“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelations 3:20
So many people have lost their hope because they don’t understand what God’s up to. When things don’t turn out the way they think it should, they get discouraged and quit.
Don’t let that be you, my friend. We were never meant to know the reason. We were meant to know God and trust in Him.
As you sit with Him, and truth is revealed, you must walk in it. Each step you take leads to more truth, which leads to more steps. Eventually, you’ll end up on a landing with a door.
Open the door and find the treasure that awaits you. He’s waiting.
Romans 12:2 GW “Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants—what is good, pleasing, and perfect.”
I’ve always loved the saying, ‘Think outside the box!’ Walt says I don’t just think outside the box, I live there! Well, I guess I’d rather live in a realm where there are few than in a crowded mess.
If I merely want what the world wants, all I’d have to do is follow aimlessly and just fit in, but we are admonished to be different or separate from the world.
As children of the King, we have a purpose that doesn’t fit with the purpose of the world. How do we do that? We can’t just hang around other Christians and be separate. Gods not talking about our dress or physical appearance. It’s not even keeping the big 10. No, it’s not the work we do, but the words we say that make us different from the world.
It’s not the rules but how we love that makes us unique. It’s being a giver instead of a taker. Being a part of something bigger than ourselves by finding our part in the body of Christ and acting and speaking like His sisters and brothers. It’s not our appearance or education, but what we are as someone who dares to be different and whose purpose is to make a mark on others that can’t be erased (in a good way, I hope!).
I want to use my words to bless, not curse, and encourage others to live a life of faith as well. I don’t see things like most folk, I try to gain heavens’ perspective and speak like my Father. You can’t follow me around and imitate me! That would not be good. One Sandy in the world is more than enough. You must read Gods Word and follow after Him.
There’s no shortcut to being a Christian! You simply state, ‘Jesus, I acknowledge your sacrifice for my sin and make you Lord of my life. Be my teacher, I will be your willing student. Show me how to walk and talk like You.’ Then get out the textbook, (The Bible) and begin reading. I recommend getting a translation that you can easily understand and read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John until you get the picture of who Jesus is, what He did and what He asked us to do. The more you know Him, the more like Him you’ll become.
Get ready for life outside the box! Lose your old way of thinking and speaking because in the Kingdom of God, we carry our sword (His Word) and know how to use it to change the world, one life at a time.
Today, I’m reminded of an amazing article I read off Elijah List by Kim Clement entitled, What Have I Created.
It’s all about creative words, and one thing I really loved was this statement: “You can not “un-create” what you’ve already created (or manifested). Remember, in every deed, there is a seed. Our actions create our future, good or bad. It’s your choice.”
When your focus remains on how bad the bad is, you magnify the problem into something it was never created to be in your life. It’s like God spoke to me 46 years ago, “Bad things will happen in your life, but the choice is always yours what you do with them. They can be stumbling blocks to be tripped over the rest of your life or building blocks to take you higher.”
God never intended for our lives to be stuck in poverty, sickness, disease, depression or even neutral. He wants us to change our focus. If you’re stuck in one of these places, I encourage you to pray and ask God what He would have you do to be free, to help you to repurpose the old into new. What’s not producing is useless, and what produces life? The Word of God.
Lord, give us a deep hunger for your Bread of Life. To be passionate about our pursuit of heavenly treasure. True treasure hunters who won’t stop until we find more of you. A word is just a word until revelation is added, and then it comes alive, powerful, and life changing. One word from You can and will change everything if I proclaim it and keepfocusedon You, but I must be a doer of the Word, not just a hearer.
Get up, get moving, don’t give up, my friend. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; Someone out there is waiting for the gift that’s in you. No matter how long it’s been, God will take what Satan meant for bad and use it for His good if you don’t quit.
My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen to my words. Never let them get away from you. Remember them and keep them in your heart. They will give life and health to anyone who understands them. Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. Proverbs 4:20-23
How many know that when you continually think a certain way, it forms habits that are hard to break? This can work for both good things and bad things. Sin isn’t something that happens overnight. No, it’s something you’ve thought about.
God was very clear about our thought life. I can quote so many verses that talk about this very thing; as a man thinks, so is he. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.
Part of Gods instruction to Joshua was; Be sure that the book of the Law is always read in your worship. Study it day and night, and make sure that you obey everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8 GNT
I will make my way prosperous and successful! How, by filling my mind with Gods Word. By thinking on His Word constantly. I call it ‘super-infused’ with the Word. I will only have available to my mouth, the things I put in my heart. I can pray for wisdom till I’m blue in the face, but until I renew my mind, nothing will change.
If you want to know why your life is a mess, go to the Word for a check-up. If your body isn’t lining up with the Word, ask yourself what you’re thinking on. If you’re constantly fearful, begin finding scripture on the peace of God and type them up, read them every day until your mind is renewed, and your confidence in God is secure.
God has done everything He will ever do for us to guarantee our success in life. If you’re looking for your life to change dramatically, begin by reading the Word. Make it the focus of your attention. Make it a priority and watch how things shift in your thinker.
I Kings 18:41-45 ERV “Then Elijah said to King Ahab, “Now go eat and drink. A heavy rain is coming.” So King Ahab went to eat. At the same time, Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. At the top of the mountain, Elijah bent down. He put his head between his knees. Then Elijah said to his servant, “Go up higher and look toward the sea.” The servant went and looked. He came back and said, “I saw nothing.” Elijah told him to go look again. This happened seven times. The seventh time, the servant came back and said, “I saw a small cloud the size of a man’s fist that was coming in from the sea.” Elijah told the servant, “Go tell King Ahab to get his chariot ready and go home now. If he does not leave now, the rain will stop him.” After a short time, the sky was covered with dark clouds. The wind began to blow, and a heavy rain began to fall. Ahab got in his chariot and started back to Jezreel.”
Where are our men and women of faith? Faith to believe that God is a God of His Word and will do what He’s said He will do. We have lost our ability to really see. We look only in the natural and have become lazy in developing our faith. We must not lose hope!
Faith is knowing that what’s been promised will, without a doubt manifest, not in our timing, but when God gets the most benefit from it. We see only our own needs, He sees the multitudes.
Let’s look at Elijah in the story above; He declared to the king that rain was coming. When we hear from God, we hide it, not speaking of it for fear of that people will think we’re crazy, but declare it we must. That is the first key to realizing the promise.
Secondly, he got on his face before God and prayed. He didn’t send his servant once and just gave up. He didn’t say, “Well then, guess I missed it.” No, he sent him 7 times until his servant came back with a report of a very small cloud.
Last but certainly not least, he sent his servant to declare to the king that he needed to leave before the rain stopped him. He didn’t say, “Let’s wait till we see a few more clouds and then tell the king.” No, he was that sure of the Word God had given him. He declared in the beginning what would happen, prayed, then declared it again at the end.
Some of us are holding on to an ancient promise, wondering. Well, wonder no more. Scoop up your faith in God. If you’ve lost it, begin to read stories like this one and tell yourself that God doesn’t do for one and not for another. It’s the enemy that tries to steal, kill, and destroy.
Hold on tight to your confidence in Gods ability to do far more than your tiny mind can imagine. He’s a faithful Father. What He says, He will do!
The man who reads this Book and listens to it being read and obeys what it says will be happy. For all these things will happen soon. Revelation 1:3
There are always directions to everything in life. In our jobs, we’re given duties to perform prior to getting a paycheck. In purchasing a home, you’re expected to put down 20% before the bank finances the rest.
God has directions as well, but we won’t know them if we don’t read His direction manual. We want all the good stuff, all the blessings, and the promises fulfilled, but we seem to have issues with following directions.
Here are just a few directions to think on throughout the day: 1. Love one another. “I give you a new Law. You are to love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you. If you love each other, all men will know you are My followers.” John 13:34-35 2. Give. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38
Love, because God is love. Give, because that’s how His Kingdom works. Read His Word because it contains directions.
If things aren’t going right in your life, get in a habit of reading His Word every day. It will change you into the man or woman God designed you to be. It doesn’t mean everything will be roses and sunshine on the outside, but on the inside, your perspective will change. You will see God’s direction in every twist and turn, every storm, every loss, every pain.
If you want to know God and get direction for your life, read the directions.
Revelation 1:5b-6; To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
I Peter 2:9; But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Did you know that no one can change who you are? You will always be you! You have two donors, your father and your mother, their combined contributions created you. Doesn’t matter if you’re adopted. If your parents have passed away, you are you, and that can not be changed. What you go through and are taught, that shapes you into who you think you are, but the real you is determined by the blood that runs through your veins.
By believing in Jesus Christ and what he did for us on the cross, we become Gods very own people. His Spirit is joined with our spirit, making us a force to be reckoned with. Nothing that happens in life changes the fact that we are kings and priests in the Kingdom of God. The only thing that keeps us from operating in our full authority is that we listen to the wrong voice who deceives us into thinking we are nothing and no one. It never changes WHO we are, but it makes us ineffective and powerless to operate as we were created to.
What would happen if we took our crowns back? What would happen if we spent time with the King having our minds renewed to the truth of who we are and the authority we have? If we allowed our King to show us the treasures of His Kingdom, the riches of His glory, the creative power in our tongues? The resurrection power we possess? Would we live differently? Would we speak differently? Would we love differently? Would we do as He commanded us, to lay hands on the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons? Would we?
Father, we have believed the lie of our enemy, and it has damned us to be powerless and ineffective. We renounce the lie, and we take back the authority you gave us. We take back our rights and privileges. We have been placed in right standing with you because of Jesus and the blood He shed, so we take what is rightfully ours.
According to Ephesians 6:10, we are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. So we clothe ourselves for battle, knowing that this fight has been won. We take up the whole armor of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day we live in, and having done all, to stand. We take back our authority and the power of Your word to wield our sword, the sword of the spirit. We take up our shield of faith to quench every fiery dart Satan may throw our way. It’s in Jesus’ Name and the Blood that is ours to claim, Amen.
II Corinthians 4: 6-7 AMP “For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.”
How do we possess that kind of light? By sitting in the presence of a mighty God and asking Him to reveal Himself to us through His Word. When we understand and use His Word, we are using the treasure in us.
Let’s not hide our treasure, but let’s declare the Word in our daily lives, over our families, our church, and our neighborhoods. We must be light. Our lamps will only burn when they are filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit. Our lights will only be seen when we turn up the flame.
The time has come to let your light shine that it may glorify our Father. Come on! Be a glow stick that every person on the face of the earth may see us burn.
Matthew 6:31-34 GNT; “So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.”
Jesus wants us to know God as a good Father. A good father takes care of and provides for his children, and we are His children. He sent us into the world, not to be like the world, but to be love TO the world so that the world will know Him.
Just focus on doing what He said to do, He will take care of the rest. He has to. He simply can’t go back on His own word. You can toss all your cares on Him because He really does care for you.
Zephaniah 3:17 GW, “The Lord your God is with you. He is a hero who saves you. He happily rejoices over you, renews you with his love, and celebrates over you with shouts of joy.”
When Walt kills a spider or bug for me, I always say, ‘You’re my hero!’ to which he responds with his hands on his hips, ‘Da, da, dahhhh!’ In his superhero musical voice! Always brings a smile to my face and a kiss to his lips, his reward for a valiant rescue!
That may not be super spiritual to you, but it was the first thing that came to my mind when I read this verse. When I think about God happily rejoicing over me, celebrating over me, shouting for joy, it brings a smile to my face. Wow, how often have you just needed to know someone was there for you? Someone loved you enough to rescue you?
That someone is the Lord your God. He’s your hero! I hope that makes you smile, too. I hope that as you think on that word, your mouth does what mine is doing now. I love that God loves me! Let’s go share that love today!
remnantposts by sandy gregory 