Victory In Jesus

My 15-year-old daughter and I recently were invited to my sister-in-law's church for a women's event where they were #CelebratingVictory. 

The church is about an hour away, give or take, and even though we wanted to go, it felt like everything was coming against us. My husband had to work late, I had to meet him, I didn't have the directions, we were trying to hurry, there were severe thunderstorms, and it seemed like the perfectly logical thing to do was just not go! I started to tell my daughter that we were not going to make it, but she was so excited about going that I just didn't have the heart to tell her no.

We walked outside and on three sides of us was gloomy, dark clouds full of rain ready to pour out any moment but on one side there was a big, beautiful, bright ball of sunshine and I thought, 'There HAS to be a rainbow somewhere!' and I was determined to find it! As we drove towards the place I was to meet my husband, the clouds just covered the sky until it was completely gray and no sign of bright, beautiful, blue sky! We started out from home, not really knowing where we were going. We just stepped out in faith that we would get the directions in time and it would all work out.

We drove further and that's when I saw it...a rainbow! It was a small one at first, just kind of faded but it was still there and I thought it was a good sign that the Lord wanted us to keep on going! The kids and I were getting excited!

We were able to communicate with my husband about where to meet. So we continued driving in the direction we were to meet him and that's when we saw it...a DOUBLE rainbow! We were laughing and singing praises to God! We knew that even though it looked like a bad storm and I wasn't very confident that I knew where to go, I was confident that God would get us where we needed to be!

I told my daughter, "The devil sure doesn't want us to go to this event tonight. There must be a blessing waiting there for us!" Kadesia agreed and we kept going on. Then to the left of us, was a glimpse of another rainbow! THREE RAINBOWS! A sign of God's promise and God's faithfulness!!

We were blessed at that event and God did overtake us with blessing after blessing! The picture below is one of the cards they gave away.

And as I sit here in my mother's home, using her computer, I am reflecting on that message! A tornado blasted through where we live and we lost power. It's been three days now with no power and it's cold in our house and it's dark. My mother offered to let us stay with her until it gets back on and while it is hard to stick with a routine, it's very much appreciated to have a warm place to stay.

My children had spent the night with my in-law's. Paul had already left for work and I was in bed asleep. There had been thunder and lightning for hours and I was sleeping well. I love sleeping during thunderstorms. Then a little before 5:30 a.m. the power went off. There was a strange, eerie stillness. Everything was silent. I saw the lightning flash a few times but I did not hear any thunder. I started to feel scared. I am not afraid of storms and yet I knew this was different. I prayed aloud, "Jesus please help me. I am scared and all alone." I heard a loud noise as if my bedroom door had been closed and then I felt the presence of Jesus enter my bedroom. I was saturated in complete peace and I laid down on my bed and went back to sleep! I woke up a little later to find out an EF2 tornado had gone through. I was safe. Our home was safe. Our vehicles were safe. The only thing we didn't have was electricity! I am praying it gets turned back on today! 

So this morning as I prepare to face the day ahead, I am thinking about the things I must do and wondering how it can happen! I have to leave in the morning for a medical mission trip and I need to do laundry, pack my bags, and do those last minute things that always seem to get pushed to the back of the to-do list. As I plan ahead, I turned to my Bible and opened it to Philippians 4:4-13:

Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, Rejoice.

Let your moderation (*gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful (*anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (*noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think (*meditate) on these things.

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

That just really lifted my spirits. My sister who lives a couple of states away from me is praying for us and praying our electricity would be restored and she encouraged me this morning. She really blessed me and helped me! Then I read this and it was wonderful and then I found that card I had received at the women's conference and it gave me even more hope and encouragement this morning.

I know the Lord has called me to go on this mission trip. I know this is His Will for my life and the enemy doesn't want me to go. He doesn't want me to help those people I will be ministering to; and he doesn't want me to obey the Lord and walk in my calling. The devil is a liar and Jesus defeated him when He died upon the cross so I do walk in victory today! I claim the promises of God's Word for my life!

I Corinthians 15:57-58

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

I have victory in Jesus, just like the song says! I am going to work for the Lord and I know I will go on that mission trip! I will not be hindered by the enemy. Just like when we were on our trip to the women's conference. There were all kinds of obstacles in our way; we even got our communication crossed with Paul and kept missing each other, but it all worked out and we weren't even late! Kadesia and I held hands, kept our eyes on the rainbows in the sky, and with smiles on our faces we sang an old familiar song, "I won't let nothing down here hinder me, oh Lord I won't. For someday His blessed face I'm going to see. It makes no difference about the cost, nor how heavy be my cross. I'll not let nothing down here hinder me." And by His grace I won't!

~Bridgett Owens

Finding Jesus

We have a new home!

It's almost surreal to even type those words. It is something we have prayed about many, many times. I must admit, there were several times I even wondered if we would ever have our own home again. But in typical fashion, God came through for us in an unexpected way and we are in the home of our dreams. It is honestly the home we were searching for but never could find.

Searching for a new home is not unlike our journey before we are saved. Let me preface this post by saying I was "born and raised" in the church, as some might say. I grew up with my maternal and paternal grandfathers being ministers. My dad was a minister and several of my uncles. I have never not known that God loved me and Jesus died for me, however; I believe that we all have our moments of questioning who we are, who God is, if He exists at all, and ponder the meaning of life.

We all must get to the point where we believe it for ourselves because we have had an encounter with God. So in my own spiritual journey to find out if there is a God, I also wanted to know what He created me for. What is my purpose? Is there a plan for me somewhere that will just happen to me and I get NO say in it, or is there something more meaningful about this life and I am a part of making the decisions that shape my journey?

How is this similar to buying a home? I think it is closely related in that when one is looking to buy a home for the first time, or even the third time, there is an expectation. You know some of your requirements, some things that are deal breakers. You know where you are willing to compromise and most importantly what you are looking for. So you take your list of what you think your dream home would be like and you start searching. You compare every home you see to that list of your ideal home and if there are details about each home you look at that doesn't match up to your expectations, you cross that home off your list of possibilities and keep searching. Paul and I searched through countless homes. We dogeared the pages of countless Home Finder magazines. We scoured the Internet looking at homes online, always looking at the flooring, the number of rooms, the location, price point, wall color, layout and design of the interior, and whether or not there was a garage... and on and on... We always ended up feeling frustrated and at times we lost hope that we would ever find what we were looking for.

When we search out who God really is, and if He even exists at all, we can do the same thing. We have this idea of who God is. He is big and scary, or He is kind and loving. He is either ready to condemn and punish us for every wrong thing we ever did or will ever do; or we see God as a kind ruler of the universe, showing love, grace, and mercy. We look for Him in all kinds of places. We look for Him in those who call themselves Christians. Sometimes those Christians mess up because they are human after all and are not perfect, but we says things like, If that is what God is like I don't want any part of that! We might go to a church and if the songs are not to our liking, the preaching is "too cheerful and sweet" then we may have an opinion like one woman I heard talking, God wasn't in that church! They were just trying to serve themselves! Maybe the complaint was that the church was "too quiet" and the sermon is more like a poetry reading. I've heard opinions about that, too. Some of us searching for God are not really looking to find a church that preaches the Truth of God's Word, because it hurts when we look at our reflection in the mirror of God's Word and see that we aren't measuring up. We can storm out of there quickly and cross that location off the list.

Maybe we want small groups...or perhaps we are intimidated by churches with large congregations. We want to find God on our terms, right? It has to be in the setting we want it to be. But that is a pretty limited view of God. You see in Genesis 1:1 it says "In the beginning GOD...". Isn't that awesome? He was in the beginning. He started it all. So He can be found anywhere. Psalm 139:7-10 sums this up to say, "Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me." 

He is everywhere! We can experience Him in the way the trees sway back and forth almost in worship to their Creator just before a rainstorm. We can feel Him in the blazing heat of the afternoon sun on a summer's day. The Bible says He made the stars and He knows them all by name! Psalm 147:4 We think we are so clever when we discover a new star or solar system and God is just breathing stars and naming them whenever He wants. He sees the whole of His creation and somewhere, very small in the grand scheme of things, you and I are strategically placed by the God of the universe in the very place we are today. He designed the birds to fly high above us and the Bible says that He feeds the sparrows and takes care of them, and yet He loves us even more than them! Matthew 10:29-31 We see His handiwork in the creation of the sea, the mountains, the air, the clouds, the dust.

So while you may have an idea in your mind of who God is, you just might find that who He really is will surprise you! We don't look just to Christians and churches for God, though, do we? No, we also look at the ugly, horrific, outrageous deeds of humanity and we wonder where God was. We suddenly entertain the idea that there is a God and think He should have stopped the evil in the world and leave only the good. We throw our fists in the air and declare, If God was real, He would never have allowed this to happen! Yet, we don't take the time to truly learn about Him at all.

When we find the home we have been dreaming of, we typically get a home inspection. Someone goes into the home, looks around, maybe gets under the crawl space, up into the attic, and looks at the house from every angle to let you know what flaws you might have overlooked or was unseen. We go to great lengths to find out all we can about the home and its' surroundings. We check out the neighborhood, fun places to hang out nearby, homeowner perks and amenities, but then we neglect to ask those important questions about our own salvation. There are blessings waiting for you! There is healing, hope, freedom, love, joy, peace, and great things waiting for you! It's all found in Him! Get to know the King of kings and Lord of lords. He wants to introduce Himself to you and I promise you will never be the same!

I asked God to reveal Himself to me if He indeed was real. I was in a stage of my life where I just wasn't sure about anything. I had read the Bible and had gone to church all of my life. I knew what the stories had said, I could quote numerous Bible verses and I sang many, many hymns and worship songs, but inside I was just not sure it was true. I had never truly experienced Him and could know for myself that He is real, so I asked Him to show me. I wasn't angry. I didn't threaten Him. I wasn't trying to be snide. I truly wanted to know if there was a God in Heaven.

My life was not free from tragedy and pain. I have some deep scars that I wasn't sure would ever heal. I was broken. I was sad. I was down in the bottom of a pit spiritually and I just needed to know if there really was anyone bigger than myself that thought I might be worth saving. And He showed up for me! He revealed Himself to me in a way that I cannot even describe. He answered questions that I didn't realize I was even searching for answers to. He comforted me from all the pain and sorrow and loss that no one but God even knew about. He touched my heart and the broken pieces all fell into place and I was healed. The heaviness lifted and the dark clouds parted. There was nothing but radiant light surrounding me and filling up my soul. He spoke to me in a language I could understand.

I was free. I had encountered God and I began to embrace the Word of God. I searched for Him and found Him in the pages of the great mysteries. He was there and I knew that He accepted me. I belonged to Him and I was free!

When my family and I toured this home, we just knew it was home. We all loved it. We all felt it. We knew this one was different. This time it was just the right home for us. It actually didn't even have all the things we wanted but even still it is perfect for us. It is our home and we knew God had His fingerprints all over this! And when you truly experience God and ask Him to meet you where you are, you will have that same feeling of knowing deep in your soul. You will not have to look to anyone to confirm it. You will know!

I love that God is so big and so mighty...so powerful and yet the Bible says in Psalms 139:3 "Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways." He knows where I am going, when I rest, and He is familiar with everything about me. He knows me better than I know myself and He knows you that way too!

I learned that God is not sitting in heaven pulling spiritual strings connected to all of us. He isn't forcing us to live a life we don't want, but He is a planner. He thinks about the future and He has us in mind when He does. It's precious! Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you and expected end." Psalm 139:17 says "How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!" Did you read that? He has MANY PRECIOUS THOUGHTS about YOU! You are on the mind of God and He wants to give you peace and not evil! He wants you to get the end that He is expecting for you! He wants to help you get all the blessings He has in reserve for you! He wants to bless and love you!

Since moving into this house, I am eager to get home. I want to be home. I want to spend time at home with my family. I am happy and feel at peace at home. That is how it is when I am in the presence of the LORD. I just want to know Him more. I want to spend more time with Him. I don't want to leave His presence. I want to read His Word until I fall asleep and then I want to hide those words in my heart! He is the first one that I talk to when I wake up and He is the last one that I talk to when I lay down. He is my everything. He is my provider! He is my healer! He is my reason for being on this earth and I want to tell the whole world about His goodness, His mercy, and His love!

It's a brand new year! Make this your best year ever by seeing how close you can get to the Master! Learn as much as you can about Him. Read the Bible and lose yourself in the scriptures. There is nothing more fulfilling in this life than learning that we are made by God and to love and serve Him all the days of our lives. He will never leave us. He will never abandon us. He will never forsake us. He will go with us every single step of the way this year. Hebrews 13:5 and Matthew 28:30

He wants this to be the best year of your life. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Give It Away

Surrounded by boxes, taped up, and carefully containing items we thought we couldn't leave behind, I began to think. These boxes have been in storage for over two years! Part of me wishes I could just haul them all away, but part of me wonders what if there is something in these boxes that we need? We are in our own home now, so some of the items are useful and needed, (like our dishes) but I am simplifying my life, so many of these items will have to go!

I have no shortage of space to store items in this home. There is an abundance of closets, cupboards, drawers, and shelves, but I have no desire to fill these spaces to overflowing. I am perfectly content to see a shelf with extra space. In fact, the more I give away the happier I feel.

We Christians can do the same thing. We have our spiritual and emotional baggage. We have the memories we carry of good times or better days. We hold on to those times for comfort, but sometimes we think we are storing valuable treasures when it really is a "weight" that easily torments or troubles us. Hebrews 12:1 says "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

Some of those "better days" we thought we had can distort our present life. We may look back with regret or longing. Take inventory of all the potions, creams, and dyes on the market today offering to turn back the hands of time. We start longing for what can never be, then we start to feel discontented. We overlook the abundance of blessings we have received and feel unhappy with what we do not have but think we deserve. Paul said, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Philippians 4:11 Can we truly be content in whatever situation we find ourselves in? Is it possible? How did Paul do it?

When our eyes behold what others have, we fail to see all we have been blessed with. We pitch our tent in the valley of discontentment and set up camp in misery. We become dry in the desert of our desolation we have created for ourselves. Like preparing for a move, we box up our hopes and dreams, our gifts and talents to carry with us for "someday." We often lose our motivation to work for God and to bless others when we are so preoccupied with working to obtain more STUFF!

We must remember that when we die we cannot take it with us. Why not share your treasures with others now? The extra baking dishes only clutter up my kitchen cabinets. I do not need that many casserole dishes, pie pans, or cooling racks. I am choosing to give these away and bless others with my abundance. We can do that spiritually as well. We can share with others the things God has blessed us with: encouragement, hope, and faith. These gifts are from God specifically to us, each individual person having their own special talents but they are not just for us. We are to share them with others!

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." We are to comfort each other when we see our brothers and sisters hurting. We are to build each other up in our faith. When you hear of someone being discouraged, go to that person and talk with them, share your testimony and how faithful God has been, give them a powerful memory verse that has helped you in a similar circumstance. Call up a loved one you haven't talked to you in a long while. Perhaps you always meant to call but you are busy and time just slipped away. Take the time today to reach out to someone. Mail them a card, write them an email, or send them a quick text. With technology the way it is today, we can easily reach across the globe with a personal message in a short time. Don't put it off, if God has put someone on your heart. Maybe you keep thinking about someone but you are no longer in touch with that person, would you take the time to say a prayer for them? They may need your intercessory prayer.

Psalms 31:24 is such an uplifting scripture! It is great for those who find themselves in despair and for those who have come through their trials victoriously! It says "Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." Psalm 38:15 "For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope: Thou wilt hear, O LORD my God." Sometimes our gift to others is the hope we have in our Savior. I remember sitting in the doctor's office with my dad. He was at his oncology appointment and this was one of the last times he would be seen there. The doctor's report was pretty grim and I was so sad and distraught. I had lost my hope. And I turned to Dad and I said, "With news like that, what hope do we have?" My dad showed no emotion up to that point, but with complete resolve he looked at me and he said, "My hope is not in doctors. My hope is in the LORD." And that was all that I needed to get my hope in the LORD stirred back up. You see it may have looked like the end to some people the day we buried my father, but it was his beginning to a never-ending presence with the LORD. That gives me hope! I know God will hear me like the psalmist says. He truly did strengthen my heart and He continues to do so. Share your gift of hope with others.

The disciples walked with Jesus from the time He called them until the time He departed this world and was ascended up in the clouds. They had seen so many miracles; had witnessed healing of the blind, the lame, the leper; the dead were raised up to live again. And they still needed more faith. They recognized this need and in Luke 17:5 "And the apostles said unto the LORD, 'Increase our faith.'" Even though they had a close relationship with Jesus, they still asked Him to give them more faith. Some people are in your life and they believe in God, they have faith in Him to do great things, but when they get discouraged or overwhelmed they may call on you to increase their faith. Maybe they need to hear how God has delivered you from a similar situation. Know this: you never go through a trial or difficult circumstance without becoming stronger and wiser. Use those gifts to share with others who are right where you once were. Give them the gift of faith by sharing what God has done for you!

As I work my way through the rest of these boxes, and I carefully choose which items to keep and which ones to bless others with, I will remember the lesson God is teaching me right now: don't stop with STUFF.... I will bless others around me with the gifts He has given me! The more we give away the more He brings back to us! God bless you!!

~Bridgett Owens

Expectation

Google defines expectation as a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future. One of the synonyms is hope.

What does God expect of me? What does He require? According to Micah 6:8, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Three things: do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with my God. That is what He wants from me.

What does the world want? What expectations have they placed on me? Oh, it is overwhelming to think about! It's what has gotten me feeling so oppressed, so pressed down, so weary. I have looked at what society has said is a good mother, a good wife, a good daughter, a good nurse, a good Christian, a good person, a good student, a good ....fill in the blank! And everyone's idea of what "good" is varies so much.

To do justly means to do what is right or fair. That is what God requires of me. He wants me to be fair and to do the right thing! To love mercy means simply to have compassion or forgiveness toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. So to love mercy, God just wants me to be compassionate and forgiving! Walk humbly is being modest; not being arrogant or proud. So He just wants me to walk with Him and know my place as a humble servant.

Sometimes I get so carried away with my stuff, my worries, my fears...my circumstances, that I stop seeing what a big God He really is. God is so good to me, that even when I have gone to Him in prayer, half-complaining about my situation, He just lovingly nudges me to His Word to encourage me and lift me up! He is so good to me!!! He is much better to me than I deserve!

I need to stop expecting so much from myself and learn to be patient. I can only do what He has strengthened me to do. Yes, I have started back at college, taking a very, very intense course this semester. But He is with me! The assignments are tough! The due dates are crazy!!! I'm still working as a nurse, still being a wife, and mother, still trying to do what all that entails and now I am adding on a TON of homework, studying, reading, papers, assignments, and new things to learn and retain. Can I do it alone? NO! I do not even want to try, but I am getting new expectations!

Psalm 62:5 says "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him." Yes, it is! My hope is in Him. My strong belief is that He will sustain me, He will help me, He will hold me. I know that it was never meant to be in my own power, but only in His!

A very familiar, comforting verse comes to mind: Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Thank You, LORD! I trust You! I thank You for the confirmation. I thank You for the blessings. I thank You for the expected end. I thank You for the simple requirements You have for me. Help me to do all that You want me to do for You, dear Lord. I love You Lord Jesus more than anything in this whole world!!!!

~Bridgett

Ready ...or not, here I come!

When I was a little girl, we played a game called Hide and Go Seek! My brother, my sisters and I would take turns seeking while the others hid and the count down would begin, "Ten, nine, eight..." and you could hear excited giggles as we all scampered to our secret hiding places, hoping not to be discovered. Then the final call, "Ready or not, here I come!" And before long someone would look behind the couch or in the closet and we would be found!

Jesus is not playing a little game with us, but I can assure you that the count down has already begun. The time is ticking! As we hear that count down, we need to be preparing ourselves, not to hide, but to be found! Not to duck behind a closed door or big piece of furniture; we are to let our light shine! We are called out to sound the alarm! This is a warning for the lost and dying world, but it's an exciting time for the born-again believer who is letting Christ lead their life!

Matthew 24:3-14
And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?"

Just imagine for a moment, the opportunity these disciples had here. This is a BIG moment. They are alone with Jesus and they get to ask Him the same question that many people still ask today. When are You coming back Jesus? Tell us some signs to look for so we can know what to watch for!

And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ: and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

We can turn on the radio and hear about wars and rumors of wars right now. But Jesus said not to be troubled by that because these things have to happen. Then He says but that's not the end! We are to be careful that no one deceives us into saying they are Jesus. I know in my lifetime there have been several cases of hundreds of people believing a lie that a man was Jesus, and they died in that deception! Sound the alarm!!!

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Again, turn on the news channel, pick up a newspaper, or look online at social media; you will find these things are happening. There are earthquakes in different places, even places they have not had earthquakes at in years! Listen carefully! Can you hear the count down?

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

If the world cannot see this part of scripture being fulfilled every single day it is because Satan has blinded them! More and more rights are being taken away from Christians. If we serve Jesus and stand by the Word of God we are called haters, intolerant, and offensive! Nations of this world hate us not because we are American but because we are Christian! We are targeted but Jesus told His disciples and He is telling us that this is going to happen before He comes back. Well, if it is already happening, then don't you think the time is drawing to a close?

And many false prophets shall rise, and deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

This is already happening in our world today. Men and women stand up claiming to be a messenger of God and spew lies and half-truths from their platforms. Watered down messages and compromises will never change hearts and will never change lives. Only God's Holy infallible world can reach a dying, hurting world and turn them around! And because of all the sin that will be in abundance, the love of many will turn cold. This has happened, too. The compassion and love for one another, for humanity, has turned into pure hatred if you believe anything contrary to the world! You must blend in or be ripped to shreds! But there is good news!!!!!

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

I am not God. I do not know how far the good news of the Kingdom of God has spread. I know that technology continues to increase and communication is better now than it has ever been. In an instant, we can speak to millions of people through social media platforms, televised events, and satellite technology. I do know that the end is very near! That is not scary! That is great news for those of us who strive to make Heaven our Home! Jesus is coming back and the ones that make it until the end will be saved!

Don't give up! Don't give in! Don't compromise! Don't settle! Read the Word of God ever single day. Stay in prayer and keep Your heart in tune with God. Because before we realize it, we are going to hear the announcement, "Ready ...or not, here I come!" We don't want to be left waiting around, hearing about how masses of people have suddenly disappeared from the earth with no explanation!

If you are not a Christian, and you have never asked Jesus to come into your heart, you can do that right now. You don't have to be in a church, or even at an altar. Just believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on a cross to save you. Confess that you believe that and then ask Him to come into your heart. Ask Him to save you and set you free. He already paid the debt for your sin at Calvary. It is free! All you have to do is invite Him into your heart and trust Him to help you through. Ask Him to forgive you and tell Him that you recognize you are a sinner, lost and undone. If you call upon the Name of the Lord with faith, you will be saved! Jesus wants to take you Home with Him. He is coming back ready or not.... please get ready!

~Bridgett

It's in the journey, not in the destination...

I was supposed to meet my father-in-law at a specific time so I could pick up my children. He was kind enough to meet me in town so I didn't have to drive all the way to his house to get them. I made sure that I had plenty of time to get there and started towards town. As I was coming up the road, I noticed traffic was backed up pretty far. The road curved around and I was unable to see what was holding up the traffic. I was approaching the traffic, now at a stand-still, and decided I would just try to take a side road and hopefully I would come out on the other side of whatever was holding up the traffic. I felt like I was so smart for remembering the other way. I was not alone. Apparently others felt like it was a good idea and they started going that way, too. We all met a line of cars that were completely stopped as well and I saw that the line of cars was backed up a lot further than I thought! I called my mother-in-law to see if she knew of a reason the traffic was backed up and not moving. She didn't know, but it really had me thinking that this situation is really very similar to how I handle things in life.

Right now things are kind of at a stand still, you could say, in our hunt for a home of our own. I can imagine the road is similar to the path to home ownership. There are lots of people in the same boat that I am in, but instead of waiting it out and staying on course, I try to take these side roads. I want to call someone and see if they know of ways I can get things moving again. I am impatient and I do not like to wait. I want to hurry ahead and get the house and move in, not even waiting to see what God has in store for me. He threw me a curve that is blinding the road ahead so I cannot clearly see all the obstacles in my way. He wants me to trust Him, to ask Him, to wait for Him. I am just getting so anxious but He wants me to just pray and ask Him for the blessing of a home of our own, and then to patiently wait for Him to answer me. The asking is not the problem, I am okay with that. It is the waiting that is hard!

Philippians 4:6 says "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." This is such an interesting verse to me. First it says for us to not be careful for anything. Careful people drive slower in the rain, snow, or ice. Careful people act in certain ways because of what they think might happen or could happen. They want to figure things out first. They aren't walking by faith and not by sight. They are observing things around them and then letting the circumstances dictate what they do, instead of letting what God has said about their circumstances dictate what they do. Wow! That is a really great message, God! I am listening!!

Notice it says don't be careful, but instead... in EVERY thing, not some things, or the hard things, or the things you can't figure out, but in EVERY thing by PRAYER... that means we have to go to God and have a conversation. We are to talk to God, our Heavenly Father, and let Him speak to us through the Holy Spirit and His Holy Word! The verse says prayer, which is something that I really do not have an issue with. I want to pray to God. I enjoy my prayer time. But watch this, the verse says AND supplication. It is not enough to just pray. 

What is supplication? It is "the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly." So prayer is an action and supplication is an action. Both of these things are an effort on your part. Yes, the Lord knows what we have need of before we even ask, but He still wants us to ask. This is how we begin to rely on Him. So we are to ask or beg. Now it is getting serious. We have to really want something if we are going to beg for it. I think of people begging for their life, begging for another chance, begging for food... but that is the attitude we must have when we ask something from our Heavenly Father. How bad do we really want our loved ones saved? How bad do we really want our church to grow? How bad do we really want to change our community? How bad do I really want a home? We ask or beg for something earnestly and humbly. Earnestly means sincerely, intensely, or seriously. This is a big thing to God! He is not a spiritual Santa Claus ready to hand out gifts and things we have on our wish list at our beck and call. God desires a relationship! He wants to be your partner! He wants to work with you! Humbly means you are showing no signs of pride or self-assertion. This is really not about you!

We are created to love, serve, and worship God. He has sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and that really should be enough! He rose from the dead and now we have freedom from our sins and eternal life when we choose to follow Him. He sent the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, to us so we can learn more about who Jesus is. God freely gives us wisdom and knowledge of the scriptures when we ask Him. But the material things we pray about are not the most important things. Serving Him is important. Our attitude when we enter our prayer time is important. Our desire to love Him and follow Him even if we do not get the things we prayed for is important.

I am learning right now that getting a home of my own is not the most important thing for my family. Our salvation, our walk with God, our relationship with our King, is the most important thing and that matters here where we live right now, and it will matter wherever God chooses to allow us to live later. This life, our society, this country that I am so blessed to live in, can really throw some serious distractions at me and skew my world view. I need to look through the lens of scripture at the blessings around me and remember it doesn't matter what obstacles are blocking my progress in this moment. I do not need to know what is around the curve. I need to trust that my Lord and Savior will help me and He will get me to the exact place I need to be at the exact moment I am supposed to be there and the journey is so much more important than the destination!

I will choose to allow the Lord to bless me in the middle of turmoil. I will seek to find His face and not His hands as I stumble through these struggles. I will look for solace in Him and Him alone when I feel weak and grow impatient at the lack of progress I think I am making. I will choose to use the Word of God and not the distance on this journey to determine my progress. I am nothing without the Lord and I will THANK the Lord for the wonderful things He has already done for me. I will THANK the Lord for the wonderful things He is about to do for me! I will let Him know the desires of my heart and if He chooses to give me those things or keep them from me, I will know it is for my good and for His glory! He is so faithful! I love Him!

~Bridgett

The Power of One

Gideon had an army. These men were well versed in the art of battle. These were no amateurs. The army was strong and there were many men serving under Gideon. But, we Christians know, after reading God's Word, that God does not ever use big numbers to make a big impact. Remember the loaves and fishes? How about the widow's mites? So it really should be of no big surprise that God was not satisfied with the size of Gideon's army to fight against the Midianites.

Judges 7:2

And the LORD said unto Gideon, "The people that are with thee are too many

for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt (boast in)

themselves against Me saying, 'Mine own hand hath saved me.'"

God is a jealous God and He enjoys showing us how BIG and MIGHTY He really is. He wants to fight for us! Exodus 14:14 says, The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. God can take care of you and God can take care of me. We do not need to get caught up in the numbers of it all.

So, God starts putting Gideon's army through a series of tests and when He is done there will be NO POSSIBLE WAY Gideon and his men can defeat their enemy! It's going to take God to pull them through this battle to get the victory! That's what God wants...so we can trust Him and rely on Him. He was teaching Gideon and his army a very valuable lesson that would serve them well, and not only those men but all who read this passage of scripture.

The first test is God eliminates fear. He says tell anyone who is scared to go back home. God cannot work with fear, He operates in faith. Gideon tells those who are fearful and afraid they can leave and 22,000 men pack their bags and head home. The army is reduced to 10,000 soldiers and God said that was still too many men!

Next God eliminates the non-observant. God calls us to watch and be sober. He instructs Gideon to take the men to the water and have them take a drink. Some of the men put their hand to their mouth to take a drink, but the rest bowed down on their knees to drink. God picks the ones who brought their hand to their mouth and that was only 300 men! That's all, just 300 men stayed and 9,700 men were sent back home!

God kept His Word and delievered the Midianites into the hands of Gideon's army! It would be foolish for those men to claim the credit for this win. It was by the strength of God alone and His directions that the battle was won.

You see it was never a numbers game. God wanted to show the army what He could do. He wanted to help them see that when they serve Him and lean on Him, He will get them through the toughest battles.

Maybe you look at life as a popularity contest. You want as many "friends" as you can get on Facebook. You want a large following on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media sites. You want thumbs up, clicks, likes, shares, and you feel that if you don't have as many as the next person then you are not good enough. Maybe you are never picked to help with group projects or sports activities in P.E. at school. You may be the person who eats lunch alone, never feeling like you have anything to say that is worth hearing. Maybe you don't even feel like you matter. You feel invisible. I have some good news for you...you are worth more than diamonds!

God loves you with an everlasting love. He sent His only Son Jesus to die on a cruel, old rugged cross to pay for the sins you committed. He gave His life's blood to set you free. You may feel like you are up against an army that is as numerous as the sands of the sea, like Gideon (verse 12) but God is greater than your need. He has the answer to all of your problems. Trust Him. Let Him take you through this battle, helping you see your worth, and ask Him to use you to help those around you. You see, God picked Gideon to lead this army. He helped all of the men in the battle but He used Gideon, one man, to lead the way. Gideon followed God's orders and did as He was instructed. As a result, all of the 300 men were victorious. It wasn't Gideon's victory, it was the entire army's victory.

In verse 20 it says they all cried "The sword of the LORD and of Gideon." They knew who was going to help them through. They put God first. They proclaimed it loud! Maybe you need to proclaim The sword of the LORD and of (insert your name)! Read the end of the book of Revelations. God's people win! He wins! God will bring you the victory too. He is bringing me victory in so many different areas of my life and I am going to use today's message for strength to get me through another battle!

I Corinthians 15:57-58

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding

in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

~Bridgett