Spiritual Motivation and Insight

[Honeykiss1974]

Father,

I ask you to bless my friends reading this right now. I am asking You to minister to their spirit at this very moment.

Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy.

Where there is self-doubting, release a renewed sense of your power through them.

Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, guidance, and strength as they learn submission to Your leading.

Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with You.

Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your courage.

Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it and break its hold over my friend's life.

Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders and friends to support them.

Give each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces around them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it.

I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name.....Amen!

[honeychile]

Ladies, sorry for crashing your board - but this is one of the most beautiful threads I've ever seen on ANY message board!! I am a better person for reading it.

May the Lord bless you real good!!

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by honeychile
Ladies, sorry for crashing your board - but this is one of the most beautiful threads I've ever seen on ANY message board!! I am a better person for reading it.

May the Lord bless you real good!!

You're not crashing. Anyone is welcome here. I am glad you were blessed by reading it. I get blessed anytime I read it as well.

[CrimsonTide4]

A wonderful message for single women. And for married women to pass onto their single friends, enjoy it... In a brief conversation, a man asked a woman he was pursuing the question" What kind of man are you looking for?" She sat quietly for a moment before looking him in the eye and asking "Do you really want to know?" Reluctantly, he said "Yes."

She began to expound... "As a woman in this day and age, I am in a position to ask a man what he can do for me that I can't do for myself. I pay my own bills. I take care of my household with out the help of any man...or woman for that matter. I am in the position to ask "What can you bring to the table?" The man looked at her. Clearly he thought that she was referring to money. She quickly corrected his thought and stated "I am not referring to money. I need something more. I need a man who is striving for perfection in every aspect of life." He sat back in his chair, folded his arms, and asked her to explain.

She said "I am looking for someone who is striving for perfection mentally because I need conversation and mental stimulation. I don't need a simple minded man.

I am looking for someone who is striving for perfection spiritually because I don't need to be unequally yoked...believers mixed with unbelievers is a recipe for disaster.

I need a man who is striving for perfection financially because I don't need a financial burden. I am looking for someone who is sensitive enough to understand what I go through as a woman but strong enough to keep me grounded.

I am looking for someone whom I can respect. In order to be submissive, I must respect him. I cannot be submissive to a man who isn't taking care of his business. I have no problem being submissive...he just has to be worthy. God made woman to be a help mate for man. I can't help a man if he can't help himself."

When she finished her spill, she looked at him. He sat there with a puzzled look on his face. He said "You are asking a lot." She replied "I'm worth a lot."

-Author Unknown

[lostnfound117]

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Happy moments, praise God.

Difficult moments, seek God.

Quiet moments, worship God.

Painful moments, trust God.

Every moment, thank God.

[lostnfound117]

A PARTY


http://www.promiseofgod.com/directions/

[Honeykiss1974]

CBN.com -
Are you at a crossroads? Have you been spinning your wheels too long? We want to see God move in our lives. If we don't take a step of faith, we are going to stagnate and die. We are like our nation right now. We are at a crossroads.

I am reminded of several stories in the Bible and how God moved for them.

1 Kings 4:1-7 is about the widow and the oil. The widow was told to collect the pots. She was asked to trust God for her needs. If we trust Him and have faith, He will supply our needs. God will provide! What do we have? God will add to it to supply the remainder of what we need.

I Kings 17:13-16 tells another example of a widow who was asked by Elijah to bake a cake for him. She only had enough for one more cake. We must trust God that He is going to supply our needs.

John 6:9-13 reminds us of how God multiplied the loaves and fishes. He can take our meager bit and multiply it.

Joshua 3:15,16 speaks of our need to step out by faith. The children of Israel had to step into the Jordan before God moved on their behalf. We've got to step out by faith so that we can let God work.

"…the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river's edge, the water began piling up…".

Deuteronomy 1:21, 27-32 exhorts us to be like Joshua and Caleb. The spies saw giants in the land, but Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report.

It took the Israelites 40 years to make an eleven-day journey to Canaan. We don't want to have the wilderness mentality that keeps us in bondage! We need to let go and let God! We need to take that step of faith and step into the Jordan. God will give you the peace and provide. We need to trust Him and He'll take care of the rest.

A word of prophecy was given at a prayer meeting recently. It said, "Put your hand in the hand of the Shepherd… It is a season of growth. It is a season of challenge. It is not a season of pulling back. You are at a time now where I am challenging you to grow, to trust me, to put your faith in me. I have never let you down and I will not let you down now."

Let's face it. We can't, but God can! Let's not limit God. Let us step into the Jordan!

[CrimsonTide4]

If you are impatient, sit down quietly and talk with Job.
If you are just a little strong-headed, go and see Moses.
If you are getting weak-kneed, take a good look at Elijah.
If there is no song in your heart, listen to David.
If you faith is below par, read Paul.
If you are getting lazy, watch James.
If you are losing sight of the future,
Climb up the stairs of Revelation and get a glimpse of
The promised land.
--Charles E. Fuller

[CrimsonTide4]

The Rope

[Honeykiss1974]

What Do You Have Tied Up?

The question I'm hoping you are asking yourself is "What do I have tied up that Jesus wants to use?" You remember the story in Luke 19 where Jesus sent two disciples to get a donkey for him to ride into Jerusalem. He told them where that donkey would be, and he instructed them to untie it and bring it to him.

When they started to untie it, as Jesus told them to do, the owners of that donkey asked them what they were doing. Well, wouldn't you if that was your donkey? I can also imagine that they were a little perturbed to see two strangers taking their prized colt, evidently a young colt, since it had never been ridden. Can you put yourselves in their shoes? I wonder if they screamed at the disciples: "Why are you untying our colt?" I wonder if they were upset?

At any rate, when the disciples explained that Jesus had requested to use this colt, this one particular colt, it seemed to put an end to the entire discussion. Without another question, they gave the colt to the disciples for Jesus to use. I have to believe they knew who Jesus was. Perhaps they had heard him speak; maybe they'd seen him heal someone or cast out a demon. Their willingness to let go of a valuable possession so unquestioningly leads me to believe that Jesus was someone they knew about, someone they respected, perhaps even loved. I don't believe they would have so easily let that donkey go if they hadn't met Jesus.

You know, when you've met Jesus, when he has touched your life, when you've been transformed by his saving grace, it's not a matter of giving anything up or sacrificing. It is, instead, a deep desire to give him anything you've got that he wants. The greatest joy of your heart is to give back to the One who has given so much for you.

There should be no hesitation on our part to untie anything we have and allow Jesus to use it. But often I find myself in selfish mode, do you? I think in terms of my time or my money or my things, and I don't want to untie them. Just recently as I was traveling a situation arose where I didn't want to untie my time; I didn't want someone to intrude on my plans for my time. That old selfish nature comes to the surface easily.

But the Spirit of God convicted me and I was reminded again that it isn't my time, because I belong to Jesus and everything I have is his. One of the prayers I regularly pray is that God will make me to see that I am possessionless and positionless. In reality, I own nothing; I am a steward of God's gifts and will be accountable to him for all that has been entrusted to me. When we really come to see that, it isn't so hard to untie whatever it is that Jesus asks for, because it doesn't belong to us anyway.

What do you have tied up? What are you clinging to that God wants to use? You're missing a great blessing by hanging on to it.

[CrimsonTide4]

How you define life determines your destiny. The way you view life is your life metaphor. It's your description of how life works and what you expect from it; it influences your life more than you realize and determines your expectations, values, relationships, goals, and priorities.

To fulfill the purposes God has for you, you will have to base your view on the biblical metaphors of life. These are: Life is a test, life is a trust, and life is a temporary assignment.

Life is a test.
God continually tests people's character, faith, obedience, love, integrity, and loyalty. Character is both developed and revealed, and all of life is a test. When you understand that life is a test, you realize that every day is important. God wants you to pass the tests of life, so he never allows the tests to be greater than the grace he gives you to handle them.

Life is a trust.
We are to be stewards of whatever God gives us. All we enjoy is to be treated as a trust that God has placed in our hands. If you treat everything as a trust, God promises three rewards in eternity: affirmation, promotion, and celebration.

Life is a test and a trust; the more God gives you, the more responsible he expects you to be.

[Eclipse]

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00
bill.
In the room of 200, he asked, Who would like this $20 bill?
Hands started going up. He said, I am going to give this $20 to one of
you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple the $20 dollar
bill up. He then asked, Who still wants it? Still the hands were up in
the air.

Well, he replied, What if I do this, and he dropped it on the ground and
started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now
crumpled, and dirty. Now, who still wants it? Still the hands went
into the air.

"My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what
I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in
value.
It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped,
crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the
circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless.
But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose
your value."

"Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to
those who love you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or
whom we know, but by WHO WE ARE."

You are special - Don't EVER forget it. If you do not pass this on, you
may never know the lives it touches, the hurting hearts it speaks to, or
the hope that it can bring. Count your blessings, not your problems.
Never be afraid to try something new.

And always remember...Amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the
Titanic.

[Honeykiss1974]

The Road of Life

At first, I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I really didn't know Him.

But later on when I met Christ, it seemed as though life were rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal. I don't know just
when it was that He suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since.

When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but
predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds. It was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, He said, "PEDAL! "

I worried and was anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure, and when I'd say, "I'm scared," He'd lean back and touch my hand.

I gained love, peace, acceptance and joy; gifts to take on my journey, My Lord's and mine. And we were off again. He said, "Give the gifts away. They're extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd
wreck it; but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, knows how to jump to clear high rocks, knows how to fly to shorten, scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ.

And when I'm sure I just can't do it anymore, He just smiles and says... "PEDAL!"

[CrimsonTide4]

BRING JOY

Bring joy to every moment, whatever the moment may be. Rather than taking your cue from the circumstances you find, set out to inject your own living joy into the places you go and the things you do. There is always room for real, sincere joy, even in the most difficult of situations. And it is in those difficult situations that a grateful, joyful, positive heart can make the biggest difference.

Others may judge a particular task to be dreary, tedious, or tiresome, but that's just their opinion. When you approach that same task with joy and enthusiasm, you can add enormous value.

There's no need to wait for joy to come to you. You're perfectly capable of spreading it yourself, far and wide. During work and during play, when times are easy and when things are difficult, bring joy. If there's a reason for it, if there's no reason for it, even if there are reasons not to, bring joy.

Bring joy to every moment, and that is where you will know it.

-- Ralph Marston

[CrimsonTide4]

Encourage, Love & Forgive

There comes a time in every woman's life when she has to take a close look at herself. Not at her circumstance, not at what she did, not how unfair life is or not at who made you do it. She has to just look at herself in all her glory and imperfection.

For many women, this is a scary thing because often times they don't want to know the truth about themselves. Virtuous women know what I mean. As women, we have a tendency to water one another down. Maybe it makes us feel good or look better than the next woman. Or maybe we just don't know how to tell that woman how we admire her. In reality, we really need to look at ourselves and the pain we project towards other women.

Have you ever admired a woman who has been through changes in her life? Or have you made up in your mind that she is just messed up. Before you make this mistake, take a close look. A woman who has endured the most unusual life is someone of wisdom. Someone who has been chosen by God to go through.

Think of all the great women in the bible, Mary Magdalene, Ruth and Naomi, The woman with an issue of blood, and Esther, to name a few. Mary was a prostitute. A very uneasy woman. But, by the time God was done with her, she was His closest follower. Esther was unfortunate in marrying an abusive man.

By the time God was done with her, she married one of the wealthiest men in the land.

Have you ever admired the strength of a single mother? Or have you made up your mind that it's too bad she had children on her own. A single mother knows no bounds when it comes to her children. She is strong and durable. Single mothers are strong, not because she has to be, but because it comes naturally for her to protect the extensions of her very being. Her love for her children is like that of fuel to a car. Most mothers keep their tanks full because they understand that, if it runs low, you could jeopardize the car and have problems in the long run. Other women only fill it when it is needed. Their cars usually break down.

Have you ever wondered why some women are not approachable? Or have you made up your mind that she is just mean. A quiet woman is a smart woman. She is valuable. She doesn't go off half-cocked and she won't be the one to argue with you over nothing. She just may even let you go on "setting her straight" and politely back out without a fight. She doesn't let many in her world. After all, she has probably been through the fire and had to rebuild.

So why let just anyone in? This is usually the woman that only has "small talk" and knows her place, which is away from all the unnecessary things in life.

Have you ever wondered why that woman is so loud? Well, hey she has a lot to say. These are usually our younger women who have to learn refrain. They are eager and unsettled. They do before they think, and they do not think before they talk. They just go.

Have you ever wondered about that woman who appears to have everything, yet is still very unhappy? Well, she doesn't have everything. She doesn't have personal validation. This is something that cannot be bought. This is something developed over many mistakes and challenges that have taught lessons of the unbearable.

Women are so quick to beat the next one down instead of trying to hold her up. Before you wonder, "What's up with her?" ask yourself, "What's up with me?" Why do I beat down another woman to build myself up? That woman could be my mother, sister, aunt, in-law, step-mother, niece, grandmother, great-grandmother, neighbor, friend, co-worker, etc. That woman could just be me.

Women are the carriers of life, not the channels of death. Let's build and encourage each other as did Ruth and Naomi.