Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
1 John 3:2 NASB

I just had a very dear and long time friend/sister who went home to be with Jesus. My sister had been her nurse and caretaker as long as Walt and I have been married.

It’s difficult to fill the void that person leaves behind. I’m thankful that Jesus said He wouldn’t leave us or forsake us. He’s with us always, even to the ends of the earth.

Whatever situation you face, Jesus can fill the emptiness you’re feeling right now. Call out to Him. Say, Jesus, I need you. I’m lonely and need to feel your arms around me. Comfort me as my world adjusts itself around me.

Thank you Lord. I know I’ll behold you soon and all my friends and family who have gone before me. I look forward to that day. Amen

Then Jesus said, “Be brave and don’t be afraid. I am here!” 

Peter shouted out, “Lord, if it’s really you, then have me join you on the water!”

“Come and join me,”  Jesus replied.

So Peter stepped out onto the water and began to walk toward Jesus. But when he realized how high the waves were, he became frightened and started to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he cried out.

Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and lifted him up and said, “What little faith you have! Why would you let doubt win?” Matthew 14:27:31 TPT

Peter had the right focus when he stepped out of the boat and began walking toward Jesus on the water. But than, his focus changed to the high seas and he began to sink.

Thinking this morning of the many times I’ve jumped out of the boat and began to run with the vision only to be distracted by situations that overwhelmed me. There’s an old song that came to me this morning, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.”

All I need is the grace of God to do what he’s called me to do. II Corinth 12:9 Phillips version says it so well, “My grace is enough for you: for where there is weakness, my power is shown the more completely.”

And isn’t that what it’s all about? Hidden in Him, we decrease so He is more visible? Our obedience gains us His power.

Father, in the middle of my storm when the waves are breaking over me, I will close my eyes so I can see You in all your glory. May that vision be enough to carry me through. I love You. I trust You. You are all I need.

Sandy G

Have you ever faced something that seemed way over your ability to deal with? Overwhelmed, broken, defeated, there are sometimes that things just look impossible! It seems like that, because it’s all we can see. It consumes our vision each time we open our eyes, it takes up all our thoughts when we close our eyes, there’s just no escaping the problem.

King Jehoshaphat faced a similar situation in II Chronicles 20. Verses 6-12 we hear him crying out and reminding God of all He’s done for them and he ends with, “but our eyes are upon You.” Hear what the Lord answered in verse 15b, “Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’ Then he gives them instruction on what to do in verse 17, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

But the very best part of this story is found in verse 18, “And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.”

Do you see that? When you trust in the Lord with all your heart, you will remind God of His promises, wait for His instruction and then worship Him. There’s a tendency to run and do without being thankful.

Remember when Jesus healed 10 lepers, but only one came back to worship and thank him. The 9 were healed, but only one was made whole. Restoration comes when we worship.

I’m not going to be satisfied with a part of my salvation, I want it all. I worship you, my King. Thankful for your Word over my dilemma that moments before obstructed my view of You. May my worship usher in my victory over my enemies today.

I was speaking to my friend about signs, wonders and miracles, how close we are to seeing them manifested and the Holy Spirit gave me this verse: Deut 30:14-“But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your mind and in your heart, so that you can do it.”

We have the Word in us and we must speak it. His Word is alive, powerful, but kept in containers not made with hands, that’s us! We must open our mouths and declare that blind eyes are open, deaf ears hear, and the dead rise.

If we truly believe what we read, we will tell it and trust God to watch over his Word to do it. If you had a disease with no cure and came to me, would you want my sympathy or the Word in me that heals? What brought the crowds to Jesus? His reputation to use the power in Him by speaking the Word out loud. The Word to save, heal and deliver.

The same power that raised Christ from the dead is in us via the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t want to just live in us to make us feel good, He has a purpose, to give us power over all the power of the enemy. So in the words of Jesus: Go! Do!

Freely you have received, freely give!

Sandy G

“You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.” Mark 13:35-36

It’s not up to your pastor to keep watch for you while you go out and do your own thing. It’s not your parents responsibility to watch for you. It’s up to you! You must watch. It’s up to you to be ready. Get dressed, you know the wedding is soon, don’t be caught unaware.

You’ve been warned! You can’t just say you didn’t know, because you do! Don’t live like there’s no responsibility. Jesus said to be ready. You putting it off for tomorrow doesn’t mean He’ll wait for you.

Matthew 7:21-23 says, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ ”

People get ready, Jesus is coming soon we’ll be goin home. People get ready Jesus is comin to take from the world His own…..

Watching with you,

Sandy G

If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. Jn 8:31-32

There is absolutely nothing more liberating than truth! God gave us His Word so that when we read it, our eyes would be open and we would see it as clear as day. Yet I see so many still operating in the dark with their flashlight sitting at home on their nightstand.

Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I will not walk without the light of Your Word directing my steps. I can’t afford to walk out of the will of God just so I can do what ‘feels’ good to me for a moment.

“Open the eyes of my heart Lord, Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see you. I want to see you.”

Happy Monday!

Sandy G

Today’s Word is: Complacent pleased, especially with oneself or one’s merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied.

Matthew 25:1-13 tells a story of 10 virgins who camped out waiting for the bridegroom. 5 had planned for the occasion, taking extra oil for their lamps. 5 were self-satisfied.

Luke 24:49, 500 were given the promise of power but only 120 (Acts 2) were committed to partner with the Promise until they received power from on high.

Which group do you fit in with? Satisfied with what you have and where you are, or desperate enough to stay and pray until you get what you’re expecting? Easy or hard? Complacent or desperate?

I’m taking inventory of my life, my attitude and my hunger level. This is not a game to me, it’s my life and the outcome depends on my ability to trust in the One who is in me. So if I appear to be overly focused on the task at hand, please understand that I’m in it to win. The oil I have remains full because of the time I spend in the Word and prayer. I don’t fast 6 days and fill up on Sunday, I fill up each day and party and feast on Sunday.

I know this is a challenging word. You don’t have to ‘like’ it, but I hope that when you read it, your self satisfaction turns into desperation for Holy Fire that never burns out.

Have you ever had a ‘wow’ moment? You know, something happens that’s totally unexpected that just blows your mind. It’s hard to imagine, isn’t it?

Well, I feel like that’s what God’s getting ready to do. He wants to wow us.

If you’re at your lowest point, scraping the bottom of the barrel, needing a breakthrough miracle like never before in your life, you’re right at the place where God can wow you. You see, if you were able to do it, you wouldn’t need the intervention of God so that’s why I say, He has you where He needs you to be so that there’s no way on earth anyone will get glory but Him.

II Kings 4 tells a story of a widow who was deep in debt and about to lose her boys as indentured slaves. The prophet showed up and asked her, “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”

“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.

So he instructs her to gather as many empty vessels as she can get, borrow from neighbors (who she probably owed already), shut yourself up in the house and begin to pour from your flask of oil until they’re all filled. So she did. She obeyed and got paid.

What would have happened if she had over thought the command? Reasoned out the impossibility of that ever happening. How many of us, because we just couldn’t ‘see’ how that could ever happened, have talked ourselves out of our greatest miracle?

Listen, I firmly believe that if we would simply spend time in Gods presence, listen and obey even when it makes no sense, not only would we see breakthrough for us, but we’d position ourselves to be part of breakthrough for others.

I have no problem looking foolish, acting foolish or being foolish if it will bring glory to His Kingdom. I’m ready for a wow day!

Sandy G

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield. Psalms 5:12

We ask for your favor, Lord. Not that it rain down on us, but that it would wrap around us as a shield, protecting us, keeping us, and directing us.

Favor that touches every aspect of our lives, health, relationships, connections, business, finances and family. Favor on our jobs, in our homes, on our pastors, and in our churches. Open doors that previously remained stubbornly closed, allowing us to move forward in your plans and purposes.

Victory for battles! Promotion! Transfer! Lord, let Your ear be attentive to this Your servant.

I prophesy favor, as You have told me to do, now Great Provider, do as only You can do. Blow from the north, the south, the east and the west. We will stand this day and see the salvation of our God for You are faithful to Your Word and You are moved by our faith and trust in You. You will not allow our enemies to triumph over us.

It’s in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen

In Esther chapter 2 after Queen Vashti refused to attend her king, we find he sent out his servants into the kingdom to find beautiful, young virgins who would be prepared to be King Ahasuerus’ new queen.

Which made me think of our King, Jesus, having lost the heart and obedience of His Queen, has gone out searching throughout the earth to find those with a pure heart, so they may be prepared to show off His power and glory.

He doesn’t care about their social standing, age or rank in life. He’s pulling them off the streets, from abusive homes, from prisons, the highways and byways of life because His own have made excuses and are just too busy with their life in this world to do His bidding. He’s preparing a people who will set aside their agenda for His own, who will leave father and mother, sister and brother for the sake of the Kingdom. Those whose hearts follow hard after Him will be those who gain access to the inner courts of the King.

I want to be a part of that.

Those who hesitate, the bible makes it abundantly clear, will not take part in the Kingdom of God but will be left behind. What has captured your heart? Everyday I ask God to show me any area where there is the least bit of hesitation. It’s one thing to say, “I’ll go anywhere you send me!” It’s yet another to actually go.

To be a part of a body of believers who perhaps smell bad, look bad, are too weird, speak in tongues, or are just uncomfortable to be around, that’s exactly where I want to be. Some people wear their yuck on the outside, others on the inside.

Jesus, more than anything in this world, I need you. Without you, I’m lost. Wrap yourself around me and transform my yuck into something You can use. Take me I’m Yours. Every bit of my yuck is Yours to beautify. I will yield to the treatments for a night with you. May I lose myself and find You.

Sandy G