eMpower • iMpact • iMpart
“Never be motivated by fear or guilt.”
Flee from anything that is trying to manipulate you to do something if their tactic involves fear or guilt. It is not from God. God motivates with love and mercy. Remember, God has not given us a spirit of fear. Therefore, He doesn’t motivate by fear. He died on the cross to remove our guilt. Therefore it would be counterproductive to motivate by guilt.
It is not our job to change people. People will change when they have a real encounter with Jesus. Our job is to give them an undeniable encounter with God. Once people encounter the power of God, they will never be the same.”
I’m angry with God. I didn’t realize it until yesterday morning driving to work. Most mornings, I worship my way to work. My phone connected and my playlist on shuffle, my worship stylings extend from Sandra Crouch in the 80’s to 90’s Kirk Franklin to today’s Maverick City. But yesterday a song came on and I immediately skipped because it was too painful to sing. It was at that moment...
See Him waiting for you with arms opened wide, His eyes filled with loved, His smile beaming with delight. He is waiting to offer grace, not judgment. Acceptance never rejection. Let His mercy kiss you today.
But she did not just declare peace, she took steps to procure it. "Faithing it" is not toxic positivity or passively waiting. This woman took immediate action in her time of crisis. "Faithing it" involves relying on God while simultaneously obeying His voice. It entails stepping forward in faith, trusting that the path will be made clear. "Faithing it" combines faith with action.
Do you believe His word? Or are you filtering the Word through a doctrine of “just enough”?
Friends, have you ever reacted like Peter in a situation? Tried to fight your own battle? Sought to vindicate yourself? Denied the power of God to protect you? Take heart, my friends. Now is the perfect opportunity to run into the arms of the Lord. Allow him to kiss your boo boo, remind you of the forgiveness He has already secured, lovingly correct you, and assure you that you ARE still His child.
But sometimes the uncomfortableness you feel is God doing a new thing but destroying the old thing to make room. It is god yanking away our complacency to motivate us to move forward. It is God saying, “Let’s go the promised land. You have been in the desert too long.”
“Declutter your life and pray.
Turn off the noise. Fast and pray..”
I also wonder what it was like to carry the presence of the Lord in such a tangible way. I wonder what it felt like to feel the Messiah’s first kick, his heartbeat next to yours, to feel His life within you. I wonder if there were times when Mary couldn’t imagined NOT being chosen?
It was in realizing I was loved unconditionally that I could truly obey. My obedience is a response to His love not a fight for His love.
She thought she had nothing to give. By most standards, she didn’t. In fact, all she had was an obedient heart and a little oil and flour. But God used her little to feed her, her son, and the man of God.