Lessons 'n Blessings

Traveling New Paths -> It’s Counter Intuitive

So we’re approaching the end of February 2018 and the “brand newness” of the “new thing” that God is doing in our lives may feel like it’s wearing off. It’s sort of like when the “new car scent” starts fading out after owning a new car for a few months. In actuality the car is still relatively new, however because of the current usage and similarities with other cars that person has owned, it no longer “feels” new. Or you may be in a totally new situation or circumstance that you have never been in before and the novelty is gone. If you are feeling like the “new thing” is a new version of the same ol’ same ol’ then I have great news for you: It’s supposed to feel that way!

Traveling new paths with the Lord is counter intuitive. This is because you are not operating in what is familiar to you. The main point to focus on is this: If God said it’s new…. It is new. End of story. Do not process the things that you are experiencing in the new place according to the old or familiar places you have been in life. This is key for prospering in the new place that God has made available for you. Yes you may detect the enemy Continue reading “Traveling New Paths -> It’s Counter Intuitive”

Start New

So we have made it through the 1^st month in the year 2018, some of us feel like it truly is a year of newness, while others are dealing with the “same ole’ same ole” from previous years of our lives. Regardless of how we feel about it, process it, or form opinions about it: It IS a new year. New opportunities, new breakthroughs, new ways to praise and worship, and new ways to grow closer to God is already in progress!

For some of us a lot of things will be new this year, for others it will look typical but that does not change the fact that new times and seasons Continue reading “Start New”

The Gift that Keeps on Giving!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you! This season hopefully is filled with joy and blessing for you, however if things are difficult or unpleasant for you I pray that this serves as a word of encouragement to you. During this season we make time for family, to show that we love and care for them, and if we have the means – we give gifts to bring joy to the ones we love. In the midst of all of this, the message of Christ’s entry into the world as human gives us hope for our lives and reminds us to be joyful and celebrate because He has overcome the world. What I want to focus on in this post is not the joy of giving, or the true meaning of Christmas, which are all good messages – and timely for this season. The main message of this post is on the gifts (either given to us or from us) that keeps on giving long after it has been presented.

What makes a good gift? Some would say it’s a good gift if it’s Continue reading “The Gift that Keeps on Giving!”

Take a Moment

It’s the Holiday Season! Full of planning, shopping, and gathering with family and friends. This is probably the busiest time of the year because in the midst of all of the holiday madness, work still has to be done at the job and around the house planning for next year is underway, and if you are in school this is term paper and exam prep season. There are so many things that want our attention: commercials, people in our lives, needs, and desires – it can get overwhelming! Now shift gears and think about the blessing it is that we who are born again can cast our care on to Jesus (1 Peter 5:7) and He will bear our burdens (Matthew 11:28-30). Take a moment to give every fear, worry, anxiety, and distraction to Jesus and allow His love to comfort, refresh and refocus your attention on the things that are important to Him.

Lately I have been listening to this song from back in the day called “Order My Steps in Your Word”. This song will forever be relevant because even if we know where we are going, it’s always better to walk in the pathway that God reveals to us. Psalm 119:104-106 is a really strong passage about the “ways” or “paths” that are available Continue reading “Take a Moment”

 

There has been a lot of talk over the years, prayers, calls to action, and prophecies that the Body of Christ will collectively move into the supernatural realms with signs and wonders following. In all of its biblical accuracy, this type of message is cause for celebration for some, and evokes absolute terror in others. A lot of Christians would not admit it openly, but there can be fear of the miraculous even among advanced spirit filled, “tongue talkin’, holy rollin’ Christians to newly converted “baby” Christians. The problem is that what most of us, including Christians, are taught about supernatural powers and events that do not have reasonable explanation is negative. Unfortunately scandals, folklore, and people who are confused, in error, or concealing agendas often discourage well-meaning Christians from wanting to get involved with anything supernatural at all. Now this is not to say that exploring Continue reading “Horror or Holy?”

The Pain is the Proof

Welcome to the season of new doors of promise and blessing and completion of the former vision for the Kingdom of God and all of its inhabitants! By now, hopefully you have entered into the new season and are chock full of faith for the move of God that you are anticipating. Leading up to this point of arriving to the gate of the New Year 5778 (Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish New Year Celebration) I heard a lot of messages on Jacob and his various encounters with angels. I am very familiar with these stories, so it was enjoyable to learn new things from these scriptures or to hear a different perspective on them. So what does the title of this blog post, the New Year, and Jacob’s story have to do with each other? Well, I was looking over my life and in a place of curiosity and this question came to mind: How come there are so many promises and good things Continue reading “The Pain is the Proof”

Hard times, insurmountable troubles, uncertainty about the future = Difficult Seasons…. We’ve all had them, and the way we responded to the rough waters of life usually impacted the season(s) that came afterwards. This is not a message sent out to minimize your pain, hardship, loss, or disappointment. This is not some artificial sweetener designed to mask the taste of the bitter pill you’ve had to swallow. No this is just a yell from a fan on the sidelines, saying: “Don’t give up! You’ve got this! The Lord is with you and you are going to win if you don’t give up!” You see the perspective of the player on the field is different from the perspective of the fans in the bleachers. The perspective of the player on field is only concerned with staying in position, playing well, resisting fatigue and hits from the opposing team, staying aware of all of the teammates and opposing team players on the field, and maximizing opportunities to advance Continue reading “Survive & Thrive in a Difficult Season”

Life can be difficult. Unexpected unpleasant circumstances can arise in an instant, or a persistent problem can drain joy and peace from even the most positive person. What can help in these times of uncertainty, disgruntled complaints, and distant memories of happier times? Prayer is always one of the first things I think of when stress and anxiety attempt to build up. Of course praise and worship is on the list too,it definitely breaks up the negative energy in the atmosphere and builds sustaining power through the storms and tests of life. What I find to be very impactful as well Continue reading “Hold On to the Truth”

There is no one word that could accurately describe Jesus that would satisfy how wonderful He is. Out of all off the words available to mankind, the word “bad” usually does not come to mind when modern Christians and non-believers alike mention the name of Jesus. However, during the time that Jesus and his disciples ministered some two thousand years ago, many people opposed Him and His message. They especially disliked how He brought healing and freedom to every place He visited and gave people hope for the future. Jesus revealed that God is loving and gracious, and demonstrated the Father’s heart wherever He went. Jesus was thought of as a “bad influence” by the Pharisees and Sadducees because He intentionally went against the religious and legalistic culture of that time. Jesus wasn’t timid and mild like they portray Him Continue reading ““Bad” Jesus”

MID YEAR PROGRESS REPORT

This is a good time of year to look at how the year has gone so far and to plan for the rest of the year or even start planning for next year. During this time of year, even before I learned that reflecting on the first half of the year is a pattern to follow according to the Hebraic Calendar, I always found myself especially reflective during this time of year. What do you think about when you hear the words “Progress Report”? What type of feelings and memories come to mind when you think about receiving a progress report? For some feelings of anticipation and excitement might over take them, but for the rest of the population feelings on anxiety, worry, and dread may kick in. Some people might start to get all analytical and start to process everything that they did during the time frame that the progress report is for. They think that if they can remember everything that they did that they can then predict or approximate what their score Continue reading “Mid-Year PROGRESS REPORT”