Jesus had his disciples and the crowd gather around him. And he said to them: “If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely disown your own life. And you must be willing to share my cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to my ways.  For if you let your life go for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, you will continually experience true life.” Mark 8:34-35 TPT

If you have ever heard anyone say to you, “Happy Memorial Day!” they truly don’t grasp the meaning of this day. It saddens me that so many just look at it as another holiday, another day off work. Well that’s no where close to what the meaning of this holiday is all about.

It’s not even about honoring our Veterans. That is called Veterans Day.

It’s not about Independence Day (July 4th). That’s celebrating the day we became an independent nation no longer dependent on Mother England.

Memorial Day is the day we honor those who gave their lives to keep our nation free. It’s thanking the families of those who lost loved ones to pay that price for us. It’s a solemn day. A day to reflect and remember. A day to be grateful for those who did what we could not or would not.

Honor our men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. Thank the families they left behind and never forget.

Sandy G

Don’t set the affections of your heart on this world or in loving the things of the world. The love of the Father and the love of the world are incompatible. 1 John 2:15 TPT

Perhaps that is what Jesus meant when He said that we are in the world but not of the world. There is simply no comparison between Gods other worldly love and the love you experience in the world. If you can’t tell the difference, you’ve not experienced the Love of God.

Those who have learned to praise God through the hard times are those who know the difference because they’ve experienced the light of His love. They’ve learned that even in the dark, He brings a light that can’t be turned off.

I hope you’ve been encouraged this week in the Word with me. It always challenges me to stay in the light so that others can find their way to Him. You are indeed loved and appreciated more than you’ll ever know. Not only by God, but by me as well.

I will continue to pray for you as you reach out your arms and lay consumed in His love this weekend.

Sandy G

(Speaking of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah) These heroes all died still clinging to their faith, not even receiving all that had been promised them. But they saw beyond the horizon the fulfillment of their promises and gladly embraced it from afar. They all lived their lives on earth as those who belonged to another realm. For clearly, those who live this way  are longing for the appearing of a heavenly city. And if their hearts were still remembering what they left behind, they would have found an opportunity to go back. But they couldn’t turn back for their hearts were fixed on what was far greater, that is, the heavenly realm! Hebrews 11:13-16 TPT

Interesting in this version for sure. They saw beyond the now the fulfillment of their promises and gladly embraced it from afar. They lived their lives as those who belonged to another realm.

I remember a sermon once about how we are ambassadors of the Kingdom of God and were sent to represent Him in the earth. That our lives are not our own for we were bought with the highest price. I believe that is why all of those great men and women of faith obtained their promise. Perhaps not the total, for some was left to future generations.

Everytime I hear the question; Why didn’t God come through for me? I think of these verses. God did come through for you. Perhaps not in the way you wanted, or even the way you would have done it, but it’s not about your plans, it’s about His. Will you trust Him regardless of the path He chooses for you? Will you continue to believe even through the loss? The pain?

What you see as a deficit today, just may end up being your greatest breakthrough. If trusting in Who you cannot see gets Him the greatest glory, are you willing to walk that path? The three Hebrew children stood before 1000’s and chose to not bow. They made the right choice even though they were tossed in the fiery furnace. What did they gain? You tell me!

I believe they gained an experience no one else came close to in that time. They were accompanied by the Son of God. Gods Word in the flesh stood in the fire and they came out with no smell of smoke on them.

Regardless of the outcome, you must be so focused on His Kingdom and His plans that you know without a doubt that Jesus is in the middle of your current situation with you. He’ll never leave you, never, ever, ever! Take a moment and thank Him for that alone.

Keep Your Eyes On His Kingdom-Not Yours,

Sandy G

You love to distort, devour, and deceive, using your sly tongue to spin the truth. Psalm 52:4 TPT

I don’t know who you are or what’s happening to you but let me just say this; the devil is on the prowl, trying to devour your hope, your promise, your faith in God and even your victory.

I’ve heard some pretty scary, crazy stories from friends and friends of friends that are facing crisis after crisis after crisis. We’re living in a time where the enemy isn’t choosy, but if you have a prayer life and know your authority, he’s after you big time!

Don’t allow his voice to speak louder than Gods. Pull out the stone God gave you. That’s right. Now put it in the sling and begin to swing it round and round. Take aim. Release! Now see your enemy on the ground under your feet, his head in hand, defeated. Hang on my friend. Help is on the way.

Jesus gave us the victory over all the power of the enemy so that nothing will hurt you. That’s right, because that’s what Jesus did for you. Don’t walk with your head down, focused on your feet. Lift up your eyes. Help is on the way. Jesus! By your side, hand in yours.

Father, in the name of Jesus and by His shed blood, we come against the schemes of the enemy to try to take our children, our grandchildren, our family, our finances and our hope. We come against every taunting spirit that would try to lift its ugly head against your sons and daughters. We ask that at this very moment, breakthrough would be come and you would quickly spring the traps the enemy has tried to spring on your children.

Let hope arise once more in the hearts of Your own. May discouragement be banished right now! In the mighty and matchless name of Jesus. Amen!

MY FRIENDS, YOU ARE NEVER ALONE!

Sandy G

God, you are my righteousness, my Champion Defender. Answer me when I cry for help! Whenever I was in distress, you enlarged me. I’m being squeezed again—I need your kindness right away! Grant me your grace, hear my prayer, and set me free! Psalm 4:1 TPT

Ever feel squeezed? You know, like an orange when you get the juice out, it must be squeezed. Well, when we ask God to make us more like him, seems like everything that stands in our way of accomplishing that goal gets squeezed out of us.

The process to rid us of pride will expose some very ugly areas. How we deal with that process is detrimental to taking on the nature of Christ.

I like how Francis Frangipane says it: “But before God can truly use us, in one way or another we will pass through a time of threshing.”

Have you ever watched the ancient art of threshing? Google it. The hull must be removed for the wheat to be used. Our hard exterior must be removed so that the good part of us is exposed and that is the part He can use.

Father, remove all of the pride from my life. You have exposed it for me to deal with but not alone. I need you! I humble myself under your mighty hand so that you may get the greatest use of me, your servant. I surrender my name so that I may be one with you.

Yours Alone,

Sandy G

“Just remember, when the unbelieving world hates you, they first hated me. If you were to give your allegiance to the world, they would love and welcome you as one of their own. But because you won’t align yourself with the values of this world, they will hate you. I have chosen you and taken you out of the world to be mine. So remember what I taught you, that a servant isn’t superior to his master.  And since they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. And if they obey my teachings, they will also obey yours. They will treat you this way because you are mine,  and they don’t know the One who sent me.” John 15:18-21 TPT

Have you ever been hated? I mean truly hated. Not just because you rubbed people the wrong way, or possibly offended someone, but really hated because of who you are? I don’t know that I have been, to my knowledge anyway. Most people just drop out of your life or choose not to be around you and that’s never bothered me.

But hate that goes a bit beyond dislike, I think we’ve been blatantly seeing that in our own nation for the past 5 years. Especially in those who hold fast to the Love of Jesus. You can call it what you want, but persecution happens, and it’s hate vs love that usually causes it to happen.

Jesus was so clear about it when He said, “Just remember, when the unbelieving world hates you, they first hated me.” Basically, it’s not you, it’s Him in you that they hate. There’s nothing that can soften the heart entrenched in hate when they stubbornly hold fast to that hate. God will not be a dictator, He always allows us to choose even when it hurts His heart to do so.

So what can we do about it? Absolutely nothing! Just stay connected to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Even when we don’t understand what’s happening, keep loving. Don’t allow your vision to be distracted by the wars, battles or skirmishes that are happening around the world. Pray for those in the battle and keep doing what Jesus commanded you to do; Love one another as He loved us and gave His life for us.

He showed us that it’s all about the Father’s plan and our part in it. We cannot allow ourselves to be drawn into the trap the enemy has set. To lure us into his web this late in the game would be detrimental and destructive to the plans of God, our Father and His redeeming grace.

It’s hard and I don’t like it one bit, but I’ll set my heart to run the race, looking to Jesus, my prize.

Sandy G

“You show that you are my intimate friends when you obey all that I command you. I have never called you ‘servants,’ because a master doesn’t confide in his servants, and servants don’t always understand what the master is doing. But I call you my most intimate and cherished friends, for I reveal to you everything that I’ve heard from my Father. You didn’t choose me, but I’ve chosen  and commissioned you to go into the world  to bear fruit. And your fruit will last, because whatever you ask of my Father, for my sake, he will give it to you! So this is my parting command: Love one another deeply!” John 15:14-17 TPT

I wanted to finish up the week with the continuation of John 15:14-17 because these words sum up for us the biggest part of the commissioning; Love one another deeply!

After spending some time in these verses, I saw something I don’t think I’ve seen before. It’s the love of God that gives us power over all the power of the enemy. Think about it. If love can cover a multitude of sin, that’s powerful. If the Love of God can change Saul the persecutor into Paul the evangelist, that’s powerful. If that same Love can change you, that’s powerful.

That parting command yanked my chain this morning. It’s one thing to love those who love us, it’s quite another to love those who try us, disagree with us and simply make life difficult for us. I don’t know about you, but that is draining. It zaps your peace, your joy and stresses you out big time! I don’t like that feeling.

Someone once said, if satan can’t steal your joy, he can’t take your goods. Well I’m going to take it up a notch; if you allow him to lower your love gage, he can take away your goods, your peace and your joy. Perhaps that’s why Jesus ended with that. To show us the importance of loving others as He loves us.

My prayer today is simple; Father, may the love you placed in me be fanned today so that the flames of it burn off the hate in others. May they be so affected by it that they begin to infect others. May the depth of it be so big that as I enter the room, everyone sees the light being reflected from me.

It’s all for Your Glory, Amen

Sandy G

“I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches.  As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless. If a person is separated from me, he is discarded; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire to be burned. But if you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask  whatever you desire and it will be done. When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father!” John 15:5-8 TPT

Just continuing on from yesterday. In this set of verses, Jesus talks about how powerless we become when we live our lives separated from Him. He tells us how important it is to live in union with Him as our source. It’s out of this inner source that we see results to our prayers.

Jesus was fully convinced that God’s Word was alive and powerful, always at work in Him to bring to pass the things He spoke. It’s that agreement with the living Word, powerfully working in us, that causes what we say to come to pass.

I want to live that kind of life. Fully persuaded that He who began a good work in me, is faithful to complete it. He never leave anything 1/2 done–it would be us that gives up and quits along the way.

May my life bring glory to my Father.

Sandy G

“I am a true sprouting vine, and the farmer who tends the vine is my Father. He cares for the branches connected to me by lifting and propping up the fruitless branches and pruning every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest. The words I have spoken over you have already cleansed you. So you must remain in life-union with me, for I remain in life-union with you. For as a branch severed from the vine will not bear fruit, so your life will be fruitless unless you live your life intimately joined to mine.” John 15:1-4 TPT

Did you like that? I did. It speaks of how important it is to live a fruitful life and how it’s only possible when we remain connected to the vine. Not just connected, but intimately connected.

I believe that bearing fruit is the most important thing in our lives. Fruitless lives are worthless lives. When we cease to be fruit bearers, our usefulness to God ceases as well. He will quickly prune the dead branches away so new growth can come up and bear fruit.

Perhaps that’s why I’m still working. I never know what lives I touch and encourage along the way. It’s not about me, it’s about Him. Intimacy is the fertilizer to fruit bearers. Are you one?

Me too!

Sandy G

For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town. As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Luke 8:27b-28a.

I can’t say that this has ever happened to me. I’ve worked with the homeless before, made some people feel uncomfortable, but never had them scream when they saw me. That would be a life altering experience, for sure!

I’ve always wanted to be like Jesus, but the thought of those kinds of things happening, that’s a bit disconcerting. And as much as I want to please Him, I’m not so sure about the ‘suffering’ part, or even the persecution, but alas, He said it would happen, didn’t he?

If it takes a demon to recognize who lives in me, let it happen. I want to be so much like Jesus that demons scream out when they recognize who I carry on the inside of me. Jesus came to set the captives free. He told me to do greater things.

What does that look like to you?

Sandy G