Logic or Sovereignty?

Logic or Sovereignty...........

Many times in my life I have watched as situations lay out in front of me and saw how they would logically work out......some in good ways, some unfortunate.  I believed I had faith to see things work out the way I wanted or needed them to, but in reality I watched until logically the outcome was determined in my mind the inevitable!  Seriously?  Logic superceded the Sovereignty of God to me?!

In the bible it says:  "The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord; he can turn it whichever way he Will" Proverbs 21:1

Wow have I known that to be true!  Don't believe for one moment that the Lord cannot take the situation that you see so logically working out and turn it in the opposite direction in a blink of an eye.
He is God.......Our Sovereign Lord.

Maybe you are believing for a relationship to work out and 'logically' it looks as if it may.  What does God have to say about that relationship?

Maybe you're single and you are starting to believe this thing called marriage will NEVER happen for you because logically.........."My Biological clock is ticking, Lord!"  (Seriously, Girl!  You are only 20 something!)

Where does the Sovereignty of God come into our belief system? What does the Sovereignty of God actually mean? 
Sovereignty of God:
            the Truth that God has the authority to do whatever he pleases....

That's right!  God can do anything!!  We say that - and we even believe that!  But logic has a way of diminishing our trust in the Lord's sovereignty and increasing our trust in what seems the logical course of events to take place.  Don't count on it!

Take a moment to reflect back on situations that you thought were logically going to work out..........do you recognize in many of those cases where the Sovereign hand of God rescued you from a potentionally disasterous situation?! 

Next time you are believing for something make sure you ask yourself  in what do you trust: The Logic of this world or the Sovereignty of our God?Trust in the Sovereignty of God!  He knows Everything and his plans are to  prosper you and not harm you; to give you a hope and a future..... Jeremiah 29:11

THAT is the God we serve.  THAT is our Sovereign God!



 

I'm Saved.......Now What?!

The most important decision you will ever make in your life is to give
your heart to the Lord...but what is next?  A Church that counts
numbers of hands raised but does not take those hands (connected to hearts) BY the hand and disciple them into a life lived for God is missing the most important ingredient for a believer!

To truly believe and walk out your faith, you will need someone to disciple you..to show you the way.   Making a decision to live for God does not begin and end upon the raising of the hand...this decision is solidified by truly surrendering your life and your way of thinking to God and his way of thinking.

The bible says Do not forsake the assembling of the saints. (Heb 15:25) Although joining a church is a vital part of successfully living a Christian life, this verse means so much more.  This instruction tells us to hook up with other believers.  Laugh Together, Pray Together, Learn Together....walk this thing out called salvation.  We need each other!

When someone gives their life to Jesus the bible says the angels rejoice....but it also says something else! We are to work out our own salvation. 
"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling..."  (Philippians 2:12)

This doesn't mean we are to take credit for our own salvation.  We are saved by God's mercy and grace!  But it does mean that with this gift of salvation comes responsibility.

Just as Paul had to make a decision to 'work out his own salvation' when he was stopped by God on the road to Damascus -(he had to admit it-quit it-forget it, right?!)  We too have entered the valley of decision and must choose Christ over anything that did not represent him in our past.

Finally, as we continue to discover what we must do to stay on track in our walk with Christ, I urge you to test every circumstance and every relationship with this question:

Does this bring me closer to Christ?...or draw me further from Christ?

Enjoy the Journey!

To Know Me is to Love Me

When I was  young, my mother gave me a small statue of a little girl holding a heart.  On the heart it said, "to know me is to love me".......I was probably only 8 years old at the time, but I never forgot that phrase.  And I always (and still do) believe she picked that one out just for me because she believed it to be true.

That is what Jesus says to us, too!  He says: "To know me is to Love me."  You see, God is Love.  To know Him is to know Love!

1 John 4:16 "God is Love"

 

Have you ever felt like God didn't love you?  Perhaps you have experienced a time where you didn't even love yourself.......What can you do when that overwhelming feeling happens?  What makes you feel so unloved?  I believe many times when a woman gets to a point of questioning the ability for others to love her, she has lost sight of who she is in Christ.

When we read the word of God, we put his words (his conversation) into our heart.  Have you ever heard "You are who you hang around" ?  God's word has a supernatural way of transforming the image we have of ourselves when we 'hang around' the Father.

 

2 Corinthians 3:18

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And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

 

If you are experiencing a time in your life where you seem to be asking: "Where is the Love...?" check who you are hanging out with.  Is Christ still the center of your focus?

The unconditional love that Our Father has for us is simply that!  It's unconditional!

In the bible it says that : Nothing can separate us from the Love of Christ.

 

When we are reminded of who we are in Christ (by reading what God says about us) we begin to see ourselves as he sees us.  Our walk becomes a new walk; our talk becomes a new talk.  We attract  the Love because we learn again to Love as Christ loves Us.  Boldly we can begin again to confidently say: 

                                                        " To Know me is to Love Me."

 



I want to be Esther.......

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be Queen Esther?….She is my absolute favorite woman in the Bible!  As I study her life- what she went through – what she stood for- what she risked – I find her life both fascinating and powerful!

 

The story of Esther begins by telling us that she was an orphan.  Both parents died while she was still young.  It tells of her humility.  When she was summoned to go before the King – she had the choice of any jewels she wished to not only wear for the King, but those treasures would then become hers to keep!  Yet, she inquired about what would please the King, and humbly she wore just that.  She won favor…….Esther became Queen!

 

The Life of Queen Esther is not only a story given its own book of the bible, it is a story of how God used her to literally save the Jews…….Her life teaches us several important lessons…..

The first thing that Esther’s story teaches us is that there is a preparation time.
She allowed herself to be prepared for the task in front of her.  Did you know that she was being prepared with beauty treatments and special foods?  God's preparation time can sometimes be long and unsure to us (however, give me beauty treatments and special foods – my patients can exercise in that environment!) God’s plan during our preparation time is to refine our character.  He cannot use a woman in pride.

Queen Esther also shows us that we cannot do anything on our own.  We need the Favor of God in our life.  In this story, Esther found favor with the King. When you live a life that pleases God, by obeying His will you will find favor with Him. God will also give you favor with other people!

God’s timing is not our timing……Esther’s timing was right on. Maybe God has put it on your heart to do something for Him. Don't just jump into it but wait for his timing. Remain faithful!  God is not concerned with time- but timing!

And finally, Esther shows us that our past does not determine our future! Esther was an orphan. God still exalted her and used her. Ladies, your background does not determine what God can do with you. Your faith does!

I encourage you to study the book of Esther.  Put yourself within the story!  Let my brief description of her story give you an appetite for the 17^th book in the bible…….Esther!

 

“And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this”

                                                                                    Esther 4:14

 

POWERFUL!

Where Are They?

As time goes on, I become increasingly aware of the lack of time I spend building relationships with my women friends.  Perhaps this can be linked to the absence of opportunity and the presence of the busy work schedule in each of our lives...........

What has happened?  Women have gone to work!  Let me dispel any misunderstanding that I do not support women in the work place.  I went to work at age 21 full time and have never stopped!  I understand that most women must work out of the home.    However, this necessity does not change the fact that the close ties and bonds women of previous generations were accustomed to only seem foreign in the lives of women today.

In Titus 2 Paul says:   Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Women are to pour into other women!  And the bible even tells us what to pour! Urge them to have Self Control- Be Pure -Take Care of Your Home- Be Kind - Be Subject to Your Husband.......

Recently our church held a corporate fast as we sought direction both corporately and personally....The very last day of the fast, God gave me direction concerning my heart for my daughters.  I have had a burden on my heart to pour into my daughters lives the things that naturally a mother can pour.  But as I said at the beginning, because of busy schedules and lifestyles the opportunity just doesn't present itself....

God began speaking to me about setting up meetings where I could gather my girls together (like a Hen gathers her chicks) and begin to pour, to love, to listen, to laugh and to cry with them and other women in my world...........

So here we begin...........As Iron Sharpen Iron-so a friend sharpens a friend.
(or in this case, a mom sharpens a daughter)

Stay tuned as this ministry takes flight!  I cannot promise you I will know the answer to every question that you may ask........But I can promise you that I know the ONE who does!