Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

No Longer Needed

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Uprooted Grass

Isaiah 43:18 – 19

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

 

Three more days of digging in my backyard! My back, legs and arms are all sore and I’m not done yet! The weeds are out, for now, and the roses are in place but, I have to battle the grass that I have removed and displaced.

When I decided to put the roses in the back yard not only did I have to remove the weeds, but I had to remove the grass that had been growing there for years. Unlike the weeds, the grass had been needed and wanted in that area of the backyard but now, its services are no longer needed. The grasses usefulness has run its course and it’s time for it to go.

The grass, unlike the weeds, was not a bad thing; it’s just no longer useful in the area where I planted my roses. Grass is useful in other places, just not with my roses.

This is how it is with our lives. There comes a time when things and people who were needed in our lives are no longer needed AND, sometimes, we are no longer needed in someone else’s life.

When God starts doing new things in our lives, He replaces the old stuff with new things and sometimes, He replaces old people with new people who can help us get where God is taking us or can help us mature so we can move forward to the next place God has for us. The old stuff can only keep us where we are, it cannot help us grow into the people God has for us to become.

Some people take an exception to the concept of letting go of things and people that/who are no longer useful fixtures in our lives. But, let me put it this way, if you have a friend who is still doing all the things you are trying to get away from or trying to leave behind as you press to be more like Christ, can you still hang out with them AND achieve your goal? If you have someone in your life who is happy and content with just enough to get by but you want God’s promise of abundance, can you still hold on to them AND receive your abundance?

To move out of the old and into the new takes work! To leave behind that which we have grown accustom to in order to become something more than we are today takes diligence, dedication and determination. Can we take the old with us as we change and progress in our lives and walk with Christ? The Bible states, “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.” Mark 2:21 – 22.

What do you say?

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Weeds or Roses

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Good as Gold
Matthew 13:24 – 28

‘“Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.  “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’  “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.”’
For the last few days I have been working in my backyard. This year I decided to plant roses in the back portion of my yard which meant I had to removed grass and weeds from the place where I wanted to roses to go.

I hate weeds and they are always around! I had to use a small pitchfork and hoe in order to loosen the weeds so I could pull them out by hand because I needed to remove the roots of the weeds. It has taken me two hours a day for three days, to area clear the grass and weeds and, I’m not done yet.

A big problem with converting an area this has been allowed to grow weeds unchecked is the roots of the weeds have a head start over my roses. The roots of the weeds are mature and well established while the roots of my roses are new and immature. If I allow the roots of the weeds to remain in place they will overtake my roses and choke them out.

We have weeds that have been planted in our hearts and minds. Our weeds have been planted by the words of others. Then, without our consent, the weeds in our hearts and minds talk to us when we true to do something new.  Our weeds say things like; “You’re not good enough.” “You will never make it, you just aren’t that smart.” You’re ugly/fat/too tall/too short, etc.” “You can’t do anything right.” “They will never accept you.”

On and on the weeds our enemies have planted in us lie to us. YES! They lie to us in an effort to choke out God’s purpose for our lives. In John 10:10 Jesus says, ‘“The thief comes ONLY to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”’ The enemies job was to kill our lives; destroy our dreams, chock out our hope and dash our desires for greater against the rocks of their lies. Our job is to plant and cultivate God’s word in our hearts and minds, which will uproot and destroy the weeds of the enemy.

It is time to take back our land that has been overrun by weeds. It’s time to uproot the lies we have been told down through the years and replace them with the truth of God. Then and only then, will we blossom, even in the wilderness.

Isaiah 35:1-2a

“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.  It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing…”
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Stop, Drop and Roll

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stop drop and roll

June 9, 2015

Matthew 6:31 – 32

”’So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? Or What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”’

Sometimes, just trying to do the right thing can be stressful! Have you ever been in a spiritual place in your life where your only goal was to please God and fulfill His purpose for your life? Doesn’t it seem like everything stands in your way or blocks your path to getting where you want to go? You just want God to stop the madness and just let you do what you want to do. It can be so frustrating!

Then, you see a clear path to get you where you want to go. You take the path only to realize it’s under construction- something has to be fixed or repaired in order for you to use the path to get where you want to go. Your credit score has to be fixed, your GPA has to be repaired or something else has to happen before you can take the path! Now, you’re irritated!

I’ve learned in times like these to Stop! Drop! And Roll! I stop what I’m doing, I drop to my knees and I roll my cares, concerns, irritations and frustrations onto Jesus.

I stop what I’m doing because obviously God wants me to do something else or, I’m working in my own strength and leaning on my own understanding and not allowing God, through the Holy Spirit, to direct my path (Proverbs 3:3 – 5).

I drop to my knees, maybe not physically but spiritually, because I need to humble myself under God so he can guide me and teach me His ways (Psalm 25:9).

I roll my cares; financial, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual cares onto Jesus because He cares about everything that concerns me (I Peter 5:6 – 7).

So, if you’re in a place where you need something fixed, repaired and reconstructed I suggest you stop stressing and stop what you’re doing, drop to your knees and pray,  and while you’re in prayer, roll the issues, circumstances or situations off your shoulders and onto Jesus’ shoulders. He carried the cross for us; surely He can care this too.

 

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Fighting to Become the Me I was Meant to Be

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Basic Training

II Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he or she is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”

Jesus’ disciple Peter was a trained to be a fisherman.  Historically speaking, he had been in fisherman training with his father since he was very young.  He would have learned all the tricks of the trade.

From Matthew to John and even in the letter to the churches, we also find that in addition to being trained in the art of fishing, Peter was capable of leading others to Christ; he was bold, loud, zealous, but, he was also fearful.  If the way got tough, Peter would turn his back on his friends, go into hiding or become a man-pleaser. Peter didn’t always exemplify Christ-like qualities.

Peter sometimes had a hard time fulfilling his Christ-life work of fishing for men, rather than fishing for fish (John 21).  He could be quick tempered and sometimey. In the Garden of Gethsemane Peter cut off a soldier’s ear when he came for Jesus, yet within a few hours, Peter was denying he knew Jesus. I’d call that sometimey!

In the Garden of Gethsemane, when things  didn’t go the way Peter thought they should, he went back to what he had been before Christ; a frightened man-pleaser. Rather than standing up for what he knew was right, he reverted to his old self in order to fit in and get along.  Sound familiar?

If we haven’t resolved to be what Christ has called us to be regardless of the cost, at one point or another in our lives, when it’s convenient and comfortable, we all go back to what we were before Christ. Some of us go back to gossiping about others because it makes us feel better about our own situations. Some of us go back to being afraid of what others will think if we do what the Holy Spirit urges us to do.  Some of us become men-pleasers because we want people to “like us”. Some of us we go back to the sin from which Christ delivered us.

Whatever we go back to, just know that God does not allow for folly, foolishness or sin in the name of our “previous training”. Once we come to Christ, we are new creatures.  We’ve joined a new army and our based training begins; Jesus is our Commander and Chief and the Holy Spirit is our Drill Sergeant.  We get a new training manual, which is the Word of God.  We must allow old things to pass away, so that the new training we are now undertaking can renew our minds.

Romans 12:2 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

 

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Living Above Mediocrity,

Anita Wamble

E-spirational – Divine Inspirations

Sharing God’s Word: Motivating God’s People

http://www.espirational1.com

Coming Out of Someone Else’s Normal, Into My Destiny – II

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failure success decision

 

Romans 8:29 – 30

“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified he also glorified.”

No one wants to get to the end of their live and consider themselves a failure. In fact, most people don’t want to fail at anything they endeavor to do. But, do we feel the same way about fulfilling our God-given purpose? Are we willing to fail at what God has predestined us to do in order to fit into someone else’s box? Are we willing to forego our calling so we can be liked? Are we willing to neglect our predestination in order to get along with others? Are we willing to fail God so others can feel good about us?

In every family everyone has a role. Some of us are the “go to” person. You know, the one everyone calls when things are falling apart. The one everyone expects to have all the answers and take care of everything even when it’s not their responsibility. Then you have the “baby” of the family. Not that they are a baby or the youngest in the family, they just act like a helpless, hapless baby. They expect to be taken care of by everyone else because that’s their role. And of course, you have the irresponsible one. We all have them in our families, they are the ones that no one can count on for anything, and usually, they are the lazy one that does nothing but expects a share of, or a free ride to, everything that goes on in the family.

But what if your family role was not the role God has appointed for you? Are you willing to give up the role your family expects you to play in order to fulfill your God given appointment?

Sometimes, we are called out of our current situation and into our destiny like David, but other times, we’ve got to walk into our destiny in spite of what others may think or say.  We’ve got to know that if God called us to our destiny, He’s made the way for us to fulfill our call and, our gifts will make room for us.

Are you struggling with knowing you’re more than others give you credit for?  Or, are you fighting within yourself to move past your fears and reach for the unknown because you know that God has ordained greater for you?

If you answered to either of these questions is “yes” then you have a bigger question to answer; Are you willing to be a failure in God’s plan for you, rather than being the success He’s already ordained you to be?

The biblical meaning of success is summed up in Acts 20:24 “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

Not succeeding at our God-given task means hundreds, possibility thousands or event millions of lives will not affected by the eternity plan that is in you.

To fail or to succeed, the decision is yours.

 

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Coming Out of Someone Else’s Normal, Into My Destiny – Part I

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Children of the King

I Samuel 16:1 – 13

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”’

 I Samuel 16:7

David was a shepherd boy and in the eyes of his father and his brothers that was all he was ever going to be.  When Samuel came looking for the next king of Israel, David wasn’t even called to come from the fields to be inspected by Samuel until all his brothers had been rejected by God Then, God instructed Samuel to ask for David.

People judge us by how they see us; our hair, complexion, our size, height, weight, how we carry ourselves and our clothes. We are also judged by our reputations, what people have heard about us before they’ve even met us.

We judge others, and sometimes we judge ourselves, by our outward appearance. We judge other people by their outward appearance because we can’t judge the heart.  We judge ourselves by our outward appearance because we don’t esteem ourselves.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 states God has placed eternity in the heart of men.  In other words, God has placed, in our spiritual DNA, a desire to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. God created in our innermost person a need to reach our potential.

There are times in our lives that people want to pigeonhole us, just like David’s father and brothers wanted to pigeonhole him. They want us to conform to what they think we should look like, think and act. But God doesn’t put people in boxes. God does not require that we all follow the same formula.

Look around you and you’ll see that God loves diversity! There are singers, music composers, administrative executives, engineers and day care providers. There are secretaries, computer programmers, doctors and teachers. The list of vocations goes on and on and, in ever vocation there are Europeans, White Americans, African Americans, Asians, Middle Easterners and other ethnic groups. Some are tall, some are short, some are thin, and some are full figured.

Whatever you are, you are the right one for the purpose God has given you! Are you sitting still and allowing your eternity to eat away at your spirit person because you don’t think you measure up? Only you can answer that question.

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Living Above Mediocrity,

 

Anita Wamble

E-spirational – Divine Inspirations

Sharing God’s Word: Motivating God’s People

www.espirational1.com

Prayer for Today

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faith possible not easy

May 26, 2015

Lord, I thank You for my history with You.  You have been with me from the beginning. You appointed everything in my life; my birth, all the circumstances surrounding my birth and every day of my life have been appointed and approved by You.

Father as I face hardships, difficulties and heartaches, help me to remember my life was set apart by Your appointment, Your will, and everything that You ordained for me shall come to pass.

Lord, help me not to view my hardships, trials or tribulations as permanent; thereby causing me to deal with problems as a permanent fixtures in my life.  Help me to view the difficulty with a Christ-like understanding and Godly wisdom, knowing that the problem is temporary and it is working for my good because I love You and have been called according Your purpose.

Lord for help me to see I do not have to worry about life or body because You have already prepared a plan to take care of my every need.  A plan to prosper me not to hurt me – You are my hope and my future.  I pray in Jesus name.  Amen.

Scripture references:

 Psalms 139:13 – 16                           II Corinthians 4:17

Zephaniah 3:17                               Proverbs 2:6

I Peter 2:9                                          Romans 8:28

Matthew 6:25 – 34                       Jeremiah 29:11

 

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Prayer for Today

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bookends

May 22, 2015

Father, everyday Your children have a spiritual choice to make; whether we’re going to operate with Your bookends of grace and mercy or, if we’re going to operate with Satan’s bookends of fear and doubt.

Your bookends hold together Your Word, Your promises, faith, love and hope in our lives. Satan’s bookends hold despair, depression, hopelessness, anger and anxiety for our lives. The choice of what bookends we want in our lives is ours, individually, to make.

Lord, help us as we make the wise choice to live under Your blessings and evict fear and doubt out of our hearts, minds and spirits by utilizing Your Word of truth just as Jesus did on the Mount of Temptation.

Father, help us as we accept everything that comes with living under Your blessings for our lives. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Scripture references:

Deuteronomy 11:26 – 28

Matthew 4:1 – 11

 

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You Are the Salt of the World!

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Salt shaker

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” Matthew 5:13 (NIV)

If we have accepted Christ as Savior, You and I are the salt of the world. We have the power to heal, cleanse, preserve, create thirst, keep things afloat – like the Dead Sea, enhance an experience, take away stains, repel unwanted pests and add flavor to every life, situation or circumstance we encounter.

Salt is small and seemingly insignificant but, it is very necessary if we want to change the outcome of the flavor of what we cook or the look of what we clean. The same is true with us.

We may not be a big named preacher or someone others deem significant but we can give a smile to a cashier at the store, a kind word to a homeless person on the street or a shoulder to cry on for someone who is grieving. We can make a small donation to a local charity that’s working to make our community better or volunteer a few hours a week to that same charity. These things may seem small but they can make a big difference.

Christians are the salt of the earth. Everywhere we go and everyone we come in contact with should be changed by their encounter with us. This can be a very dangerous thing if the Christian the world comes in contact with is bitter, resentful, envious, and hateful or has a bad attitude. Christians with personalities like this in like putting too much salt in your food; it ruins the food.

Every time we’re going to encounter someone we need to ask ourselves these questions:

  1. Is my attitude going to enhance or ruin this encounter?
  2. How can I help clean away their stains?
  3. How can I help them stay afloat?
  4. Am I going to do anything that will cause me to be an embarrassment to God?
  5. Has my reputation been rightfully trampled by men?

Keeping these questions in mind will help us enhance our encounter with others verses ruining their view of Christ. We are the salt of the world. We are here to enhance other people’s lives one small act at a time.