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Waiting and Rejoicing
“Listen Your watchmen lift their voices; together they shout for joy! When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.” Isaiah 52:8
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
Waiting for something from the Lord is not like waiting for a doctor appointment or even for the weekend to get here.
Isaiah 52 says that the watchmen were shouting for joy while they were waiting and watching. That’s how we should be waiting.
“But Jill, it’s been a month. A week. A year. A decade.” I hear you, believe me! But think about this: Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for Isaac. Caleb and Joshua waited 40 years in the desert to enter the Promised Land. I received a promise from God 10 years ago. I’m still waiting too.
We can choose to cross our arms and pout OR we can do what the Word says and rejoice while we wait! Hope is a confident and joyful expectation of good. Are you expecting good? What are you speaking? Choose to speak the Word over your situation. Pray scripture over your situation and believe God.
Then use your faith and start praising and thanking Him for the victory BEFORE you actually see it. Seeing it happen is actually the reward of your active faith. See Hebrews 11:6.
Look I know it’s hard to speak joyfully over a lingering sickness. I know it’s hard to believe when the circumstances look bleak. I have my days where I want to throw in the towel on situations. But those moments are the very ones that Hebrews 11:6 and Isaiah 52:8 are referring to. In those moments, choose to thank Him. Choose to praise Him. And choose to believe.
What’s the alternative? Complaining and murmuring? Waste of time; see Numbers 11:1 and Exodus chapters 16-17. Giving up? Then what? You want to wait all that time just to quit and die in the desert? Waste of time; see Numbers 14:34, 32:13, Deuteronomy 2:7, 8:2-4 and Joshua 5:6. You want to do it your own way? Waste of time; see I Samuel 13.
Consider this: The only difference between the generation who died in the desert and Caleb is that Caleb believed God.
“Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.” Joshua 14:6-12
You’re going to wait no matter what. God’s timing is God’s timing. He is always on time, never early and never late. He has very specific reasons why He does things when He does. Maybe you’re not ready for what you’ve asked for. Maybe there are things in your heart that need to be worked out. Maybe He’s using your situation to teach others and allowing you to have an amazing testimony. He’s a good God, so why not choose to rejoice while you wait? Happy Friday!
(Scripture from the NKJV today)
God Consciousness
I generally prefer to write gets posted here myself. But a friend forwarded this to me from Joseph Prince, and it blew my mind. So I had to share with y’all. (Check out: http://josephprince.org/ for more info about Joseph and his ministry). Please note that I copied this entirely. I did not write this. Thank you.
Be Full Of The Consciousness Of God
By Joseph Prince.
1 Corinthians 2:12 : Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
You are probably familiar with the story of how David, with a sling and a stone, slew Goliath, a 10-feet-tall Philistine warrior. But have you ever wondered why David succeeded while the others in the army of Israel did not even dare to face Goliath?
David’s secret was that he was only conscious of victory and not defeat, because he knew a God who had rescued him time and again.
You can just imagine him saying, “One day, I was taking care of my sheep when a lion came and took one of them. I was not willing to settle for that! I went after the lion, caught it by its beard and smote it. The Lord delivered me from the lion’s mouth. On another occasion, a bear came and took one of my flock. I went after the bear and smote it. So the Lord delivered me from the bear too. This same God, who delivered me from the paws of the lion and bear, will also deliver me from this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:34-37)
David was conscious of what God had done for him. He knew that God was for him, loved him, favored him and would give him victory again. My friend, you can also remind yourself that the same God, who did tremendous things for you in the past, will do the same for you again.
Be like David, who was conscious only of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Don’t be like the army of Israel. The men were conscious of the negative words of Goliath. I believe that they must have talked about his threats, repeating his words to one another, and as a result, filled their hearts with fear. (1 Samuel 17:11, 24)
Beloved, don’t feed on the negative words of man or the devil. It will only cause you to be anxious and fearful. Feed on God’s Word by reading the Bible and listening to messages about who you are in Christ and what He has done for you. Pump yourself up with God’s Word until you are full of the Spirit and consciousness of God, so that you might know the things that have been freely given to you by God!
Thought For The Day: The same God, who did tremendous things for you in the past, will do the same for you again.
1 Corinthians 2:12 NLT: And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.
Fear is a Punk
I got a text earlier today from a friend asking for prayer. Anxiety had attacked her in the middle of the night. I have to tell you I get riled when people I love are struggling with or have been taken down by fear. That stupid punk has taken so much from people I love. It prevents fantastic and talented people from doing amazing things. It stops people from living a full life. I’ve had it with fear! I would punch it in it’s face if it weren’t just air!
My friends, fear is nothing but a punk! That’s right fear (AKA anxiety, dread, panic, confusion, concern, worry, etc) is all talk. It has nothing to back up the lies it has been whispering in your ear.
Fear uses intimidation (like a school yard bully) to steal your peace, joy, sleep, rest, and your time. How much wasted time and rest have you given to worry? Where did it get you? It got you nowhere. All worry did was steal from you and make you less effective. Are you hearing me? FEAR IS NOTHING BUT A PUNK! FEAR IS JUST AIR! That’s it!
But Jill…what if this and what if that? Um…what if you laughed in fear’s face and called it a punk? What if you reminded fear who your God is? How big your God is? Bullies always back down in the presence of fathers, right? Right! Well, introduce your fears, worries, concerns and anxieties to Daddy God.
I want you to laugh. Seriously. I’m not kidding. Laugh. Or giggle if you prefer. Then I want you to repeat after me OUTLOUD:
Fear is a punk. It is nothing but air. It has no power over me, except the power that I give to it. The spirit of fear is NOT of God or from God. God tells me to be anxious for nothing and not to worry about a thing, because the peace of God guards my heart and mind through Christ. God’s perfect love casts out all fear. I am safe in Daddy’s love. I am the accepted and beloved. I am the head and not the tail. Above only and not beneath. God never leaves me or forsakes me. He is so close to me that He knows the number of hairs on my head. I am not confused because God has given me a sound mind. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I am a child of the Most High God. I have a good future in front of me. I am achieving the purpose for which I was sent to this Earth. I am victorious. Therefore, I laugh at fear because it is a punk. Whenever I lay down to go to sleep, I will sleep in peace and my sleep will be sweet. Thank You for making me dwell in safety, Father. Thank You for dealing with the enemy for me, that I have rest, peace and joy.
This was the first of 4 messages from Life Christian Church’s series called “Feardom”
Or if you’re needing a song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGv1ZhsCGrk
NKJV Scriptures from which the above is drawn:
“I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8
“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” I John 4:18
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7
“And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.” Deuteronomy 28:13
“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.” Proverbs 3:24
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:3-6
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” II Corinthians 4:8-10
Whole Hearted
I had a dream last night that God called me into His office and I’m sitting across the desk from Him and He starts talking me about how He does not need entertainment therefore we do not need to put on a show or perform flawlessly. What He wants….longs for…desires…is for people to seek Him wholeheartedly. The wholeheartedly part matters.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”
Everyone focusus on verse 11. God has a plan for me! God has a future for me! That’s great and true, because He absolutely does! BUT don’t forget the context. Don’t miss the seeking God wholeheartedly part. The plan and the purpose are God’s part. It’s also God’s part to listen to you, deliver you and restore you. What’s your part? Your part is to seek Him wholeheartedly.
Do you know what will be possible for you if you are wholeheartedly His????
Look at the life of Caleb. He did amazing feats even in his 80’s simply because He believed God with his whole heart. Most people remember Joshua because he was the leader after Moses and has his own book in the Bible. But Caleb is my favorite! He stood with Joshua against the rest of the Israelites. He was one of 2 people who left Egypt as an adult that made it into the Promised Land. ONE OF TWO! All because he believed God wholeheartedly. He never waivered. His attitude was “God said it and that’s all I need to know.”
Caleb’s story reminds me that it doesn’t matter what I can or cannot do. What matters is what I believe and who I belong to.
Check out: Numbers 14:24, Numbers 32:12 and Deuteronomy 1:36 for the evidence of Caleb’s whole heart approach to serving God.
PS: Caleb comes from Col-all or whole and Lev-heart. His name actually means whole heart. Love it!!
It’s Everywhere
John 3:16 is one of the most famous scriptures out there. People put it on signs at sporting events, it’s on bags at a trendy store at the mall and even tattooed on people’s arms. It’s everywhere. You’re probably even saying to yourself, oh I’ve heard this all before. Maybe you have heard it…but have you actually listened and received it?
Personally, I think continual exposure has had the opposite effect that people intended. It’s made people complacent about God’s love. The exposure has diluted the perceived power of this scripture. Instead of reminding people how deeply and passionately they are loved, people say, “Oh John 3:16. Yeah, I know that one. God loves me and all that. Blah blah blah.” People have become absolutely flippant about God’s love. They think of it like they think about historical facts or talk about the weather. They say “God loves you” like they say, “Have a nice day.”
God’s love is not flippant. It is not fickle. It does not waver or change. It is fixed and permanent. You can’t ever reach the end of it, nor can you escape it. Jeremiah 31:3 says, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.” He pursues you with mercy and kindness, because He wants to have a relationship with YOU.
That being said, let’s break down John 3:16!
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
so loved: In this context this means to take pleasure in a thing, prize it above other things, be unwilling to abandon or do without it.
the world: The inhabitants of the earth, the human race.
gave: To give one to someone to care for his interests.
only begotten Son: Jesus
whoever: Each and every person, individually.
believes: In this context, to have faith directed unto, believing or in faith to give one’s self up to Jesus.
perish: To incur the loss of true or eternal life; to be delivered up to eternal misery.
everlasting: Without beginning and end, that which has always been and always will be.
life: In this context it means unto the attainment of eternal life.
So God, the Great Creator and true Master of the Universe, was and is so taken by you and so unwilling to be without you that sent Jesus to care for your situation. The situation is one you inherited from Adam and Eve. The “sin problem,” that we inherited, separated us from Him. Being separated from us was a problem for Him. He didn’t like it. So He did something about it. He sent Jesus to teach us who the Father really is and to be the perfect one time sacrifice. His sacrifice covers your past, present and future sin.
Everyone is given the choice between eternal life and eternal death. You can choose to receive Jesus and an everlasting life filled with unending love. You are also free to choose to perish. It’s that simple and that straight forward. He loves you enough to provide the solution and enough to allow you to choose. He doesn’t force anyone to do anything. It’s not His style.
Every single person gets the same choice, no matter whom they are or where they live. He loves you right now, even in the midst of your mess, mistakes and failures. He loved you even before you choose Jesus, if He didn’t He wouldn’t have sent Jesus in the first place. In fact Ephesians 1:4 says that He chose you before the foundation of the world. So before there was even a planet Earth—God saw you, loved you & chose you.
So anytime you see John 3:16, remember that God in all His glory and majesty is completely unwilling to be apart from you. You are His beloved. That’s what John 3:16 is all about.
Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Thanks to http://www.blueletterbible.org for having Thayer’s Lexicon & the Strong’s Concordance on-line. You really should check it out and support this great site.
Musical Monday…”God Believes In You”
There’s this song by Jill Phillips called “God Believes In You.” I sometimes listen to it on repeat. It reminds me that I matter to the Great Creator. That the God above all other gods values me. It reminds me that I am the daughter of the Most High God, and that I am beloved. Not just loved, BELOVED. He knows why He created me and what I will become. He doesn’t worry about the fact that I screwed up again or that I failed. He knows I will get there and He believes in me.
When no one else agrees or understands….when no one else says anything good….when people spit on you….when people you thought you could trust betray you….when you’ve failed again….when people create lies about you and spread them at work, school, church or on social media….
You need to know who you are. You need to know that you are the beloved of God. You need to know that God considered you such a valuable treasure that He was willing to send Jesus to die for you. You need to know that you were the joy that was set before Jesus so He was willing to be spit on, mocked, beaten and crucified. You are worth so much more than you can possibly imagine. So for all of you having a rough week, month or year…know that God believes in you!
This post is written to everyone who has been feeling down or been feeling attacked lately. But it’s also written to a specific beautiful middle school girl who is being attacked by insecure and jealous girls. I want you to know that you too are beloved. You have a purpose and a calling. You are so very very special. God made you so unique and creative. We all love you. We are behind you. We all believe in you. You matter to all of us. You matter to God. Hang in there my sweet sweet girl.
God Believes in You by Jill Phillips (Buy it from itunes if you don’t have it…you won’t be sorry).
When you start to doubt if you exist
God believes in you
Confounded by the evidence
God believes in you
When your light burns so dim
When your chances seem so slim
And you swear you don’t believe in Him
God believes in you
When you rise up just to fall again
God believes in you
Deserted by your closest friends
God believes in you
When you’re betrayed with a kiss
You turn your cheek to another fist
It does not have to end like this
God believes in you
Oh everything matters if anything matters at all
Everything matters no matter how big
No matter how small
Cause God believes in you
Oh God believes in you
When you’re so ashamed that you could die
God believes in you
And you can’t do right even though you try
God believes in you
Blessed are the ones who grieve
The ones who mourn, the ones who bleed
In sorrow you sow but in joy you reap
God believes in you
Blessed are the ones who grieve
The ones who mourn, the ones who bleed
In sorrow you sow but in joy you reap
God believes in you
Oh God believes in you
jillbeingstill 