Monday’s Blog: Stop, Drop, and Pray!
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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.â€
Matthew 11:28-30
Over the summer, God kept bringing these verses to my attention. The load I carry can get heavy. I have four children. I’m potty training one. I homeschool the other three. Most of the household and family responsibilities are on me due to my husband’s work hours. I take my kids to and from all their activities. I teach at my kid’s homeschool co-op class. I lead a weekly Bible study in my home. I write blogs every week. I am writing and publishing several books. I am involved in many groups and social media outlets online. And somewhere in between I manage to get a few hours of sleep at night.
I’m learning that when I start to feel overwhelmed, I am trying to carry that load on my own. I can only carry it for so long before it weighs down on me.
The original Greek word the NIV translated as “easy†in Matthew 11:30 above is pronounced “khrase-tos,†which means: fit for use, virtuous, manageable, mild, pleasant.
Even if our loads are heavy, when we rely on Jesus to carry them for us, they will be manageable and pleasant for us to bear. When I start to not enjoy what I am doing, and it’s more of a burden than a blessing, I need to stop what I’m doing, drop my load, pray, and leave my burdens at the feet of Jesus.
A couple weeks ago, my kids were overly irritating one another. Every time one would aggravate the other, they’d come running to me yelling, “MOM! He did this! MOM! She did that!†Feeling overwhelmed, I dropped to my knees and started praying. As my kids stood above me screaming “MOM,†wondering why I wasn’t answering them, I felt a peace come over me and the overwhelming feeling went away instantly. I was then able to peacefully manage and train my children accordingly.
I ignored the screaming and fighting for a moment and ran to the feet of Jesus to drop off my burden. When I got up, my load was light because I was only carrying His peace.
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Luke 18:1, KJV
In Luke 10:38-42, Martha opened her home to Jesus, but then became overwhelmed by the preparations that needed to be made. If Martha had stopped, dropped to her knees, and laid down her burdens at the feet of Jesus, as Mary did, she would’ve had the peace she needed to joyfully manage all the preparations.
Martha, Martha,†the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.â€
Luke 10:41-42
As God’s been speaking to me the last few months to lay my burdens down and learn from Jesus, I’ve been paying close attention to my prayer life. I am amazed how many decisions I make without asking God first. One of the reasons God led me to take a four month break offline was because I overloaded myself with too many commitments. God is not obligated to help us carry a load that He hasn’t laid upon us.
Since writing and being online, I’ve gotten a lot of requests. In the last year, I’ve accepted many requests without praying first. At one point, I was reading four books at a time, and posting on other people’s blogs more than my own. I realized it was not in God’s plan when it became an unpleasant burden. If I would have prayed before committing to those things, I wouldn’t have burnt myself out and neglected the work God had prepared for me to do.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
I encourage you today if you are feeling overwhelmed, stop what you’re doing, drop to your knees, and pray. Leave your heavy load at the feet of Jesus. Ask God to show you what He has prepared for you to do, and lay everything else down that is not in His will. Receive Jesus’ peace and strength, so you can pleasantly manage everything God’s called you to do.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Heavenly Father,
We praise You that we don’t have to carry our burdens on our own. Help us to drop to our knees each day, lay down our loads at the feet of Jesus, and joyfully manage all that you’ve called us to do. Teach us and lead us into Your will.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
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*Dr. Linda Travelute has a wonderful article titled “How to Give God Your Heavy Load & Grab a Lighter One Instead.†Follow this link to read it.
I have started “Praying the Word Wednesdays†on my Facebook page. Every Wednesday, post your prayer request on my Facebook wall. I’ll post a relevant verse and pray the Word of God over your request. There is great power in believing God and His Word!
 “‘If you can’?†said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.â€
Mark 9:23
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.â€
Isaiah 55:11, KJV
Posted in Monday's Blogs, Prayer and tagged God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, pray, Righteous living by Amanda Beth with
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Monday’s Blog: Pursuing Godliness “The Path of Least Resistance”
Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:7-8
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This is the last blog in our series on “Pursuing Godliness.†Today we will close with choosing the narrow path, rather than the path of least resistance. When we choose to follow God and His will, we will face resistance. Revelation 12:17 says that Satan wages war against those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
I shared in the last blog that I am hosting a powerful study in my home titled: “Believing God†by Beth Moore. We have only just begun the study and have already had much resistance. I could fill up this blog with all that has happened in the last few weeks. I’ve led many Bible studies in the past, but never one as powerful as this one. I’ve never had so many women plan to come to a study and not show up because of all the resistance this study has brought.
Matthew 7:13-14 says: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
When we want to pursue the things of God, Satan and those who are opposed to God will try to stop us. I can understand why many give up and only a few find the life God intended. It’s hard to press on through difficulties to continue pursuing the things of God. But the difficulties we experience on the narrow path are nothing compared to the glory we will see God work in and through us along the way.
Romans 5:3-4 says, “Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation†(AMP).
When I am experiencing a lot of opposition and trials, I have learned that I have two choices. I can give up and let those trials drag me down deeper into sin. Or I can press on and allow God to use those trials to bring me out of sin, and develop and mature His fruit in me.
Paul told Timothy, “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of… (2 Timothy 3:10-14).
It’s very tempting to take the easier road in life, the road of least resistance. But knowing the easy road is the road that leads to our destruction, and the narrow road is the road that leads to the life Christ died to give us, should motivate us to resist that temptation at all cost. As you see in the verses above, even though Paul faced many persecutions, God delivered him from them all.
1 John 4:4 says, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.â€
We shouldn’t be fearful of opposition. We should face each trial with confidence, knowing God is doing an amazing work through us. Satan can’t win. He can irritate us and throw a bunch of roadblocks in front of us. But when we press on, God will turn every one of those roadblocks into a blessing. We won’t find those special blessings on the broad road of least resistance.
This is what the LORD says: Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask which paths are the old, reliable paths. Ask which way leads to blessings. Live that way, and find a resting place for yourselves. But you said that you wouldn’t live that way.
Jeremiah 6:16, GW
This probably isn’t the greatest example, but it should help illustrate my point. My kids and I belong to a weekly homeschool co-op group where each parent volunteers to teach or assist in teaching classes. My sister-in-law and I volunteered to teach two classes of twenty-six 3 and 4-year-olds. We volunteered because my three-year-old son and her three-year-old twin boys are so attached to us, we can’t leave them with anyone.
Raising my four children has never been easy for me. Every one of them was difficult from the time they were born through toddler-hood. I’ve never had easy babies like many moms I knew. I’ve never been able to leave them in nursery at church without them crying. I can count on my fingers the amount of times I sat through a full church service without having my infant or toddler’s number pop up on the screen to be picked up.
I recently came home from my co-op class and jokingly told my husband I expelled our son from my class. He got into a fight with a kid, and he spit at and hit the teacher (me)! I expressed to my husband, “Can’t anything with our kids be easy!â€
The following week, my husband tempted me with the offer to keep our son at home with him for the rest of the year while I taught the class. It would be the easiest way for me, but I knew it wouldn’t be the best way. My son had to learn how to get along with other children, and respect me as his mother and as his teacher. With a prayer and some determination I took him with me the following week.
He played with the other kids, obeyed me and even did all the activities we had planned! I never imagined he would improve so much in one week. I was amazed! If I wouldn’t have tried one more week, I wouldn’t have seen such a wonderful change take place in him. I thought, “How many times are we one step away from our blessings?†If we would just press on through the opposition, instead of giving up and taking the road of least resistance, we would find our breakthroughs and blessings we’ve been waiting for.
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.†But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Hebrews 10:35-39
Heavenly Father,
We praise You for giving us victory over all those who are opposed to You. Help us not back down in fear of opposition. Help us to press on and take hold of the life Jesus died to give us. We rejoice in our trials, knowing You are maturing us in Christ, and Your glory will be revealed in and through us.
In Jesus name, Amen!
Have a blessed week walking on God’s road!
If you missed any blogs in this series, follow these links:
Retaining The Word In Our Hearts
Posted in Monday's Blogs, Pursuing Godliness Series and tagged 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Christ, Christianity, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, narrow road, path of least resistance, Righteous living by Amanda Beth with
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Monday’s Blog: Ignite The Fire In Your Spirit – The Wilderness
We continue our series on igniting the fire in our spirits. Follow this link if you missed any messages in this series.
Jesus said, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
—John 10:10, AMP
Are you living life in abundance to the full, till it overflows to others? Or, are you stuck in the wilderness on a never-ending journey, going from one pit to the next?
In the first message of this series, someone commented, “I think people get stuck in the wilderness because they don’t recognize they are not living life to abundance, or just think that the abundant life is reserved for heaven. There are very few people who seem to be living the abundant life here on Earth, and most of those who do don’t broadcast the fact. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a sermon on ‘What the Wilderness Looks Like.’ We don’t see the wilderness for the scrub-brush, so to speak. And once we recognize that we’re in the wilderness, we may or may not have a Moses or Joshua to lead us out (or, when we realize we have to fight our way out, we go back to what we are used to).â€
For the next couple weeks, I want to focus on the wilderness. This week we’ll examine why it’s necessary for us. To answer this, we first need to know when God takes us through the wilderness.
Matthew 3:16-17 says, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.â€
After Jesus was baptized and received the Holy Spirit, “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil†(Matthew 4:1, KJV).
When I first started following Christ, life was wonderful. God showed Himself to me in amazing ways. Prayers got answered. My life began changing. It was an exciting time.
Once I saw God was real I wanted to surrender my life to Him. So I followed Jesus’ example and got baptized, again (I was also baptized as a baby). Baptism was an outward expression to show the world I was going to serve the Lord with all my heart. It was a wonderful experience for me.
After making that commitment to follow Christ, no one informed me what God was going to do next. As God led me into the wilderness, things slowly began to change. I didn’t know it then, but God was taking me through the wilderness to test me, teach me, purify me, and prepare me for His calling on my life.
I don’t believe I would have resisted the Lord’s working so much and stayed in the wilderness as long as I did had I known that God was preparing me for something greater.
Deuteronomy 8:1-6 explains the purpose of the wilderness (desert):
“Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the Lord promised on oath to your forefathers. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and revering him.â€
Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days. He submitted Himself to God and stood firm against the devil. The devil fled, and then angels came and ministered to Jesus and He left the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Then, the Bible says, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near’†(Matthew 4:17).
God uses the wilderness to prepare us for our higher calling. If we can’t stand against the devil’s temptations in the wilderness, we won’t be able to stand against the greater attacks and temptations he will throw at us in the Promised Land. The greater the calling on our lives, the greater the responsibility.
God appointed Jeremiah “over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant†(Jeremiah 1:10). When Jeremiah complained and questioned God, God answered, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?†(Jeremiah 12:5)
The Bible says that no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 2:11). Whenever I start to get down from my trials, I am reminded that my life is not my own. God has a purpose and plan for all of us. We are His vessels carrying His glory to a world that desperately needs to see the light and know the Truth.
We are encouraged to endure hardship like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules†(2 Timothy 2:3-5).
If the Israelites would have “competed according to the rules,†surrendering their will over to God, allowing Him to work in them and prepare them for the Promised Land, they wouldn’t have wandered aimlessly in the wilderness for forty years.
“The Israelites had moved about in the desert forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land that he had solemnly promised their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey†(Joshua 5:6).
Next week, we’ll look at how the temptations Jesus experienced in the wilderness were the same the Israelites experienced, and why that generation was disqualified from entering the Promised Land.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
—1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Heavenly Father,
We praise You for always knowing what is best for us. Help us through the wilderness times. Help us not to fight against Your discipline. We open our hearts to You. Work in us and train us for our higher calling. Lead us into the Promised Land, where we are completely surrendered to Your will and purpose for our lives.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen!Â
 Questions for my book:
I would love to hear your wilderness experiences.
When did God take you through it, and what did you learn through it?
*I appreciate your responses. I will not use any personal information in my book (name, email, website).
*If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, please click on the “SALVATION†tab at the top of the website. Don’t wait another day!
*All Bible verses are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.
*Follow my new facebook page to receive reminders of new posts.
Posted in Ignite The Fire Series, Monday's Blogs and tagged Boredom, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Promised Land, Righteous living, wilderness by Amanda Beth with
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Monday’s Blog: Ignite The Fire In Your Spirit – Fear God
But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,†his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
—Jeremiah 20:9
We continue our series on igniting the fire in our spirits. Follow this link if you missed any messages in this series. I am using this series in my next book: Escaping Boredom in Christianity. I am also using some of your comments in my book. I ask a couple questions at the end of each post. Feel free to answer whatever the Lord puts on your heart. Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Last week I talked about guarding our hearts against sin. I believe one reason many Christians don’t guard their hearts against sin is because they don’t fear the Lord. I heard a preacher recently say that God loves us and He is our friend, but we can’t forget that He’s also God. We will all stand before God and give an account of our lives (Romans 14:12). That’s not something we should take lightly.
One time, while reading the Bible, I came across several verses that said to fear the Lord. At the time, I hadn’t heard anything about the fear of the Lord, so it intrigued me to look up all the verses I could find that talked about it. I was amazed how many verses I found that instructed us to fear God, and even more amazed at all the blessings that followed.
As I learned the importance of fearing the Lord, I was eager to find out how to fear Him.
God showed me through Proverbs 2:1-5:
- VERSE 1: “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,â€
To accept God’s Words we need to believe EVERYTHING in the Bible is TRUE. I believe the reason I’ve had a fire in my spirit for the Lord, from the moment I started following Him, is because I have never read a verse and doubted it was true. Even when I am struggling with doubt in a situation, I never doubt God’s Word and His faithfulness. My doubt is always about my ability to receive God’s Truths and knowing how to apply them to my life.
When we read God’s Word, and accept it as Truth, we store up His commands in our hearts. Then, when a temptation or trial comes, the Holy Spirit brings to remembrance the Truth we have stored in our hearts, and we are equipped to overcome it (John 14:26).
- VERSE 2: “turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,â€
We need to listen and take heed to the training and instruction of the Lord. Psalm 86:11 says, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.†The Bible warns us not to merely listen to the Word, and so deceive ourselves. We are to DO what it says (James 1:22). God can do a wonderful work in us when He has our full undivided attention.
-  VERSE 3: “and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,â€
Do you have trouble understanding the Bible and applying it to your life?
God says, “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know†(Jeremiah 33:3).
Proverbs 1:6-7 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. And it is the only way to understanding the proverbs and parables and the sayings of the wise. God is the only One Who can reveal His Word to us and give us understanding.
I am not book smart. I don’t have any degrees. I am not a Bible scholar. The things I learn in His Word don’t come from my own wisdom. Even as I write these blogs, I am amazed how God gives me His wisdom to share His Word.
-  VERSE 4: “and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,â€
I read a wonderful message recently by Lori Hatcher, author of the blog: “Be Not Weary.†She shared how at one time she wasn’t sure she really loved God. As she searched her heart, she discovered she was grateful to God. She feared and respected God. And she even desired to please and serve God. But she said, “I thought about the people I love and the warm, affectionate, and sometimes almost painful intensity of emotion that I feel toward them, and I had to admit that I did not feel that level of intense emotion toward God.â€
She thought back to her dating years and what made her fall in love with her husband. She decided to apply some of those principles to God and seek out His love.
She expressed, “I started spending time with Him in prayer (speaking and listening). I became a student of Him in order to learn all about Him. I began reading the Bible, often called God’s Love Letter to the world, looking for aspects of His character. I started a list in the front of my Bible of every adjective I found that described God.
I read about what made Him laugh and what made Him cry. I started spending time with His family–the church, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I saw His family traits demonstrated through them. I learned what motivates Him, which ultimately boils down to one word:
LOVE
and I fell madly in love with Him.â€
She hungered to love God. She looked for His love as for silver and searched for it as for hidden treasure. And she found what she was looking for. She fell madly in love with God.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.â€
—Jeremiah 29:13
- VERSE 5: “THEN you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God†(emphasis mine).
When we accept God’s Words as Truth, and store up His commands in our hearts, and listen to His instructions, and when we cry out for insight and understanding of His Word and His will, and we seek Him and search for Him with all our hearts, we will find Him and understand what it truly means to fear the Lord.
Fearing God isn’t about walking on pins and needles before Him, feeling like we have to do everything right. The verses following those in Proverbs 2 explain how the wisdom of God, found only through the fear of the Lord, protects us, preserves us, and keeps us from following the wrong path.
Verses 9-10 say, “Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.â€
When we revere God, He gives us His wisdom and understanding. Then, we begin to see life through His eyes. We begin to see the reasons behind God’s instructions. We begin to see why God tells us to do and not to do certain things. We begin to see that all God’s instructions are for our own benefit.
I once heard a preacher say, “The law was given for two reasons: 1) to fear God’s punishment so we don’t let Satan get an inroad in our lives 2) to show us we can never follow it and save ourselves.â€
God wants us to fear Him because He loves us and wants to protect us. How great is our God that He wants us to fear Him for our own good! His love is more amazing than we can even imagine. How much our lives would change if we would learn to truly fear the Lord and walk in His wisdom.
The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe] and each of them He delivers. O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.
—Psalm 34:7-8
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Heavenly Father,
We praise You for loving us more than we can imagine. Teach us to always walk in reverence to You. Unite our hearts with Yours so we can truly fear You. Give us wisdom and knowledge of Your Word and Your will for our lives. Help us to walk humbly before You so our spirits are continually on fire for You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
 Questions for my book:
Do you think many Christians today don’t fear God?
If so, what do you believe hinders them from fearing God?
Is there anything you would like to share about the fear of the Lord that I didn’t address?
*I appreciate your responses. I will not use any personal information in my book (name, email, website, etc.). Remember to come back next week as the series continues.
*If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, please click on the “SALVATION†tab at the top of the website. Don’t wait another day!
*All Bible verses are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.
*Follow my new facebook page to receive reminders of new posts.
Posted in Ignite The Fire Series, Monday's Blogs and tagged Boredom, Christianity, fear of the Lord, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Righteous living by Amanda Beth with
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Monday’s Blog: Ignite The Fire In Your Spirit – Dare To BELIEVE!
But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,†his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
—Jeremiah 20:9
Before we continue our series, I want to announce the Kindle version for my book “You Can Have a Happy Family” will be FREE on Amazon Wednesday and Thursday (2/8-2/9) to celebrate National Marriage Week. If you know anyone who needs encouragement in their marriage, please spread the word by using the share tab below.
We continue our series today on igniting the fire in our spirits. You can follow this link if you missed any posts in this series.
This week I feel led to talk about unbelief since it’s the main cause of unfulfillment in the body of Christ. Unbelief is like a fire extinguisher. Nothing will put out the fire in our spirits quicker than unbelief.
Since following Christ, God has continued to work with me on my attitude. Just when I think I’ve got it all together, God shows me a part of my attitude that still needs to change. Lately God has been showing me that the root cause of a bad attitude is unbelief. My pastor shared a similar message yesterday about how bad behaviors are caused by bad beliefs. He said behind every self-defeating behavior is a lie that we are believing. And to stop defeating ourselves we must stop deceiving ourselves.
My neighbor is a Christian, but she’s always very doom and gloom. She has some medical problems, and her husband is in a nursing home. When I saw her last week, I asked how her husband was doing. She kind of rolled her eyes and said, “He’ll never get better.†So I asked how she was doing. She said she had to go for surgery in a couple days and she seemed pessimistic they would find cancer.
To try to lift her spirit, I mentioned some miracles I’ve seen God do in people’s lives. I shared how some have gone to the hospital for surgery and were sent home because the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with them. I thought she would disregard what I said, but surprisingly, she recalled the same thing happened to her father when he was scheduled for cataracts surgery years ago. She said the doctor sent him home because they couldn’t find anything wrong with his eyes.
By drawing her attention away from her problem and encouraging her to focus on what God could do, I believe it sparked a little faith in her heart. The day after her scheduled surgery, I sent her a text asking how she was doing. Amazingly, instead of being negative, she said she was doing well, and thanked God that there was no cancer!
Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
—John 11:40
Sometimes we say we believe God, but our actions tell Him differently. When we murmur and complain to everyone about our problems, we are telling God we don’t trust Him. When we handle our problems our way instead of God’s way, we are telling God our plan is better than His. When we complain to God, begging Him to answer our prayers, we are telling Him we don’t trust He will.
I used to be the queen of doubt. It used to drive my husband crazy. He would always say, “How could you have so much faith at one moment and then when circumstances change you lose it, just like that?†I’d read a passage in the Bible, get all excited and tell my husband how much I trusted God. No sooner would I share it with him, than I’d get tested with a trial that related to the verse and quickly lose faith.
James 1:5-8 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
Why is it so hard for us to believe God will answer our prayers? I believe the main reason is because the world tells us different. The world’s ways are contrary to God’s ways. It’s sometimes hard to believe God’s promises when we are constantly bombarded with deception.
It’s been almost three years since God called me to the ministry of writing. The devil has sent a lot of deception and people to come against me to try and stop me. In the last year, it’s been a struggle to keep my faith with so many voices telling me different.
My husband has been supportive for the most part. Yet lately I’ve felt as though he thinks I am wasting time and money writing, because he hasn’t seen any fruit from it yet. To avoid hurting our relationship, I have been trying to only write late at night when he’s asleep. I’ve stayed up as late as 5 in the morning to get my work done. It’s been difficult with having four young children to care for and homeschool.
In the last couple months I have been worn down and contemplating if it’s worth it. Over the weekend, while cleaning my house, I asked God to show me if I am in His will and if I am doing the right thing. I thought maybe I have been misled and I’m not in His will.
Later that evening, I was laying in bed with my husband when I asked him to pray with me. As he was about to pray, He remembered something that happened at work that day. His boss was talking to him, lining him up on a job, when all of a sudden my husband felt God say, “Support your wife and tell her she is doing the right thing.”
My husband was surprised. I was surprised too since I hadn’t told my husband my prayer. God caught my husband’s attention, so He could deliver a message to him and answer my prayer!
God is amazing! He truly hears and answers our prayers. We don’t need to worry and doubt God. We need to simply believe Him.
Have faith in God,†Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
—Mark 11:22-24
Whatever problem you are facing today, God has the solution. Stand on God’s promises even if everyone around you is telling you there’s no hope for your situation. Keep rejoicing in God’s Word and trust in His faithfulness. As you trust Him, He’ll ignite a fire in your spirit, and nothing the devil throws at you will be able to extinguish it!
Heavenly Father,
We praise You that You hear and answer our prayers. We praise You that even when we don’t know what to pray, You know what we need. Help us overcome any unbelief and doubt we may have. Help us to stand on Your promises, and trust the Word that goes out from Your mouth will not return to You void, but will accomplish what You desire. It will achieve the purpose for which You sent it (Isaiah 55:11). You are faithful to Your Word.
 In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
 Questions for my book:
Do you have a story you would like to share about a prayer God has answered?
Do you want to share a special miracle you have witnessed in your life or the lives of others?
I would love to hear your stories. I will be using some of them in my next book: Escaping Boredom In Christianity.
Please know I am reserving the right to use any comments on this site in my book. However, I will not share any personal information in the book (i.e. names, email addresses, websites, etc.). Your comments will be completely anonymous.
Thanks in advance for your comments! Be sure to come back next Monday as the series continues.
*If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, please click on the “SALVATION†tab at the top of the website. Don’t wait another day!
*All Bible verses are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.
*Follow my new facebook page to receive reminders of new posts.
*Subscribe below to receive email reminders of new posts.
Posted in Ignite The Fire Series, Monday's Blogs and tagged Boredom, Christ, Christianity, Fire, God, Jesus, Righteous living by Amanda Beth with
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16 comments.
Monday’s Blog: Ignite The Fire In Your Spirit – God’s Goodness
But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,†his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
—Jeremiah 20:9
We continue our series on igniting the fire in our spirits. Follow this link if you missed the last two messages in this series.
I was talking to a friend last week. He had recently returned from visiting a former colleague of his. While he was at dinner with her, she asked him to share how he came to know the Lord. She was raised in a Christian home, but she said his testimony was different than she had been taught.
All she heard growing up in the church was that we are sinners, but she never heard about the goodness of God. My friend said she listened intently as he talked about God’s love for us, and shared all the good things God has given us. He said now that she knows the Truth, God can work in her heart and she’ll have no choice but to fall in love with God.
When Christ preached, He didn’t beat people down for their sins. He appealed to them in love. He didn’t condone sin. But He didn’t condemn them for it. He had mercy on them and forgave them for their sins.
When God called me to start this website, I asked what He wanted me to tell people in my first post. I heard over and over in my spirit, “Tell them I love them.â€
God didn’t say, “Tell them what horrible sinners they are.†And God didn’t lead me to only share His commands. He led me to share the reasons and benefits behind His commands, so people would know God is for them, not against them.
Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love…
—Philemon 1:8-9
Satan uses guilt and condemnation to make people think God is disappointed in them.
Revelation 12:10 says, “…for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.â€
If Satan constantly accused us before God when he was in heaven, then he’s surely going to accuse us while he’s here on earth.
I wrote a blog a few weeks ago about condemnation. My New Year’s resolution this year was to get rid of all condemnation. It’s only been a few weeks since I made my resolution, but I have noticed a dramatic change in my life. Being free from guilt has made room in my heart for more joy in serving God. My fire is burning more now than ever for the Lord.
By paying close attention to condemnation, I notice how many times I hold on to guilt. It’s so subtle that I didn’t realize it until I started looking for it. I notice it’s mostly the small things that I condemn myself for. For example, when I forget to do something for someone, I get upset with myself and hold on to it for a few hours, or sometimes days, instead of giving it to God and forgiving myself right away.
I also notice I see the Bible in a different light when I read it without any condemnation. When I read the Bible, sometimes I’m tempted to feel overwhelmed, because I need help in so many areas. But when I read it without any condemnation, I see each command as a promise from God, instead of a burden.
When a verse says that we shall do this and we shall not do that, instead of feeling overwhelmed, we should praise God that those are His promises for us. He promises to help us obey those commands, which are meant for our benefit.
Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.â€
—John 14:15, KJV
In the past, that verse used to frustrate me. I used to think it meant: If I love Jesus, then I better keep His commandments.
Who can possibly keep all His commandments? No one. Jesus was the only one who could.
I felt God show me that the verse means: If you love Jesus, then you will BE ABLE to keep His commandments.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.â€
—John 15:5
Jesus prayed that God would sanctify His disciples through His Word, which is Truth (John 17:17).
When we read the Bible in faith, the power of His Word waters and produces His fruit in us. When we read the Bible or hear a message preached from the Bible, we will feel uncomfortable at times. That uncomfortable feeling is conviction. Conviction is God making us aware of sin in our lives, so we can cooperate with Him to get rid of those things that are hindering His fruit from developing in us. God’s conviction is not meant to condemn us. It’s meant to help us.
Satan wants to make us think God is condemning us so we feel guilty when we read the Bible. He does this to keep us away from God’s Word. We must stand our ground and not allow ourselves to be condemned, not even for a moment. When we fall into sin, we should confess it to God and repent—turn away from the sin and turn to God. But we shouldn’t condemn ourselves for it. When we read the Bible and God convicts us of sin, we should thank Jesus that He already paid the price for that sin, and thank God that He is helping us overcome it.
But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
—Romans 6:22-23, NKJV
Heavenly Father,
We praise You for forgiving us our sins by sending Jesus to save us. Help us not to condemn ourselves, because we know that You don’t condemn us. Show us Your goodness as we study Your Word each day. Shower us with Your love, so we will never be hungry for anything other than You.
In Jesus’ Precious Name, Amen!
Questions for my book:
When you sin, do you give it to God and forgive yourself right away? Or do you punish yourself for a few hours, days, weeks, months, or even years?
When you read the Bible do you feel condemnation or conviction?
I would love to have you share your comments below. I will be using some of them in my next book: Escaping Boredom In Christianity. Please understand I reserve the right to use any comments on this site in my book. But I will not share any personal information in the book (i.e. names, email addresses, websites, etc.).
Thanks for your comments! Be sure to come back next Monday as the series continues.
*If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, please click on the “SALVATION†tab at the top of the website. Don’t wait another day!
*All Bible verses are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.
*Subscribe below to receive email reminders of new posts.
Posted in Ignite The Fire Series, Monday's Blogs and tagged Boredom, Christ, Christianity, condemnation, Fire, God, Holy Spirit, Righteous living by Amanda Beth with
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24 comments.
Monday’s Blog: A Simple Resolution
Welcome to 2012! Every New Year my husband and I make a new set of resolutions for ourselves. But sadly, our resolutions barely make it to February before they’re long forgotten.
One year, my husband and I decided to make a few resolutions together. To help us meet our goals, we wrote them on paper, prayed over them and committed them to the Lord. Then we sealed the paper in an envelope and put it in our safe, agreeing not to open it until the end of the year, on New Year’s Eve. That was two years ago and our resolutions are still sitting in our safe sealed. We didn’t open it because we didn’t meet our goals.
This year, instead of coming up with another resolution that won’t last, I decided to ask God if He had a resolution for me. Instead of committing my own resolutions to the Lord and expecting Him to make them succeed, I committed the whole matter to Him. I knew if God would give me a resolution, He would make it succeed.
So in early December I started praying for my resolution. Then, last week God answered my request as I was listening to a preacher on television. God’s response isn’t something I would have thought to pick for a resolution, but yet it makes perfect sense.
His resolution for me is to simply stop condemning myself.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…
—Romans 8:1
I know we are not condemned in Christ. This isn’t anything new to me. However, the last few months I have been falling hard. I told my husband I feel like I’ve slipped back ten years. All the positive changes God has done in my life seem like they are being stripped away, leaving the old me exposed. That scares me.
I’ve been praying about it, thinking I need to spend more time with God, study and pray more, and trust that He will lift me out of this pit. But as I was listening to the preacher teach on condemnation last week, a light bulb turned on and I saw the root cause of my fall.
I had been slowly allowing myself to be condemned over my misbehavior. And ironically condemnation was causing my misbehavior.
Galatians 5:16-18 says, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.”
Each time my sinful flesh popped up, I should have let the Spirit lead me to receive God’s forgiveness right away. The Spirit would have then drawn me to God and led me away from my flesh.
Instead, I chose to ignore the Spirit and follow my sinful flesh into condemnation. This only caused me to act in opposition to God, which explains why I continued to act worse. I was putting myself under the law that Jesus had already fulfilled.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
—Galatians 5:24-25
So this new year I’m choosing to keep in step with the Spirit. He will lead me away from the acts of my sinful nature and into His righteous fruit.
How about you? Will you choose to give into condemnation, or receive Christ’s atonement for your sins?
It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
—Romans 4:13
Join me and stop striving to receive God’s righteousness. Simply receive it!
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Prayer For The Week
Heavenly Father,
Praise You for not condemning us, but setting us free from the power of sin. We know that You have crucified our sinful nature, and utterly destroyed all it’s power to control us. Help us to keep in step with Your Spirit Who will lead us into Righteous living.
In Jesus’s precious name, Amen!
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*As you receive this message, I encourage you to also study God’s Word daily as the Bereans did in Acts 17:11: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.â€
*If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, please click on the “SALVATION†tab at the top of the website. Don’t wait another day!
*All Bible verses are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.
Posted in Monday's Blogs and tagged condemnation, God, guilt, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Righteous living by Amanda Beth with
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10 comments.
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