Confident in Christ - Know That You Know, That You Know, That You Know

There are some things that we just know.

We know there are 24 hours in a day. We know there are 365 days in a year, unless it’s leap year of course. We know grass is green and the sky is blue. If someone told us we were wrong we could argue until we were blue in the face that we are right. I’d say we were sure or confident.

Confident can be defined as having strong belief or full assurance.

Now let me ask you a question.

You know you were born and you know that God gave you life.

You know that God enables you to walk, to talk, to breathe, to think.

To reason and make decisions.

When we think about it, it’s God that gives us the ability to do everything.

So here’s my question. Knowing all that we’ve just said that we know, why is it that when things feel – here we go with our emotions and our flesh. Why is it that when we encounter things that we feel are beyond our natural ability we lose our confidence? We begin to doubt.

We quickly go from God can, God can, God can, to I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. Well you couldn’t in the first place. 

It’s been God all along.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing

Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

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Carefree Living

I’m a person that is naturally concerned, prone to worry or anxious. My concern is usually about someone else, wanting to make sure everything is okay with them.

I’ve learned over the years how to temper my concern for others, while at the same time realizing my concern when tempered is also my gift. It is the gift of exhortation or encouraging others to be all that God has created them to be as they live according to his word.

I think each of us have a natural makeup, or way of being.

Some people are naturally happy and joyful, while others seem to be angry. Some people are suspicious while others are trusting.

Who are you?  How would you describe yourself? How would others describe you?

I believe our natural or pre salvation behaviors become tempered and aligned with God’s will when we become saved.

For example I’ve told you I’ve always been a believer and trusted people, expecting them to be true to their promises. With salvation and the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit my trust is no longer misguided. My trust is in God and not in man. I may believe man or a person is capable of doing something but I understand that whatever they can do it is because God has predestined them to do it.

My over concern for my fellow man has now been channeled into praying for those that are oppressed, or need change, as well as providing Godly counsel rather than trying to fix the person or fix circumstances.  

Yet, at times I still struggle with carrying burdens that I shouldn’t.

I want to talk to you about being careful, or anxious, carefree, and careless.

Would you say you fall into any of these categories?

Careful or anxious can be described as full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger, or I would say perceived danger or misfortune as sometimes the danger or misfortune that we fear is perceived. Oftentimes we may not know what is going to happen, but fear the worse.

Careless may be described as not caring or troubling; having no care or concern; unconcerned.

And carefree is without anxiety or worry.

I’m striving to be carefree. That’s where I believe God wants all of His children to be. Carefree doesn’t mean you do not have compassion. It means you don’t allow your compassion to overwhelm you, causing anxiety and worry.

A carefree life is a life of rest. A life of resting in God.  When we learn to rest in God we are able to cast our cares and truly live a carefree life. What kind of life do you want to live?

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Anointed, Appointed and Equipped to Excel

Because you are created of God and born of God you are anointed, appointed and equipped to excel in every area of your life. In whatever state you are in you are perfect because you were created in the image and likeness of almighty God.

Oftentimes we say things like if I had this, or if I had that things would be different. Although most of us would say if I could lose wait I would do this or that, believe it or not some people say if I could gain weight I could do this or that. We say if we had more money we would tithe, or be able to give more. But what about doing what you can with what you have, or being who you can be with who you currently are?

God equipped us with everything we needed before we were born.

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, God said to Jeremiah. Those same words that were spoken to Jeremiah ring true for you and I. Before God formed us, notice God said before He formed us, He knew us.

Wow! That just does something to me. God formed us. He didn’t say before your parents formed you or came together and created you. He said before I formed you. Think about that for a minute. We were formed by almighty God. The God that created the world by speaking it into existence is the same God that formed you and me. God doesn’t make mistakes, nor does He create anything to fail.

He knew everything you would do, He knew everything you would say, the good, the bad, the ugly, the illegal, the immoral, yet He still chose to form you. He still chose to give you life, and as a bonus, if you choose, because it is your choice, if you choose to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior He will give you eternal life with Him.

The word form can be defined as arrange, organize, shape, fashion, place in order, or produce. God prepared the life He predestined for you even before you were born. He arranged, organized, shaped, fashioned you, placed things in order and produced you specifically for His purpose. God formed each of us for a specific purpose. Along our journey we will face pitfalls. We will experience joy and pain. We may be placed in positions we would never imagine and could not imagine we would ever survive, but we do survive, by the grace of God we survive.

We will feel and may even be persecuted, talked about, ridiculed, misunderstood, judged. We may lose jobs, finances, be riddled with sickness or disease. God forbid, we may lose a member of our family. Yet as difficult as it may seem to believe we read in 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

What is the way of escape? I believe it’s trusting in God and His ability to remedy any situation according to His purpose, even if His remedy is not the remedy we would choose.

To listen to this message in its entirety click on the link below and select Anointed, Appointed and Equipped to Excel.

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Don't Neglect Your Gift

As children many of us were awakened each morning by a parent, a sibling, another family member or an alarm to get ready to go to school. Some of us may have wanted to go to school each day while others may not have wanted to go. Regardless, unless we were sick, we were told by our parents that we had to go to school, so we went to school. Of course when some of us were old enough to make our own decisions we did what we chose to do. The point I am making is that as children we did what we had to do whether we wanted to or not. Fast forward. Many of us are older now, we have jobs, families, and responsibilities, financial or otherwise. Most of us still do what we have to do whether we want to or not. We push ourselves. We don’t give up because we know the consequences of giving up.

We don’t quit our jobs because we have financial obligations, we don’t leave our spouse, family or loved ones because we feel a sense of responsibility, but what about the obligation we have to ourselves? Unfortunately some of us neglect or quit ourselves. We may neglect our health because we are busy tending to the needs of others. We work hard on our jobs even to the point of succumbing to fatigue, sickness or disease. We run ourselves ragged caring for those we love. And finally we put our passion, our hope for the things God has created us to do far away on a back shelf because we don’t have the time or energy to do them.

It’s only natural to put your best food forward, to shoulder your responsibilities, to ensure those that you care about and care for have their needs met, but who is looking out for you? Who is ensuring the things you are doing for everyone else is being done for you?

Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth his beloved sleep.

God provides for us even when we sleep. He doesn’t want us getting up early in the morning and going to bed late at night because we are working long hours to have our needs met.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Our God will supply all of our needs.

I truly believe sometimes we tie Gods hands. We get so caught up in what we think, how we think people should behave, what someone else should do, how someone else’s behavior is adversely impacting us that we can’t get past our carnality. We can’t walk after the spirit and not fulfil the lust of the flesh, or the desire for the flesh to prevail, by not allowing anyone to take advantage of us. Sometimes I think God is looking at us thinking just let it go. If we would get our priorities right and keep our focus on Him, He will take care of everything for us.

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Go Against the Grain

I’ve probably mentioned this before, so for those of you who have heard it before bear with me. When I was a young child I wanted to be a fashion designer. I made my own clothes. I made clothes for my Barbie doll. I fashioned jewelry out of wire. I did these things because I enjoyed doing them and no one told me that I couldn’t do them. No one told me I couldn’t pick up the wire they fell to the ground when the telephone company worked on the telephone lines and use it to make colorful jewelry. No one told me I couldn’t make my Barbie’s clothes.  Well my mother did tell me I couldn’t cut up my socks to make clothes for my doll unless they had a hole in them, but that’s a different story. No one told me I couldn’t make moccasins out of an old blanket, or create my own way of embroidering. No one told me I had to use a pattern when I wanted a maxi skirt because everyone else had one.

Have you ever watched a child play or listened to them tell a story? They have the wildest imaginations. They think they can do anything.

When do we lose that sense of imagination, that creativity; that drive to do whatever we believe we can do? For some of us it’s never. Some of us live with that childlike faith and belief throughout life. But for many of us reality hits us at an early age. Someone speaks words of discouragement that stifle our imagination. It may be a teacher that doesn’t understand our creativity, and rather than encourage it we may be labeled as disruptive in class or inattentive.

What is our role as parents or caregivers? When a child wants to spend more time exploring their creative genius than completing and turning in homework assignments, or studying it’s a parent or caregiver’s responsibility to ensure there is balance. An education is important and a gift should not be neglected.

1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

Each of us have gifts as I’ve previously stated. I admire anyone that follows their passion, anyone that refuses to listen to no you can’t, anyone that perseveres in spite of the naysayers, anyone that perseveres against the odds, anyone that invests, time, money and effort to fulfill their destiny.

In my book Who Told You That You Were Naked, Reclaim Your God-given Birthright (due to be released later this year) I ask the question who told you that you cannot do or be whatever or whoever God has told you that you can do or be.

I think from time to time, we are all guilty of allowing others to dictate who we are and or what we should do, or what we should be. We may be influenced my well-meaning family, friends, coworkers, or even social media.

Have you ever thought about what you could do if you allowed yourself to let your imagination go free, if you allowed the Holy Spirit to truly take control, if you yielded your vessel completely to God?

To listen to the message in its entirety click on the link below and select Go Against the Grain

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The Backup Plan

A few weeks ago we talked about acting like it’s so, acting like we are already wherever it is that God wants us to be. I asked you what you would do differently if all obstacles had been removed. I asked you how your behavior would change.

The other piece of acting like it’s so is trusting that God will do what He says He will do. In order for us to act like it’s so, we have to believe that it’s so. In order for us to believe that it’s so we have to have faith in God’s ability to do what is required for whatever it is we are believing Him for. Notice our faith and belief must be in God’s ability, not in our own ability.

On our own we can do nothing, but with God all things all things are possible.

Most of us when asked if we trust God would say yes. When we truly trust God we do not have a problem acting like it’s so because we know that it is God that is making all things possible.

For example. Let’s choose a promise taken directly from God. A promise that applies to all of his children. One that we can readily read in his word.

We read in Proverbs 2:3-6 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

For those of you who say well that’s in the Old Testament, I want you to understand that the Old Testament foretells the New Testament. Turn with me to the book of James, chapter 1, verse 5. It reads If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

We’ve just read a promise directly from the word of God that applies to all of his children. God tells us if we lack wisdom, or cry after or search for knowledge and understanding He will give it to us.

Let’s simplify this even more and look at a promise that each of us as believers readily believe and have received. We are all familiar with John 3:16 for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior I’m willing to bet that you are convinced of your salvation, and rightly so. That’s exactly what God has promised us.

I believe God’s promise of everlasting, or eternal life is His greatest promise. It’s the reason He sent His son to earth. It’s the reason for our being If we can readily accept Gods promise of eternal life why is it so difficult for us, and maybe I’m just talking about myself here, but why is it so difficult for us to accept all of Gods promises? He is Almighty God. Nothing is impossible for Him. He can and will bring all of His promises to pass.

To listen to the message in its entirety click on the link below and select The Backup Plan.

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Gods's Plan, Your Plan, or someone Else's Plan

My plan after graduating from college was to get into someone’s management training program then move up the corporate ladder. Well things didn’t quite turn out the way I planned. Rather than getting into a management training program my first job was as a bank teller and my vocation has been in the financial industry.

I think what I’ve enjoyed most about working in the financial industry is interaction with people from all walks of life. I consider myself to be a people watcher. I observe people. I wonder what people are thinking, as well as why they behave in certain ways. I wonder what motivates people to do certain things. I think this comes from my desire for everyone to be okay as well as the gift of exhortation that God has placed in me.  

Outside of my 9-5 in the financial industry I have provided financial counseling based on my vast amount of experience in the financial industry. My passion however is for souls to be saved, healed, set free and delivered so people can live the exceeding abundant life God has prepared for them on earth as well as receive His promise of eternity with Him.

Recently I was sharing with someone the scope of my responsibilities and skill set for my 9-5, hearing this the person stated he would like for me to assist him with the financial aspect of his business. I politely declined. Although I could do some of what he was asking me to do, my heart would not have been in it. Now, if he would have said to me, I’d like for you to give a motivational speech to my employees, or if I’d sensed in some way that he was discouraged, I would have been all over it. I love, love, love, what I believe God has placed in my spirit to do. Sharing His word and using it to encourage others. Exactly what I am doing right now… did I say I love what I’m doing? Okay, enough of sharing my passion.

I’ve shared with you that people that know of my financial background assume that it’s my life plan. Many times well-meaning people may make career recommendations, or encourage you to set your goals based on things that you have done or are doing, me in the financial industry, or for you, things that you do well. I believe God gives us multiple gifts. My husband picks up many things easily and naturally, but God has called him to full time ministry. Now believe me, he’s tried his hand at different things utilizing the gifts God has given him and he has been successful, but his passion, as he has finally accepted his call, is ministry.

I say this to say, there is no limit to what you can do. I believe your greatest peace comes with following Gods plan for your life. I believe as you delight yourself in the Lord, and He gives you the desire of your heart, that your desire becomes the desire that He has for you.

Parents, grandparents, family and friends, pray over and for your children, grandchildren and those whom you love. Ask God to guide them and you in the direction that He has chosen. Ask Him to give you wisdom and understanding, to nurture and encourage them in growing the gifts He has placed in them.

Don’t try to force your desires for your children on them. Don’t allow anyone to force their desires on you. Always seek God prior to making any decisions. We read in Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

We are advised when we make large purchases to get at least 3 estimates. We’re consulting someone that knows more about a certain product or service than we know. When making life decisions why wouldn’t you consult the Giver of Life before making any decision?

To listen to the message in its entirety click on the link below and select Gods Plan, Your Plan, or Someone Else’s Plan

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