Clothed in beautiful apparel

“And He spoke to those who stood before Him saying, Take away the filthy garments from him… Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich apparel.” Zechariah 3:4 AMP

Gather up all of your sin, all of your iniquity, all of your dirt, filth, and fear; bring all of it before the Lord, place it at His feet, and let Him do His amazing work.  He will turn all of that darkness into beautiful blessings, healings, new beginnings, strengths, and joy.  Yes, if you allow, He will wash away your sins and hurts, and replenish you with His glory and goodness.

My friend, it is never too late give your darkness, sin, and pain over to God.  Whether you are nine or ninety-four, it doesn’t matter, you are still His precious child.  So, if you haven’t already, or if you have, but you’ve fallen off track, then go ahead and do it now – give all of you, and all that you are carrying around with you, to Him.  Not only will it serve you well in this life,  but it will open your mind and heart  to amazing possibilities, beauty, and joy that is awaiting you in eternity with the Lord himself.

Glory in your midst.

For I, says the Lord, will be to her a wall of fire round about, and I will be the glory in the midst of her.” Zechariah 2:5 AMP

You are protected, you are loved, you are glorified by the Lord Almighty.  Therefore, there is no need to fear anything in this world, you have all the Power you need.  So, focus on God, look past those who oppose you, and go for your dream.  Yes, go for all of your God-given hopes, and dreams, and whatever the outcome may be, know that you will be more strengthened and more empowered for the next challenge, (dream, vision, goal).

Friends, this world is easy to get distracted by, but if you do what it takes to keep your focus on God, and God alone, then His glory becomes your glory and His fire will be ablaze before you, and these are all you need to keep you protected from any opposing force that tries to keep you from crossing the finish line. So, get focused, get serious about your relationship with God, and grasp hold to the victories that lie before you… they are patiently awaiting your presence!

 

Work for your blessings.

“… be strong, alert, and courageous… says the Lord, and work! For I am with you… My spirit stands and abides in the midst of you; fear not.” Haggai 2:4-5

We cannot claim to be God’s children, yet do nothing to obtain the promises and blessings He has in store for us.  We must work for them!! Idly standing by for the Lord’s blessing will pretty much leave you idly standing by, blessing-less; empty-handed.

As children of God’s we must be bold, courageous, alert, strong, and willing to work for our blessings.  We must move forward toward our God-given destiny and blessings every day, (your destiny is whatever hits you in the heart with a warmth and confidence; something that you can visualize and see yourself wanting and doing). Therefore, work on your relationship with the Lord every single day; move yourself away from sin; grasp to the promises that you feel so strongly in your heart; and remain hopeful and faithful through, and in, all things!  Yes, it takes work to grasp hold of God’s blessings and promises to us, but the work you do now will bring great reward, proving to be worth every ounce of energy you’ve exhumed for them.

God is good and He really, really loves you!!

Collect your thoughts. Gather your sins.

“Collect your thoughts, yes, unbend yourselves [in submission and see if there is no sense of shame and consciousness of sin left in you]…” Zephaniah 2:1 AMP

After reading this and you do happen to find some sin, (evil, resentment, fear, idolatry, hate, etc.), lurking within your soul, then begin to rid yourself of it – get it out.  How?  Seek God; pray, seek forgiveness, and ask direction as to how to make your wrongs right. Then, every time you feel cleansed of one sin, start doing some soul searching, and cleanse yourself of another!  We all have something going on most of the time, so the important thing is that we continually hold ourselves accountable and do something about it.   Then, God – our amazing, loving God – forgives us our sins, and restores us, more and more, into wholeness, which gives us strength and power to fulfill His destiny for our lives.  Yes, God is so good, He heals us of our faults, so we can live a life that leaves a legacy, an inheritance, and a memory in others hearts of what Christianity is truly all about.

Enemy? What enemy?

"He, [the Lord your God] has cast out your enemy. ... you shall not experience or fear evil any more. ... [He] will deal with all those who afflict you. ...[He] will gather you, for [the Lord, your God] will make you a name and a praise among [mankind] ..." My version of Zephaniah 3:15, 19-20

Oh, how good God is!  It seems that we spend so much wasted in time in worry, being intimidated, being fearful, and feeling full of reproach.  Why? Because we have fear of losing, failing, falling, being hurt, being rejected, being overlooked...  But, when I read this, I realize that there is no need to waste our time on any of it - God has already conquered our enemies, so we can never lose; we can't be cast down, we cannot be stepped on, we cannot be broken, we will never be rejected, and being overlooked only means that we are being protected from something disastrous!

Albeit difficult at times, let's begin to live like God wants us to live! Since our enemies are already destroyed by our Savior and Lord, we should live like conquerors, with boldness, determination, God-type confidence, and a sense of victory in all of our undertakings.   You and I should live with this type of thinking: Enemy? What enemy? I see no enemy before me!!  So, let's do it!  What do we have to lose?  Therefore, from today forward, join me in being determined to live fearlessly in this world, and, instead, live boldly for God knowing that what He puts in our hearts to do, we can do it with ease; He's already trampled the enemy, obstacles, and roadblocks that the world has tried to set before us!

I believe if we focus on Him more, and less of the, What if's, of the world, we would realize that we've put ourselves through way too much struggle.  Our battles have already been won! All we have to do is step above the world long enough to realize our victories have open doors with our name on them, and it's been that way all along! So, let's do it! Begin to focus ever-more-so on God, and begin to step into all of your victories.. they've been patiently waiting, and if you look real close with your heart, you will see your name brightly glowing on those victorious doors before you.

Silver and Gold

“Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s indignation and wrath…” Zephaniah 1:18 AMP

Let make this quick and simple, (forgive me if I come across harsh – I don’t mean to):

Better to be poor and homeless, yet believe in, worship, and love, the Lord our God, rather than being wealthy and glamorous, yet believe in anything, (or anyone), else.  For the poor and homeless believers will rise up with God on the last days, but the wealthy and glamorous non-believers will be trampled upon, spending their eternity with weeping and gnashing of teeth*!

Money, fame, and fortune mean nothing to God!  But, a pure heart, devoted to Him, means eternal life – money, fame, fortune not necessary, because it will be freely given to you the moment you walk through the pearly gates of Heaven.

*see Luke 13:28

More than a conqueror

“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord… my strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror…] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! Habakkuk 3:19 AMP

When we declare God has our Lord and Savior, nothing in this world is able to hold us back! Nothing! I’m sure if you are reading this it is because you’ve declared Him as your savior, right?  Well then, why are you standing back in fear, timidity, or because of naysayers? Get up! Move it! You can do it with God!  Take your God-given dreams, hopes, and prayers, and you move toward them.  I don’t care what this world tries to do to hold you back, don’t let it; God is more than this world, and He is all the knowledge, power, and strength you need.  Remember, my friend, you are more than a conqueror, and now is the perfect time to start declaring, believing, and living like it!!

Praise God ~ Hallelujah

And the Lord answered me:

Thank you for the image +disciplesofhope.wordpress.com

An enemy of God gets to experience the wrath of God!

"...The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries and reserves wrath for His enemies." Nahum 1:2

So often we hear believers in God saying something like, "Boy, I don't know what I did, but God is mad at me", or, "I don't know why God is letting this happen to me.". To me, sayings like this are a way for one to get attention, or an excuse not to acknowledge their sinful actions, or to justify one to feel sorry for themselves.  However, a lot of what is happening to God's children are the consequences of their own actions, and self-pity is not going to get anyone very far.  If a child of God is going to knowingly do wrong, then, there will be consequences to pay!  Yes, He will be quick to forgive, and continually love His children, but He's not going to let them go on doing wrong.  Without consequences, many wouldn't run to God, many wouldn't know how to say sorry, many wouldn't change their hurtful ways, and many, wouldn't take the time to acknowledge God at all.

Now, as for those that won't believe in our good Lord, they are the ones who should be saying, "Boy, it is true what believers say, the Lord does take vengeance on His enemies; I'm in the midst of suffering His wrath right now!". Hence, as believers in Christ, you are free from the wrath of God, less you choose not to be.  However, you have to face some consequences, (not vengeance), as without them, you won't be able to grow in Christ.

So, stop thinking God is mad at you and stop feeling sorry for yourself!  Get off of your pity pot, stop saying things to bring yourself attention. Start acknowledging your faults, sins, and hurtful ways.  Then, ask God to help you change them; ask Him to turn your bad qualities into blessed qualities, and do what needs to be done to get your life in order (asking Him to direct every step you take, of  course). 

God's wrath and vengeance are for His enemies, not for you. He is not mad at you, and He will never, ever stop loving you.  He loves you way too much and He wants to do whatever it takes to keep you on the right path. You are a special child of His, so act like it.  His children are NOT called to be weak, pathetic, and living in self-pity, fear, or pain.  No, His children are conquerors, warriors, fighters, winners, and full of power and might.  So, grasp God's correction, do what is necessary to change, and let the blessings of new beginnings begin to take place in your life.  It will happen, my friend!  Just keep believing, keep watching, and keep continual focus on God ~ you are going to be amazed at what He does for you!!

Iron and bronze

“Now many nations are assembled against you… but they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither do they understand His plan…For [He] will make your horn iron and… your hoofs bronze; you shall beat in pieces many [enemies]…” Adapted from Micah 4:11-13

Although it seems that everything, and everyone, in your life may be coming against you right now, even though you feel like you are doing what God is telling you to do, even though you’ve repented for your wrongs and have done all you can do to turn your life around for the better, but nothing is changing, well, … HOLD ON!!  God has a plan! His thoughts aren’t our thoughts, and His ways aren’t our ways.  He is strengthening and forming you, fine tuning the rough edges, and it is only a matter of time before you break through the darkness – before you conquer your enemies, (mental and physical)! Yes, the awe and wonder of His miracles are going to explode in your life, and when you look back at what you’ve been through, you’ll be thanking Him for the new person He’s created you to be.

So, don’t give up! Don’t give in! Don’t let go! Don’t be afraid!  Because, God is on your side!!

Power, justice, and might!

“But truly I [Micah] am full of power, of the Spirit of the Lord, and of justice and might…” Micah 3:8 AMP

Replace the word, Micah, with your name.  Now, re-read the verse over and over until it sinks deep within your soul!  You, yes you, are full of power, because you are filled with the Spirit.  Along with power, you are also filled with justice and might!  Therefore, don’t idly stand by being sheepish and skittish in this life.  Be bold! Be daring! Be an advocate for Christ, and let no man, beast, or burden ever intimidate you to the point of backing down.  Friend, you are blessed, you are God’s child, and you have the power to change the world you live in simply by knowing and believing that you are God’s shining star - you have His power, you have His justice, and you have His might.

Whether you believe it or not, others are watching, others want what you have, and others are giving their lives to Christ because of the life you live in front of them.  So, start each day with God-given energy, and don’t ever underestimate the power He’s blessed you with!  You shine my friend, and once you realize that, you will begin to realize the lives you are changing every day.

Cut others some slack

“And should not I spark Nineveh… in which there are more than 120,000 persons not [yet old enough to] know their right hand from their left…?” Jonah 4:11 AMP

There was a point in your life when you had no idea of the hurt and pain you caused others to experience, or caused yourself to experience, correct?  However, when you came to know God on an intimate level, you realized that if it wasn’t for His pouring of mercy and grace,  your days would have, and should have, been numbered a long time ago.  Well, don’t you think that others deserve that same chance?  So many people don’t know Christ, and we need to cut some slack at times.  Instead of reacting with anger, and coldness, our duty is to pray for, and be an example for them; guide them, and love them.  Yes, it is very difficult to do, but I believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that if we are generous with our grace and mercy, then God will continually pour more of His grace and mercy over us, (and we can all use more of that!).

I truly believe that whatever attitudes and mannerisms we share with others, will be doubly shared right back to us - good and/or bad.  So, make sure what you are sharing of yourself is what you want shared back with you. Not only will it help your relationship grow with God, it will also help your current relationships strengthen, become more loving, and the world around you in general will be a more beautiful and brighter place for you to live.

Is God trying to get your attention?

“Now the Lord had prepared and appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah…” Jonah 1:17

Have you ever found yourself in a situation asking, “How in the world did I get myself into this?  Why is this happening?” If so, then instead of trying to figure it out on your own, maybe you should ask God.  There could be a darn good chance that He is trying to get your attention, and putting you in a desperate situation is the only way He could get you out of yourself long enough to call on Him.  Take some time with God, and see what He places in your heart; maybe you’ve been trying to avoid something, or someone, you know you need to confront, or tell the truth about something your hiding, or even being bold enough to take a huge step of faith?? Essentially, is there something that you know God wants you to do, but you aren’t doing it?

I believe the reason we find ourselves in peculiar, stressful, hard-pressed situations, is so that we finally cry out to God!  Friends, God loves us so much, and when He places thoughts, actions, etc., on our hearts, He wants us to take action – obey!  So, before you get into a desperate situation, do what God is telling you to do – life will be so much more peaceful and blessed.  However, if you are currently in a hopeless, desperate situation, then don’t worry!  Grab hold to God, repent, and thank Him for caring for you enough to get your attention.  From there, as you walk forward with Him, His amazing glory and grace will thrust you from the depths of darkness, onto the mountain tops on high!  Your desperation will soon come to an end!

Pride and false, futile glory

“… The Lord, the God of hosts, says: I abhor, reject, and despise the pride and false, futile glory… “ Amos 6:8 AMP

God despises pride and selfish proclaimed glory!  If you are a child of God and you live and breathe for Him, then there is no need to brag of yourself; your life already shines with His glory!  Therefore, if you find yourself constantly patting your own back, bragging on your personal accomplishments, then zip it, and ask yourself if you are haughty and prideful. If you find you are, repent of it, have the determination to change, and ask God for His mighty help – He’ll come running to your aid.

As a child of God there is no need to brag about ourselves, He shines ever so brightly through us, and His light needs no bragging.  Nonetheless, we sometimes get so caught up into our own-selves that it blocks His light from shining through. So, just remember to keep God first and foremost! Give Him all the glory, and the shining light He brings into your life will speak immensely into the hearts and minds of others – no words necessary.

 

A heart filled with pride

"The pride of your heart has deceived you..." Obadiah 2 AMP

Symptoms of pride spoken in the book of Obadiah include: violence; arrogance; coldness; hate; stealing; gloat; rejoicing over one's misfortune; etc. However, there are so many more symptoms of pride, and that is where you need to make time for a good ol' one-on-one with the Lord.  Ask Him to, and let Him, show you parts of your life where you need to rise higher, repent, make good, apologize, change your behavior, or make changes of the people you associate with; He will tell you, He will help you, and He will pour His forgiveness over you and give you favor to make good on the hurt you've done.  On the other hand, if you fail to rid yourself of pride, then unfortunately, my friend, "As you have done, it shall be done to you; your dealings will return upon your head.". (Obadiah 15 AMP)

Pride is a choice one makes to do, or not to do.  Make the choice not to be prideful! Your life will be more peaceful and peace-filled, you will bear much fruit, and you will have a glorious future that you can look forward to with a bold, God-Almighty filled confidence of which can never be taken away from you - less, of course, you decide to freely give that confidence away to the enemy.

Retaliate against evil with the weapon of goodness!

“Seek (inquire for and require) good and not evil that you may live… Hate the evil and love the good… let justice run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty and ever-flowing stream.” Amos 5:14, 15, 24 AMP

I know you’ve heard this before, but let me say it again, Do not repay evil with evil! Instead, repay evil with good!  Yes, it can be challenging, especially if you are like me, and wonder how a person, government, group, employer, colleague, or family member, etc., can keep getting away with rude, haughty, lewd, crude, wicked, evil behavior and actions.  When I come across people like these, I struggle immensely with becoming critical, judgmental, gossipy, cold, and hateful – all of them being sins in the eyes of God, so I know the way I’m acting isn’t right.  Although, as my relationship grows with Christ, I now quickly notice His firmness as He lays this word on my heart, “Enough!”, which means, I’m walking in sin and it is time to back away and repent.  As challenging as it is, I now try to stop focusing on the bad, and start finding something good about the situation.  I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m way better than I used to be.

What about you?  Do you struggle as well? Well, if so, please join me in continually evolving into the person that Christ is forming us to be; in becoming more like Him every day.  Let’s retaliate against all evil with the weapon of goodness.  I believe that if, and when, we do, more blessings and opportunities will begin to come our way, and God will lift us into a new a new dimension of life that can only be left to our most excellent visions, prayers, and dreams.

So, you aren't sure if you truly know God, huh?

“… prepare to meet your God… Who forms the mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness and treads on the heights of the earth – the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name!” Amos 4:12-13

Do you see the mountains, do you feel the wind? Do you have thoughts and plans, hopes and dreams?  Do you lay down in darkness, or wake up before the dawn?  Can you look towards Heaven and see the stars?  If you answered, Yes, to any, or all, of these, then it is a fact, my friend, you do know God!

He is the sure thing; no more second-guessing - you do know God, and He surely knows you!  So, receive Him into your heart, and fret no more, because from here-on-out, the battles you face will be battles of victory, and defeat will not be a meaning you even need be aware of any longer!!

You are God's strong warrior

“… let the weak say, I am strong [a warrior]!” Joel 3/14 AMP

There may be times and situations in your life when you feel weak; there may be certain aspects of your personality that you feel are weaknesses; however, those are our feelings, not God’s feelings.  Therefore, it is during the times when we feel the weakest that we should declare, “I am strong! I have the strength of the Lord within me!!”.

My friend, you may feel weak, but your never weak with God as your Savior.  So, no matter how you feel on the inside, repeat over and over, “I am strong with God! I am strong with God! I am strong with God! I am strong with God!”!  Repeat it until it sinks deep within your soul and spirit.  I believe that if you say it enough, over and over, there will come a point at which you stop analyzing your weakness, because you will know that you know, that you know, you are God’s strong warrior, and there is no defeat, or weakness found with Him!!

Repair, restoration, renewal

“Fear not, o land, be glad and rejoice… I will restore or replace for you the years the locusts has eaten… And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied… My people shall never be put to shame.” Joel 2:21, 25, 26

Have you tried something really big in life and it didn’t work out? Something such as: marriage; business; moving to a new city; starting a brand new career; buying a new home, or a new car; etc.?  If so, then let me ask this question, Did you try these things with God at the center of it all, or did you try with you being at the center of it all?  A lot of us can say, Yes, to the fact that we’ve failed, (although we are not failures!), at something really big; and, Yes, to the fact that we were focused on ourselves during the whole process.

Now, I’m not saying some things don’t work out, even if we have God at the center of our life, but I am saying that for most of us, we can admit that our previous endeavors were out of selfish desires, worldly statistics, and idolization of someone or something.  So, if you’re like me, and have tried and failed big time, then stand up, my friend!  Try again!  But, this time, let God lead the way!!  He will lead you to success, and what you lost by your own vices, will be restored many times over and over.  Yes, yes! Try again with God!  I guarantee that because He loves you so much, and loves to give mercy and grace, this time around will be well worth the losses in the past no matter how big they may have been.

New ground

"...Break up your uncultivated ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, to inquire for and of Him, and to require His favor, till He comes and teaches you righteousness and reins His righteous gift of salvation upon you." Hosea 10:12 AMP

So, you keep trying, and doing, the same ol' thing and still getting the same result?  Still not producing any good fruit no matter how hard you try?  Well, then it is time to do it God's way!  Whatever parts of your life aren't working, have never worked, and aren't producing any good, God-type, fruit, (joy, peace, patience, gentleness, self-control, humility, and love), then it's time to leave them behind; it is time for some new stomping ground.  So, get your priorities in order, making God the first of those priorities, and step out of your old-self into your new-self.  No, it won't be easy - change never is - but with diligence, and perseverance, your thought processes and actions will begin to change; new fruit will bloom, and the salvation of God will pour over you.  

Life is too short to keep producing barren leaves, so we need to live it to the fullest!  Therefore, grasp on to the new, grasp on to God for dear life, and let Him wash the blessings of life over you... He's been ever-so patiently waiting to do so, my friend.

Continually and expectantly

"...Hold fast to love and mercy, to righteousness and justice, and wait [expectantly] for your God continually.

...for there is no Savior besides Me... for Me is your help." Hosea 12:6; 13:4, 9 AMP

Continually, (constantly, frequently, regularly, unceasingly, always, forever, at all times, consistently, endlessly, everlastingly, in any case, relentlessly...til the cows come home), and expectantly, (earnestly, enthusiastically, heartily, gladly, readily, vigorously, with gusto, zealously, with confidence), wait for God!  No, not just when you want something, but in everything, in everyday, including: the blah, the gloomy, the boring, the normal, and the typical days! 

We tend to seek God wholeheartedly when we want something, but true blessings come when we seek God in our everyday, normal, routine, lives.  Most of our miracles and breakthroughs come during the roughest times, and/or mundane times of our lives, so we should never put God aside when we can't think of things or people to pray for, because prayer is ALWAYS needed!   So, even on those days when you don't have specifics to pray about, just pray - call Jesus in to your heart and let Him do the talking and directing; He will if you are genuine in your time with Him.  

Prayer is our answer to life, it the link that brings a joy to those of us that believe; a joy that is indescribable by those that are far off and have fallen into the world.  Therefore, pray without ceasing, and let God make everyday of your life, the most miraculous day of your life!

Untangle your life

“…Now their own doings surround and entangle them; they are before my face.” Hosea 7:2

Think about your life; as a matter of fact, make it a daily priority to think about your life and the choices you are making, directions you are going, and dreams you are dreaming. Are they God-approved, or are they fueled by selfish wants and desires?

Friends, I believe that many of our frustrations and complications are due to ourselves and the choices we are making.  Therefore, it is imperative to make time, every day, to pray about our lives; ask for wisdom and direction.  I believe that if we do, then, the roughness in our lives will smooth, and fires we are currently facing will be put out with the rain of God’s favor and blessings!!  So, make changes now so that the latter part of your life, becomes the better part of your life.

 

Rock Bottom

“I will return to My place [on high] until they acknowledge their offense and feel their guilt and seek my face…” Yes, “…He has torn us so that He may heal us; He has stricken so that He may bind us up… He will revive us… He will raise us up that we may live before Him…” Hosea 5:16; 6:1 AMP

Although we acknowledge God as our Lord and Savior, if we stay in sin long enough, He will eventually let us hit rock bottom…hard!  He knows that there comes a point that the only way we will come back to our senses, and get right with Him, is to let us find out that we've come to a dead-end with nowhere to go.  It is at that point, we will cry out to Him, and He will come running; He will grab us up with His mighty hands, and the healing will begin!

So, if you happen to be at the rock bottom right now, don’t worry – God is with you, He hears you, and you’re at the perfect spot for Him to start anew in you.  My friend, the best part of your life is just about to start, and this time, the finish will be amazing!!