Luke 6:46-49
“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”
In this verse, Jesus speaks very clearly about the effects of obedience to Him in our lives. Jesus is the only sure foundation that we can build our lives on. It's Jesus and that's it! Period! ALL other ground is sinking sand. Absolutely nothing else in this world will last forever. But, Jesus is the one sure thing. He is the is, the was and the is to come! You can be absolutely sure that if you place your complete hope and trust in Him..........the one who paid the ultimate price for our sins.........if you build your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ, you will belong to Him forever.
The lyrics to the song, "In Christ Alone" illustrate this so beautifully! This song says it ALL!!
"In Christ Alone"
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine;
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
A Thanksgiving Psalm
Psalm 100
"On your feet now - applaud God!
Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence.
Know this: God is God, and God, God.
He made us; we didn't make him.
We're his people, his well-tended sheep.
Enter with the password: "Thank you!"
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.
For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever."
Awesome, isn't it? How often do we stop and realize that EVERYTHING is from God? A dear friend reminded me this week of how we should wake up in the morning, thanking Him for the very breath we breathe, for the energy to even get out of bed. These words really convicted me that I don't say thank you to God often enough, and for every single thing in my life, not just the big things.
Well, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to thank Him. So, as you are sitting around that table, inhaling all of that delicious food, don't forget the one who provided it for you, along with every single good thing in your life.
May God bless you this Thanksgiving!!
"On your feet now - applaud God!
Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence.
Know this: God is God, and God, God.
He made us; we didn't make him.
We're his people, his well-tended sheep.
Enter with the password: "Thank you!"
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.
For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever."
Awesome, isn't it? How often do we stop and realize that EVERYTHING is from God? A dear friend reminded me this week of how we should wake up in the morning, thanking Him for the very breath we breathe, for the energy to even get out of bed. These words really convicted me that I don't say thank you to God often enough, and for every single thing in my life, not just the big things.
Well, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to thank Him. So, as you are sitting around that table, inhaling all of that delicious food, don't forget the one who provided it for you, along with every single good thing in your life.
May God bless you this Thanksgiving!!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
His grace is sufficient for me!
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Paul had a "thorn in his flesh". We are not told what exactly it was. It could have been something physical, or even relational, who knows? But, the important thing is realizing why God allowed it to be a part of his life. After realizing it would never leave him, instead of continuing to wish the "thorn" was not there, Paul allowed God to take over and compensate for what he was lacking. He allowed God's supernatural power to be on display in his life because of his weakness. We know how successful Paul's ministry was on this earth. Don't you think if he had not had that "thorn" he might have been tempted to be just a little prideful, taking the praise and credit himself instead of giving God the glory for his incredible ministry?
Do you have any "thorns in your flesh?" I think maybe we all do. Yours may be a physical or mental ailment, or maybe a difficult relationship or situation in your life; something that you just can't seem to get away from. Whatever the case may be, let it provide you the opportunity to lean on God. Draw closer to Him and He will draw you closer to you. Don't hide your thorn from others. Don't try to put on a mask and say "everything is ok." Be vulnerable with others and let them see your weaknesses. When you are open like this, people will see that it is not you, but God working through you in your life, giving Him the glory!
I believe God is in control and knows exactly what He is doing when he allows certain "thorns" in the lives of His children. If any of this hits home with you, as it does with me, remember that "His grace is sufficient for you........when we are weak, He is strong!"
Love you all!
,Brandi
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Paul had a "thorn in his flesh". We are not told what exactly it was. It could have been something physical, or even relational, who knows? But, the important thing is realizing why God allowed it to be a part of his life. After realizing it would never leave him, instead of continuing to wish the "thorn" was not there, Paul allowed God to take over and compensate for what he was lacking. He allowed God's supernatural power to be on display in his life because of his weakness. We know how successful Paul's ministry was on this earth. Don't you think if he had not had that "thorn" he might have been tempted to be just a little prideful, taking the praise and credit himself instead of giving God the glory for his incredible ministry?
Do you have any "thorns in your flesh?" I think maybe we all do. Yours may be a physical or mental ailment, or maybe a difficult relationship or situation in your life; something that you just can't seem to get away from. Whatever the case may be, let it provide you the opportunity to lean on God. Draw closer to Him and He will draw you closer to you. Don't hide your thorn from others. Don't try to put on a mask and say "everything is ok." Be vulnerable with others and let them see your weaknesses. When you are open like this, people will see that it is not you, but God working through you in your life, giving Him the glory!
I believe God is in control and knows exactly what He is doing when he allows certain "thorns" in the lives of His children. If any of this hits home with you, as it does with me, remember that "His grace is sufficient for you........when we are weak, He is strong!"
Love you all!
,Brandi
Sunday, November 23, 2008
God is God
I love the pastor of my church, Rob Campbell. He is a wise man, always working in stories and even jokes....(there were these 2 men sitting in a bar, etc., etc., etc.), into his messages. One of the wisest statements he makes quite often is this:
"The greatest stress reliever of all time is this: God is God and we are not!"
I love this because it takes so much of the burdens of life, off of our shoulders and puts them on God, where they belong. He wants us to lean on Him. We were not meant to navigate through this life on our own.
Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Consider what this verse means for you. Meditate on it and then do it!
Happy Thanksgiving!
"The greatest stress reliever of all time is this: God is God and we are not!"
I love this because it takes so much of the burdens of life, off of our shoulders and puts them on God, where they belong. He wants us to lean on Him. We were not meant to navigate through this life on our own.
Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Consider what this verse means for you. Meditate on it and then do it!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Pride
"Humble yourselves, therefore under God's mighty hand" 1 Peter 5:6
Pride is an ugly sin. It is something that has infiltrated my life in so many areas. For years I did not even realize it was a sin, much less the negative affects it was having on my relationship with God and with others. Pride is a root sin, leading to so many others, including anger and control issues. It is something that I must, almost daily, take measures against, to keep it out of my life. Though I have now recognized the impact of it, I will always pray to God to keep myself from falling back into the stronghold of pride. I don't know about you, but I would much rather humble myself, than have God do it for me!
Beth Moore has some amazing things to say about this sin. Here are some of her thoughts from her book, "Praying God's Word" that I must share with you:
Pride is Satan's specialty. It is the characteristic that most aptly describes him. Pride is the issue that had him expelled from heaven. It is still one of Satan's most successful tools in discouraging people from accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ. The most effective means the enemy has to keep believers from being full of the Spirit is to keep us full of ourselves. Pride is the opposite of humility. It can also mask itself as low self-esteem. Pride is self-absorption whether we're absorbed with how miserable we are or how wonderful we are. I believe we can safely say that if we're not deliberately taking measures to combat pride, it's probably doing something to combat humility.
I'd like to share a little added initiative to demolishing the stronghold of pride. These are some thoughts God gave me on the subject several years ago. May He use them to speak about the biggest injustice of pride: it cheats wherever it plays.
My name is Pride. I am a cheater,
I cheat you of your God-given destiny....because
you demand your own way.
I cheat you of contentment.....because you
"deserve better than this."
I cheat you of knowledge.....because you already
know it all.
I cheat you of healing.....because you're too full of
me to forgive.
I cheat you of holiness.....because you refuse to
admit when you're wrong.
I cheat you of vision...because you'd rather look
in the mirror than out a window.
I cheat you of genuine friendship...because
nobody's going to know the real you.
I cheat you of love...because real romance
demands sacrifice.
I cheat you of greatness in heaven...because you
refuse to wash another's feet on earth.
I cheat you of God's glory...because I convince
you to seek your own.
My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
You like me because you think I'm always looking
out for you. Untrue.
I'm looking to make a fool of you.
God has so much for you, I admit, but don't worry........
If you'll stick with me
You'll never know.
Pride is an ugly sin. It is something that has infiltrated my life in so many areas. For years I did not even realize it was a sin, much less the negative affects it was having on my relationship with God and with others. Pride is a root sin, leading to so many others, including anger and control issues. It is something that I must, almost daily, take measures against, to keep it out of my life. Though I have now recognized the impact of it, I will always pray to God to keep myself from falling back into the stronghold of pride. I don't know about you, but I would much rather humble myself, than have God do it for me!
Beth Moore has some amazing things to say about this sin. Here are some of her thoughts from her book, "Praying God's Word" that I must share with you:
Pride is Satan's specialty. It is the characteristic that most aptly describes him. Pride is the issue that had him expelled from heaven. It is still one of Satan's most successful tools in discouraging people from accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ. The most effective means the enemy has to keep believers from being full of the Spirit is to keep us full of ourselves. Pride is the opposite of humility. It can also mask itself as low self-esteem. Pride is self-absorption whether we're absorbed with how miserable we are or how wonderful we are. I believe we can safely say that if we're not deliberately taking measures to combat pride, it's probably doing something to combat humility.
I'd like to share a little added initiative to demolishing the stronghold of pride. These are some thoughts God gave me on the subject several years ago. May He use them to speak about the biggest injustice of pride: it cheats wherever it plays.
My name is Pride. I am a cheater,
I cheat you of your God-given destiny....because
you demand your own way.
I cheat you of contentment.....because you
"deserve better than this."
I cheat you of knowledge.....because you already
know it all.
I cheat you of healing.....because you're too full of
me to forgive.
I cheat you of holiness.....because you refuse to
admit when you're wrong.
I cheat you of vision...because you'd rather look
in the mirror than out a window.
I cheat you of genuine friendship...because
nobody's going to know the real you.
I cheat you of love...because real romance
demands sacrifice.
I cheat you of greatness in heaven...because you
refuse to wash another's feet on earth.
I cheat you of God's glory...because I convince
you to seek your own.
My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
You like me because you think I'm always looking
out for you. Untrue.
I'm looking to make a fool of you.
God has so much for you, I admit, but don't worry........
If you'll stick with me
You'll never know.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
God is Love
You will find me quoting Beth Moore quite often on my blog because she is my favorite Bible teacher! Here are some thoughts from her on how we can love difficult people that I find to be absolutely profound:
Proverbs 19:22 "What a man desires is unfailing love."
We have a need built into us to be loved. It's part of being human. The best thing we can do is let people off the hook for failing to be God to us. Only God can love like God because GOD IS LOVE! Love is not something God feels or something He does, it is something that He is. It is His essence, His very DNA. He can't not love us. He just can't help himself because it is who He is. There is nothing we can do to make God not be love. Therefore, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are completely secure in God's unfailing love for us. Very reassuring, isn't it?
1 John 4:19 "We love because He first loved us."
What this verse really translates into is, "I can love __________ because God first loved me." Just fill in the blank with anyone. The reason we can love others is because God first loved us. We can love those who give us back nothing because God has given us everything!
In our human nature, we want to love those who love us back. But, as Christians, we are not mere men. We actually have the very spirit of God living inside of us. We are freed up to love those who do not love us back because we've already been loved by God. The love of God is in us.
Romans 5:5 "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
The only reason we would be able to love those people who are so irritating, so frustrating, so unloving to us is because we have the love of God (the Holy Spirit) living inside of us. If we try to love others with our own natural hearts, it will fail. Our natural hearts are very self-serving and we will always protect ourselves from those people who do not love us. That is why we can only truly love, with God's love in us.
If someone hurts us and does something that would normally send us into an absolute tailspin, leaving us completely undone; we can actually walk away still whole because they cannot touch that love of God that has been poured into us by the Holy Spirit. God will guard our hearts! We are His! When someone hurts you, tell God all about it, empty that hurt out on God and watch how He will fill your heart right back up with His love!
God's love is Agape love. Agape is "others" centered. With it, we can love others, not how they want to be loved, but how they need to be loved; love them in a way that is in their best interest.
I hope you have been blessed by these truths from the word of God today!
Love,
Brandi
Proverbs 19:22 "What a man desires is unfailing love."
We have a need built into us to be loved. It's part of being human. The best thing we can do is let people off the hook for failing to be God to us. Only God can love like God because GOD IS LOVE! Love is not something God feels or something He does, it is something that He is. It is His essence, His very DNA. He can't not love us. He just can't help himself because it is who He is. There is nothing we can do to make God not be love. Therefore, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are completely secure in God's unfailing love for us. Very reassuring, isn't it?
1 John 4:19 "We love because He first loved us."
What this verse really translates into is, "I can love __________ because God first loved me." Just fill in the blank with anyone. The reason we can love others is because God first loved us. We can love those who give us back nothing because God has given us everything!
In our human nature, we want to love those who love us back. But, as Christians, we are not mere men. We actually have the very spirit of God living inside of us. We are freed up to love those who do not love us back because we've already been loved by God. The love of God is in us.
Romans 5:5 "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
The only reason we would be able to love those people who are so irritating, so frustrating, so unloving to us is because we have the love of God (the Holy Spirit) living inside of us. If we try to love others with our own natural hearts, it will fail. Our natural hearts are very self-serving and we will always protect ourselves from those people who do not love us. That is why we can only truly love, with God's love in us.
If someone hurts us and does something that would normally send us into an absolute tailspin, leaving us completely undone; we can actually walk away still whole because they cannot touch that love of God that has been poured into us by the Holy Spirit. God will guard our hearts! We are His! When someone hurts you, tell God all about it, empty that hurt out on God and watch how He will fill your heart right back up with His love!
God's love is Agape love. Agape is "others" centered. With it, we can love others, not how they want to be loved, but how they need to be loved; love them in a way that is in their best interest.
I hope you have been blessed by these truths from the word of God today!
Love,
Brandi
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
My strength comes from God!
There are some in my world who are currently facing unbelievably painful, difficult circumstances in their lives. Situations that I just cannot imagine dealing with.
There are times when life just comes at us and we wonder if we could possibly stand another blow. Well, I don't know why bad things happen to good people. That is a big mystery. But, what I do know is that God is in control. He is our strength, our stronghold in the somtimes turbulant waves of life. He will never, ever let us out of His hands. He will guard us and protect us, no matter what comes our way. There is absolutely nothing that can ever seperate us from His love! We belong to Him.
Psalm 121 in The Message explains this truth so beautifully:
"I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
He won't let you stumble, your Guardian God won't fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel's Guardian will never doze or sleep.
God's your Guardian, right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke.
God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, he guards you always."
There are times when life just comes at us and we wonder if we could possibly stand another blow. Well, I don't know why bad things happen to good people. That is a big mystery. But, what I do know is that God is in control. He is our strength, our stronghold in the somtimes turbulant waves of life. He will never, ever let us out of His hands. He will guard us and protect us, no matter what comes our way. There is absolutely nothing that can ever seperate us from His love! We belong to Him.
Psalm 121 in The Message explains this truth so beautifully:
"I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
He won't let you stumble, your Guardian God won't fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel's Guardian will never doze or sleep.
God's your Guardian, right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke.
God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, he guards you always."
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The view
This is a photo of the view from the top of "Prayer Mountain" here in Wimberley. A local church has a sign posted at the bottom, encouraging you to climb the stairs leading to the top, and spend time there, in worship and prayer. What a wonderful place, above all the goings-on below us, to put life in perspective. This has become one of my favorite spots in Wimberley. It is so peaceful, so beautiful.Last week when I was up there, I noticed two birds flying overhead, as I often do. As I watched them fly, so gracefully, I noticed their flight seemed so effortless. They were doing it with such ease, as if that was exactly the thing they were created to do. I was reminded that is how God wants us to live. He wants us to take that "leap of faith", jump off that cliff we are standing on and land on His wings, where He will carry us.
There is something He has created each of us to do. Ephesians 2:10 says, "We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." We have to trust Him enough to "jump" and then watch as He directs our flight. Isaiah 55:9 says, "For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." He knows what is best for us and He loves us. He promises if we "let go" of our lives, we will gain it but if we "hold on" to it, we will lose it. So, let me encourage you to take that risk, have faith that God will carry you, when you allow Him to take control. Trust that His ways are best for He is our wise, loving father and we are his children.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thank you God for our children!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do and He will direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6Our children are treasures, a precious gift from the Lord. He has placed them in our care. What an amazing responsibility!
Lord, I pray that you would give all of our children a hunger for you. Guard their hearts in Christ Jesus, as they grow up. Lord, I ask that you draw them closer and closer to you, everyday. Please give us the courage and strength, as parents, to guide them toward you and love them like you do!
Amen!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Welcome to my blog!
Isaiah 55:11
"It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to; and it will prosper everywhere I send it."
Friends:
Since I recently decided to "go public" with my passion for God in my life, I've chosen to share my thoughts on an on-going basis via this blog. What I want to share with the world is encouragement, wisdom, guidance, hope, truth, joy and love from the word of God. My hope is that we would all discover our true purpose in life, the reason we are here.
This encouragement might take the form of awesome scriptures, prayers, quotes from great authors, suggestions of great podcasts to subscribe to, books to read and of course, words straight from my heart. My goal is to lift you up, give you a little "boost" or just something to ponder as you walk your journey of life.
I plan to post something new to my blog at least once a week. Below is a quote from the book I'm currently reading entitled "True Faced" by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol and John Lynch. This was really my inspiration for this new ministry:
"God dreams that you would discover your destiny and walk into the reasons he placed you on this earth. God has a ticket of destiny with your name written on it - no matter how old, how broken, how tired, or how frightened you are. No matter how many times you may have failed, God clearly longs for the day when he gets to hand you that ticket, smile and whisper into your ear, "You have no idea how long I've waited to hand this to you. Have a blast! I've already seen what you get to do. It's better than you could have dreamed. Now hurry up and get on that train. A whole lot of folk are waiting for you to walk into your destiny and into their lives."
I hope you all enjoy your time with me. Please, visit me often!
Love in Christ,
Brandi
P.S.
"From my heart to God" :
As I was sitting in the Doctor's office yesterday, they were playing secular love songs. Artists pouring out their hearts about a person whom they loved and that person let them down, failed them. These songs just make me laugh! It just struck me as utterly amazing that people do not fall for you! You are the most perfect love we could ever have. What a silly waste of time it is to chase idols; to look for perfect satisfaction and fulfillment in people and things that can never fill us up. Lord, you created us with a deep, need for you, a need for a savior, an empty space in us that can ONLY be filled by you. Then, in your great love for us, you gave us the very savior that can fill us up and complete us. We crave life, love and affection. Jesus is the ONLY inexhaustable source of this. Why settle for anything less than perfection? Jesus is God's perfect gift to us and your word says that every good and perfect gift comes from you. Why seek our joy and fulfillment in your creation, when we can be plugged directly into the creator, Himself?!?
It just baffles me that people don't believe how wonderful you are. You never leave us or forsake us. You took our sin upon you and died so we could live. When we fail and sin now, you continue to pour out your forgiveness because of your neverending grace and mercy on us. 1 John 1:8-10 says "If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong." Ok, God, did you just say EVERY wrong? You mean you are faithful to forgive me EVERY single time I do something wrong? Even if it is like every other day? Wow!?! Talk about unconditional love!
Furthermore, you have the best plans for our lives, a blueprint for your purpose for us while we are on this earth. When we seek you and ask you for direction, you will speak to us, you will tell us what we should do. You will guide us on the right path. In seeking you in everything, you will reveal yourself to us, daily, moment by moment.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you," says the Lord."
When we face difficult, painful situations in this fallen world where we live, you are right there to love us and protect us, to guard our hearts. We belong to you. I am yours and you are mine! You are always with me, your very spirit lives inside of me. And the icing on the cake to all of this, the best part is that not only do I get to have you and experience your magnificent love while I am on this earth, but I also get the privilege of spending eternity with you, in Heaven. You never end...........ever!! I can't tell you how much I look forward to my sweet reward of eternity with you, my Father!
Can I even get my mind around all of this? Could all of this possibly be true? Well, yes it is! You have said it is in your love letter to me, your word, the Bible! The only source of truth, of power we have! It is the beautiful, unbelievable, perfect, loving everlasting gift you have given to us. I choose to have faith in your word!
Lord, I pray that all those who are denying you, those who have not accepted you as their savior and entered into a relationship with you, would have their eyes opened to your love. They just don't realize what they are missing out on. They are simply buying into Satan's offer of a cheap imitation of the King of Kings. Satan has one agenda, to steal, kill and destroy our lives and keep us from our loving Father. He offers people the indulgence in the temporal things of this world, things that will fade away. He does not want your children to find you. He lures us in, traps us to run his little errands, leaving us in pits and in bondage to our sin, before we even realize it. How do I know this? Because I have experienced it, firsthand. I was public sinner number one, living the life of "it's all about me" for years. Satan would tempt me over and over to sin and then condemn me for doing the very thing he talked me into doing. Sin is the thing that separates us from a relationship with you, Lord. But, we don't have to be in bondage to sin because Jesus, you already paid the price for our sin. You already died on the cross, took on my sin and the sins of everyone in the whole world. Your last words on the cross were "it is finished!" The devil knows if he can keep us in bondage to our sin, if he can keep us believing his lies, we will be slaves to our old way of life. We will trade an amazing, powerful adventure in Christ, for a "going through the motions" life of "just getting by". He wants to keep us from freedom in Christ. The freedom from our sin and the freedom to love God, serve God and love and serve others. The freedom to open other people's eyes to your amazing love and to bring glory to your precious name, the whole reason you put us on this earth! I will choose to no longer believe the lies of the devil so that I can be free. I pray that everyone I am in contact with will do the same and choose you, God!!
Lord, how can I be an agent of your love, your grace and your wholeness? It is not enough that I have been set free. I want everyone else in the world to have what I have with you. Lord, give me opportunities to display your love and forgiveness in my life. Life with Christ is not about legalism, us having to do things a certain way in order to get into Heaven when we die. It is not about pleasing God, It is about trusting God with my life. Putting my life in His hands and resting in His peace. After all, you created the whole universe and everything in it.........I mean, I think I can trust you, above anyone or anything else!
It is about accepting God's amazing, shocking, unbeleivable love for us. Believing that God is who He says He is and believing that we are who God says we are! We are so very valuable and precious to Him.
Lord, it is all about you and your power and what you did for me and are continuing to do for me!
You are it!
You are just it for me!!
You are power, breath and life!
You are awesome!!
You are my everything!
"It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to; and it will prosper everywhere I send it."
Friends:
Since I recently decided to "go public" with my passion for God in my life, I've chosen to share my thoughts on an on-going basis via this blog. What I want to share with the world is encouragement, wisdom, guidance, hope, truth, joy and love from the word of God. My hope is that we would all discover our true purpose in life, the reason we are here.
This encouragement might take the form of awesome scriptures, prayers, quotes from great authors, suggestions of great podcasts to subscribe to, books to read and of course, words straight from my heart. My goal is to lift you up, give you a little "boost" or just something to ponder as you walk your journey of life.
I plan to post something new to my blog at least once a week. Below is a quote from the book I'm currently reading entitled "True Faced" by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol and John Lynch. This was really my inspiration for this new ministry:
"God dreams that you would discover your destiny and walk into the reasons he placed you on this earth. God has a ticket of destiny with your name written on it - no matter how old, how broken, how tired, or how frightened you are. No matter how many times you may have failed, God clearly longs for the day when he gets to hand you that ticket, smile and whisper into your ear, "You have no idea how long I've waited to hand this to you. Have a blast! I've already seen what you get to do. It's better than you could have dreamed. Now hurry up and get on that train. A whole lot of folk are waiting for you to walk into your destiny and into their lives."
I hope you all enjoy your time with me. Please, visit me often!
Love in Christ,
Brandi
P.S.
"From my heart to God" :
As I was sitting in the Doctor's office yesterday, they were playing secular love songs. Artists pouring out their hearts about a person whom they loved and that person let them down, failed them. These songs just make me laugh! It just struck me as utterly amazing that people do not fall for you! You are the most perfect love we could ever have. What a silly waste of time it is to chase idols; to look for perfect satisfaction and fulfillment in people and things that can never fill us up. Lord, you created us with a deep, need for you, a need for a savior, an empty space in us that can ONLY be filled by you. Then, in your great love for us, you gave us the very savior that can fill us up and complete us. We crave life, love and affection. Jesus is the ONLY inexhaustable source of this. Why settle for anything less than perfection? Jesus is God's perfect gift to us and your word says that every good and perfect gift comes from you. Why seek our joy and fulfillment in your creation, when we can be plugged directly into the creator, Himself?!?
It just baffles me that people don't believe how wonderful you are. You never leave us or forsake us. You took our sin upon you and died so we could live. When we fail and sin now, you continue to pour out your forgiveness because of your neverending grace and mercy on us. 1 John 1:8-10 says "If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong." Ok, God, did you just say EVERY wrong? You mean you are faithful to forgive me EVERY single time I do something wrong? Even if it is like every other day? Wow!?! Talk about unconditional love!
Furthermore, you have the best plans for our lives, a blueprint for your purpose for us while we are on this earth. When we seek you and ask you for direction, you will speak to us, you will tell us what we should do. You will guide us on the right path. In seeking you in everything, you will reveal yourself to us, daily, moment by moment.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you," says the Lord."
When we face difficult, painful situations in this fallen world where we live, you are right there to love us and protect us, to guard our hearts. We belong to you. I am yours and you are mine! You are always with me, your very spirit lives inside of me. And the icing on the cake to all of this, the best part is that not only do I get to have you and experience your magnificent love while I am on this earth, but I also get the privilege of spending eternity with you, in Heaven. You never end...........ever!! I can't tell you how much I look forward to my sweet reward of eternity with you, my Father!
Can I even get my mind around all of this? Could all of this possibly be true? Well, yes it is! You have said it is in your love letter to me, your word, the Bible! The only source of truth, of power we have! It is the beautiful, unbelievable, perfect, loving everlasting gift you have given to us. I choose to have faith in your word!
Lord, I pray that all those who are denying you, those who have not accepted you as their savior and entered into a relationship with you, would have their eyes opened to your love. They just don't realize what they are missing out on. They are simply buying into Satan's offer of a cheap imitation of the King of Kings. Satan has one agenda, to steal, kill and destroy our lives and keep us from our loving Father. He offers people the indulgence in the temporal things of this world, things that will fade away. He does not want your children to find you. He lures us in, traps us to run his little errands, leaving us in pits and in bondage to our sin, before we even realize it. How do I know this? Because I have experienced it, firsthand. I was public sinner number one, living the life of "it's all about me" for years. Satan would tempt me over and over to sin and then condemn me for doing the very thing he talked me into doing. Sin is the thing that separates us from a relationship with you, Lord. But, we don't have to be in bondage to sin because Jesus, you already paid the price for our sin. You already died on the cross, took on my sin and the sins of everyone in the whole world. Your last words on the cross were "it is finished!" The devil knows if he can keep us in bondage to our sin, if he can keep us believing his lies, we will be slaves to our old way of life. We will trade an amazing, powerful adventure in Christ, for a "going through the motions" life of "just getting by". He wants to keep us from freedom in Christ. The freedom from our sin and the freedom to love God, serve God and love and serve others. The freedom to open other people's eyes to your amazing love and to bring glory to your precious name, the whole reason you put us on this earth! I will choose to no longer believe the lies of the devil so that I can be free. I pray that everyone I am in contact with will do the same and choose you, God!!
Lord, how can I be an agent of your love, your grace and your wholeness? It is not enough that I have been set free. I want everyone else in the world to have what I have with you. Lord, give me opportunities to display your love and forgiveness in my life. Life with Christ is not about legalism, us having to do things a certain way in order to get into Heaven when we die. It is not about pleasing God, It is about trusting God with my life. Putting my life in His hands and resting in His peace. After all, you created the whole universe and everything in it.........I mean, I think I can trust you, above anyone or anything else!
It is about accepting God's amazing, shocking, unbeleivable love for us. Believing that God is who He says He is and believing that we are who God says we are! We are so very valuable and precious to Him.
Lord, it is all about you and your power and what you did for me and are continuing to do for me!
You are it!
You are just it for me!!
You are power, breath and life!
You are awesome!!
You are my everything!
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