"Where Is Your Focus?"

 

"Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength;

they will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary;

they will walk and not faint"

~ Isaiah 40:31

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise that as we trust in You, our strength will be renewed. Please help me to keep my eyes fixed on You today and to be in constant communication with You. Encourage me in my failures, teach me humility in my victories, and give me wisdom to receive the blessings that You have in store for me today, as it is Your desire to bless Your children. Remove from my focus anything that is not from You, for You, or about You. In Jesus' name, Amen and thank You Lord. 

"Creating Space"

By Zoe

"The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful"

James 5:16

Three weeks ago, my friend Emilia shared with me that she and a group of people had been getting together at Bridge Church for morning prayer. She invited me to join her sometime that week. When I asked what time they meet in the morning, she responded, "4:30-7:00 a.m." Yes, 4:30 in the MORNING! I was like, "Are you crazy?!" Someone else in the conversation added jokingly, "God isn't even awake at that time!"

I have to confess that I am NOT a morning person so the thought of me waking up at 4:00 a.m. for anything other than an emergency, well, it was just not on my agenda. Did you catch that? "My" agenda. I didn't stop to think that it may be in "God's agenda" for me.

A few days later my family and I went to visit Bridge Church for the very first time. We went to their Sunday morning 10:00 a.m. service. Yes, 10:00 a.m. was more doable for me than 4:00 a.m.! The message that day was on creating space. It was titled, "Got Space? I have it. He wants it." We create space (spend time) for people and things we value. Who do you spend time with? What things, events, activities, and people do you "create space" for? I was challenged by these questions and they moved me to assess and evaluate "what" and "who" I am creating space for in my life.

Well I have come to learn that God has a good sense of humor. The moment we say "never", He says "now". On the same Sunday that I visited Bridge Church, before I went to bed that night, I found myself reflecting on this "creating space" concept and finally surrendering to God's agenda. I found myself saying the following words, "Ok Lord, You made me and You know I really am NOT a morning person. I am not even going to set up an alarm clock. If You wake me up before 4:00 a.m.tomorrow morning, I will go to Bridge for morning prayer". I then went on to bed. A few hours later, one of my dogs woke me up so I could let him out. Dragging myself out of bed (well not literally, but you know what I mean), I walked down the stairs and toward the patio door, half asleep. As I walked toward the patio door, I happened to glance at the clock. It was 3:43 a.m.! At that moment, I could do nothing but chuckle and, as I looked up to the sky, I said, "Ok Lord, I told you if you woke me up before 4:00 a.m. I would go. I'm going!" So I got dressed and off to Bridge I went! I'm telling you, God has a sense of humor.

 I can honestly tell you that in my 40 years of life, I have never been motivated to wake up at 4:00 a.m. for ANYTHING! But the moment I stepped foot into Bridge Church 3 weeks ago for morning prayer, little did I know that God was about to rock my world. I haven't stopped going to morning prayer since the first time I went. Throughout the last 3 weeks, God has brought me to a higher and deeper level of intimacy with Him that I had never experienced before.

We gather at Bridge Church every morning from 4:30-7:00 a.m.to be in God's presence and to pray for the nations, to pray for our country, to pray for the men and women who fight for our freedom, to pray for our city, to pray for our government, and to pray for each other. It has been an amazing experience. The time we spend there, the people, and the testimonies are encouraging, inspiring, and empowering. What an amazing group of faithful prayer warriors, sacrificing sleep in an effort to "create space" for God and to humbly bring before Him, in prayer and with thanksgiving, the needs of others. We have a desire in our hearts to "create space" for the One who is our refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1).

Prayer is simply having a conversation with God. And the power in prayer is not even on the prayer itself, but on the One we pray to. When we humbly come into His presence, He reveals Himself to us and we begin to see who He is. We begin to see Him for “Who” He is rather than for “what” He can do for us. He loves us and wants to have an intimate relationship with us. He is a gentleman, therefore, He doesn't force His way into our hearts. He waits until we invite Him in. Once we have taken that step, He meet us right where we are. We don't have to "fix" ourselves before we can come to Him. He IS the Fixer! In the midst of our storms and brokenness, He lifts us up, He carries us, and He RESTORES what has been broken. He takes what is broken and molds it into a beautiful masterpiece. He may bend us, but He wont break us because of His faithful love which endures forever.

 Three weeks ago I surrendered to God's agenda for me to join the 4:30 a.m. daily prayer group. I have been going every day since then. Through the faithful prayers of committed prayer warriors, I have witnessed “miracles, signs and wonders performed through the name of God's holy Servant Jesus” (Acts 4:30).

I invite anyone with a desire to experience God's presence and with a desire to have a higher level of intimacy with Him, to join us. We would love to see you, pray for you and your loved ones, and pray for any specific needs you may have at this time. I can confidently say, you will be blessed and you will never be the same. We were not created to walk life's journey alone. We were created for relationship; relationship with our Creator and relationship with each other...to LOVE and ENCOURAGE each other along the way.

Who and what do you "create space" for? I challenge you to create space for 4:30 a.m. prayer and see what happens!! God wants to bless you.



Heavenly Father, please give me wisdom and strength to create space for You by surrendering completely to Your agenda for me. Help me to trust You with all my heart and not rely on my own understanding; in all my ways to acknowledge You, and You will direct my paths. In Jesus' name, Amen and thank You Lord.

Is today gonna be a David or a Goliath kind of day?

           
By Martin

            Your morning starts like every other morning.  The alarm clock goes off, child jumps on the bed, the neighbor starts his lawnmower, or whatever wakes you up in the morning.  Once awake, you begin your morning routine and then it hits you…….today is {fill in the blank}.  Perhaps today is going to be the start of finals, first day on the job, your day in court, or another day at your dreaded dead-end job. 

            How are you looking at the day ahead?  Is it too big for you to handle?  Are you in fear of what is in store?  Today is just too much for any one person to handle; at least that is how you perceive it to be.  That was how the Israelites saw Goliath.  Even by today’s standards, Goliath was a giant.  He was strong, skilled in the art of war and killing, and very intimidating just to look at. 

That is how you are looking at your day.  You are afraid to face the inevitable.  The scenarios you are creating in your head is only makes it worse.  What if {blank} happens?  What if I {blank}?  What if ….?  These questions control your mind as you scare yourself into submission.  You are going to have to face today whether you want to or not.  In the same way, someone had to face Goliath.

            All of the men of the Israelite army were so terrified of what might happen that they wouldn’t even try.  But one man decided that he would make a stand.  David was not a soldier.  He wasn’t even a strong man.  David was the smallest brother in his family.  He had no training in the art of war.  But David had something that none of the other men had; belief that he would not have to face Goliath alone.

            God tells us time and time again, that when we accept and believe in Him, we will never again have to face our problems alone. 

• “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) 

• “The One who sent Me is with Me.  He has not left Me alone…..” (John 8:29)

• “An hour is coming, as has come, when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave Me alone.  Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.” (John 16:32)

            David knew that even though Goliath was a giant, he would not have to face him alone.  David was skilled at throwing stones with his sling; most likely from his experience as a Sheppard.  Even with this skill, he still relied on God to give him the strength to strike quickly and accurately. 

            God will give you the same strength to face whatever problem lies before you today.  Ask Him to be with you today.  Lay your burdens upon Him and He will carry you through the fire. Do not sit in fear of what could go wrong today.  Face your day head-on knowing God’s got your back.

"Be devoted to one another in love.
Honor one another above yourselves"

Romans 12:10

It was hard rolling out of bed this morning but off to Bridge Church we went this morning at 5:00 a.m. for morning prayer. Three kids (oh yea, they go too!) & Bible (my WEAPON of choice) at hand...Off to Bridge Church to pray for the nations, to pray for our nation, to pray for our city, to pray for our government, to pray for the church as a whole, and to pray for each other.

It's going to be a great day!!



"Broken and Restored: My Personal Testimony"

By Zoe

"I will praise You, because I have been
fearfully and wonderfully made"

(Psalm 139:14, NIV)

Have you ever felt depressed, lonely, overwhelmed, or wondered what the meaning of your life is? I became fully aware of the effects of sin in my life by age 35. I realized I had managed to violate all Ten Commandments. I felt as if I was sinking in a raging sea of depression and anger.

Events in my life that resulted in built-up anger and depression included divorce, abortion, miscarriages, addictions (which were my escapes), loss of home, bankruptcy, and relocating 5 different times with the railroad and the Army within a 6 year period. I felt overwhelmed by the guilt, shame, loss, and bitterness that were rooted from my sin and the emotional pain that accompanied it. But, while life’s disappointments can be endless, there is Good News. The Good News is that we are not supposed to carry our burdens on our own. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He paid the price of our sins, that we may be forgiven and freed from captivity. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we are offered forgiveness and the gift of salvation and eternal life. He created us to be in relationship with Him. We are called by our Heavenly Father to ask Jesus into our hearts and to trust Him with our lives. To trust Him with our live means to surrender all to Him, allowing Him to be in control of our lives.

I grew up going to the Catholic Church and going to Catholic schools. I learned a lot of religion, but not enough about having a personal relationship with my Creator. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom that I realized I needed to make some changes in my life. For the first time in my life I acknowledged that I was a sinner in need of a Savior. I felt so overwhelmed that there were times I would cry out to the Lord and ask Him to just take my life. I did not want to live anymore. I could not function. I felt paralyzed. I resorted to alcohol, cigarettes, and, occasionally, to marijuana as my escapes to numb the pain. Escapes numb our pain, they don't heal it. As a result, I lost myself completely and dug a deeper hole for myself. Anxiety filled my veins. I felt like the life was being sucked out of me. You see, our enemy, the Devil, is on a mission to destroy us. He is a liar and his strategy is to attack our minds by filling them with lies and making us question God’s goodness and faithfulness and pointing us toward independence from God, instead of dependence on Him. The devil “comes to steal and kill and destroy” us (John 10:10), making us feel defeated, unworthy, and abandoned by God.

God does not abandon His children. He pursues us and hears our cry. He promises to “never leave us or forsake us” (Deuteronomy 31:6-8). His Word tells us that “His grace is enough” (2 Corinthians 12:9), that He is “our refuge and strength” (Psalm 46:1), and not to fear because He “is with us wherever we go” (Joshua 1:9). When I couldn’t feel His presence in my life, it wasn’t because He had abandoned me. It was because I had abandoned Him. I was running from Him instead of to Him. But God does not give up on His children. He persisted to pursue me and be a constant presence in my life. When I reflect on all the times He tried to get my attention, I realize that I was just simply not paying attention or felt unworthy of His grace. I was too busy trying to do it all in my own strength rather than relying on His strength.

Well God got my full attention on Easter Sunday 2007. For the first time in my life I fully understood His sovereignty and my need for Him. It was the first time I understood that being a good person is not what saves us and gets us into heaven. Salvation, spending eternity with God instead of separated from Him, cannot be earned by good deeds and good conduct. It is a gift from God that we receive through our faith in Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).



On Sunday, April 8, 2007, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I was one of the many people who crossed the bridge that was set up on the altar that day, symbolizing the transition from our old ways (relying on self) toward a new life (relying on God). I followed with believer's baptism on June 24, 2007 at the age of 35.

God has transformed my heart and my life from the inside out. I have learned that I cannot change others, but I can make changes in me. I have experienced “God’s peace that surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). I am now able to thank God “in all things” (Romans 8:28), even during the trials, because nothing I go through in this life will ever compare to the sacrifice Jesus made for me on the cross.

God does not want us to get comfortable in our faith. He wants to stretch our faith and get us outside of our comfort zones in order to purify our hearts and refine our faith. He wants us to draw closer to Him and to trust in His plan for our lives. He wants us to trust that He is in control, in His provision, that He goes before us in all we do, and that He will strengthen our faith and our character along the way. I have learned that I need to trust God and “not to rely in my own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5-6); that I do not need to understand the “why” of everything. God's Word is alive and does not come back void.

In order to know who we are and our purpose, we need to get to know our Creator. God is love and in the business of healing, restoring, and transforming lives. I am now able to love and forgive in the way He has loved and forgiven me, unconditionally. God has blessed me with a godly and loving husband and two healthy and beautiful children. And, one by one, He has restored broken relationships in my life. He is at work in my life in ways I never imagined possible. He is at work even now, as I write this testimony, reaching out to someone who might be able to identify with my experience. God wants you to come to Him as you are. All you have to do is ask Him into your heart and take Him at His Word. He tells us to, “take My yoke upon you...and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). I have witnessed God’s unconditional love and transforming power in my life. I believe that Jesus is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14: 6).

I am no longer a prisoner of my sin, living under guilt and shame. “My chains are gone, I've been set free. My God, My Savior has ransomed me. And like a flood, His mercy reigns. Unending love, Amazing Grace” (Amazing Grace). “I am a new creation in Christ. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence” (2 Corinthians 5: 16-18). There is freedom in Christ. And, friend, that is Good News!

POWER VERSES

Philippians 4:13 ~ “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

James 1: 2-3, NIV ~ "Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

2 Corinthians 12: 9-10, NIV ~ “My power is perfect in your weakness… That is why, in Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 1: 3-4, NIV ~ “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God.”


Dear Lord, thank you for Your gift of salvation, a gift that cannot be earned. I am saved by Your grace alone, through faith in Your Son Jesus, who paid the debt for all sinners (for my sin) on the cross. Please keep me mindful of Jesus' ultimate expression of love on the cross and that my past does not define who I am or my future. Please give me the wisdom, courage, and confidence to trust You and to walk in victory, knowing that my identity is in Christ alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen and thank You Lord.

"Treating Others How You Wish To Be Treated"

By Zoe

"Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12, NIV)


What would it look like if the people in your life were to treat you in the same way you treat them? Whether it is a family member, a close friend, or a perfect stranger, how would they treat you based on how you treat them? What do your actions and words toward others reflect about the condition of your heart?

I recently witnessed a middle-aged man, accompanied by his wife, verbally humiliate a hostess at a restaurant in front of dozens of people simply because he was tired of waiting for a table. I initially thought to myself, “Then leave…hello?!” Then I wondered how this man would have felt if someone would have humiliated him in the same way he humiliated that young lady who was clearly doing the best she could to accommodate him.

Following this incident, I felt compelled to write something that would encourage and challenge others, myself included, to be self-aware of how we treat others based on our emotions. I invite you to join me in this journey of self-evaluation and increased awareness of how we treat and respond to the unloving ways of others. I mean, think about it, nobody makes us act this way or that way. It is a choice that we make depending on the condition of our hearts. And the condition of our hearts will depend on our present (or absent) relationship with God.

We automatically love those who love us in return. It is easy to love those people, but what about those who reject us or mistreat us? What about the ones we have poured our love into and suddenly they give us the cold shoulder or they betray us in some way or another? What will we choose to do then? As I thought about it, I reflected on this simple message from Luke 6:31, "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”

In Proverbs 18:21, Solomon tells us that, "the tongue has the power of life and death.” The same way words of encouragement can build us up (bringing life to our self-worth), harsh words can tear us down (bringing death to our self-worth). When we are having a bad day, we must identify the root of the problem the moment we recognize we are feeling grumpy, irritable, or frustrated. By identifying the root of the problem, we can refrain from attacking others with a negative attitude and/or hurtful actions and words.

When others fail us, we can make the choice to be better instead of bitter. Now don’t misunderstand me. We are entitled to "feel" our emotions- anger, hurt, or disappointment. We should allow ourselves to feel those emotions. But we are not entitled to "act" on them- treating others based on our emotions alone. When we react out of emotion instead choosing to respond in love, we can cause serious damage to our relationships with others. Love is not just a feeling, but a choice we make; we can make the choice to love others no matter their offense.

God calls us to live in a way that reflects the way He loves us. We must first understand God’s selfless and unconditional love for us if we genuinely desire to love others that way. For those of us who have a desire to be more like Him, we must get into His Word daily. As my 6-year-old daughter says, we need to "exercise our hearts for God" daily. As we get into God's Word and exercise our hearts, we will gain wisdom on how to respond to the unloving ways of others in a Christ-like manner. As we learn how to respond in love and prayer to those who mistreat us, we will experience true joy and peace in your hearts. And I don’t know about you, but I believe that most of us want to experience peace and joy in our hearts and in our lives, along with being loved and feeling appreciated.

I don’t pretend to be the holiest or most spiritual person. I am an ordinary and imperfect person who struggles with every day challenges and who falls short of the glory of God. But I am an ordinary person with an extraordinary God and a genuine desire to love and forgive others in the same way that God has loved and forgiven me.

When we bring ourselves to the foot of the cross, acknowledge that we are imperfect human beings, and acknowledge that we cannot do this life on our own, then we will experience true freedom. When we ask God for forgiveness and ask Him into our hearts, He hears our cry. He will grab on to our hearts and will transform them from the inside out. We won’t even recognize our old selves because the things that used to make us bitter now make us better. We begin to see changes in our attitude and in the way we live our lives. We become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). The way we now respond to the unloving ways of others reflects love, mercy, and compassion toward them. Not utter bitterness and a strong desire for them to suffer in the same way we have suffered as a result of their unloving ways.

While we cannot change the unkind and unjust ways of others, we can make changes in us and still experience the joy and peace that come from doing God’s will. Matthew 5:45-47 (The Message) challenges us to demonstrate love toward our adversaries, “Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that”.

John C. Maxwell, author of “Think On These Things”, explains how, “people are known not by how they act when they’re in control, but by how they react when things are beyond their control.” It is at that moment, when things are beyond our control, that we can make the conscious decision to allow our Christ-like character to shine. May we have enough wisdom and humility to choose to love regardless of what we receive in return.









Dear Lord, when things are beyond my control and others don’t treat me right, please help me to choose “to be better” not “bitter”. Please give me the wisdom and strength to love the unlovable. Please help me to love and to forgive them in the same way You have loved and forgiven me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

"Seeking God's Wisdom and Direction"

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6)


It has been some time since I have written. I needed to take a break from my computer (email, facebook, blog, internet) and other things that were causing a distraction and getting in the way of my personal time with God and my family. I guess you could say I was fasting from the internet and seeking God's wisdom and direction.

About a year ago, God put it in my heart to start this blog to reach out and provide encouragement to others. I was excited to start the blog but I also wanted to do it right. I did not want to submit an entry just to write something. My goal and my hope are to be transparent and touch people's hearts in a way that is meaningful and encouraging to them and honoring to God.

As the Fall of 2009 approached, I was beginning to feel extremely tired and fatigued, making it difficult to concentrate on my writing. The tiredness and fatigue were due to a combination of physical and emotional factors, but I later found out that the most significant factor of all was my thyroid not working the way it needed to work. I was diagnosed with hypothyroid and began treatment almost immediately. So it was at that time that I made the choice to get off the treadmill of life and slow down so I could really focus on God's direction for my life and to better understand how He wants to use me through this blog, as well as in other areas of ministry. This blog is all about Him and for Him, not about me. I am simply a vessel He is using to share with others His unconditional love, grace and mercy.

During the last few months, God has been growing me. He has been opening my heart and my mind to His Word and challenging me to trust Him with my all on a daily basis. An easy task? Absolutely not. I have failed many times at this task of "complete submission" to my Lord and Savior, but He is always faithful to give me the strength to get back on track and "run with perseverance the race marked out for me" (Hebrews 12:1). He knows what I need before I know what I need. So I make a conscious effort to hold on to His strength and I take Him at His Word. I go before Him just as I am, trusting that "He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion" (Philippians 1:6).

I have learned "to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). And one of the most encouraging truths of the Bible is that of 2 Corinthians 12:9, that God's power "is made perfect in our weaknesses". I don't know about you, but I find hope and comfort in knowing that in my moments of weakness I can count on the strength of a Living God to hold me up. And God is faithful to His Word and His promise for deliverance. It is because of His goodness and faithfulness that I am passionate to share with others just how great and awesome He is.

It is like when someone does something really special for you just because they love you or someone who goes above and beyond their call of duty to help you or, better yet, save your life! Wouldn't you want to honor that person in some way?

As I embark on this journey to write for the glory of God, it is my desire to draw people closer to God. It is my prayer that those who read my writings will be blessed, encouraged, and empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit in me. I write about my own personal experiences, with every word being inspired by God's faithful deliverance and power through those experiences. And to the enemy and those looking to discourage me (you know who you are), as I expect you will be attacking, I am wearing the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17), so bring it! God's got me covered!



Dear Lord, thank you for the courage and inspiration to work on this blog. Please keep me humble and mindful to acknowlege you in all my ways. Please bless the people who read this blog. I pray for seeds of the Spirit to be planted in people's hearts and for You to do the increase. In Jesus' Name, Amen.