First, before I forget, I wanted to let you know that I will be leaving tomorrow for a camping trip with my family and will not be blogging for the next week. I've shared before, that living without my computer is a big struggle for me so this next week will be good for me to go technology free!
Now, on to some really good stuff! We have a friend that has been struggling in her marriage. Mike and I have been talking with and praying with her for quite some time. We shared with her the struggles in our marriage and how God has helped us. Last week, she made her final decision to divorce her husband and it broke our hearts. We both knew that God could change hearts because we experienced how He changed ours.
She had contacted the lawyer and was waiting on paperwork. Mike and I continued to pray for restoration. In one last attempt, I encouraged her to read our Pastor's message from last week on Hosea http://www.pontiacbible.org/index.php?/sermons/more/god_uses_ordinary_people_hosea/. She did and God used that message to change her heart. She was able to see and truly believe that God's love can overcome anything.
Restoration of a marriage - possible
She and her husband have both made the commitment to give their marriage 100% and both desire to make it the best that it can be! In fact, they will be spending the next few days on a vacation for themselves to catch up.
Praise God for His faithfulness and never give up! Nothing is impossible with God
Have a great day and a great week
Christie
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
God never ceases to amaze me. How humbling to realize that the God of the universe takes a moment of His time to speak to me and you.
Just like God has encouraged me to be bold and speak for Him over the past week, again, as I read Acts 6&7 this morning, He speaks again. 6:8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 6:10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
How cool! They couldn't resist God's words that were coming from his mouth!! If it came from Stephen - another ordinary person, just like you and me - it can come from us too! When we are filled with the Spirit of God, we contain power that is unimaginable to us but we choose to put God and His power under our limitations. Stop putting our God in a box! Stop believing that the struggles you face are impossible to overcome! Stop doubting and believe in the God you believe in! Our God is trustworthy, faithful, and good - nothing is impossible with Him.
The restoration of your marriage - possible, the salvation of your children - possible, the forgiveness you are holding back - possible, loving those unloveable people around you -possible, finding the right job for you - possible, telling others about your faith - possible, trusting in our Savior - POSSIBLE
Don't give up --- keep praying and trusting --- it's possible
Christie
Just like God has encouraged me to be bold and speak for Him over the past week, again, as I read Acts 6&7 this morning, He speaks again. 6:8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 6:10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
How cool! They couldn't resist God's words that were coming from his mouth!! If it came from Stephen - another ordinary person, just like you and me - it can come from us too! When we are filled with the Spirit of God, we contain power that is unimaginable to us but we choose to put God and His power under our limitations. Stop putting our God in a box! Stop believing that the struggles you face are impossible to overcome! Stop doubting and believe in the God you believe in! Our God is trustworthy, faithful, and good - nothing is impossible with Him.
The restoration of your marriage - possible, the salvation of your children - possible, the forgiveness you are holding back - possible, loving those unloveable people around you -possible, finding the right job for you - possible, telling others about your faith - possible, trusting in our Savior - POSSIBLE
Don't give up --- keep praying and trusting --- it's possible
Christie
Monday, July 28, 2008
Happy Monday! It's that time again, to get back to work. Well, our family had much to praise God for this weekend. Our daughter accepted Jesus as her Savior on Saturday!!!!! Praise God - I've been doing a happy dance ever since. We've been talking about it for a few weeks. I think the death of gramps may have made her think harder about it but we were in the car Saturday morning and she had hoped that her dad could be with us, but she was ready. I didn't want to waste one more minute, so I pulled the car over and we prayed together. It was the highlight of my life - to pray with my daughter for her salvation!! WooHoo - can you tell I'm so excited!!! I was also 12 when I accepted Christ and was baptized but found myself soon after falling away from God as satan worked hard on me. I do not want her to fall into the same trap, so I continue to pray for God to strengthen her and for Him to show me and my husband how to nurture her faith. I would appreciate you prayers on her behalf.
Something else I would like to share with you as I read Acts 4. Verse 41 says: "Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name." The apostles had been preaching the good news and as punishment they had been beaten and put in prison - more than once. No matter what others did to them or threatened them with, they never stopped telling about Jesus. They rejoiced because they suffered. Can you say the same? I find myself being intimidated and quieted over much smaller things than what the apostles went through - people who I think know more than me, people who I know that have already rejected God, people who mock me, people that I want to impress. You and I must continue to pray for boldness to overcome whatever it is that quiets us.
Do you feel like rejoicing when you are in the midst of suffering for the sake of God? I have found that I can rejoice when the suffering is over and I look back to see what it taught me or changed myself or someone else but rejoicing while in the midst of it is another thing. As missionaries for Christ, the apostles rejoiced over their suffering. We must make the choice to follow their example because it should be an honor to suffer as Christ suffered. Are you suffering for who you are? Don't give up - give praise!
Have a great day
Christie
Something else I would like to share with you as I read Acts 4. Verse 41 says: "Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name." The apostles had been preaching the good news and as punishment they had been beaten and put in prison - more than once. No matter what others did to them or threatened them with, they never stopped telling about Jesus. They rejoiced because they suffered. Can you say the same? I find myself being intimidated and quieted over much smaller things than what the apostles went through - people who I think know more than me, people who I know that have already rejected God, people who mock me, people that I want to impress. You and I must continue to pray for boldness to overcome whatever it is that quiets us.
Do you feel like rejoicing when you are in the midst of suffering for the sake of God? I have found that I can rejoice when the suffering is over and I look back to see what it taught me or changed myself or someone else but rejoicing while in the midst of it is another thing. As missionaries for Christ, the apostles rejoiced over their suffering. We must make the choice to follow their example because it should be an honor to suffer as Christ suffered. Are you suffering for who you are? Don't give up - give praise!
Have a great day
Christie
Friday, July 25, 2008
Are you bold? Are you bold by the world's standards of arrogance and inconsideration or by God's standards of the ability to share Him with others irregardless of what they may think or say of you?
In Acts 4 Peter and John were teaching with boldness. In fact, thousands, yes, I said thousands of people had come to saving faith because of their boldness.
After they were arrested and imprisoned, they were told to leave and not to tell of Jesus or the miracles that they had performed in His name.
So what did they do in their boldness? They explained that they couldn't, not tell. They had to.
Then they got together and prayed for more boldness, asking the Holy Spirit to fill them. They were filled and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Can you tell what the moral of the story is? BE BOLD! BE BOLD!
I struggle with wanting to please people, I struggle with wanting to have a strong relationship with someone before I talk to them about God, I struggle with being intimidated - not so bold am I.
Lord, please help me and others who struggle with being bold. Give us the courage to stand firm in our knowledge of You. Give us the strength to resist being people pleasers and being intimidated by others. We want to be so passionate about You that we can't, not tell. In Jesus Name, Amen
Have a great day and a great weekend
Christie
In Acts 4 Peter and John were teaching with boldness. In fact, thousands, yes, I said thousands of people had come to saving faith because of their boldness.
After they were arrested and imprisoned, they were told to leave and not to tell of Jesus or the miracles that they had performed in His name.
So what did they do in their boldness? They explained that they couldn't, not tell. They had to.
Then they got together and prayed for more boldness, asking the Holy Spirit to fill them. They were filled and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Can you tell what the moral of the story is? BE BOLD! BE BOLD!
I struggle with wanting to please people, I struggle with wanting to have a strong relationship with someone before I talk to them about God, I struggle with being intimidated - not so bold am I.
Lord, please help me and others who struggle with being bold. Give us the courage to stand firm in our knowledge of You. Give us the strength to resist being people pleasers and being intimidated by others. We want to be so passionate about You that we can't, not tell. In Jesus Name, Amen
Have a great day and a great weekend
Christie
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Let todays devotion from "God Calling" speak to your heart -
"Keep close to Me and you shall know the Way because, as I said to My disciples, I am the Way. That is the solution to all earth's problems.
Keep close, very close to Me. Think, act and live in My presence.
How dare any foe touch you, protected by Me! That is the secret of all Power, all Peace, all Purity, all influence, the keeping very near to Me.
Abide in Me. Live in My presence. Rejoice in My love. Thank and praise all the time. Wonders are unfolding."
You ask - "can it really be this easy?" Absolutely! God has made it this easy for His simple-minded children but it is us that try to make it harder than it is. The answer to life's questions: Keep close to your Maker
As I read this devotion this morning, the word purity stuck out at me again. I had just posted about purity on Friday and God has brought it back to mind several times since. When I attended an Apples of Gold class, I learned that a spiritual definition of purity would be: The moral excellence I demonstrate in my life as I consistency do what is right. So, basically doing the right thing, rather than the thing that feels good. Purity involves thoughts, words and actions.
I think that God is and has been teaching me that my purity is a great part of keeping close to Him. When in midst of sin, whether it be in thoughts, words or actions, I am not connected and close to God but when I am consistently making self-controlled choices that please Him, we are close.
Purity is also the process in which you and I will gain trust from people.
In Acts 3:26 it says "God, having raised up His servant, sent Him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness."
God is not trying to keep you from doing what you want, He wants to bless you for turning from your wickedness. Will your choice for purity, allow God to bless you today??
Have a great day
Christie
"Keep close to Me and you shall know the Way because, as I said to My disciples, I am the Way. That is the solution to all earth's problems.
Keep close, very close to Me. Think, act and live in My presence.
How dare any foe touch you, protected by Me! That is the secret of all Power, all Peace, all Purity, all influence, the keeping very near to Me.
Abide in Me. Live in My presence. Rejoice in My love. Thank and praise all the time. Wonders are unfolding."
You ask - "can it really be this easy?" Absolutely! God has made it this easy for His simple-minded children but it is us that try to make it harder than it is. The answer to life's questions: Keep close to your Maker
As I read this devotion this morning, the word purity stuck out at me again. I had just posted about purity on Friday and God has brought it back to mind several times since. When I attended an Apples of Gold class, I learned that a spiritual definition of purity would be: The moral excellence I demonstrate in my life as I consistency do what is right. So, basically doing the right thing, rather than the thing that feels good. Purity involves thoughts, words and actions.
I think that God is and has been teaching me that my purity is a great part of keeping close to Him. When in midst of sin, whether it be in thoughts, words or actions, I am not connected and close to God but when I am consistently making self-controlled choices that please Him, we are close.
Purity is also the process in which you and I will gain trust from people.
In Acts 3:26 it says "God, having raised up His servant, sent Him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness."
God is not trying to keep you from doing what you want, He wants to bless you for turning from your wickedness. Will your choice for purity, allow God to bless you today??
Have a great day
Christie
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Good morning all my bloggy friends! I hope today finds you connecting closer with our Lord than ever before.
In the second chapter of Acts, the apostles were together on the day of Pentecost and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began speaking in other tongues and the people were amazed that they could understand the apostles in their own languages. Or should I say, some were amazed - others began mocking them saying that they were drunk.
I was reminded of how many times I have been ridiculed for doing what I knew God wanted me to do. Sometimes people were intentionally trying to hurt me and sometimes innocently, bringing me down - I have to remember that I'm not the only one who has suffered, misunderstanding.
I thought of a particular instance in which a woman saw a flyer that I would be speaking at her church. When she saw where I was from, she asked a friend about me from the same town. She was told that I may be a good speaker but to watch out for what I may be teaching. I was one of "those women" who allows their husband to lead their household. Did it sting my heart that someone was talking negatively about me? Sure, but I soon got over it and felt honored to find out that I was being ridiculed for obeying God.
I'm sure you have experienced similar situations with work, family or friends as you seek to follow our Lord. I would love to hear your stories and how you deal with them.
Have a great day
Christie
Here's a great post from my friend LuAnn Prater:
I’ve really been focusing on this word expect. When my expectations fall on unsuspecting subjects like my husband, my kids, my family or friends, the same results will inevitably occur. Disappointment! After all they are just like me, flawed! At some point they will let me down because they are dealing with their own issues, their own struggles, their own LIFE! I dug into the Word again to look for more meaning. Isaiah 64:3-4 tells us, “For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. I wonder why it is so easy to expect things from people, but we put God in a box. We expect our husband to know what we are thinking, our kids to know how to behave, our friends to know we need a listening ear, and yet we don't want to 'bother' God with our daily needs. huh? Does that even make logical sense?Remember my neighbor who had surgery on the 10th? A couple of days after she came home she asked for prayer. It seems a bruise had developed on her side that ran from under her arm to her waist. They hadn’t noticed it before and it was large and extremely discolored. Since she had just gotten home from the hospital she really hesitated to call the doctor for fear he would tell her to go back. Her husband insisted if they did not see improvement by morning they were calling the doctor. We prayed.She emailed me this note: One for the Praise book. My side looked really bad Tues evening, but by Wed, when I asked Bob to check it, it was completely gone, white skin returned. No sign of anything having been there. We still don't know if it was a bad bruise or more like a burn, but God didn't have to look in a treatment book to see how to cure it.It was another ah-ha (V-8) moment. Reminds me of the hold hymn that says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”Today I will DO, SERVE, LOVE, GIVE, HELP, OFFER, EXTEND to others without expecting anything in return. However at the same time I will expect, anticipate, hope for all the Lord wants to pour out on me today! Have people let you down? God never will.
In the second chapter of Acts, the apostles were together on the day of Pentecost and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began speaking in other tongues and the people were amazed that they could understand the apostles in their own languages. Or should I say, some were amazed - others began mocking them saying that they were drunk.
I was reminded of how many times I have been ridiculed for doing what I knew God wanted me to do. Sometimes people were intentionally trying to hurt me and sometimes innocently, bringing me down - I have to remember that I'm not the only one who has suffered, misunderstanding.
I thought of a particular instance in which a woman saw a flyer that I would be speaking at her church. When she saw where I was from, she asked a friend about me from the same town. She was told that I may be a good speaker but to watch out for what I may be teaching. I was one of "those women" who allows their husband to lead their household. Did it sting my heart that someone was talking negatively about me? Sure, but I soon got over it and felt honored to find out that I was being ridiculed for obeying God.
I'm sure you have experienced similar situations with work, family or friends as you seek to follow our Lord. I would love to hear your stories and how you deal with them.
Have a great day
Christie
Here's a great post from my friend LuAnn Prater:
I’ve really been focusing on this word expect. When my expectations fall on unsuspecting subjects like my husband, my kids, my family or friends, the same results will inevitably occur. Disappointment! After all they are just like me, flawed! At some point they will let me down because they are dealing with their own issues, their own struggles, their own LIFE! I dug into the Word again to look for more meaning. Isaiah 64:3-4 tells us, “For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. I wonder why it is so easy to expect things from people, but we put God in a box. We expect our husband to know what we are thinking, our kids to know how to behave, our friends to know we need a listening ear, and yet we don't want to 'bother' God with our daily needs. huh? Does that even make logical sense?Remember my neighbor who had surgery on the 10th? A couple of days after she came home she asked for prayer. It seems a bruise had developed on her side that ran from under her arm to her waist. They hadn’t noticed it before and it was large and extremely discolored. Since she had just gotten home from the hospital she really hesitated to call the doctor for fear he would tell her to go back. Her husband insisted if they did not see improvement by morning they were calling the doctor. We prayed.She emailed me this note: One for the Praise book. My side looked really bad Tues evening, but by Wed, when I asked Bob to check it, it was completely gone, white skin returned. No sign of anything having been there. We still don't know if it was a bad bruise or more like a burn, but God didn't have to look in a treatment book to see how to cure it.It was another ah-ha (V-8) moment. Reminds me of the hold hymn that says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”Today I will DO, SERVE, LOVE, GIVE, HELP, OFFER, EXTEND to others without expecting anything in return. However at the same time I will expect, anticipate, hope for all the Lord wants to pour out on me today! Have people let you down? God never will.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
I had the opportunity last night to record a demo cd of my keynote message. I hope and pray that God will be able to use my voice to impact those who listen to the cd. Let me know if you would like to receive a copy.
I was reading in the first chapter of the book of Acts today. In the 14th verse, it says "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer...." It stopped me in my tracks as I read. It was referring to Jesus' disciples who in chapter 26 were then referred to as apostles. Disciples are followers or learners and apostles are messengers or missionaries. They were disciples while Jesus was on the earth, teaching them - He went back to heaven - they were devoting themselves to prayer - and then went out as apostles to share the good news. It is our job, now, to be apostles - can you say that you are meeting with those of like mind to BE CONTINUALLY DEVOTED TO PRAYER? I can't, I want to - but it is such a good reminder of how we should be prepared to shine Jesus' light into this dark world - through continual prayer.
I heard a friend speak of the power of God that she has experienced through the prayers of her and her prayer partner. I encourage you to find one prayer partner or more, and be continually devoted to prayer. It is our most powerful tool.
Have a great day
Christie
I was reading in the first chapter of the book of Acts today. In the 14th verse, it says "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer...." It stopped me in my tracks as I read. It was referring to Jesus' disciples who in chapter 26 were then referred to as apostles. Disciples are followers or learners and apostles are messengers or missionaries. They were disciples while Jesus was on the earth, teaching them - He went back to heaven - they were devoting themselves to prayer - and then went out as apostles to share the good news. It is our job, now, to be apostles - can you say that you are meeting with those of like mind to BE CONTINUALLY DEVOTED TO PRAYER? I can't, I want to - but it is such a good reminder of how we should be prepared to shine Jesus' light into this dark world - through continual prayer.
I heard a friend speak of the power of God that she has experienced through the prayers of her and her prayer partner. I encourage you to find one prayer partner or more, and be continually devoted to prayer. It is our most powerful tool.
Have a great day
Christie
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