My Comfort

Hebrews 11:25-26


I don't think I have ever chosen to be mistreated on the level that Moses chose. Moses was given the option of being mistreated or enjoying worldly pleasures. If he chose the mistreatment he was choosing the purposes of Christ, the rewards of the future, disgrace, fellowship with other believers, honor and value. If he chose to enjoy worldly pleasures he was choosing fast relief, sin, treasures of the world, human enjoyment and brief comfort.

To not look at what was in front of him and to choose instant relief from his misery means he was weighing his options. Moses' choice of enduring mistreatment and not going with the worldly pleasures were extremely convicting for me. Moses fully weighed his future and then made his decision, he was being proactive instead of reactive. Moses made his choices based on God's desires and not his own.

Not too long ago, God prompted me with this question: What if every choice I make is a direct, face to face, answer to Him? For weeks I ignored the truth of that statement. After today's reading I realized that just because I have chosen to ignore the knowledge of that truth does not mean that I am exempt from the consequences of breaking that truth.

God has made it very clear to me that I must choose the pure and blameless choice in all decisions, if I wish to rest in the future rewards He has for me. Based on Moses' choice and the things he endured, I am bracing myself for heart break, loosing the respect of those who don't believe, loosing favor in the eyes of those I esteem, being excluded and others desiring shame for me because of what I have chosen.

That may sound depressing and unattractive, but Moses saw this as honor. He had already taken into account the future of his decision. Moses' actions encouraged me to place a higher value on the hope I have in the certainty of God's deliverance and rewards for me.

Another point that opened my eyes in this scripture was that Moses' choice was not at all focused on his physical comfort. It became a non-factor in his decision making. My physical comfort is a huge factor in my decisions. There was a time that I ran from an environment of provided food, shelter and transportation, along with a fake relationship and an unfaithful, abusive oppressor. I ran toward a future that I hoped would be better and I didn't take into account my physical comfort.

I could have stayed and allowed others to feed, shelter and transport me, but the overwhelming oppression of that controlling and dark life became the atmosphere that consumed me. That atmosphere canceled out the benefits of the instant pleasures of provisions. Just as Moses knew his environment would grow more abusive, darker and even more controlled, so did I. I, like Moses, desired a life with freedom and light.

My life now, has become so blessed that I have almost forgotten to deny myself momentary pleasures that result in a similar darkness and control. I have lost sight of denying myself things that could bring a greater outcome, an outcome of freedom and light.

In our humaness we think it is cruel to not be comfortable or pleasured, but the pleasure we seek is eternal and not of this world. I am talking baout a spiritual growth and intense relationship that brings you closer to the Creator, not denying yourself things to just be doing a spiritual ritual.

These may be some questions you may want to take to God in prayer:

1. What momentary pleasures am I choosing?
2. Are thoee pleasures bringing me control and darkness or freedom and light?
3. Am I overly comfortable in your life, to the point of excess?
4. Do you deny yourself any luxuries?

A Clean Picture

Hebrews 9

Today as I read my Bible God gave me insight to His glorious love, the grace Christ Jesus displays for me, and the comfort that comes from the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. After journaling my observation and discovering how I can apply this chapter to my own life, I began to confess the sins I had done recently.

I made a list of things that I felt guilty about and I closed my eyes and began to envision myself walking up to Jesus. I could see my clothes were dirty with a few cuts and bruises on my face and my legs. Jesus’ back was toward me and I called out, “Master, I have come to confess my acts before you, my sins.” I was face down, ashamed and embarrassed. I began to speak the sins I had committed and while I was still speaking them, Christ Jesus turned and began to wipe off my face. I continued confessing as He touched my cuts and bruises and they were gone. When I finished confessing, He raised His hands I was in a white, flowing smock.

At that moment, He lifted His hands and turned toward this Glorious Light. As I was standing behind Jesus, a clear filter of power was outlining His body in a large transparent circle. Darkness was along the outer edges being pushed away. Christ was standing between me and the Light. The Light was God himself – in His splendor and majesty. I saw no face, but His presence was sufficient enough to know He was there.

It was if God was looking at me through this large transparent circle that surrounded Jesus. When God’s attention was on me the darkness along the outer edges was destroyed. I was surrounded by clarity, purity and holiness, with Jesus beside me and God’s presence was in front of us.

I was forgiven of all my sins. Christ Jesus had cleaned me, made me presentable before God. God never saw me in my dirty, cut and bruised body. He only saw me as holy and pure in His sight through the clarity that only Christ Jesus brings. The sins were not hidden, they were exposed and once they were exposed they were destroyed by God’s love, and Jesus’ grace. I did nothing to deserve this and I had no power to do this on my own.

Then, the Holy Spirit put his hand on my shoulder. He began to talk and I listened as He walked me back to my life. There was a great part of me that didn’t want to leave that purity and holiness, but I knew the Holy Spirit was going with me and that God had work for me to do.

I often avoid confessing sin in order to somehow make myself right before I go confess. My struggle only makes me look clean on the outside. This never works and my conscience is never free from guilt when I do this. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse my conscience from the sins that guilt me. Only through Jesus’ blood is my conscience cleaned, I am freed from the separation I have created, along with being free from the power that sin has over me.

My question to you today is what is your picture of Jesus interceding on your behalf? Ask God to give you your own vision. He will.

2 kings 8:1-6 - Passage Lookup - New International Version - BibleGateway.com

2 kings 8:1-6 - Passage Lookup - New International Version - BibleGateway.com: "1 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, 'Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.' 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.
3 At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to beg for her house and land. 4 The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, 'Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.' 5 Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to beg the king for her house and land.
Gehazi said, 'This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.' 6 The king asked the woman about it, and she told him.
Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, 'Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.'"

God is Always Working in your Favor

Today I read 2 Kings 8:1-6

This is what I OBSERVED:

The Shunammite woman was a widow whose son was RESTORED to life. I am trying to imagine being in this woman's position with just that scenaro. Receiving the blessing of your child being alive after you knew he was dead.

Now, Elisha obviously had compassion for the woman and her son. He gave her insight on the hardships that were to come in the land that she was living in. He gave her a charge to leave, and to leave for seven years.

Still trying to put myself in her shoes... I am wondering what God will ask me to do that I just won't understand. My question is, "How is this thing going to work in my favor?". I wonder if she misguidedly thought this was her trade for her son's life. She had no idea what future was in store for her or her son and based on what she knew I am sure prosperity wasn't even a thought.

She obviously trusted Elisha and was indebted to him for her son's life. I am sure it wasn't a joyful task to leave her home and her land, not to mention any income she may have received from it. What emotional stress she had to be pondering in her own mind! Now, she was to trust this man of God, and to walk away from her life for seven years.

The scripture doesn't say anything about her turmoil, it just says she obeyed. I'm just placing myself in her life circumstances and creating my own turmoil here. Relating to her as a woman and how emotionally and mentally drained I get throughout my own life. My struggles with life in general and my lack of obedience is what brought about this type of thinking.

After the seven years were up, the Shunammite woman went back to land and humbled herself to go beg the king for her home and land back. Humility brings forth many blessing for sure!

God just happened to have Gehazi, Elisha's personal servant, in the presence of the king, obviously during a time when the king was amazed by Elisha's miracles and wonders. So, here we have Gehazi and the king discussing the this woman's son being restored to life and she is there at the same time to beg for her property back.

Gehazi was obviously a wise man too, so he felt no need to be in charge or have control and tell the king this woman's story - he stepped aside and had her tell it. He must have know the ownership she could express. The passion and intensity she could give to the story was much more than Gehazi owned from his prespective.

Now, the king instantly assigned her legal representation and gave a direct order to give back ALL that belonged to her and to include all the income from her land that was taken in while she was away.

Wow! This woman received the restoration of her son's life, her home and income that she obviously did not expect and relief during a famine. Now, I am reeling in my mind the hardships God saved her from during the famine.

I am pondering how God worked in her favor, all the aspects my human mind could never comprehend. She obeyed and humbled herself to God's instruction and she was blessed beyond belief. More blessing than she would have ever prayed for or expected.

How I can APPLY this to my life:

• Remember God is always working in my favor.
• Things don't only happen for my benefit - many others are involved in the process.
• God works all things for good for those who love Him.
• I shouldn't create my own turmoil.
• Obedience brings relief druing hardships.
• There are no coincedences, God is in control of every situation and conversation.
• My question should be, "How can I serve you Lord?"
• Sometimes the things He asks me to do might not seem like a blessing at the time, but they will turn out in my favor if I obey.
• God blesses me far more than I could ever imagine to ask for.
• I am to obey God.
• I am to humble myself.
• I am to give an account of what God has done for me.
• Allow those who have a personal testimony to share it and get out of the way - listen.
• Watch out and bless widows and single mothers.
• Speak wisdom and insight into other's lives.
• Aid in rewarding those who have been wronged.
  

1. What is God asking me to obey Him in?
2. What is God asking me to humble myself to?
3. What instructions has God sent my way that I have or have not taken heed too?

I don't think I could ever grasp the enormous blessings I would get if I sought Him, listened to Him and obeyed Him more.

If you really want to go deeper go back and match the things I am to do with the characters from this story. My guess is, you will add some of your own!

Believing the Lies

At times I tend to isolate myself and begin to believe the lies that the enemy so badly wants to use. The enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy. God has been very specific to me this past week.

What is God saying to you?

Here are the things that He has been telling me:

• Iam God and I am able


• God is waiting for me to come to Him


• His glory is so bright there is no need for the sun or the moon


• He can do anything through me


• I should not worry about pleasing man, but only please Him


• I have given you specifics on what to do, don't be afraid to do it


• It is not you doing my work, it is me doing it through you


• You do not have to be perfect


• You are capable of great things with me


• I will make you strong


• Enjoy my calling, don't be afraid of your weaknesses - that's where I {God} am made great


• You are capable of leading others


• You speak truth over others


• Your insight is from Me {God}


• You have gifts and talents that you are not using for me {God}


• I have bigger plans than you than you know or can imagine


• You have a gift to minister to women


• TRUST ME


• LOVE ME WITH ALL YOU HAVE


• LET me enough

Wow! I had been feeling very much like a failure lately, I have been allowing the lies from the enemy attack me. I felt unvalued, unwanted, unliked and overwhelmed with minor chores, let alone any calling I felt on me from the Mighty One. However, in the name of Jesus Christ I reclaimed that which the enemy is trying to take away. He wants to steal my self confidence in Christ, he wants to steal my faith in Him, he wants to kill my ability to move forward, and he wants to destroy the value I place on myself through Christ.

God has blessed me this week with supreme kinds words from others. I had the opportunity yesterday to participate in an exhortation during a class I was taking at my church. I so enjoy speaking God's truth over another person and just sensing and envisioning the evil one melting away and having to flee in the face of God's truth.

Many years ago I had asked God to reveal to me the reason Christ died for each person that I came in contact with. My desire was to love others as Christ loves them. God was gracious enough to fill me with that gift and lately I haven't been speaking those truths over those I meet. After yesterdays experience I know I need to live in that way - a way in which I share God's glory and the uniqueness of others with them.

My challenge to you is to speak words of affirmation over those you know and meet. Speak God's positive truth - build up - use your power tongue, you never know when the enemy is attacking someone in that way. Speak love and encouragement overing someone might reveal God's truth in their life.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength!

In Christ,

Sandra Carter

What ever happened to mourning?

Mourning is, in the simplest terms, intense sorrow over the loss of something or someone. Mourning is expressed over and over again in the Bible. It is usually related to the death of a person, but it can be related to the death of a hope or a dream.

How we handle the mourning process seems to be very important to our mental and spiritual welfare. Many times in the Bible mourning was expressed by wailing loudly and bitterly, weeping, tearing clothes, putting on ashes and sackcloth, and fasting this is from Esther 4. Then in Isaiah 15 there is weeping, wailing, heads shaved, beards cut off, wearing sackcloth and laying face down weeping. During these times the oppressed were being destroyed, killed and annihilated. They were ruined, and destroyed.

Much like we are today. Our life is going really well, we have our hopes and dreams and then all of a sudden devastation hits. Our hope for the future has been stolen, destroyed, killed and annihilated. That is why the evil one has come (John 10:10). If we don’t mourn through the One who gives life, then we are putting up a barrier. We are saying to God, “I trusted you, it was at my fingertips and you ripped it from my life. If being with you hurts this much, then I will do things on my own.” We don’t mourn, we hold onto our devastation and we try to move forward all the while taking steps backward.

Our society says if it doesn’t feel good then don’t do it. Mourning most certainly doesn’t feel good at the time. Our society says if it makes you have a warm fuzzy feeling then your inner spirit is releasing you to do that. That is a lie. It steals our need for a savior. We believe we can do it all on our own. It destroys our inner peace, and it annihilates us from moving forward with the Mighty One. We start to believe we are in control and in charge, we believe we are the savior. We might not voice that, but we sure do live that way.

Mourning helps us express our angry and fear in a righteous manner, a manner in which leads us deeper into God’s presence, not navigating us away from God’s presence. What if, we start mourning in a righteous way? What if we wail, weep, fast, cry out to God in our anger and fear and then He gives us the peace that passes all understanding and heals our wounds and makes us better for it? What if?

Mourn, mourn like you are a believer in the one who SAVES! Mourn like you need a Savior! Mourn to bring yourself closer into the presence of the Lord. In His name!

Who is Jesus as I live my redeemed life?

Today in my Bible reading I read a verse that I have read many times, but for some reason today's revelation was more intimate for me.

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.

The Lord God Almighty has give us a child, a son directly from Him, this son will rule over us with authority from the ultimate authority {GOD}, the Son {Jesus} will influence us, guide us, he will hold us in check. Jesus serves as the law for us, we are to regularly accompany him and utilize him. This is all through him governing over us. This is what is on his shoulders, his purpose.

From our mouths we will call him Wonderful Counselor, which means we will say he is great, excellent and marvelous to provide us truth and sound advice regarding decisions or help we need in our life.

We will call him Mighty God, he has superior power and strength on earth and in the spiritual realm, he has this power everywhere. Imagine what our individual life would look like if we lived every moment as this were true. He is of great size, he is enormous. He is exceptional, huge, He is of importance.

God has established him as an Everlasting Father, there is no end to him. He is incessant; he is constantly recurring. He never gets wearisome or tired of interceding for you. He is always there on your behalf. He is lasting, he endures, he is permanent. He does not last for a moment, nor is he brief, nor is he short lived or temporary. He is ETERNAL.

We will call out come close Prince of Peace. He is the sovereign one who dwells in and supplies us with peace. He is noble, he has authority, he is a ruler. He is admirably fine and he has genial characteristics. He is favorable in life, favorable with our growth and our comfort. He is a genius. The peace he offers is He is our treaty between God and our sins. Through him we have harmony with God. In him and through him we can live a life of nonbelligerency, not living as if we are at war. In him we can be untroubled, tranquil and content.

Who knew that from the words; Son, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace that Jesus was all that and more?