Really, you gave yourself away…

 given away

 

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. Luke 9:24 KJV

Have you really given yourself away? Has God found you in the hurricane, or are you on the cliff watching-looking at what you have climbed out of by the grace and mercy of God. Have you giving yourself away enough to stop complaining about what it means to be given away?

Most of us have given something away. It could be in the form of clothing, food, money, our love or even our blood. When we do these acts of charity we know that we are not going to get those items back and we will not get paid, they are gifts. We may feel good about ourselves in knowing that we have helped others, but that is about it. Some of us even take on the understanding that when we give things away we cannot decide what happens to those things once they are out of our possession. The kind of authority belongs to the receiver. I came to realize this myself when I chose to give away something I favored.

I had a sweater that was given to me by my sister. I wore the sweater several times pairing it with jeans or leggings and making fit my style. I really liked the sweater, but I eventually stopped wearing it and it became more of a sentiment because it was a gift from my sister who has passed away. About a year ago I decided to give it to charity. It took a couple of charity truck pick-ups before I stopped taking it out of the give-away box and storing in my basement. Once I gave my treasured sweater away I could no longer decide if it would be washed in Woolite, Tide or a bargain brand detergent. I couldn’t tell the new owner to lay it flat to dry and never to hang it on a hanger. It was no longer up to me to decide what looked great with it and what didn’t. I had given it away to be used by someone else.

If our lives are given away to God, we are completely his. Our life is not ours, but it is in the complete care of God. We are no longer guided or instructed by previous owners or ourselves, but by God because we have received the life of Christ as a way of transformation for us. Don’t be confused or deceived about giving your life to God. We are not given away while we are complaining , lacking love, cheating, gossiping, killing the lively hood of others, lying, being self oriented, having ungodly anger, or while looking for recognition after helping others for God. These are just a few examples of the characteristics that keep us from being completely and unselfishly given away.

Your life is given away to God if you are subject to his Holy Spirit, the love he exudes and do the opposite of what keeps us from being completely given away. You have no problem with new ownership if you find yourself doing what is not always the easiest of most popular choice, if you ride the waves instead of swimming away from the direction God gives to you. If you can call on Christ, (because you know this is where strength generates) when it is rough instead of going to a high place and leaving those in need behind, you are given away. When you know you can rest in God’s glory when needed, and keep an ear to his voice to be ready to work as he see fit you are completely Christ-like, you are his.

There is more to saying you are given away for Gods use. Words get us there mentally if we hear them, but actions and responses kept us there. Are you given away enough as of today?

Scripture Inspiration; Luke 9, Ephesians 2

Work On Me

work on me

 

The joy that you have

It is the joy that I need.

Three million pieces,

On the floor,

More than broken.

Name a destroyer,

Not important to me.

The repairer, I know,

He releases my grief.

The joy that you have,

Is the joy I need.

Only you can number my pieces,

Your hands are qualified.

You are all I need.

Do your work on me,

Before I am swept away.

This is what I ask.

 

No Caution

Kneel

Find me where I am.

Sit me down, you too,

Is this about me, You-

No answer is found.

Are you from above-

There is dirt in your skin, I see the dust.

Just talk.

Desperation lives.

This voice is old,

My thoughts, seasoned.

Grace, mercy, love.

What comes-

What goes-

What stays-

There is a chief above every beast,

A master, His eyes are open.

Hide where-

Live, grow, renew,

Be more.

Find Him, find you.

Where he is, kneel down,

Now it begins.

God is Speaking

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And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. Ezekiel 2:1-2 KJV

Hearing God gives you an advantage. If you can hear God for yourself no one will be able to mute His voice, and leave their own words as an imitation. God’s voice trumps every other whisper or mega phonic sound that falls on your ear. Without the voice of God to lead you, you are left open to become a victim to defeat and stagnation, and you will live without direction as you go about fulfilling meaningless purposes. If you do not become intimate with God how will you hear him?

Bringing God into your atmosphere will cause the finger that rest on the mute button to cramp up and be removed from your hearing. As you enable yourself to hear God clearly every blanket of doubt that others desire to lay over your head will fail at its intended task. When others try to speak over God, remember this one thing: God does not discourage you; He has sent hope for every area of your life through Christ. You may suffer as you live and are tried in different ways, but God never says that you should not try. God knows who he is and what he is able to accomplish.

We are assured that we are able as we find in the Holy Bible that all things are possible through God. If we are connected to him through Christ all becomes possible. God is the lifter of your head and he is not called the strong tower because of lack. You asked and he answered as he said he would. Receive his reply. Hear him over emotions, hear him over doubt, hear him over the fear from your mind and that of others, hear God over what others expect, let his voice drown out the negativity. God is leading you.

 

Scripture Inspiration; 1 John 4, Luke 18 KJV

Connected To The Vine

Abide

 

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. St. John 15:7 KJV

 

If we accept God’s instructions, his way of helping us to live on this earth, God will hear us and answer us. The Ten Commandments are God’s words and should not be looked at as a strict set of rules to be challenged. God’s words are the foundation for living in such a way that causes us to abide with him. The commandments God set for us to live by provide insight into God’s character, and being made in his image these words create the silhouette for our own character.

The Ten Commandments are a part of the God authored handbook known as the Bible. The Bible not only holds the Ten Commandments, but it holds the answers to a number of life’s questions and dilemmas we find ourselves in. Gods words are with power and his handbook will allow us to build an integrity based character and a positive memorable lifestyle, but will more importantly lead the soul into a position for external life.

Christ, the vine has made it possible for our connections to him and God the Father to be solid, but we must acknowledge and accept him as Christ the Savior who died for our sins and rose again. Christ encourages us to be the branches that are connected to the vine, which leads to the Father. Being the fruitful branch allows us the opportunity to live as we should and to petition God for our needs.

 

Scripture Inspiration; Exodus 20

My Voice

praying hands

 

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.  Psalm 55:17 KJV

 

I call, you hear.

My stillness is rewarded.

Answers come as I wait.

My pain ceases quickly.

I hunger no more, you provide.

 

My meditations bring peace.

Quietness takes control of a noise stricken life.

A superabundance of joy floods my sunken heart.

Love rains down rinses my hate away.

Sin surrounded me upon exiting my mother’s womb;

Calling out to you caused your power to consume.

The sin is now removed.

 

I travel forward in this race,

My meditations give me a place.

Always hear me when I call,

I need you every day of my walk.

Confidence

confidence216

 

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Daniel 3:17-18 KJV

Where does you confidence reside? Is it in God and what he is able to do whether your desire is met or not? Would you ultimately put your life in His hands while being challenged with death to disown him? If your confidence is in God you can faithfully serve him knowing that your life and choices are not in vain if they are as a boomerang and will land your back in the Master’s hands.

The Holy Spirit will teach you how to live and what to say. Allow it to enter into your soul and lead you so that every step you take gives you the strength of being planted in righteousness with the ability to move about freely with self -control. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the book of Daniel did not lose control or become excited, they had a relationship with God that made them sure of His power. We have the opportunity to have a relationship with the same God, Christ has allowed us to have God’s spirit dwelling inside of us.

Call on him and make the connection you need. Serve and worship him with your whole heart and actions and there will be a confidence in you such as the one these men had concerning God that no one will be able to dilute.

Scripture Inspiration; Daniel 3, St. John 11 KJV

Glory

 Cross

And God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4 KJV

 

A promise made

Being answered.

Claiming what belongs

Under his wing.

We are his,

That are called;

Not by a phone,

By a thunderous voice

That is calm and gentle.

My owner

Splitting the sky.

Doing his truth,

His beauty, he’s very alive.

Not this world for me

I belong to one;

He Son stretched out on the tree.

The story has been told;

The beauty and the truth.

All his power unleashed

To rescue his children,

You and me.

The creator, He knew

All that would be done.

He knew who would follow his son.

He knows all, nothing you can hide.

He is pure, not of our mind;

Perfect and just,

Can you see this glory,

That only one God has?

Open your eyes!

His coming is a must.

 

Who has the authority on your team?

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And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:18 KJV

Do you doubt that he is capable of doing that one thing for you? Have you called on Him, but you keep envisioning the worst or maybe your thoughts are going in the opposite direction of you request?

Open your mouth again and ask Christ to do what it is you need done in your life. Show your trust by counting on Christ to achieve for you not only because you believe without proof, but because you have confidence in his words and his work.

Christ commands with authority and the situation before him does not measure up to his authority and power. Look at what he has done according to the Gospel: He forgives sin, heals the sick, relieves the soul from unwanted spirits, and even stills the wind and water for his disciples comfort just by speaking. What is holding your voice hostage?

You are tired, worn down, yet you have not taken any Christ action or maybe you have, but not with the right mindset. Stop assessing and give it all to the one who has the ability to do all and change all that exist in your life.

Scripture Inspiration: Mark 2:1-12, 4:35-41, James 1:1-18 KJV

Are you one of those…

overcome

 

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7

In all that we fall short in and all that we achieve Christ knows that a certain amount of us will overcome.

In his message to the seven churches he says exactly that. He states what will be given to those who overcome. He does not say “if” we overcome, but he uses the words “to him that overcometh” or “he that overcometh”.

There are issues and accomplishments within each church that Christ speaks to and he tells them in plain language what they are doing and where they have deceived themselves into believing that there status has made them whole or held them back from the completeness that is desired through Christ.

Though their actions are known and revealed Christ gives them instructions on how to receive what is to come by being overcomers. He promises something to all who are able to overcome.

If you are doing the good you know to do and it aligns with the righteousness of God continue along the path. Christ is willing to teach and guide you; he will place the right resources on your path and in your hand to help you along the way. Listen for God’s voice so that you will not be deceived or forget his righteousness and live in contradiction.

If you have never lived a life reconciled to God through Christ you should consider your options. Consider living a life that offers eternal life and a way to make it through everything you face here on earth rather than living a life feeling like something is missing and never finding it. Living a life reconciled to God will allow you to take on life differently. You will see your successes and obstacles through new eyes.

What if you are one of those who Christ speaks of? You, the one who overcame until the end; how can this happen if you never choose to live a reconciled life or if you being reconciled to God fall into a lukewarm state of being and never push yourself to change. Smash the deception trap and stop giving the Devil the advantage over your life. He already has an outlined goal to derail and destroy you don’t help him succeed, but pay attention to what is taking place in your life every day so that you can eat from the tree of life. You got this!

Inspiration Scripture, Revelation 2 and 3