Nothing is Impossible...

This week the Lord laid on my heart to give a testimony…

When I got pregnant with my youngest daughter, I immediately said that I needed a bigger vehicle. I saw the Traverse and was sold! I kept saying that I wanted it and I was going to have it! I didn’t really think beyond that. I did my research but focused on size and space…no real thoughts of mileage or having a brand new car payment after a year of not having one or other practical things. Didn’t even consider a used one! I didn’t take the time to really consult the Lord and wait for an answer. I went on my own. God gives us free will and He allowed me to get the car. Well…almost the minute I got it home, I had buyer’s remorse. I secretly cried and asked God how I could get out of it. But it was too late…it was mine.

So I went through the year with a new higher car payment and terrible gas mileage but great space, which outside of a few occasions, I never used. And of course, the gas prices went higher and higher! But recently, I was sitting in my living room and noticed an envelope…looked like junk mail so I tossed it aside and moved on. Then I heard a voice say “Open that envelope”. So I picked it up again and opened it. It was a letter from a dealership saying that they were looking for vehicles like mine. I could trade it in and get a deal on something else. I figured I would go and see what they were talking about. My main concern was to get better gas mileage and not increase my payment. Maybe this was God’s way of answering my prayer. Could it be?

I determined that I would not make the same mistake again so I prayed and asked God to work in the situation. The next day I went to work and asked a co-worker for his opinion. He gave me a recommendation of a salesperson. When I got to the dealership and walked in the guy’s office, the first thing I saw was a hat that said FBI Jesus (Firmly Believe In Jesus). Okay, God! I found a car, test drove it and was ready to go. The guy was very upfront and honest. Then….I went to the finance office. This new guy came out of left field and told me my payment would be the same or could be higher. At first, I balked and thought to get up and run! I asked my friend that went with me and he helped me talk through it. But then I felt a peace and heard clearly to trust God. I recognized that the enemy wanted me to walk away from my blessing and I contemplated doing it.

Over the course of the next couple of days, the enemy tried to shake me. He told me that I wouldn’t be able to lower my payments or find a bank that would give me the rate I wanted. He pulled out all of the big guns – doubt, worry, fear! So, I prayed and asked God if I was hearing Him wrong to please let me know. Well, the next word I heard was Luke 1:37! “For with God, nothing will be impossible.” Well…I got the call from the bank and I drove that car off the lot! On top of that, I will get a refund from the other dealership for a maintenance plan that I purchased with the Traverse!

1 John 1:9 says that “If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Despite my rebellion and lack of patience, I asked forgiveness and God heard my prayer and He answered. Man will tell you all the things you can’t do but, God says nothing will be impossible with Him. When I put my trust in Him, I got a blessing with other blessings I wasn’t expecting attached to it. If you are facing a decision or a tough situation this week, remember that God is an ever present help in the time of trouble. He is waiting on you to trust Him and take Him at His word! He never fails!

The devil is defeated...

I’ve been racking my brain all week about what to write for this post. I fasted and prayed, studied waited and waited some more….nothing! Have you ever waited for a word from the Lord but didn’t hear anything so you thought you would go it on your own? Hmmmmm….guilty! So, I sat down to write what I thought I should write and got an opening paragraph and couldn’t go any further. The words wouldn’t come and it didn’t feel right. So I stopped. My way obviously wasn’t working. So I put on my headphones and turned on “Living on the Top” by DeWayne Woods and got my praise on! The end of the song says “The devil is defeated...God is exalted! Jesus Christ is Lord of all!” And there it was… what do you do when the devil tries to attack you?

The world has seemingly gone crazy. There is so much hurt and pain and pure evil everywhere you look. Satan is running his kingdom here on earth to the best of his ability, spreading confusion and division everywhere he goes. I can barely watch the news anymore without closing my eyes in sadness. Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy, that’s his mission and you are his target. There’s no way to clean it up or make it sound pretty. He hates you and wants you to fail. He will throw stumbling blocks in your way – sickness, debt, unemployment, relationship problems, and more. So what do you do? How do you win against all that Satan tries to throw at you?

First, you should know that Satan’s outcome has already been decided. Revelations 20 tells us that he will be thrown in the lake of fire to be tortured day and night forever. Think about that! Why should you let something take your joy away that will ultimately be cast down and tortured? Whenever he tries to bring me down or tell me that I can’t win, I remind him that it’s already been decided that he will lose!

Secondly, remember that God has given us power to bind and loose anything on heaven and earth. If you get diagnosed with a sickness, and Satan gets in your mind and says that you will die. You stand in his face and say that Jesus said by His stripes we ARE healed and you bind that sickness at its root and you loose forth your healing. If someone tells you that you’ll never be successful in your chosen career, you bind that spirit of defeat and loose forth victory and success! The devil wants you think that you don’t deserve to have joy and happiness but that’s a lie! Every time I pray, I bind anything evil or demonic that would try and come against me and loose all the great things that God wants for me to have. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly! Use that power He’s given you!

Finally, know who you are in Christ so when the devil tries to take something from you or block your happiness, you don’t take it lying down! Romans 8 is a must read for any Christian running this race! In that chapter, He tells us that we are joint heirs with Christ! He tells us that all things work together for good for them that love God and are called according to his purpose! He tells us that even when we don’t know what to pray, the Spirit makes intercession for us! And best of all, if God is for us, who can be against us? This is great news!

The devil doesn’t have any power over you that you don’t give him. When bad things come against you, think about who’s behind it, then remember that you have power and who you are in Christ! Now get your praise on because the devil is defeated and GOD IS EXALTED!

The Long Way Home

The Long Way Home

 

Yesterday morning, I determined in my mind that I was going to church that evening. I told my husband early so that he could be prepared and planned my evening so that I could be there...on time! Well, of course, the enemy heard me too and determined that he would throw every stumbling block that he could in my way and he did.

I left the office late,  traffic was abnormally crazy on the way to pick up my oldest daughter and so on and so on! By the time, I got home it was almost 6:00 and service started at 7. I, then had a whole list of things to get done at the house before I could leave. When I finally left it was 7:15 and walked in the church at 7:30...sigh...

But...I got there just in time for the Word and it was a "right now" Word. I sat in the very back of the church but the Word reached me and poured into my spirit and I was refreshed. Have you ever been in a place in your life where you just didn't know what to do next? It feels like if one more thing happens, you might literally lose your mind? I was at that point but I knew that if I could just make it to the house of the Lord, the answer would be waiting for me and it was!

The minister used the Parable of the 10 Minas and asked the simple question...Are you using the talent that God has given you like the  first servant that took his 1 mina and turned it into 10? Or are you hiding your talent in a napkin to the side out of fear like the servant that made no profit on his mina?

Have you ever been slapped awake by the Word? You know...when it feels like the preacher was at your house and is talking specifically to you? That was me last night! It hit me so hard that I've let fear hold me hostage on quite a few things in my life. I always say that I want to be used by God but am I opening myself up to be used on a consistent basis? That Word was so much of a revelation for me that it refreshed me and forced me to ask some hard questions of myself and God. I went to bed later that night waiting for a revelation. 

Well this morning, I am reminded that God still sees me and knows exactly what I need! As I slept, I kept hearing Rhema  and then the idea of this blog was dropped into my spirit and here we are! I went to church seeking release and help but God showed me a blog? I was confused but then I realized that my writing has always been a release for me...in happy times or sad times...I can use words to convey what I've experienced and how God's Word has brought me through! Voila...the answer!

My challenge to you this week is to spend some quiet time with God and look deeply at yourself...what are you hiding off to the side that could bring God glory? How can you be used for the building of the Kingdom? What has fear kept you from doing? He will answer!  It's not always easy. Sometimes you have to fight to get to the answer and Satan wants to stop you but God will honor your press! He says in his Word, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." That's a promise! To God be the glory for the great things He is doing!

Amen