Rest in Him

Is fear the core of your life? Is fear hampering your life? Is fear and anxiety eating away at you and driving you to think and do things that you normally would never do?

The root of fear is unbelief. Unbelief in what? Unbelief that there is a God. A God that is sovereign and in control. A God that loves you despite all your failings. A God who wants you to turn to Him during your times of fear. To rest in Him.  To rely in Him instead of yourself.  In Matthew 8:25-26, a fierce storm has struck a lake that the disciples and Jesus are sailing across. Jesus is asleep. The disciples are frightened. Fearful that they will drown. The disciples’ plea with Jesus to save them from the storm. Jesus awakes and tells them “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith?” Jesus immediately rebukes the wind and the waves, and all is calm. All is at peace.

If you allow it, fear will crush your heart, soul and mind. It will rule and consume your life and you will never experience an inner peace, nor a quietness, unless you believe and rest in the Lord.

The enemy is good at driving fear through the media, government, people, a virus. Don’t let fear conquer you. Don’t let fear consume you. Don’t let fear have the victory. Put your fear into the Lord’s hands and let Him fill you with peace. Let Him calm the storm that is raging through you. Trust in Jesus. Trust that all that He did on the cross was for you, for everyone. Get to know Him and you will experience and inner peace that will flood your heart and soul.

Rest in Him.

O Mighty God,

We lift the world up into your hands. A world that is suffering from a pandemic. A pandemic that is crushing and smothering lives with fear, that is causing our loved ones and friends to die. Many people our suffering from this pandemic and we ask that you quell the fear that is taken hold of people’s lives, to bring comfort, to bring relief and to instill an supernatural inner peace to us all. We pray that you will provide for peoples needs, heal those who are struck down with this virus and help give strength, energy and peace to those who are combating it and trying to save people’s lives. Help us to endure this passing storm and help us to never lose hope in You.

Amen.

Love and Blessings,
Carol

Fear Not

Imagine it raining. And then imagine it starts to rain a lot and then it begins to rain so much that fields, roads, lakes, rivers, streams, ponds all begin to flood. The powerful waters begin to rise higher and higher. Mass hysteria begins to plague people as the churning waters rise. People begin to claw at the ark with their hands and pound their fists into the ark. Panic permeates throughout the air. There is pushing, shoving, screaming and wailing as the waters begin to rise higher and higher. The people were corrupt. They chose to believe in themselves and the things of this world and not in God. They refused to repent. So, the door was shut. The people could have placed their hope in God but decided to place their hope in themselves and in the world God created. They had no hope. They had no peace. Only hopelessness and fear clinched their hearts.

And now a pandemic has unleashed across this world. Lives are being lost. Our way of life is being torn apart. Panic, fear, hysteria has gripped people’s hearts. But you can find peace amongst this turmoil, if you just turned to God. A peace this world can never give you. A satisfaction that will fill your heart and soul. He promises to help you, to deliver you, to strengthen you, to uphold you, to be with you wherever you go, to give you peace, if you only look to Him. Turn to Him today. This minute. This second. Before the door is shut.

Isaiah 41:13
For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Psalm 34:4
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do, I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

O Mighty God,
You are All Powerful, You are Sovereign and You are in Control. We praise You for being Our Great Helper, Our Great Redeemer, Our Great Strength, Our Great Comforter during these times of trouble, turmoil, uncertainty, and unrest. You are bigger and greater than any virus. Help us to feed on Your Truth, Your Word and not the fear the media unleashes. Please bring comfort to those who are in fear. Enshroud them with peace and serenity. Please heal those who are sick and suffering from this virus and please bring peace and comfort to their loved ones. And please may this be a time that Your light shines through the darkness and that the people who are in fear or who are suffering from this illness may seek you for truth, for protection, for guidance, for comfort and for hope.
Amen.
Pray you all have a blessed day!
Carol

Transforming Hearts and Transforming Lives

Transforming Hearts and Transforming Lives

stock from http://www.freeimages.com/

In Max Lucado’s book Just Like Jesus, he states that “All of us learned early that the hand is suited for more than survival – it’s a tool of emotional expression. The same hand can help or hurt, extend or clench, lift someone up or shove someone down.” Max Lucado goes on to say, “But manage them and our hands become instruments of grace – not just tools in the hand of God, but God’s very hands."

How often have we, as Christians, used our hands to judge, ostracize, condemn, or inflict hurt or pain. We inflict pain not only with a harmful touch but also by choosing not to provide a hug in times of sorrow or to not provide care when in pain. We can inflict pain to the heart by purposely not saying I love you, not shaking someone’s hand to greet them, by typing out words of hate or condemnation on the internet. Our hands can and do touch people’s lives.

According to Dictionary.com, the word touch means a state or fact of being touched; a coming into or being in contact; a mental or moral perception, sensitivity, or understanding. In today’s society, we have made “touch” a dirty word. How often we hear the phrase, "Touch me and I will sue you." When did we get so cynical, self-absorbed and wicked? We let one bad incident shape and mold our beliefs and our way of thinking. One good example of this is the recent bad media on our nation's police officers. Not all police officers are bad. There are many police officers out there that are kind, compassionate, extend a helping hand and touch lives. Yet we Americans have used our hands to point and condemn all police officers.

We choose to treat each other as though we all have leprosy. Jesus did not treat people as if they had leprosy. Instead, he saw each human being as a precious gift of life. He reached out and touched people not only physically but emotionally as well. He not only healed people but he touched their souls and their hearts. Jesus transformed lives. When you see someone sad, sitting all alone, do you step up and reach out to them or do you continue to walk on by and ignore that they even exist? Would Jesus walk on by? What if Jesus chose to ignore the call of saving us all from our sins? What if he never reached out and touched the blind men and healed them as he did in Matthew 20:34. Or what if in Matthew 8:3 Jesus never reached out his hand and touched the man who had leprosy and healed him.

In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus teaches us a very good lesson about touching one’s life in the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this parable there was a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho that was attacked by robbers stripped, beaten and left for dead. A priest saw the man and moved to the opposite side of the path and walked on by. The priest did not extend any kind of a help to the fallen man. Likewise, a Levite saw him and moved to the opposite side of the path and walked on by. The Levite did not extend any kind of a help to the fallen man. However, a Samaritan who happened to see the fallen man extended a helping hand. He had compassion for him, and he cared for his wounds. The Samaritan then set him upon his animal and took him to the inn and paid the innkeeper to take care of him. This Samaritan touched and saved this man’s life. The Samarian provided him comfort and kindness. Whereas, the priest and Levite did not extend any comfort or kindness. Why? Maybe the priest and Levite thought the robbers were still about, so they were afraid. Or maybe they were just set in their way of thinking and beliefs. Maybe they thought he was already dead and did not want to become unclean by touching his body. Or perhaps they thought this man did not deserve a kind and caring touch but deserved death. The Samaritan showed that despite who you are or where you come from that we all deserve a kind and helping hand. We all deserve to be treated equally no matter what lifestyle, race or religion we hail from. If we are to set a good example, just as Jesus did, we need to be God's hand tools not our own. As we sojourn in this world, we need to let God teach and guide us on how we can touch and transform people's lives. We need to heed His calling and not our own. 

What can you do in your everyday life to reach out and touch someone’s life? First of all, pray. Ask for God's leading and guidance. He has a special someone in mind for you to connect with. Someone that is within your everyday boundary that you venture out in. It might be someone who needs to hear and see that someone cares for them and loves them. Or maybe it is someone who needs to hear about Jesus and how he won the victory over sin at Calvary. If you are unable to venture outside your home, what can you do online or within your own household to reach out and touch someone? I am presently confined in my home due to a foot injury but that does not keep me from reaching out and touching people’s lives online. Such as, telling someone that you will pray for them or share a quote or story that has touched and transformed your life. We can touch hearts and transform lives if we keep our focus on Jesus and walk in his example and not in the ways of this world.

Heavenly Father,

We just thank you that you gave us hands to touch peoples’ lives to heal, to care, to provide, to teach, to protect, to help one another. We ask that you show us your will and guide and direct us in how we can help others to come to know You. Help us to touch and transform hearts and lives and be an example to others by extending a helping hand, showing kindness and love toward one another. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

May you have a blessed week.

Carol 

Fear Not the Battle

Fear Not

stock by ArwenArts

A Christian thought to ponder …

As we are all glued to the television watching the latest horrific events in Orlando, Florida, my heart goes out to all the victims’ families and friends of this senseless violent crime. I cannot help but ponder about this tragedy and all the other tragedies that we encounter in our lives. There will be those who blame God and will become bitter and angry and there will be those who will draw close to God and will lean on Him. 

Everyone goes through trials whether it is losing a loved one, divorce, an addiction battle, bullying, anxiety, cancer, losing a limb or mental illness there are all sorts of battles we encounter each and every day and throughout our lives. It is how we handle those battles that will determine how close of a relationship we have with God.

If you are trying to fight the battle alone, you will never succeed. You need God to lead the march and face the enemy and the trial head-on. You need to place your trust completely in him and fear not. God told Abram in Genesis 15:1 “fear not, Abram, I am your shield, your reward shall be great.” He strengthens us and provides us protection God told Israel in Isaiah 41:1 that he will strengthen, help, and uphold them. God is our fortress and protection. And whatever battles we might encounter in our lives, those battles are a time when we need to draw close to him, to lean on him, to depend on him, to seek him when the odds seem so much against us.

Debra was used by God to help lead the Israelites to victory because she had faith in the Lord where others did not. If it weren’t for God, Israel would have never been freed from the bondage of Egypt, would have never made it through the wilderness, would have never been victorious over the Canaanites. We too can be victorious if we place our hope, faith and trust in Him. Fear not, He will fight for us. He is on our side and will never leave or forsake us. And if you allow Him too, He will heal your heart and transform you.

Heavenly Father,

We just pray for comfort and healing for all of those who are suffering from this terrible tragedy. And we ask that this may be a time that Your light shines through the darkness and that the people suffering may seek you for truth, for protection, for guidance, for comfort and for hope.

Amen.

Pray you all have a blessed week!

Carol

Staying Focused on God

photo sxc.hu

A Christian thought to ponder ...

There are times when I will worry about whether I said something wrong to someone or if I offended someone to the point where I will be stressed out about it all week. Sometimes, I focus so much on what people think about me and what I do or say that I take my focus off of the most important one – God. I have let the enemy distract me by focusing on myself, my insecurities, and my doubts. I have ignored the fact that I need to surrender all that stress and worry into God's hands. I need to let Him be in control. When I am so focused on myself, I set my faith and trust aside so, when I step into the water, I am not walking with Him, but I am sinking into the depths of the murky water, just as Peter did in Matthew 14: 25 – 31.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14: 25 – 31.

So, why do we doubt God? Why do we tend to focus on ourselves and not God? Why do we let all those minute events that take place daily in our lives take precedence over God?

It is because of our sinful nature that we focus on ourselves. Satan wants us to be distracted. He wants us to be at odds with one another, and Satan wants us to doubt. Satan wants us to have fear; and to question, judge, and condemn one another. Satan wants us to do everything that is the opposite of what God wants us to do. Satan wants to thwart God’s plans for humanity. The enemy wants us to focus on anything but God. He doesn’t want us to love each other, help each other, or forgive each other. The enemy wants hatred, bitterness, anger, doubts, and fear to harbor in our hearts instead of faith, trust, and love. If we were to just lay all those trivial daily events in our lives into our Lord’s hands, let him handle and take care of everything, and leap out into the waters with blinding love, faith, and trust, we CAN walk on the waters with Him through the storm.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for loving us. Thank you for reaching out to us despite our waves of doubts and fears. As we go about our daily lives, help us to stay focused on You. Help us to surrender all our troubles and worries to You and rest it all in Your hands. Help us to grow closer to You and develop a stronger relationship with You. Help us to be loving, kind, and forgiving towards one another. May Your love shine through each and every one of us each and every day.

I ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

God Bless,

Carol

God's Precious Gift

While looking around at all the hustle and bustle this Christmas, I ponder about how much I hate what Christmas has become. I hate being out amongst all of this worldly, mad-dashing chaos. Why do I hate it so much? I find no comfort in it. However, I do find comfort in God’s Word, and I find comfort and hope in the true meaning behind Christmas. At a young age we get it driven into our heads to believe that Christmas is about flamboyant light shows, or it is about the man dressed up in the red suit, or it is about the number of presents we receive on December 25th. When in actuality, the true meaning of Christmas is about a miraculous birth that occurred over 2000 years ago as recorded in the book of Luke.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2: 10-11

On a starlit night, a brilliant star shone brightly within the night sky, leading people to a magnanimous, humble birth, to a babe who was wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. That baby's name was Jesus. The messiah. A representation of the one Most High. A baby who would become our Savior and would save us from our sins. He would save the lost.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Luke 19:10

God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to save wretches like you and me. He came to save all people. People who have fallen into despair, people who have abused drugs, people who have committed adultery, people who have stolen, people who have lied, people who have been unkind to others, greedy people, and the list goes on and on. All people, regardless of what sins they have committed, have the gift of salavation available to them. Jesus came into this world to save us all, because He loves us all.

 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

Of all the gifts that I have received in my life-time, there is no other gift in the world as amazing as the gift of salvation. I treasure this gift the most.  It is because our Father in heaven loved us so much that he gave us this precious gift.

This Christmas, my prayer is that those who do not know God that they may come to know Him and be born again. I pray for the lost that they may seek Jesus and accept Him as their Savior. I pray that those who do not know the true meaning of Christmas may learn about it's true meaning; about a babe born over 2000 years ago. Jesus, the Son of the Most High. Emmanuel.

Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for Your precious gift that you gave to us all - the gift of salvation. Thank you for your unfailing never-ending love, mercy, and grace. By Your will alone Lord, I ask that you help those who are lost to seek you this Christmas; to help those who are sitting in the darkness, alone, empty, and never satisfied to seek You and to be filled with Your love and hope this Christmas.
This I ask in Jesus Name.
Amen.

God Bless,

Carol Moore

Wiping Dirty Corrupted Records Clean

A Christian thought to ponder…

What if Christians just viewed each other’s past records as wiped clean, embraced and loved one another the way Jesus’ did?

Acts 3:19  “Repent, therefore, and reform your lives, so that the record of your sins may be cancelled, and that there may come seasons of revival from the Lord…”

Each of us has a record of our own life. A record that God knew even before He created us. Some of us have clean records, some not so clean, and some of us have dirty, corrupted records. Where does your record lay? Mine lays in the middle between not so clean and dirty. I am not perfect. Moreover, I am not worthy or deserving of any kind of forgiveness because I have lied, stolen, envied, worshipped idols, followed other religions, broken hearts, ruined lives, and so on. I have failed God in many ways ever since I knew right from wrong, and I feel like I continue to fail Him. I have strayed from God, I have ran away from God, and I have disappointed God. Before I even dropped to my knees, God knew I needed a reboot, and my system wiped cleaned.

Because of those dirty, corrupted records, I often think about how or why  God would ever want me to serve Him; I feel so unworthy, but I know that God loves me, and He has forgiven me of all my sins. So, how can one get past that feeling of unworthiness and not let the enemy cloud our hearts and minds with fears, doubts, sadness, regret, and bitterness? 

• Keep focusing on God.
• Dive into the Word everyday.
• Pray to God daily. 

The people in this world may hate and despise you, but if you demonstrate to all of them Christlike qualities - love, kindness, and forgiveness you might lead others to Christ, or you might lead others closer to Christ. It states in Ephesians 4:32 that we are to “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”  It is difficult when you don’t see those same Christ-like qualities (and I am so guilty of this as well) within the Christian community; Instead, you are more apt to get cold, deathly stares or an icy, cold shoulder from other Christians that are quick to condemn you or ostracize you because of those past records. And we, who are the fallen and broken, let those past records and those people who have condemn us hinder us from helping God complete His work. Instead we begin to focus on ourselves and on how people dislike us, hate us, or how much of a disappointment we are to God and others. We let the enemy take all the joy out of everything, not realizing that those marred, black-stained, corrupted records have been wiped clean. We have a clean new record; We have been born again!! Hallelujah!!! 

Start today by focusing on God and His plans and not on the plans of the enemy. The enemy wants to prevent people from drawing closer to God; We cannot erase those dirty, corrupted records on our own. Only Jesus can erase those records that mar our lives. Jesus died on the cross to save us from those darkly blotted records. Seek Jesus, repent, and ask Him to forgive you of all those black corrupted marks upon your records. Focus on God’s plan to reach the lost and reach out in brotherly and sisterly love towards everyone.

Dear Lord,

I love you so much. Thank you for always being there for me, standing by my side, and being my Rock. Thank you for dying on the cross for all our sins and for providing us with clean new records. Thank you so much for your love, grace, and mercy and accepting us as your children despite those dirty, corrupted records. Amen.

May you have a blessed week!

Carol