Putting God First

I have had to make the decision to give notice of resignation to my employer. I love the company that I am working for and am going to miss my work family and the regular customers at my place of employment. It is heavy on my heart to put God ahead of everything and everyone else. The scripture "Exodus 34:21 NIV You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, even during the seasons of plowing and harvest." and "Romans 8:10-17 NIV But if Christ is in you,then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation-but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." I can not deny nor do I want to deny my God. He has protected, healed, kept me, and enveloped me with peace that is beyond all understanding in the face of any adversity. I trust my God. I believe what his word is truth and I want to serve him better.

He has taught me how to think so that I am not depressed, anxious or worried about things that I have no control over. I have learned to depend on him in so many different aspects of my life. He has never left me nor forsaken me. He gives me favor. He loves me. He takes cares of me. I do not expect to live a life free of problems but I do expect them to be taken care of by my father because he loves me and I believe in him and his promises. This world is not where we will spend our eternal life. Our savior has gone to prepare a place for us where there will be no sickness, no sadness, no sorrow, no tears, no death. "Revelation 21:4 NIV He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Who am I to put anything ahead of my creator. He gives life and he takes it away. He has given me life.

One particular trial that I went through is a marvelous testimony to God and what he is capable of. He protected me from being paralyzed from the neck down and from experiencing side effects from pinched and damaged nerves, spinal cord impingement in two different areas of my cervical spine and spinal canal stenosis. He has healed me from depression, mitral valve prolapse, enlarged heart, seizures, endometriosis, a bone spur that was on my spine under the metal plate in my neck and so much more. I cannot not put him first.

"Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things."

I Can Not Imagine But I Believe

It is unfathomable to me what Jesus went through when he was beaten and crucified. I have read about it in The Word of God, the Holy Bible. I have heard it taught on and preached on. I have seen movies about it but even the movie The Passion can not depict the gruesomeness of what Jesus Christ went through for us.

A scourging was meant to do great physical damage to a person's body and to demean and humiliate the person who was being scourged. A Roman scourging was usually done by two Roman soldiers and they would alternate lashes. We know from the written Word that Jesus was whipped thirty-nine times.  Roman soldiers used different types of whips. Roman whips were made to cut into the flesh and to rip flesh from the body. A Roman scourging was considered a slow death that occurred over a period of two to three days due to blood loss and infection that would set in.  A crown of thorns was pressed into his flesh. Stakes were nailed through his hands and feet. People who were crucified eventually died from exhaustion and asphyxiation.

Christ died because he gave up the Holy Ghost. It was finished. It was done. He finished what he came into the world to do. I can not imagine what Jesus went through or how badly he suffered but I know that he did it. Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world but to save and to heal everyone who believes on him.

Jesus suffered worse than anyone has ever suffered or ever will so that when we believe on him we are cleansed from sin, sickness and disease.  He took all of our sin on himself. He took all of our sickness and disease on himself. He didn't take part of it because we made a mistake or sinned or made a bad decision or was born into a family that has a certain disease that is passed through the bloodline. He took it all on himself and died for us while we were dead in sin that we will have eternal life. Then after being the atoning sacrifice for our sins he returned to the Father and asked the Father to send to us another advocate to help us and be with us forever, the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit.

When we allow our conscience or wrong thinking patterns to hinder us from receiving healing and enjoying peace and joy then that is our bad. That is our mistake. We make mistakes. Our flesh is sin. We have to keep putting ourselves back in line. We have to work on putting on the mind of Christ and living an acceptable way for the one who suffered and died for us. Every day we have to work at living and breathing the word of God so that it becomes natural to us but we will have a war going on inside of us until Christ returns for us because we are flesh and we are spirit. The Spirit is life.We have to change our thinking patterns so that our way of thinking lines up with the Word of God. Jesus did not halfway do anything. And what he has done is done. It is up to us to accept his forgiveness and it is up to us to accept and claim our healing.

Study the word of God and learn the promises that he has made to us. God never changes and the Word never changes. Accept the holy spirit and be born again into the family of Christ and allow the holy spirit to lead you, guide you and teach you. And very importantly in receiving God's promises, speak God's Word over you life and the lives of your loved ones. Your words either speak death or life into your life. It us up to you to control your thinking and the words that come out of your mouth and what you speak into your life. God bless you.

Thank You Father

Father,

Thank you for waking me up this morning. Thank you for a beautiful day. Thank you for creating me in your likeness. Thank you for giving me a heart after your own heart. Thank you for being my everything. Thank you for being my mother, my father, my sister and my brother, my aunt,  my uncle, my son and my daughter, and my husband. Thank for who i am today. Thank you for all the times that you have put me back on the potters wheel and kneaded me, and shaped me and molded me. Thank you for the holy spirit teaching me, leading me and guiding me. Thank you for keeping me, watching over me,  protecting me, uplifting me, unconditionally loving me. Thank you for for making me your child and for spoiling me. Thank you for restoring to me everything that has been taken from me. Thank you for preparing a table for me in the presence of my enemies. Thank you for anointing my head with oil. Thank you for making my cup to run over. Thank you for cutting away from me and my life everything that isn't of you. I ask you today my wonderful father, to use me, speak through me, bless others through me, use me to plant your seed,  use me to water your seed, and use me to say the right things to the little children and help them through this difficult time. Thank you for being my father. Thank you for choosing me before the foundations of the world. You are the one true God. You are wonderful. You are mighty. You are compassionate and a God of love. You know everything. You have my best interest at heart. I pray that your will be done in me and in my life, in my career and in my relationships. I pray that your will be done not my will in all things. I trust you with all of my heart. I trust you with my life here and my eternal life. I trust you to take care of me, heal me, lead me, teach me. I trust you to never leave me nor forsake me. You are my strength, both my commander and my comrade. I love you with my heart, mind, soul and life. Use me Father. Thank you for manifesting the fruit of the spirit through me. Thank you for the gifts of the spirit. Thank you that in Jesus name I cast out demons and heal the sick and speak in tongue's and interpret and prophesy. Thank you for discerning of the spirits. Thank you for covering me with armor to do battle from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head. Thank you for the sword of the spirit which is your word living within me and bringing into remembrance that scripture which i need in any moment. Thank you for covering me with your grace, enveloping me in your love and keeping me safe under your wings. You are perfect, you are loving,  you are kind, you are forgiving. You are my God and Father, my everything. I love you.

Why I Fast

I have found that I need alone time with God to be spiritually strong. I take the time to nurture my heart and spirit with the food that it craves by joyfully depriving myself of something fast my body doesn't need. Food is important for our health and fasting is food to our spirit. Our spirit should control our thoughts and actions not where the world takes us.

Even if you have only a few hours dedicate your time and fasting to God and get some alone time with him in the word and prayer and praise. We are almost constantly bombarded with worldly things and negatives and problems but how we spend our free time is our choice. When you make the decision to focus on God and worshipping and praising him and thanking him and give yourself the time to reinforce your mind and heart with positives and promises and faith you are giving yourself the ability to deal with the worldly stuff and negatives. You can fast by not eating during this time or not drinking your favourite soda or whatever. Just everything you do do it unto the Lord. I love everyone.

Jigsaw Puzzle

Life is like a jigsaw puzzle
Each moment is a piece.
Some are filled with laughter
Others filled with grief.

We can only see glimpses of what
Was and what will be
Would you rather trust God
Or fuss over a little piece

God can see put entire life
From beginning until end
Enjoy all the good parts
Give all the bad to him.

He is more capable than we
To fit the pieces together
We only see little glimpses
But he sees everything.

Written by
Lisa Lisa Collier Clewis
18May2016

What We Pray For

I used to pray that God strengthen people, he promises that he will. I used to pray for God to uplift people, he promises he will. I used to pray that God bless people, he promises he will. I used to pray that God heal people, he promises he will.

Then I thought about it. If people don't feel loved, if people don't feel worthy to be loved how are they going to accept all that God has to give them. So now when I pray, I pray that God make them feel his love for them in their heart. And that they feel how much God cares about them in their heart.

I am one of those people who has always felt like the ugly duckling, the least favorable, the most unworthy to be loved or cared about. I didn't have any trouble believing that God loved me and cared about me until I felt like I let him down. Since then it's been a battle to feel I'm good enough. But I realized that even when I was at my worst and felt the lowest he was watching over me, protecting me, saving my life, keeping me whole when my body was so broken.

God loves you. God cares about you. Even at your worst God sees only the good in you and he wants to love and nurture you to bring the good out in you. Trust God.

There Was No Bunny At Passover

I am not against anyone enjoying a holiday or enjoying buying their child an Easter basket full of goodies or taking their children Easter egg hunting. But I am concerned that a lot of children who celebrate Easter have no unearthly idea why they are celebrating Easter. So many people enjoy this holiday without ever being taught the significance of it. Without Jesus becoming sin for us and dying on the cross we wouldn't have salvation. Without salvation we are condemned to die guilty of our sins. Please, if you know of anyone who unknowingly celebrates Easter, witness to that person. Who knows? He or she may get saved.

I have prepared a short description of the Passover, how it began and why Christians celebrate the Passover. I hope that it will help someone meet Jesus for the first time, believe in him and accept him as their Lord and Savior. What a beautiful time it is when someone gives their heart to God.

Passover was instituted to commemorate the saving of the Hebrew firstborn in Egypt at the time when God, smiting with death the firstborn of the Egyptians, passed over the houses of the Jews who marked their homes with the blood of a lamb. To Christians it sets forth the great fact and consequence of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in the shedding of his blood so that we can be forgiven of our sins.

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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16 KJV

References:

Passover Instituted. Exodus 12:14, Exodus 12:17, Exodus 12:24-27, Exodus 12:42
Christ Last Passover. Matthew 26:17-20
Significance to Christians. I Corinthians 5:7-8,

What Praise!

I sob with joy in your presence. My heart delights in praising you. My comrades in Christ on either side. We fight the good fight. You have armed us to the guilds. You have carried me through the valley. You have set my feet firm on top of the mountain. You have caused peace with mine enemies. I praise you. Only you are worthy of praise. My chin is lifted. Your light shines upon my face. There is peace in remembrance of my lost loved ones. Oh what joy you give. What praise! What praise! you invoke with your power. You are my wonderful father, the great I AM and my heart melts for you. I bask in your love. I praise you.

Who?

If I died tonight who would miss me? A lot of people. If I died tonight where would I go? To be with Jesus. If I died tonight who would take my place? No one. Jesus lives.

I am not great but I have come a long way from there to here. I am not perfect but I am trying. I am not through because I have just begun to live. Jesus saves.

Life

Do you ever feel like your caught between two worlds, you want to make one your home and put the other behind you? Or have someone to share the journey? I love my family in Christ.

How Could God Love Me

Some people are under the misconception that they have to be perfect, holy and without blame to be good enough for God and to be loved by God. Truth is God loves us just the way we are and He knows that the more we read the bible and pray and seek him in church and our everyday life, the more we will mature in Him and become more like him. If your child is immature, how do you treat him, love him, have patience with him, teach him? Do you not know that God loves each one of us and has thought ahead. Put your faith in his love.