting the things that concern them…..

I thank You that You are:……..

Pulling down strongholds of error in their thinking – so they can recognize the truth when they hear it…… And for leading and guiding them into all truth, I thank You.

For enlightening the eyes of their understanding – that they may know the hope of their calling, and the riches of their inheritance in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Thank You that He is their Savior and Lord – and any place they are lacking in that – You are perfecting that part or place in them.  Hallelujah!

I thank You for causing them to see and understand the greatness of Your power towards all who believe.  And for helping them to see that even with a child like faith they can do all things that they need to do – and do those things well!….. because in Jesus, they are overcomers and conquerors!

Thank You for helping them to understand that they can live a life of overcoming and victory – because Jesus is Lord over every need that they have!   Oh Father, for redeeming their lives from destruction – even wrong things that they’ve bowed down to – I thank You.  I give You thanks and I give You praise for this – for nothing is too hard for You!

Thank You Father for helping them to see how much You love them…..and that nothing can separate them from that love!  … And for helping them to see the good plan You have for their lives.

Thank You now for causing Your wonderful grace to flow to them – redeeming and restoring every good thing in their lives……. even the years that the enemy has stolen!  And Father, thank You for taking and weaving in Your good into all those destructive things and bringing them back on line with that good plan You have for them……. Glory be to God – our Healer and Deliverer!  Thank You Jesus – You ARE the Redeemer and Restorer of every good thing!

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NOTE: That is just an example of a time of confessing God’s Word as you worship and thank Him for supplying what you (or some other person) needs. And I can tell you that – as you focus on God as the provider of all of our needs, the Spirit of God will likely drop some other things into your spirit to pray – making this more personally yours in the time that you spend with Him worshiping and confessing His word – acknowledging that you have asked – and He is doing these things to perfect the lives of those for whom you pray!

The Revelation From God…. Against Which the Enemy Cannot Prevail!

~ kathrynspen ~ 1 Comment

I believe God that it shall be …. even as He has told me….                                               Thus it shall be – according to His Word – just as He has said……  For by the Holy Spirit (aka the Spirit of God) – God quickens His word to me….

And even though at times, things certainly appear to be going a different way..     I’ll not let those things turn my head and my thinking away – from what the Lord did say!….  For I know the word that He quickened to me is full of life and ability… the ability to bring those things to pass which He did say!

Therefore I choose…… I’ll “set my face”- to hold fast to the words that He did say…  I will hold God’s words – over things to the contrary that I might hear or see……    For God – in His sovereignty – did set “this law of life in the spirit” into place……        And that law (of faith) rules above what men – or circumstances – might say!

So as long as I know I heard Him say…. that is the thing that will guide my way! For I know that God “who cannot lie” is watching for His Word to perform it ….. And He performs it – as it is spoken by you or me in faith….

So when you are in a battle where it looks like you can’t possibly win –                 Remember this very important little thing ….. Which is simply this …….           “Don’t doubt in the dark what you heard from God in the light” ……                          But take that into your heart and mind – and put it into your mouth! …..        And let it “Rule” over what you think and say!……

For when God speaks a word to you – or reveals to you His way…..                         That is “THE WORD” you are to stand on when doubts or fears assail…..                   For that is the revelation from God – against which the enemy cannot prevail!

Part 3 – Where Were You God?……Giving God Another Avenue to Work Through

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That God uses the avenue of believing prayer to touch our lives – is a fact….And that “He watches for His word to perform it”(Jeremiah 1:20) is another fact…  But what does that mean for you and me?……. and how can we apply that fact to our lives to make it an avenue for God to work through?

In a nutshell – “God watches for His word to perform it” – which makes it extremely important (and profitable) for us that we speak in agreement with what God has said…… because what God has said (or says) about anything is the way that He has set it up to operate – and intends for it to be…..

When God watches for His word – so He can perform it – He is not asking you and I to speak word for word in perfect King James English ….. but He IS asking that we  SPEAK IN AGREEMENT WITH WHAT HE HAS SAID ….. This is important because God needs to be able to use the authority He gave man on the earth – in order for Him to “legally” operate and do things here…….. And when we do choose to speak in agreement with what God has said about something – we are giving Him an avenue for Him to work through.

This authority was bought back for us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – who did not bow the knee to Satan when Satan came to tempt Him (as he had tempted Adam)……. thus giving to all who will choose to receive Jesus – man’s original, God given authority again…… Because in Jesus’ mastery over Satan, Jesus stripped Satan of that authority which came to him through Adam (Colossians 2:6-15)………So that now – any “authority” that Satan exercises over those who have received Jesus – is authority we give to him through our wrong choices or agreement with his deceptions…..  But we are to follow the example that Jesus gave us when He was tempted by the devil (Luke 1:1-13)……..

We are to follow His example – in that Jesus answered every temptation with the words of God… And that brings us back to the subject of “avenues that God uses to work in our lives”….. One such avenue being when you and I choose to speak in agreement with what God has said about something. Our agreement gives Him the go ahead to start performing His word that we are agreeing with…… And be sure to understand here – that this does not mean that we will see the full manifestation of that word within 24 hours…… For some things it could happen in that length of time or less – but all “seeds” – which God’s word is (Luke 8:11) – have a certain growing season before you are able to see the fruit produced by that seed…….And likewise, the fruit (which is the manifestation of God’s promise) from the seed – of God’s word – will be “fulfilled in it’s season” (Luke 1:20)….

……So… it is important that we learn to “hold forth His word” – speak the promised word in the face of every temptation to turn loose of what God has said – and instead – start speaking carelessly about what we see or hear with our physical senses…. No, we need to continue to speak in agreement with what God has said …. BECAUSE.. God’s word “shall be fulfilled in it’s season.. (Luke 1:20)…..  We may not yet see any evidence that it is growing – but you and I can abort that seed before it comes to full growth and manifestation if we continue to speak contrary to what God has said…  WHY?  because without faith it is impossible to please and receive from God (Hebrews 11:6)….  and when we speak contrary to the words of God, we are in effect saying that we do not “believe God that it shall be as He has told us.”

All that being true, you might still say “I believe God – BUT – I just can’t see how speaking what He has said will cause anything to happen…..?”… Well – you might consider this – “what happened in Genesis when God spoke?…. Things were created, right?  WHY?….. His word is truth…. it is living and it is with the power to impart and produce life – and orchestrate change – according to what He has said…..

And when we speak the word(s) God has given us, they are still His words – and we are acknowledging the truth and the power in those words as we give voice to them.  We are  in fact “returning those words to Him” – which words, as He said in Isaiah 55:11 – “will not return to Him void – but those words will accomplish/perform what He has sent them to do” – and that,  because of the life and creative power in the words God has spoken. WHY?  because GOD IN HIS SOVEREIGNTY SET THINGS UP THAT WAY!   Okay?……. He loved us – and He desired to make available to us some avenues for Him to work through in our lives…….. He needed to do this because He had assigned authority and dominion over the earth to man – thus God needs us to ask Him into a situation before He can legally do things on the earth….. So, God gave us some avenues to connect with Him and give Him an opening to work in our lives.

One of those avenues is prayer….. Another avenue is our confession of faith by speaking in agreement with the things God has said to us….. This confession is creating reality – because  of the life and creative power of God’s word.  God’s word is true – all the time!….. but it is our voice acknowledging that it is true in our situation(s) that activates the power in God’s word for us.  That’s the thing that makes our words powerful and an avenue for God to work in our lives.

 

 

Part 2 – Where Were You God?……Giving God Avenues He Can Work Through

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I am continuing on the post “Where were You God – when things didn’t go so well”?…..  because a lot of Christians get hung up on what they should believe about the sovereignty of God….. And as I told you in that 6-30-15 post -” what you believe about the sovereignty of God is very important because it very much affects your faith”……. For instance, if you believe that God being sovereign over all means that He controls every single thing that happens – then why make any decisions at all? – why not just let it happen?! (Seeing that you have no say in the matter)….. . But is that really so? I mean, what is the sovereignty of God?

God’s sovereignty lies in the fact that He alone……  not you, not me, not anyone else – but He alone – determined the way that things on the earth would operate..…  (Psalm 93:1 & Psalm 119:89-91  paraphrased)  “With the words of His mouth He established the world that it cannot be moved”…. it cannot be moved because….. “His word is forever settled in Heaven – He is – and it is – faithful to all generations!…. He established the earth and it abideth ….. It continues this day according to His ordinances” ( a law or formal decree – which – in this case refers to ALL functions.)…. and Hebrews 1:3 says that God is “upholding all things He created by the power of His word” – ie. by the commands that He spoke – all things were set to operate – and thus they continue to operate)…… That is one facet of the sovereignty of God – in that He alone made those decisions and set those things in place – without consulting you or me about how it should be done!

THEN ….. in His sovereignty, God assigned dominion and stewardship over the earth to man!…… AND …. some time later – after man chose to live apart from God – God set before man “life and death, blessing and cursing” (Deuteronomy 30:15-19). God did this – BECAUSE – man had chosen this! Before Adam chose to live apart from God, man’s life was filled only with good – all of the”very good things” that God had provided for us (Genesis 1:31)…..  But when Adam chose  (and when we choose) to live apart from God and His laws, God will honor that choice – because He gave us the freedom to choose!.….. thus He said “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing – but choose life, that you and your seed may live.”

God’s heart for each of us to know life and blessing is clearly seen in that He urges us to choose “LIFE.”….  He can’t do it for us – because He gave each of us the freedom to choose….. BUT – He gave us His word – and in it clear directives how to choose life.  He gave us what I like to call “avenues” for Him to work  in our lives.  I’ll take that a step farther and tell you that He gave us “avenues” (pathways) not only to let Him work in our lives – but to work in the lives of others for good.  One such powerful avenue is called “prayer.”

When we are born again, you and I can pray a simple prayer in the name of Jesus – asking God to help someone…… and except it be asking for help to do some evil thing – God will hear that prayer – and indeed help that someone for whom you pray.  (A couple of notes here:  1. God does not help anyone do evil…. and  2. In His wisdom and sovereignty, God set ONE mediator  – (go between/ reconciler) – between  Himself and man….. I Timothy 2:5 tells us THAT ONE MEDIATOR is Jesus Christ.)……Thus we pray to the Father in the name of the one that He, in His sovereignty, appointed as the “go between” for God and man……. And praying to the Father in that name – as some of you may have already discovered – is a very effective avenue for giving God a way to work in your life.

There are other avenues (pathways) God uses to work through to touch people’s lives – which I will bring to you in some detail in the next post on this subject.

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I write and share about the things that have helped me – as one that well remembers longing for  more insight than what I had – and God being good enough to send me the help I needed to keep moving forward with Him……which He is still doing! ….. So, I write and share hoping to help and encourage you the way that I have been helped and encouraged.  God is faithful.  He is true…. and I thank Him for every one of these avenues He uses to touch me and you…..

Where Were You God?….. When Things Didn’t Go So Well….

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Many things happen – and seem to go wrong in this world.  That’s a fact….. And in our sometimes rather bewildered state – we ask “Why”?  and “Where were You God – when all “these things” happened”?….. ..

I can confess to having many such thoughts in those first years after being born again – and certainly I did not understand before (being born again)…… but as I have stated in a number of previous posts that “I have learned”- and then I would go on to share about some thing that had been a source of real frustration in my life – even after receiving Jesus as Savior (aka being born again)…..  but the good part always was  – that God did not give up on me (even while I was still blaming Him) – but He continued to help me to more and more understand….. until the frustrations began to melt away as I did begin to see the truth of the matter.

Even thus it has been concerning “this question of things going wrong – and where were You, God”?…… I do not have all the answers, but there are some things that I have learned and am very sure of – from which I will try to share with you today.  I will start by telling you that this “question” we are looking at today – will fit into the category of “the sovereignty of God.”…… but probably not in the way many of you may think – so please “read on.”.

God the Father gave us “a voice”…… It is when we make choices – and when we look to Him and pray.   You see – from the beginning, God gave man the freedom to choose…… And if God were going to violate that freedom He put into the hands of man – don’t you think that it would likely have been to stop man/Adam from eating of the “tree” that He had forbidden him to partake of??

But God had placed man on the earth and given him both authority and stewardship over it……..Genesis 1:28; Psalm 115:16.   (And note that it was “stewardship” – not “ownership” of the earth that God put into the hands of man).  But before God even did this, He set some things in place  –  some things that would insure that order not chaos – would keep these things operating according to the “laws” that He had set in place.  The movement of – and the interaction between the heavenly bodies (the sun, moon and stars) and the earth – is one of those things (Genesis 3:14-18)……. Another would be the law of seed time and harvest/sowing and reaping – which is both a natural law and a spiritual law – (Genesis 8:22 ; Galatians 6:7-9).   In other scripture – Hebrews 1:1-3 & John 1:1-18,  we see that God not only made the world by the “Living Word of God” – but He also upholds it  by the same.   These things – and others – that even man’s best technology cannot match – God set in place and did for us because He loves us……. THEN – God gave man authority and stewardship over the earth……..and a little later, after man had chosen to move out ahead without God in his life – God gave us a way to connect back with Him (through Jesus Christ His Son).

My intent in giving this very basic explanation is not to bog you down in reading this post, but to set forth a foundation from the Word of God to help in the job of sorting out what part God now plays in our lives……. sharing some things that He does and does not do apart from our asking Him…… Because He set man in charge of the earth – there are things that God cannot do without violating His own charge.   That we understand a little more about these things is very important……. It is important because it very much affects our faith….. Why??

Why? …. because if you see God as the “author” of – or even that He “allows” the hurtful and some times devastating things we see happen – then it will indeed be difficult for you to trust Him.  Indeed many Christians endure a lot of painful destructive things thinking that it came to them because God is sovereign and He wants to teach them something……. when many times these things are the result of someone’s carelessness or ignorance/unawareness, or bad choices (ours or someone else’s) – and are things that God is NOT responsible for at all.  Also…….

We have an adversary – which God warns us about – who comes to steal, kill and destroy…. those 3 things being “categories” of things for which he –“your adversary the devil (I Peter 5:8 and John 10:10) continually seeks to find an opening and a way to bring hurtful or destructive things into our lives”…… All the while God is looking for us to give Him an avenue to work in our lives to help and bless us –  (Recall that He gave us authority over things on the earth – and also the choice – to invite Him into our daily lives – or not…… and James 4 tells us that “you have not, because you ask not”).  God does not “invade” our lives unasked and unwelcome…… Unwelcome? are you kidding? No, I kid you not – there are people who have had devastating things happen in their lives and because they do not understand that other factors (besides God and His sovereignty) are at work – they blame Him and stay hurt and angry at Him – not realizing that the One they blame is not at all responsible for their loss and pain…… And that is the place where our potential to have faith that God is good and will answer our prayers is damaged!…… Our misunderstanding of His sovereignty is thus behind many failures to live a victorious Christian life….. because in our belief that God caused “the fire” or “allowed” the accident, we find ourselves feeling that we are helpless victims and powerless to do anything to prevent such things.  We need to “think again” if that is what we believe.

Another example (and rather a silly one, but I give it to make a point) would be to jump off the top of a barn, then attribute that “accident” to God – when the fact is that there is a law of gravity that God did set in motion – but since it is rather inherent in us to “know” for our safety – not to jump off a cliff or the barn – then how can we lay the blame for doing so on someone else??

God gave us His Word in scripture…… to invite us to come to Him…… and to give us knowledge about things that are good – and things that will hurt us or bring eventual harm to us……. And that is where our individual (and corporate) choices make us accountable for things that happen on the earth and in our lives.

Indeed, God the Father gave us “a voice” in these matters…….. It lies in the choices that we make – and when we look to Him and pray – to secure from Him the help that we all need.  True, I can’t always have much say over the choices you make, but God did give me a voice to have a say in the overall outcome of things that affect my life.

So…… where were You God when all these bad things happened??….  There’s a good chance that He was just one believing prayer away………

 

 

 

 

 

I Believe God that it shall be as He has said… Receiving the things God has Promised

~ kathrynspen ~ Leave a comment

The post that I share with you today is about another one of those “I have learned” things….. All of these “I have learned things” fit into a category of things that I have longed to see “work” in my life – as they are laid out in the Word of God – one of those things being about receiving things God has promised….. which is the thing that I will share about with you today.

I still have plenty of room to grow in this,  but I have gained a lot of ground… The credit for that  would have to go to the Spirit of God (aka the Holy Spirit )  because He has never given up on me, but faithfully led me to the next step – even when that next step meant going back to pick up some things I should have already worked into my life.

Sometimes He has talked to me “in plain English” – as another person would – but what He would say has never been contrary to the principles in His Word.  I shared that because – there is no where in the bible that God tells any one to “move to Minnesota” (for example) – but He might tell you to do just that – and you would need to know that you have indeed heard His voice and not something that is out of your own thinking – (or “off the wall” from someone else’s thinking).  Hearing and recognizing His voice comes as you spend alone time with Him….. time in the Word, in prayer, in worship.  Those are some  things that bring you into His presence – and into a confidence of knowing Him…. which things are paramount for you and me in learning to “walk by faith” and receive the things that God has promised.

You see, when the Apostle Paul – on that ship being exceedingly tossed for days in a storm they referred to as “no small tempest”- told his shipmates   “Be of good cheer – for I believe God that it shall be even as He has told me”….. Paul could say that to them because he had come to know…… and learned to have full confidence in God – from whom he had just received word that very night – “not to be afraid because there would be no loss of any man’s life among them.  (Acts 27:13-44 ) So regardless of how that storm (or your storm) rages, he had learned – as we can learn – to take what God has said about it and “fight the good fight of faith”….. by holding fast to acknowledge what God has said – and so receive the promise.

In holding fast to what God has said – regardless of “how things look” – we will “through faith and patience” obtain the promise…….whether it be a certain scripture that He has quickened to us – or a word we hear from Him – as Paul heard the word from God about the storm and the lives of the men on the ship.  We can count on it because “all the promises of God in His son Jesus Christ are yes, and amen (aka “so be it”) – That means they are sure and trustworthy.  (II Corinthians 1:19,20).

His words are trustworthy because  He has said “I will not alter the words that have gone out of my lips.” Our part is to hold fast to the words He has spoken to us ….. And we can learn to do that – with patience – because He is faithful that promised.

I’m in there with you – having received a lot of promises….  And I’m still fighting the good fight of faith – ie. endeavoring to “hold fast to what He has said” – in order to receive other promises.  That’s how it works!…..Through faith and patience you and I WILL receive the things that God has promised!

I Have Learned … Dealing with Difficult Feelings and Emotions

~ kathrynspen ~ 3 Comments

I share this post today about “dealing with difficult feelings and emotions” with compassion in my heart – because that is an area that used to “eat my lunch” – so that I very well understand how those things feel – and the way that they can negatively affect everything you need to do.  BUT this is one of the  “I have learned” things in my life…… not that I am always 100% perfect the minute I recognize a feeling I don’t like,  or an emotion that hurts – but I have learned what to do – and when I rise up and do it,  those things do not control my thinking or my day.

First of all, you must understand this – EMOTIONS CANNOT BE IGNORED! We struggle to get away from them – only to find that indeed they are still “with us” – they cannot be ignored!….. BUT  fortunately –  they can be “TURNED”!  I’ll show you an example of that in the Word of God……

I Samuel 30:1-19 (Paraphrased)  After being away for three days, David and his men returned to their place at Ziklag – only to find it burned and their wives and children all carried away captive……. “Then David and the men that were with him lifted up their voice and wept – until they had no more power to weep.” …..then came another “turn for the worse” ….. for David…..

“And David was greatly distressed – for the people spoke of stoning him – because the soul of every man was grieved for their wives, sons and daughters.. …..( which is not too surprising as people in deep grief often divert some of that grief to “assigning blame” for what has happened.) …. So that David who had suffered as much loss as the rest of them – now faced still another crisis…..  But the way that he chose to handle the mounting crisis is the thing that made ALL THE DIFFERENCE for him. 

So, what did he do?  Verse 6 says “David was greatly distressed —- but David….  but David did what? – “But David encouraged himself in the Lord!!  To give you a better idea of exactly what David did, I will give you the definition for the Hebrew word “encouraged”…..  It means:  “to fasten upon – be stubborn, strong, courageous – which, by so doing – is causative to heal, cure, fortify, strengthen, or repair a situation….. David CHOSE to encourage himself in the Lord….. and the Lord obviously began to influence the situation so that the men who wanted to stone David in their grief begin to think differently….

AND – David prayed –  he inquired of the Lord saying -“Shall I pursue after the troop/this enemy? Shall I overtake them? And the Lord answered him “Pursue; for you shall overtake them – and without fail recover all”!   We then read the report of the outcome in verses 18,19 ……  “And David recovered all that the enemy had carried away –  there was no person nor spoil of what had been taken that was not recovered……. David RECOVERED ALL!  Of course that is what was important to David and his men……

But for us today, I am pointing to THE REASON  he was able to recover all the loss – which, of course, was that he fastened his eyes on God – David steadied himself in the midst of his distress – and looked to God for help and direction.  In the same way, when we are confronted with challenging or hurtful situations,  we have a choice to either “embrace” the negative feelings and emotions that often accompany those situations – and let them” swallow us up” – OR – we can begin to encourage ourselves in the Lord so that we can think and hear what He would say to us more clearly…….

HOW do you do that??  I am going to just list some ways I have learned that work for me   (and everyone of them you will find in God’s word)……

First, pray anything that you know to pray if a person’s safety etc. is involved. Also, forgive anyone that needs forgiveness – do this by faith – feelings follow.

  • Begin to give thanks for different things/ways God has helped or blessed you.  (This has nothing to do with what you feel like at the time – for basing what you do on feelings and emotions is like building a house on shifting sand.) You give thanks because God is good and offers help and deliverance to those who look to Him.
  • You might put on music that lends to worship – and deliberately focus on Jesus and the deliverance you have already tasted by His hand. Get into worship!
  • You can start speaking to yourself in psalms and hymns – sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord – with thanksgiving for every good thing.  (Ephesians 5:18-20)
  • Speak God’s word as scriptures come to you. (God’s word has the power to change things and to accomplish what He sends it to do.)
  • Pray in the spirit quietly – and continue in these things until your mind and emotions have quieted….. which will lend to hearing any scripture or words of direction the Spirit of God would put in your spirit for you at this time.   (Jude 20,21)

Setting yourself to do any of those things will have the effect of turning negative or painful emotions.

In the beginning, I found it hard to “make myself” say what I “didn’t feel” – but over the years I have learned to not go so much by what my mind or emotions are saying at the moment – but rather to choose to take Jesus up on His invitation to come to Him with all your cares and let Him give you rest.  Once I established myself in choosing to not embrace the negative feelings – but to labor to turn those emotions, I have seen a change happen in less than 5 minutes, but that’s not always the case – and you need to stay there with God until you have quieted your mind and let Him have some time to touch you.  Then if there be a valid reason for any of those negative feelings, He WILL show you – because He delights in our well being – the well being that comes from walking in the truth.

God bless and keep you.

 

 

Part 2 – Being a Doer of the Word… Wielding the Sword of the Spirit

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In this post, I will share a little about learning to use the Word of God as your sword of deliverance against attacks of the enemy….as Jesus did. This enemy that I  refer to here is specifically referred to as “your adversary, the devil” in I Peter 5:8…. and also named “the tempter” in Matthew 4 – as he comes to tempt Jesus to do other than what God had sent Him to this earth to do…. That is where we see Jesus taking the Word of God to “answer” every thing that the devil suggests to Him that He should do – but each time, Jesus answered and said “It is written…..” – using the Word of God to shut the enemy down – ie. we see that after his third unsuccessful attempt to lure Jesus away from His standing in God, verse 11 says  “the devil left Him.” Jesus resisted the devil and he left!

And that is exactly what the Word instructs you and  I to do when we find ourselves being tempted by this enemy….. because according to I Peter 5:8,9  “your adversary, the devil – as a roaring lion – walketh about seeking whom he may devour (oppose, swallow up) – whom we are to “resist – stedfast in the faith (the faith in what God has said)”….  that means that we are to speak in line with what God has said.  When the enemy comes to suggest anything contrary to what God has said about a matter – then you and I are to resist that temptation by speaking according to what God has indeed said about that matter.   Being a “doer of the Word” means that we apply the Word to our situation…. for as we do this, we are ” announcing”-  in effect – that we believe God that it shall be even as He has told us.  That is our resistance – it affects to “disconnect” us/our situation from the suggestions that the enemy is tempting us to take over what God has said….  And we are told to hold fast to our speaking according to what God has said..for His words SHALL BE FULFILLED “in their season.” (Luke 1:20)

How can such things be??  We have to get out of our own (man’s) way of thinking – because as Isaiah 55:9-11 (paraphrased) tells us – God thinks higher than you and I do.  His ways are higher than our ways …. and what He speaks, He is able to perform and intends to perform.  And as we get to know and trust Him, we can more and more be able to say with the Apostle Paul (Acts 27:25) “I believe God that it shall be even as He told me” – in the face of a storm that had raged so violently for days against the ship he was in – that all hope that they could be saved had been taken away……but the Apostle Paul said “I believe God that it shall be even as He told me”! … and so it was – for him – and so it can be for us!

…….And like Mary, whom God had chosen to be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38) – who though being a virgin at the time – understood that “with God nothing shall be impossible”…. and with these words: “Be it unto me according to Your Word”– gave her consent for the power of God to “overshadow/ envelope” her – causing this miracle of conception to take place in her.  Likewise with our words of agreement with what God has said, we release Him to begin to bring to pass the promise He has given us.  

The words that God speaks  have the power to perform to bring about  WHATEVER  He has promised! …. But realize this – that HE HAS MADE US to be  labourers together with Him in this process….. BECAUSE…..He gives us His Word and it is with you and I even as He said to Mary  “Blessed is he or she that believes – for there shall be a performance of those things that were told her from the Lord.”

God’s Words – are the sword we use to cut off the suggestions of the enemy …. and they are the words we speak to bring forth what God has purposed for our lives and for His Kingdom!  Its not because you and I are such hot rods – but it is because God cannot fail – and His words SHALL BE FULFILLED in their season…. He wants us to get in there and believe so that they can be fulfilled in our lives!

 

Part 3 – Praying in the Spirit … Why Pray in Tongues ?

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When you or I speak or pray in an unknown tongue – we are not speaking to men, but to God …. in fact I Corinthians 14:2  informs us that in the spirit we are speaking /praying the mysteries of God.  . and as we pray those mysteries that God is depositing into our spirit – we are being “set up” for God to begin to direct us and our lives in those things that He desires for us and for the people for whom we pray.

God wisely and lovingly put this together in this way  – because you and I don’t always know (actually we seldom know)  the whole picture concerning things that we need to know …. but He wisely deposits the knowledge we need about  those things into our spirit as our spirit prays (I Cor 14:14)…. And one very good reason for that is  – as we see in  Romans 8:26 – “we know not what, or how to pray as we ought”…..And  just as God intends to answer the prayers that we give voice to in English – even so, those prayers we are giving voice to that come in tongues out of us as we pray in the spirit – He intends to answer!

And I can honestly tell you that my prayer life – both the satisfaction of it and the answers to prayer – multiplied as I learned to spend time praying in the spirit (that is because you are much more likely to be praying “according to His will”)…. And I quickly noticed how much more alive the Word of God became to me as well.  It is as the old quote says “the proof is in the pudding.”  So I was very soon “sold” on the value of praying in the spirit….. and  It didn’t hurt that a hero of mine – the Apostle Paul – valued personal prayer in the spirit so highly that he told the Corinthians “I thank my God that I pray in tongues more than you all”… (and you can note that he didn’t have time to waste on things that weren’t important!) – So since he urged us to “follow me as I follow the Lord” …..

Perhaps  praying in the spirit should likewise be a priority to you and me – don’t you think?   I can also tell you that after praying in tongues for 15 – 20 minutes or so, I will generally  feel/or hear some things in English rising up in my spirit to pray for – and I will go with that until it feels “emptied out” – then I begin again praying in the spirit until I finish the time I have to give to praying – or until something else rises up in my spirit such as worship or maybe one of the writings that He frequently downloads into my spirit.  I have also learned that I can continue quietly praying in the spirit even after I leave the “place” of prayer and become involved in house work – or driving the car – or laying down to rest,  etc, etc……

If you think I place great value on praying in the spirit, you are very right and if you think I am urging you to  spend a little time developing that habit, you are right again.  You can start by taking 15 minutes  out of your day (or more if you can) aside from other things and begin praying in tongues.  Day by day as you pray – the Spirit of God gives you the utterance – so that you can know it is as perfect a prayer as you could possibly pray … and one that He will take coming from your lips – and answer in the best possible ways as you continue in those times of fellowship with Him…… praying in the Holy Ghost – as Jude 20,21  refers to it.  I am excited for you as you begin “building yourself up praying in the Holy Ghost!”

Thank You Lord for this incredible gift You gave to the Church….. I pray that many more of Your people will come to understand its value and receive it as a precious gift from You to them.

“I Have Learned”……. Being a Do-er of the Word

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The Apostle Paul said… “I have learned to be “content” in whatever state – circumstance, or situation I find myself in.   (Philippians 4:11)  The key phrase used here that I will share some things about in this post – is –  “I have learned”….. We generally tend to emphasize other parts of that verse, but one day the Spirit of God really quickened that little 3 word phrase to me – and it has served as a goad to me to keep moving forward on many ocassions……

“I have learned” indicates a process entered into.  It also indicates a willingness to apply yourself to going through that process – even as we can see that the Apostle Paul made such a decision (in Philippians 3:8-11) when he determined to pursue a thing that he considered to be  paramount to every other thing in his life…..  And in the verses that followed that – he expressed the fervency of his pursuit to press toward that mark – but immediately thereafter – he assured the readers of this passage that he had not yet “got there” – ie. he was not as mature as he would like to be or could be, but nevertheless – and in spite of some mistakes along the way – he was purposed to keep walking and moving forward in that direction – doing his best to  mind the things/rules that he had learned along the way.

“I have learned” he tells us….. indicating that he gained some ground as he kept minding and putting into practice the things he was learning along the way.   That is actually what the “famous” Romans 8:28 passage is talking about.   Let’s look at that one for a moment….. Because we hear so much that “God is sovereign – and that settles the matter” – (which it does), but because we mostly fail to understand the details of,  and the God placed boundaries on that sovereignty – we therefore swallow  “hook, line, and sinker” the teaching that EVERYTHING that happens to us was sent by God….. and is therefore to be passively and humbly received…..  But is that what it truly says and means?

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose.”

One day as I was reading that verse, I heard God ask me the question:  “Who is it that loves Me?”….. and before I even had time to ponder it, I heard Him tell me the answer –  ie. He directed me to look at John 14:21 & 23…”He that has My commandments (My Word) and keepeth it – he is the one that loves Me.. .If you love Me, you will keep My words”…  THIS IS THE ONE FOR WHOM ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD!  (….and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God!!)  BECAUSE  he that loves Me – God says – will keep My word”……..

We’re not talking about a long list of “do’s and don’ts” (although that will have some part in this because it is God’s word) – but rather He is telling us that when He directs us in some way – do that!… If He tells you whether or not to “buy that house” for example – or – If He has quickened a Word to you about stopping exaggerating the truth – or maybe you felt really convicted as you read His Word that you needed to stop overeating – then  begin as much as you know how to, to do that – and as you walk, continue to mind anything that you learn that applies to your walking according to “what or how” He has directed you….. BECAUSE… it all has a cumulative effect – like pieces of a puzzle – and that thing that He directed you to do will weave together with all the other things that He has been telling you to do – BECOMING A PART  of the “all things work together for your good” chain of keeping His word (s) -which He has promised to bless!

You see we can’t just live any old way and expect that all of the things that  come our way are working for our good – but God can,  and wants to work with us to have a better outcome and a lot less ongoing grief in our life…. He wants to weave His good into every area of our lives – even those places where we think that we’ve missed it so badly that it can never work out right!  But we can – like the Apostle Paul – realize how important and powerful God’s words are – and LEARN  to keep them – ie. Do as James 1:25  admonishes us to do by being not just a forgetful hearer, but be a doer of God’s Word – realizing that the Word of God has power to change things – because God is “one with His Word(s) – and He works with His Word to perform it (to bring what He has promised to pass).  It has taken some time for me to “get it”- but I have learned that following each thing as best I can that He directs me to do – or holding on to a promise He has given me – will indeed have  its part in working all things together for my good!

A Heart Attitude – a Secret Worth Paying Attention To

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The following is what the Lord gave to me this morning as I pondered why I should be feeling a little “dull” and “testy” ( which is a “flesh” thing/feeling.)…..

As I just began to ponder “the why” for such feelings – I picked up on something in my spirit – which was this….. “The secret to keeping things fresh and new – is a thankful heart.”  

(And now having my attention, He began to add more to what I had just heard!) ……

…… And having a thankful heart is also the secret to walking in and letting patience have its perfect(ing) work in us – which the Word of God tells us is very important – ie. “Count it all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations – knowing this- that the trying of your faith worketh patience….. So let patience have her perfect work – that you may be perfect (complete) and entire, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4).

In thinking about it, I can see how that having an overall thankful heart attitude makes it much easier to be patient – with things and with  people  ….  And we know that patience is the secret to possessing your soul (which is your mind, will, and emotions) – Luke 21:19.  Think about that one….. and the fact that  a thankful heart makes it so much easier to be patient!

So …. I see that developing a thankful heart is indeed the foundation from which other strong desirable qualities in our life are built upon.   I am not generally an ungrateful person, but I see today that there is still room for (and cause for ) improvement in having this irreplaceable heart attitude of thankfulness.  It is a wonderful virtue and a true strength of character…..which God in His love for us admonishes us to make it our heart attitude ….

“Forbear and forgive one another where there has been a quarrel – put on love in action!  Then let the peace of God rule in your heart… and be ye thankful.” Colossians  3:13-15  (paraphrased).

I hope this that I just shared with you will cause you – as it did me- to check out the attitude of your heart and see if there is room in you for more of this wonderful virtue of a thankful heart ….. It just might be the secret you need for the opening of some other doors for you!

 

 

These 3 Things — About that 3rd Thing – Praying in the Spirit

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“If I pray in an unknown tongue – my spirit prayeth – but my understanding is unfruitful.  What then? ….  I will pray with the spirit, and  I will pray with the understanding also.”   ( I Corinthians 14:14, 15a )

In the post on March 7th, I began to share with you about the three things have really helped me grow in the area of developing the ear of my spirit to hear…..  (I want to hear when God has something to say – don’t you?) In several of the posts since March 7th, I have shared a little with you about the first two of those 3 things  – one being: personal worship where you spend time alone with the Lord – giving thanks and worshiping Him. … And the other of the first two things being – getting alone to spend time with God in His Word – so that you come to understand the true value of it.

I would also tell you this about those first two things – which is that in spending time in personal worship and alone with God in His word – it is there that you will learn the “taste” of His presence more than anywhere else….. and knowing that “taste” is very important to your learning to hear His voice – and to recognize it from any other.  That is why I listed these as the first two things – ie. because they are foundational in learning to hear the voice of God.  They are the place that you learn to have sweet fellowship with Him.

But in this post, I will begin to share about the third one of those 3 things that have been so helpful to me in learning to hear the voice of God……(to say nothing of the wonderful fellowship you can have along the way).  This third thing is of course “praying in the spirit.” The scripture that I used to begin this post with in the first paragraph separates praying in the spirit from praying with your native or other natural language.  I feel that it is important to point that out to you because I have heard praying in the spirit “explained away” by saying something to the effect that it just means that you are “in the spirit” while you are praying to God in whatever your natural language is.  I will address that more in the next post by sharing more from the Word of God about it – indeed there are a number of scriptures that I will bring to you to further clarify and explain more about this subject while I am doing the coming posts on praying in the spirit……

But what I particularly would like to share with you today is to assure you that I have both friends who pray in the spirit and those who do not – and I would tell  you that ALL who receive Jesus as Savior are born again – and praying – or not praying in the spirit – does nothing to change that!

Now because praying in the spirit (aka praying in tongues) has been a subject  with some controversy attached to it within the Body of Christ as well as outside of it – I am proceeding here with consideration of that fact – but I must as the Lord reminded me when I started this blog -“speak His Word faithfully.” …. So that I likely cannot please everyone who reads this, but my first loyalty is to God and to His Word – and though I do not  purpose to offend anyone, I  cannot speak contrary to what I see and hear and know of the Word of God….. It is just too important …..But I pray that each of you as readers will be like the Berean Christians (Acts 17:11) who “searched the scriptures daily to see for themselves whether the things they were being taught were indeed true.” You and I owe that much to ourselves I think.

I’ve kept it short today – just presenting the very beginning of what I want to share with you “about that 3rd thing – praying in the spirit.” But for those of you who are hungry to know what is in the Word of God concerning this subject – please join me for the next post – which will take us a little further into the scriptures about this.

Seek to Know the Realities of God’s Kingdom

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Is your life about striving to get the “accolades” that come when one is an “overnight success” …. and the popularity/fame that may come with it…. ?  Those things alone are often fleeting – and empty at the end – as things and people more “relevant” take that place…..

Therefore, why not rather seek to know the realities of God’s Kingdom – which will never end – and each one has a place reserved for them…..And although all these things are hidden to the natural eye of man , yet God’s invitation to receive Jesus – the Door to knowing Him…… to all men, this invitation God does extend….

The invitation accepted….. and the journey begins.  There are challenges, yes – but you can be sure that deep within…                                                                                   you will find much satisfaction, contentment and confidence – when your heart is to do the Lord’s bidding – ie. walk out the plan that He put together especially for you!  Because walking upon that path is the greatest success any person can know or even think to do – for when you choose to walk God’s path, He will walk there with you …… and ever stay close…..

….. as you give Him the praise and worship that He deserves, always looking to Him for the things that you need and what is best to do – learning to keep the eyes of your spirit on the horizon – where He purposes to open up new venues for you!

There’s nothing boring about walking His way you see ….                                              for the spirit of a man can hold more strength, more joy than the flesh ever can. And that is because…..it is by the spirit that you are “connected” to Him      –  when you are born again (John 3:1-8) –  and by way of this Spirit to spirit connection that you then have with Him,  He can impart peace and many other things that you pray for and need.  He can answer your questions – and inform you of His plans. (John 16:12-15)

So stay close to Him and learn to live more aware of this Spirit to spirit relationship you have with Him.  (John 4:22-24). … *spending time in His word, giving thanks and worshiping Him – and finally praying in the spirit – (as well as in words that you understand) …..  For *these things all lend to developing that ear that He gave you to hear – those things that He would say and impart to you……

… . So that at the end of this life, you can depart with peace because you know Him – the Giver of that life that is so much better than the accolades of men.  Glory be to God – my goal then – will be to seek to know and walk with Him!  For as the scripture says ….

“Godliness is profitable unto all things – having promise for the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”  (I Timothy 4:8)   Amen!

A Practical Tip for Getting the Word in You

~ kathrynspen ~ 2 Comments

Today, I want to share a very practical thing that you can do which has helped me tremendously in getting more of the Word of God in me with very little effort on my part.   In fact, I have so felt the benefits of doing this – that 20 years after I first started  – I still do it to make the most of my time!

What I am referring to is listening to the word of God on CD (or other device as you please) during the night.  I started out programming one book of the bible to repeat, started it  playing as I went to bed and just let it play all night long.   I keep the volume at a lower “pleasant” level as I sleep.  I had little or no trouble getting accustomed to this low level “noise” going as I sleep.  In addition to that I would tell you that even though I generally sleep easily and well – I have found it to be helpful to just relax and listen quietly when I happen to go to bed extra tired – and I seldom get to listen to a whole book of any size without going to sleep before it gets to the end.

Do you actually hear it/does it actually help?  YES!   I asked the Lord that question myself – more than once – and He graciously let me see that indeed I was hearing and getting as much out of it as if I were reading it during the day.  More than once I woke up and found myself in my mind beginning to speak the next words that would be playing – BEFORE – they were actually spoken on the CD….. and this happened with verses of scripture that I was not real familiar with – so you can see that the Word is being “heard and hidden” inside you as you let yourself hear it being spoken over and again.

Is this to be a “substitute for setting and reading the Word where you draw aside to spend time with the Lord?  NO – it is not a substitute, but a very helpful and profitable “supplement” to that.  

And I would also advise you to keep a notebook and pen at your bedside – (or a recording device you can speak into) – BECAUSE – many times when I am first waking up (or during the night at times)  the Spirit of God will quicken one or more of the scriptures to me – and I am careful to jot down enough of it so that as soon as I can, I will set down with the bible and go to that particular scripture and start reading and listening for anything that He wanted to show me about it.  Sometimes the scripture that was quickened is for direction that I needed or holds the answer to a question I have asked Him

This that I have just shared with you has helped me immeasurably to get the Word of God in me – and I would be very very pleased if this little shared tip helps someone who is reading this.  God bless and keep you!

……….and have a good night!