Pentecostal Sisters

Anonymous

Many a time, when we look at ourselves, we don’t see what we can become. But when God looks at us, He sees what we can become by His grace.

When Jesus first saw Simon, whose name in Greek means “reed”, He changed his name to “Peter”, which means “rock”. But did Peter instantly become someone with the characteristics of a rock—solid, stable and unshakable? No, for a long time, he continued to act like a reed that bends every which way the wind blows.

Once, when Peter saw Jesus walking on water, he took a bold step of faith and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Then, as he was walking on the water, he saw the boisterous wind, got scared and when he began to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Another time, he said, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” Then, a few hours later, he denied knowing Jesus not once, but three times.

Yet, throughout his reed-like behavior, Jesus kept calling him “rock” until one day, how Jesus saw him began to take root in him. That day, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood up to preach and 3,000 people were saved!Peter had indeed become a rock, a pillar in the early church.

That was how Jesus transformed Peter. And that is how God wants us to change the people and situations in our lives.

“My friend, God did not tell us to call those things which exist as they exist. What is the point of stating the obvious? It is not going to change anything. No, God tells us to call those things which do not exist as though they did, and they will!

Anonymous

† How Do You Clean A Sponge? †

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. James 3:15–17 ESV

Just as a sponge filled with liquid, so is our heart within us. It absorbs all the hurts and pains in our life. Usually when we come to the Lord, it is filled with yucky things like poison and bitterness. Over time the Lord purifies this within us. It will usually involve pressure of some kind that squeezes us, like a sponge.



The Lord replaces this selfishness, bitterness, jealousy, and strife with His love, gentleness, compassion, and kindness. It does not instantly happen. This is a life long process so there is no need to get in a hurry. He will work on something a while, and then give you a rest. Then start the next one. Some call it mountains and valleys.



In my experience, it is more like being held under water for a while and then pulled up for air at the very last minute. Take heart, when you do get to come up for air, it is great! These tests don’t last forever and you will not actually drown. It just feels that way. The sooner you submit, the sooner you will have relief.

Yours in Christ,

Dion Todd - Pastor/Servant

Anonymous

Today, forensic science tells us that blood has a voice. DNA can be extracted from just one small drop of the murderer’s blood and the results used in court as evidence.

So blood in a sense can speak. And when it is the blood of Jesus, it “speaks better things” than that of Abel. Abel’s blood cried out, “Vengeance! Vengeance!” after his brother Cain murdered him. But Jesus’ blood cries out forgiveness for our sins, healing for our bodies, and peace and soundness for our minds. It cries out protection for our coming-ins and going-outs, good success for the works of our hands, the righteousness of Christ as our acceptance before God and much more!

In the Bible, Jesus’ blood speaking of “better things” is found in the context of the last days when things are being shaken, so that the things which cannot be shaken will remain. God wants you to know that you will not be shaken when you put your faith in Jesus’ blood, which speaks better things for you. That is why God wants you to see Jesus’ blood shed for you in every area that causes your heart to tremble and your confidence to be shaken.

For example, if you are afraid of losing your job, speak the blood of Jesus over your job. His blood cries out, “Favor with his boss!” And in these days when you are shaken by fears that terrorism may strike anyone, anywhere, anytime, plead the blood of Jesus which cries out, “Protection and deliverance!” When fear rises in your heart as the doctor gives you his prognosis, plead the blood of Jesus over your body. His blood cries out, “Healing and wholeness!”

The eternal blood of Jesus, which speaks better things, will never lose its power. Beloved, see that you do not refuse Him who speaks. See that you keep hearing the voice of grace, which speaks salvation, righteousness, protection, deliverance, provision and healing over your life!

Anonymous

When God created man, He gave man authority to have dominion over everything on earth. But when man sinned, he gave this authority to Satan. And when man’s authority was transferred to Satan, Satan brought in diseases, poverty, strife, bitterness, pain, loss and death. He messed up everything on earth for man.

You may say, why didn’t God just grab the devil by the neck and throw him out of the garden?”

God did not do that because He is a judicial God. It was a man who gave away his authority to Satan. So it had to be a man who would legally take it back. And God has done this through a Man. His name is Jesus!

By His death on the cross, Jesus righteously restored all that man had lost. That is why, just before He went back to heaven, He said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore…” Those words tell us that He has transferred His authority to us. The same authority that He had over the storm, evil spirits, sicknesses, diseases and even death is now ours to use.

So when there are reports of a flu epidemic and of young children falling sick in the media, know that you have dominion over the epidemic. Declare, “By the authority given to me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, this flu virus will not come near my children. I plead the blood of Jesus over them.”

If you have been told that your family has a history of heart disease, take dominion and declare, “By the authority given to me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I destroy every form, manifestation and hereditary cause of this disease. By His blood, my family has been redeemed from this and every other curse.”

My friend, the authority which has been restored to us is not just the authority on earth which man had before the fall, but Jesus’ unquestionable and complete authority in heaven and on earth!

Anonymous

† The Secret Admirer †

in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalms 56:11

I walked down the aisle to the offering basket and dropped in my tithes for the week. Ten percent of almost nothing once again. It had been a few awful weeks in a row now and it was starting to show at home.



Later at home I opened my Bible and there was an envelope inside. When I had gotten up, someone had placed $250 in cash in my Bible! God had yet again taken care of me when I had not told a soul that I needed it. I still do not know who did it, but God did.



God was my secret admirer. He was my supporter. When things got bad and there was nowhere to turn, He was there. Silently, secretly, He took care of me.



Put your trust in God and not men. If I had not gotten up to go make my offering, I probably would not have received what God had for me that day. Do your part, no matter how small, and trust Him to do His.

Anonymous

When I was 17, I was drafted into national service like all the other teenage boys in my country. One day, as part of my training in the navy, I found myself on a boat in choppy waters. Less than half an hour into the journey, you could see all the rookies looking unwell and feeling nauseous. Eventually, an officer on board told us, "Don't look at the choppy waters around you. Look far away where the horizon is and you will feel better." We took his advice and certainly felt better. Like the horizon, God's love for you is fixed and constant. On the other hand, our love for God is like the waves, variable and unpredictable. Some days, it’s high, and on other days, it’s low. Beloved, if you believe your security depends on your love for God, you will always feel you are on shaky and unstable ground. But if you know and believe your security is based on God’s constant, unfailing love for you, you’ll become bold and unshakable. So focus on God’s love for you today! Keep looking to His steadfast, unchanging love no matter what is happening in your life! http://josephprince.com/

Anonymous

Job 14:7-9 says, "There is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground.; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. 

In our christian walk sometimes we feel cut down. We get defeated, we quit, we let others chop us down, whatever the reason, at some point or another we all feel cut off. Maybe we have a harder time seeing, hearing and feeling God's presence. We stop producing fruit because we ourselves stop growing. Over time the root will dry out, grow old, and seem beyond repair...BUT just like that tree, there IS hope! For a little taste of water for that dry, old stump can revive it, the tree will thrive on it, and regrow, it can be better than it ever was before, but it must continue taking in that water. Likewise, Once a taste of that living water is in our lives we can sprout instantly and over time, mature into a tree that produces shelter for others, produces fruit, and testifies of God as well.
Trees don't go from stumps to 100ft towering giants over night. Just like we must continue to water the tree in order for it to grow, you must take in Jesus daily, reading and praying, and getting to know Him. You won't be Paul the apostle over night, but with time, and patience, steadfastness, and experience you can grow into the christian God wants you to be, and thankfully that living water in not in short supply, it will never run dry, and cannot "max out" or growing for the Lord!

Anonymous

Serve Your Way Out 

They said to him, We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me. So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph Genesis 40:7–9 ESV
Joseph had now been in prison for a while. He was wrongfully accused and should not have been there at all. Still, the Lord was with him and his gifts of administration were welcomed here. He also got the chance to interpret a dream now and then. Eventually Joseph was set free from prison and made second-in-command of the most powerful nation in the world.

It was because Joseph was known for his gifts of interpreting dreams and administration. When Pharaoh had a dream, Joseph was summoned to interpret it, and because of his gifting, promoted. If Joseph had been bitter because of his circumstances and not used his gifts, Pharaoh would have never learned about him.

If you find yourself trapped in a place that you don’t really want to be, and you are not even supposed to be there, be nice and continue to use the gifts that God has given you. It is the way out. Smile, it is not forever. While you become better at what you are doing, God is preparing a place for you. Serve your way out.

Anonymous

The Spotlight 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 ESV
A rule in theatre lighting is to make what you want people to focus on, the brightest spot in the room. This way their eyes will naturally gravitate to it. That is why spotlights follow the main performers around the stage.

In our lives though, we often focus on the darkness, or what we don’t yet have and it can rob the pleasure of enjoying what we already do have. Most of us have a lot to be thankful for.

You can spend your whole life chasing something that is always just out of reach, and completely ignore all that the Lord has blessed you with. Instead of this, try to focus on the good in your life and not on the bad or what you do not yet have. Keep the spotlight where it counts.

Anonymous

O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults! You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Psalms 21:1–2 ESV

When God opens the door, step through it. Do not let your fear, education, or anything else hold you back from what He has. Goliath backed down the entire Israeli army, until one teenager stepped out and killed him. When He gives you a job to do, He will give you the ability to do it as well. God will go with you. You can face this giant.

Anonymous

Plowing The Field 

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12 ESV

Left alone, our hearts will become as hard as rock. Life happens. A little hurt here, another disappointment there, and a bigger wall goes up to protect us. The rain comes from the Lord’s presence and will soften our hearts and make it grow, and heal.

It is not very pleasant when He is breaking up our ground. Seek the Lord and His presence each day and do not let your heart become cold and hard. Talk to Him each day and cultivate a relationship. There can be no harvest until the ground is made ready.

Anonymous

Whatever is troubling you, if it has a name, it must bow to the name of Jesus! Cancer must bow to the name of Jesus. Poverty must bow. Shame must bow. The Bible tells us that God has highly exalted Jesus and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee must bow!

That is exactly what happened when a severely demon-possessed man saw Jesus. The demons in him—called Legion for there were many of them—not only begged Jesus not to torment them, but they also fled when Jesus commanded them to go. The man was left whole, healed and in his right mind.
Beloved, if your child is sick, lay hands on him and say, “In Jesus’ name, cough, stop. Fever, go in Jesus’ name. Health flows in your body in Jesus’ name!” If there is strife and confusion at home, deal with it the same way. I have used the name of Jesus as I prayed for a couple who were quarrelling in a food center. It was amazing. All the strife between them seemed to melt away and they started to talk calmly after that.
That is the power of the name of Jesus because that is the name of the one who died for you, who rose again and today is at the right hand of God, for you! That is the name which is above every name, and at which every knee must and will bow!

Anonymous

Im not sure if anyone reads here, as I never hear from anyone, but if you do I'd like you to pray the prayer of agreement with me for tomorrow. I'm having my 3rd full body bone scan in a year to rule out mets to the left shoulder and lower right spine. I'm standing on God's Word, believing for an excellent report. Thank you all.

Father God as I go for this scan I stand on your promise that BY JESUS' WOUNDS I WAS HEALED.         I Peter 2:24. I bind any and all cancer cells from my body and loose the healing virtue of Jesus from the top of my head to the tips of my toes in Jesus' Name. I'm expecting an excellent report for you are my Healer. I plead the Blood of Jesus over me and I thank You for the Peace that surpasses understanding. Thank you Father God.

The prayer of agreement when prayed according to Matthew 18:18-20 will cover every circumstance in life:

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Anonymous

 The Costly Anointing 

Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. John 12:2–3 ESV
Mary anointed the feet of Jesus. She saw something in Him that she had never seen in anyone else. He was special. There had never been anyone like this. Judas complained because it was worth a year's wages, and he felt that it was wasted on Jesus. What a stark contrast two people had when looking at the same Man.

God sees the value in us and each of us are precious to Him, yet the devil sees us as a waste. We constantly have this battle going on inside of us. The bad thoughts, rejection and worthlessness, come from the enemy. The good thoughts, acceptance, and understanding, come from God the Father.

Do not listen to the enemy's lies. The past is gone. Shake it off and try again. God will anoint you with a costly anointing because you are worth it, and He sees you as precious, just as Mary did with Jesus.

Anonymous

UPDATE: They told me at OSU that my Dr. wouldn't get the test results until tomorrow, but I was just pulling into my drive when Dr. Mrozek called. She said, " What was seen before on the left shoulder is much much better, and what they had seen on the lower right spine is completely resolved!"

I'm taking that as, HEALED in JESUS' NAME!!! Sometimes healing is instant and sometimes you have to walk it out. STAND & BELIEVE!

I am so grateful that she called right away. She's so kind, and she's from Poland and she's brilliant. Don't ever let anyone tell you Pollocks are dummies. That's a lie!

Anonymous

The Bible says the Lord "formed man out of the dust of the ground" (Ge 2:7 NKJV). What's God working with? Dirt! And the tools He uses to form you are the experiences you go through in life. They shape and alter you. And the more you keep trying to have it you way, the longer the process takes. It may take you five years to learn to quit people-pleasing, or ten years to stop feeling sorry for yourself, or twenty years to stop going back and reliving your childhood. All the while God is telling you, "Stop it," and your're saying, "Yeah, I know. I'm gonna do better." Then finally a crisis happens and the truth hits you. At that point you say, "You know what? I'm going to forget those things which are behind and start reaching for those things which are before" (See Php 3:13) With that my friends I leave you today to think and mediate on. So many times we do the same thing over & over again thinking it will change (been there done that). Have a blessed day and enjoy that we made it to 2014!!! 

Anonymous

† Jigsaw Puzzles †

For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little. Isaiah 28:10 ESV
With little pieces of the jigsaw puzzle scattered all over the table I began to try and assemble it. This one was seriously difficult because someone had mixed a couple of other puzzles together in the same box and there were pieces that did not belong. Fortunately I had a picture to go by and eventually it started to take shape. When complete, it was beautiful.

God sees the bigger picture of your life. You do not. He knows the pieces that do not fit and need to be removed, and He knows what to keep. After walking with Him a while, your life will begin to take shape and when complete, it will be something beautiful.

Do not get ahead of God and throw out things that He intends to keep. Work at His pace. You do not need to understand everything right now, He does, and that is enough. It is one piece at a time and one day at a time. Eventually this thousand piece puzzle will make sense.

Carren-LB-at-2-0-clock

Hello! I am here now, too. God of Peace, God of Strength. Day of BC surgery I was led to Romans 5:3 - 6..."Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that sufferings bring perserverance; perservance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."  To me, it doesn't get anymore assuring than that.

Keep the faith, Carren

Anonymous

Are you one of them? They're out there right now. There are millions of them. In your city. In your neighborhood. In your church. Perhaps, even in your home. You may even be one of them . . . Who are they?

People in desperate need of encouragement.
Let's face it . . . life can be hard. The Christian walk is a narrow road that can be smooth one minute and bumpy the next, filled with twists and turns and trials and triumphs. All of us face moments when we feel like it takes everything we've got just to keep going.
In those moments, we need an encouraging word. We need someone who will speak the truth to us in love. We need the light of God's love to fill us with the hope, faith and strength we need to rise again.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, the Apostle Paul challenged Christians to encourage one another. As followers of Christ, we should ALWAYS be on the lookout for opportunities to encourage others! Are you?

Anonymous

Carren, thank you so much for posting and sharing the scripture. I love to hear from others on here. My heart breaks for people who don't have the hope of The Lord, especially those battling cancer.

Blessings

Paula

Srh242

Thanks for doing this! , it helped me tonight.

S

Carren-LB-at-2-0-clock

Thanks Soteria205. I am not sure if you listen to C/D music; worship songs by Darlene Zschech from Australia. She was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer (Dec). She has an incredible C/D called Revealing Jesus. You can listen to her on YouTube. In one of the songs she mentions cancer - and how she hates cancer - and this was BEFORE she was diagnosed! Can we say attack by the enemy (like the rest of us).  Listen to this song "In Jesus Name" by Darlene and be uplifted!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgKry5VYs74

Anonymous

Srh, I'm so glad this thread has brought you some comfort. That brings me great blessing. Thanks for posting.

Carren, I love Darlene. I didn't know she was diagnosed. I'll remember to pray for her. She's reaching the nations with her music. We know how satan would love to shut her up. 

Blessings

Paula

Anonymous

Each time you hear the gospel of Christ, you are hearing God’s good news for you. And the Bible tells us that the gospel of Christ—the good news that God wants all men to hear—is the very power of God for your salvation, not just from hell, but also from illnesses, financial lack, harm, a failing marriage—every aspect of your life that needs saving!

You may say, I’ve heard the gospel of Christ, but it seems like I am one of those whom the power of God has missed.” My friend, when you hear the gospel of Christ, do you really believe it? You cannot just understand it in your mind. You must know and believe the good news in your heart, and then you will see that it is the power of God for your salvation.
But what is the good news that God wants you to know in your heart, which will release the power and salvation of God into your situation?
“For in it [the good news] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith…” (Romans 1:17) The good news is that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, which you receive from faith to faith.
This means that this righteousness comes because you have faith in His blood, not your good behavior, to make you righteous. It is from faith to faith, not faith to works, or works to works.
The good news is not preached to show you what is wrong with you. It is preached to show you what is right with you because of Jesus’ work at Calvary, in spite of what is wrong with you!
There is nothing left for you to do to earn God’s blessings for your life. You only need to hear and believe the all-encompassing saving power of the gospel of Christ to heal you of diseases, preserve you from danger, bless your finances and bring well-being to your family.
The world may say that the good news is too good to be true. But for those of us who are the righteousness of God in Christ, the good news is so good because it is indeed true!

Anonymous

Do you sometimes feel like you are just a face in a crowd or a number in a system? You are identified by your social security number. Even when you see the doctor, you are called by your queue number. If you feel depersonalized and dehumanized, that is exactly how the devil wants you to feel—that you do not matter much to anyone, especially to God.

But you do matter to God! He calls you by name. He knows exactly what you are going through and where you are hurting. He sees you and cares for you, just as He cared for the people when He first walked on earth.
My friend, He will do for you what He did for the woman in Samaria. There was a shorter route from Judea to Galilee, but the Bible says that “He needed to go through Samaria”. In other words, Jesus deliberately took a longer route, so that He could stop by Samaria to speak to the woman who had been searching for something in her life to satisfy her.
This woman had had five husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband. Clearly, things had not been going right in her life. She was probably looking for answers and fulfillment, and must have felt ashamed about her failed marriages and current lifestyle.
Yet, in spite of all this, she mattered to Jesus! He needed to go to her to minister to her. And indeed, after she met Jesus, the perfect Man, she was transformed. She was no longer ashamed, and went into the city to tell the people about Him. Beloved, Jesus came a long way from heaven for you. You certainly matter to Him. He came to give you life and life more abundantly. You are not just a face in a crowd or a number. No, He knows you by name and has a personal love for you. And in spite of the mess which you might be in, He wants to meet your every need and make your life beautiful!

Anonymous

Genesis 15:8–9
And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Are you discouraged because a breakthrough that you have been praying for has yet to manifest? Maybe it has been days or even weeks and you are asking, “How will I know that I will get it?” Abraham faced the same situation and asked God the same question. And God answered, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” What a strange answer!
But if you read on (Genesis 15:10–21), you will realize that God took Abraham’s question very seriously, and went on to show him just how serious He was about being his provider, protector and blesser. God was so serious that He was willing to bind Himself to a covenant.
What is a covenant? It is like a contract. Yet, it is more than a contract. A contract is binding only for a period of time, like five years or seven years, or until certain terms are fulfilled. But a covenant is perpetual. It is permanent. The only way out is through death. That is why marriage is a covenant, not a contract. It is permanent—“Till death do us part”.
In Bible times, when you cut a covenant with someone, you bring an animal, usually a ram or goat, and kill it by cutting it in two. Next, you will face your covenant partner and walk toward each other between the two pieces of the animal, passing each other in the center.
What all this means is that both parties are obligated to protect and provide for each other. Whatever belongs to you is your partner’s and whatever belongs to your partner is yours. Of course, the one who benefits is the lesser or poorer party.

Today, God is in covenant with us. We are the lesser, poorer party. We have nothing to offer God. But God, the richest and most powerful being in the universe, has everything to offer us!
My friend, God has bound Himself to a covenant, an iron-clad guarantee of His blessings and provision in your life, and it is all for your benefit. The breakthrough you are waiting for is guaranteed by covenant!

Anonymous

You have heard people of the world say, “I will believe it only when I see it.” Generally, that is the way the world thinks. But God’s ways are not like the ways of the world. The world says, “If I can’t feel it or see it, I cannot believe the miracle is here.” God says, “If you believe it before you feel it or see it, you will see your miracle.”
Believing first before seeing the evidence of what we are believing for is called faith. Faith is like a spark and Jesus is the dynamite powder.
In the story of the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, there were many people who touched Jesus, but nothing happened to them. They didn’t touch Him in faith. But when the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came to Him and touched Him in faith, He felt power leave His body, and it sparked off an explosion of healing in the woman’s body!
Hearing about how good, kind and loving Jesus was fired her faith to believe that He could and would heal her. So convinced was she (even when the condition in her body was still evident) that she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Did she experience her healing first before she believed? No, she believed first in Jesus’ goodness and power, acted in faith and only then felt the healing in her body.
In the same way, God wants you to believe in His goodness and love toward you. He wants you to know how willing He is to act on your behalf to bless you, and how, with Christ, He will freely give you every good thing.
He wants you to declare by faith that all is and shall be well with you, and to expect to see just that. And then, no matter how long you have had the problem, no matter how bad the experts say it is, an explosion of healing and restoration will take place, and you will receive what you are believing for!

Anonymous

The LORD said to Gideon, The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, My own hand has saved me. Judg. 7:2 ESV
Gideon started out with thirty-two thousand men but ended up with three hundred at the start of the actual battle. God took them away and separated them from him. Gideon was not abandoned, and it was completely God’s will for this to happen. In fact, it was God’s plan.

God likes to be outnumbered, He prefers it this way. When the enemy comes in like a flood God will cause you to stand through it and everyone looking on will have to say that this is the work of God.

You may set out to do something with a terrific group of people, and then find that it is just you and a handful left. This is probably no accident. God has plans to make you shine and He has placed the ones around you that need to be, and removed the rest. You will come through this and everyone will know that the Lord is with you, just do not turn back.

Anonymous

Many a time, people ask, I know that God’s promises are true, but how can I be sure that His promises will come true in my life?”
My friend, if you want God’s promises to be sure in your life, you cannot depend on yourself. If you depend on yourself—your obedience, goodness, service and even faith—you will not be able to receive God’s promises. But when you depend on God’s grace—His unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor toward you—that is when His promises become sure in yourlife.
This was true of the woman with the issue of blood. (Matthew 9:20–22) She didn’t go around saying, “I must have faith…I hope that I have enough faith…I will have faith…I will not lose faith.” No, she was only conscious of the grace of Jesus—how He always healed the sick, how powerful He was in raising the dead and how willing He was to use that power for her healing.
She just saw His grace abounding toward her, so much so that she said, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” And when she came behind Jesus and touched the very hem of His garment, she was healed. At that same moment, Jesus stopped, turned around and said to her, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.”
When the woman saw His grace, God saw her faith! And so it was by grace, through faith, that God’s promise became sure in her life.
God wants you to see His grace. And when you see His grace, He sees your faith. God says, “For by grace are you saved through faith.” The Greek word for “saved”, sozo, doesn’t just mean to save from hell, but also to heal, preserve and make whole. So it is by grace that you are made whole, kept healthy, preserved and blessed. It is by grace through faith that God’s promises become sure in your life.
My friend, don’t worry if you feel that you lack faith. Begin to see God’s grace in your situation and He will see that as faith. And because He sees your faith, you will receive the breakthrough you need!

Anonymous

 Wasting Away 

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah Psa. 32:3-5 ESV
David wrote this psalm after falling for Bathsheba, getting her pregnant, and having her husband Uriah killed. Uriah was one of his own mighty men. His sin gave him no rest but kept eating away at him day and night. He was restless and wasting away. His peace was gone.

Sin is a slippery slope and will eventually weigh you down. One sin leads to another, and another, like lie upon lie and it gets easier each time. Repentance is the brake pedal that stops it.

If you ever find yourself wasting away remember this fact: no matter what you have done in this life, in thirty-seconds you can be righteous before God, washed as white as snow, and start with a fresh slate. What is lost can be restored. What is broken can be repaired.

Pray this and mean it: Lord forgive me for what I have done. Jesus come into my life and be My Lord and Savior from this day on. He will take care of the details.