Tag: strengths

Powerful Statement – Worth Sharing

This statement was found among the possessions of a young Zimbabwe, Africa pastor who was martyred for his faith.
Zimbabwe Pastor’s Declaration: My Banner is Clear

I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit power.
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been
made—I’m a disciple of his. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back
away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is
secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees,
colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed
goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits,
or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised,
regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on his presence, walk by
patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my
way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is
clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back,
deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the
maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed
up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus.
I must keep going until he comes, give until I drop, preach until all know,
and work until he stops me. And, when he comes for his own, he will have no
problem recognizing me. My banner will be clear.

Women Are Important To God

Strong Women: May we know them. May we raise them. May we be them.

We live with less power than we have available to us. We can gain access to that power by continuing to learn who we are in Christ and then applying what we learn to how we live.

Beth Moore has said, “We can know so much more than we know”.

Women are important to God and He has a purpose for each of us and wants us to know Him more fully.

We have all experience closed doors and open doors in our life. That is God’s way of leading us. God has a plan for each of us.

11 In him we were also chosen,[a] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:11-12 (NIV)

God chose us and it is through Him that we find out who we are and what our purpose is. He knew us before we knew Him and had plans for us that would give us hope and joy. He will work all things together for His overall purpose and His glory.


Paul during his 1st missionary trip was enjoying success. And then he looked to the north, south, and east but had road blocks. Those closed doors led to an open door in the west. Lydia was there and responded to Paul’s message.

Max Lucado wrote “Is Lydia the reason the Holy Spirit blocked Paul’s path? Was God ready to highlight the value of his daughters? Perhaps. In a culture that enslaved and degraded women, God elevated them to salvation coheirs with men. Proof? The first person in the Western world to receive the Christian promise or host a Christian missionary was a female.”

We are all loved and valued by a gracious God that wants us to know that we are loved. The more we learn about God and draw closer to God, the more we will realize the love He has for us.

Jack Hayford says that those who answer Christ’s call are the freed. The freed then become the freers.

He writes, “Christ’s light seem  to penetrate gradually. Boldness does not come quickly, but only as the freed learn the truth. Ongoing patterns of discovery, then, are needful–a constant challenging of old patterns of thought through growth in the truth. Ignorance is rampant, even among the enlightened. Bondage straps minds, even among the freed. There are power-releasing truths to be discovered. Truths which will become implemented as keys, as the freed become the freers.”

 When we realize what we have in Christ, we need to share it with those that need it. It is something that we should desire for everyone. It is by this process that we can take back ground that was once ours that Satan has stolen from us.

God is working. There is power within reach and if we continue to desire to have more of God in our life, we will see that power work. He won’t just give it to us. God wants us to have it but we have to want it, ask for it and seek it.

Being an Overcomer

While the Israelites were en route to the Red Sea, they spoke against God and against Moses. Numbers 21:4-5

God sent snakes and some died. Others went to Moses and rebuked and asked that the snakes would be taken away. Numbers 21:6-7

Moses prayed and God gave instructions to overcome the snakes bites. He did not take the snakes away. Numbers 21:8-9

In Revelation 3:7-13, the message to the Church in Philadelphia and Revelation 3:14-22, the message to the Church in Laodicea are powerful stories of being an over comer and the benefits that are in store for those that endure.

May 2014 be a year of overcoming.

Two great videos for a positive outlook and encouragement. Both are worth watching.


Weeds and Flowers

We can allow good things into our lives and bad things into our lives. When we have given our life to Christ, He will help us develop the good and help us get rid of the bad. This process will be different for each individual. The difference will be in how God wants to work in the individual’s life. It will depend on their past experience and what God wants to do in their life. The personality and character that the person has will also come into play. God created us and knows the best way to guide us. He has given us a free will and if we choose Christ, He will work to give us the best. The process will also depend on our willingness and commitment. With some, God will choose to take a bunch of obstacles out of our way at one time. With others, He may chose to take one at a time. Whatever way God chooses will work. Don’t compare your walk with what you see in others. Every one of us should be working on something if we are faithfully allowing God to work in our life. We will never achieve perfection this side of eternity so we all have progress to make.

We should be asking God to point out our strong areas so that we can develop those and use them to His glory. Don’t look at others and wish you were in that position. God has a special work for you and when you are ready, He will allow that area of your life to blossom like the flowers. We just need to ask Him daily what is expected of us. He will guide us throughout our day. We should be positive and display an attitude of Christ as we walk through our day wherever that is at this point in our life. If we walk in obedience where we are, we will be led where Christ wants us to be. He will lead us to fulfill the desires of our heart. We may not even clearly know what those desires are but when we get there, the joy and satisfaction will let us know we are in God’s will.

We should be asking God to show us our weakness, to remove any sin in our life that has crept in or never been removed, and to  help us in our daily walk to get rid of the things that hinder us and our purpose. If the bad is not removed, it will grow like weeds. If they remain long enough they get deeply rooted and they grow to become seed that continues to multiply. If we cut the bad stuff out as soon as it is recognized as bad, there is less of a chance of that happening. Get it out of there before it goes to seed.

Dandelions multiply quickly. If we allow them to go to seed they can fill a yard in no time. If we live in a development, they are probably a nuisance. We probably have to use weed killer and continue to keep them under control. This is how it should be with the bad things in our life, constantly keeping it in check. Bitterness, idleness, cheating, envy, and unforgiveness are just a few. If you live in the country, you may have grown accustomed to seeing a field of wild flowers. Dandelions may be something you enjoy. People eat the greens and the flower can actually look great when they cover a field. The good in our life can actually multiply in the same way. We can choose to fertilize and help it to develop. The things we do in our life and with our life will affect our life and those around us. We should be asking God continuously to help us keep the things in our life in order.