God's Promised Peace

My husband and I had found the perfect way for me to give a brief testimony on getting out of depression and panic/anxiety attacks that had kept me in bondage for too long.

The Lord had also been speaking to us about getting out of debt and He gave us a plan which we started implementing.

Within 24 hours we had several prayer requests answered! We were praising God and thanking Him and giving testimony. Then...........

my husband gets home from church and our home had been broken into. I'm eating lunch with a friend and I feel my flesh rising up and I looked at my friend, told them what happened and then put my head in my hands bowed my head and prayed - God you have to help me through this I know You will make it right. I continued to pray for my husband since I wasn't there with him and for our pets - everything else was just stuff.

So our and every one's first reaction was - what a shame, this is awful. And, yes that is true because as Ephesians 6:12 says  "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms"

Now since we know it's the darkness in this world that causes these things to happen and that God promises to get us through, we won't dwell on that, we will look for answers, for what God is going to show us through this. And yes we prayed for the people that did this - not to get hurt as the flesh wanted to pray - but for them to experience God every time they touched something from our home.

Matthew 7:  24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

Our home is built upon the rock and we will not take our focus off God!

Proverbs 16:  20Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.

As I was talking to the Lord and listening! He asked me, 'What did you talk to the Pastor about at church this morning?'

My answer, "It was about emotions and not allowing them to rule you but we are to be led by the Holy Spirit.

Then He asked me,  "And what did you talk to Pastor Kathy, your husband and Me about a few days ago?'

My answer, "That I'm ready to be faithful and stand up and give my testimony."

The Lord is so sweet He said, "and what else?"

 I can't tell you the peace I was receiving as He guided me away from my fleshly response. He is always with us, we just have to calm down and listen, seek Him.

So. I thought for a moment and I replied, "Well, Lord, you have given Rob and me a specific plan and we made the decision to obey and told the Pastors. I agreed to follow the wisdom You were giving Rob. And within 24 hours we had at least 3 blessings, answered prayer, leaving only 1 or 2 things we were waiting on answers for.

The Lord said, "Can you see now why the darkness came in? It is trying to stop you.

How amazing is this conversation? I'm so thankful I know God and He knows me.

Rob and I are now facing a test or you could say, going through a trial.

James 1:  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds"

I began thinking, we tell God 'yes, we trust You and we will be joyful in our times of trials.....' but then when something happens and those emotions come in.....are we still committed? Was it just lip service or do we really mean what we tell God? I knew I meant what I told God and I was going to rest under His wings. (Psalm 91)

That evening as my husband and I had our Bible reading and had snuggled down for our prayer time, he was speaking God's Word I know! In my husbands gentle spirit, out of his spirit that is full of love and faith in God, my husband prayed -

"Father, they took things from us but they can't take the most important things - they can't take You God, they can't take our faith in You and they can't take the relationship we have with You and with each other."

I melted.

Now, the next day we decided we were not going to pick at each other - should have done this or that, we were going to look for answers so it won't happen again. What does God want from us?

Are you ready for this?? After all you just read you won't believe what I was planning!

I was already talking to my bosses about changing my work hours, talking to my husband about staying home from church until we could get some things done, I was rearranging my life so I could be home when my husband was not. I was going to check into an alarm systems - monthly fees.

The Lord began talking to me and asking me if this reminded me of anything. I had to think and then it came to me and I was aghast.

I had been delivered from the pit of depression and panic/anxiety attacks about 4 years ago. I was home bound for a year. And now I was planning on being at home as much as possible again because I didn't want someone to break in again. I was allowing fear to come back in.

That's not going to happen. I repented, changed my attitude and promptly started praising and worshiping God in song. I started thanking Him that His Word says He will never leave or forsake me; that He died for me and that is an incredible love.

As soon as I began to see what the devil, the darkness was trying to do and stopped it in the Name of Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit in me - there was freedom, fear no long controlled me.

Christ in me, perfect love, cast out all fear.

I did not change my schedule, if anything I am more highly productive than before. I volunteer at Down Syndrome of Indiana and through that other non-profits have asked for our help.

Now, my husband and I are working as one and we are taking each step the Lord gives us to secure our home without going in debt. Remember one of the things we committed to the Lord was to get out of debt. We want to honor God, our faith and trust is in Him. He has given us ideas and we are implementing them.

I praise God that He does talk to me and that He opened my eyes because the 'things' can be replaced if we so desire. I do not want 'things' to replace my commitment to God, to be above God. It's amazing how blessings and joy unspeakable came all because I listened, trusted and kept my faith in the Lord and in His Word.

And since all this has happened, the transmission has gone out of my car.

Because God has been showing me things and talking to me about faith, we just handled it without getting upset or despairing. It was towed free to another city and they have given us a reasonable quote and we know God will work it out.

 Romans 8:  28 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

Do You Pick and Choose?

When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.

“Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

Ezekiel 3:18-21

Have you ever left out part of God’s Word or sugar-coated it so the person you were talking to would not feel bad?                                                      

I know I have and then the Lord began to work on me. If I believe God, then I must know His Word and if I know His Word I must speak it as Truth – all of it!

He does not say, oh it is okay if you add to my word here and say don’t worry about it God will forgive you. God may forgive them but you are commanded to tell them what His Word says. Then it is their decision to continue in the sin or follow His Word.

I don’t know about you but I don’t to be held accountable for the blood of someone I did not tell the Truth to. I believe that is why so many churches are asleep today, why we are not seeing the power God says we have.

This is not an easy step to take but with God’s help we don’t have to worry or fret because He will give us His Words at the right time and He will protect us.

““I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Luke 12:4-12

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. II Thessalonians 3:3

I can profess to know God, to have faith in His Word but am I walking my talk?

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. James 2:18-19

Demons believe but they do not fear the one True God so they keep sinning, ignoring the Word of God. We as believers, walking in faith, are called to know God’s Word, when we know God’s Word and have a relationship with him (making the changes we need to make during our lifetime) we are able to help others grow in their faith and show it by their deeds.

Satan is pretty slick, he will come in and say ‘everyone is doing it, even those in the church, so why should you lose out on the fun?’

The Bible is pretty clear on what God hates, this is just one passage of many.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,  idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,  envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21 

Now I don’t know about you but I have had to repent of several of these things and more than once! That is why I believe we are to tell the Truth in love. We are not to beat them over the head and neither are we to tell them  it’s okay because their circumstance is different (if  it’s in the Bible it’s not okay!).

Too many believers want people to feel sorry for them so their ‘sin’ is lost in the emotional.

They talk bad about another person, telling things they should not be telling and usually leaving out the part they played in it. They have the poor me syndrome and that is not from God! We are anything but poor once we have accepted the Lord as our Savior, repented of our sins and started on our faith journey.

But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15:17

I know this will seem harsh to some of you, but if you are believers you can’t pick and choose what you want from God’s Word.

 I want to speak the Truth in love, and then it is up to them to make the choice according to what God says. Neither I nor you can make that choice for anyone, not our husbands, our parents, our children, our friends….but we can search God’s Word and ask Him for wisdom on how we are to act and speak so they will be drawn to God.

So make sure when the Lord has you speak to someone, write about something, whatever He tells you to do – make sure you are doing it with God’s love, with a true concern for them to know what God has to say.

Whatever God says to do or not to do something, He will always give you the strength and the way, we are never alone.

How many times have I not spoken Truth to someone, or shared my faith. Now to listen to God and see how to do this in love, not in fear, not in Bible beating, but in genuine love because you want to see them blessed by their Father. Because you have your Father’s heart to see them saved and not suffer the consequences for a bad decision – a sin.

If you get attacked, let it go and trust God, love them and pray for them.  It could be the Holy Spirit working on them, making them uncomfortable and you are just an easy target. Again, love them and pray for them.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up      Luke 18:1

I’m grateful for the people that spoke truth to me and never gave up praying.

It’s never too late to repent  -  Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death 2 Corinthians 7:10
 Let Jesus release you from those chains!

Life or Death?

For the longest time I chose death and didn't even realize I was doing it !!!

Do You Need Healing in Your Finance, Body, Mind or Relationships?

Don't miss this - live worship, awesome teachings and a powerful move of God!
NOVEMBER 2, 3 and 4, 2011
WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY  starts at 7pm
Come as you are!

317-786-5460 for more information  Special rate at local motel for those traveling.

You Can Make a Difference Don't be Afraid

Share the love of Christ. Share the Truth of His Word.
This is an amazing video - step up and share what God has done, is doing in and through you - it will help others!

Exercise Your Spirit Too

You Have Value You Are Chosen

Are you feeling like it's hopeless?

God is listening!!

Listen to this awesome song.....

You are something beautiful!!!

God says this about YOU

Speak these out loud - faith comes by hearing

It will make a difference in how you feel, 

how you live and how you hear

from God.

He wants a relationship with His precious child.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved...

Colossians 3:12

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

John 1:12

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James 1:5

God has said,

   “Never will I leave you;

   never will I forsake you.”  

Hebrews 13:5

And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed 

you from the power of sin that leads to death.

Romans 8:2

Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. 

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

John 3:16

I went through a terrible depression, full of fear and anxiety attacks that kept me a prisoner in my own home.

I'm here to tell you God is real and He cares for you.

What He did for me He will do for you.

If you aren't sure where to start, I suggest

you begin reading in the book of John, New Testament

Find books by Joyce Meyer, Beth Moore, Stormie Omartian, etc.

'Battlefield of the Mind' by Joyce Meyer is a good one to start with.

This will be a journey you won't regret! Trials will come

but you will know how to overcome

as you use the Word of God!

I have been struggling this week and I have felt anger rise up in me at God and at myself. So I began to repent and get quiet before the Lord and see what the heck this was all about.

I have had great victory over anxiety/panic attacks, however I am not walking in the complete victory the Lord says I have. I began to search God’s word and ask why that is.

I believe the first reason is

…..I have not learned to let my fleshy response to certain situations be renewed.

What do I mean by that? When someone spoke words of failure over me as a child/young adult – I accepted it and it began to give me a fleshly emotional feeling. When I saw this person I would hang my head and then I began to believe it and expect it from others. My mind has control over my body therefore the feelings I would have would range from headaches to extreme tiredness to anxiety attacks FEAR.

Then the self talk would come in and make it worse. If I made a small mistake, let’s say I put a cup of milk too close to the edge of the counter and it falls and spills – you stupid….they are right….you can’t do anything right…you are worthless, look at this mess and it’s all your fault.

Here goes my body that sinking feeling, tired, want to run and hide, sick to stomach….

BUT what I heard and what I was telling myself was not true.

Yes, it was a mistake to sit the cup there but it wasn’t because I’m stupid or worthless. It was because I was in a hurry I wasn’t paying attention – that is something you learn to do, you realize that doesn’t work and you correct it the next time.

I cringe when I hear parents tell their children how stupid they are when they spill their milk. I’m sure they have no idea how much damage they are doing to that young spirit.

I believe because of my past it helped me to bite my tongue (no I was not perfect at this) and tell my daughters it’s okay, it can be cleaned up but to be careful next time, make sure you put the cup back further next time.

I believe our Father God does the same thing for us as we grow in our faith. When we sin He doesn’t tell us – hey stupid!!  He reminds us of His word, His love and that He is waiting for us to repent, receive forgiveness and move forward, walking away from the sin.

And the second thing

  Obedience – ouch, yep I was not being obedient. God does not tell me to be obedient in the big things only He tells me to be obedient period. And I see where I have been resisting Him – are you ready……I’ve been resisting Him in one area for a little over a year! Yikes

Does God still love me? Yep

Am I still saved? Yep

Is He still blessing me? Yep

But you know what – there are consequences in disobedience and therefore I’m not getting the full blessing He wants to give me.

So what am I going to do?

Repent, renew my mind in the Word of God, watch what I’m thinking and speaking and obey – move forward and do what He has told me to do. If He calls me to do it then I can do it – by His power!

Laziness, fear, self-condemnation, and the effects on my body from these things, are all lies of the devil.

So I Submit to God and resist the devil – devil, you have to flee!!!!!

In the name of Jesus!

Now I am off to do one of the things I know the Lord wants me to do – it is for His kingdom, His children. I even have a smile on my face as I take another step of faith. 

The Power of the Tongue

The power of the tongue – words can damage the soul

They may not have touched me in their flesh but they beat me with their words – who you ask – that doesn’t matter, what matters is I have victory and that is the path I choose to stay on.

I thought I had gotten released from the hurt deep inside from verbal abuse, from being told I won’t amount to anything, can’t do anything right, you must stay thin or your man will leave, enjoy life now because once you grow old blah blah blah

Unfortunately, not knowing who I was in God, I believed and accepted these things into my life.

There were all kinds of people that took advantage of this and more abuse came. I thought I deserved it until I met God and He has shown me through His word and through my husband just how special and loved I am. That I am who God says I am and no longer have to believe the lies of other hurting people.

With that said, for several days now I have felt angry and hurt not knowing why. So I began to pray and darn it if my husband didn’t notice something was wrong and it irritated him and yep we had a spat but these are few and far between and we know it’s not going to bring up the D word!! We know because of who we are in Christ and that we want to love and honor God and we are committed to each other,  we will defeat the enemy this time too!

Anyway, anxiety/dizziness/lack of confidence began to creep it’s way back in – big flag for me because it’s been years!

As I prayed and the Lord began to show me things I now see that there is still a very deep hurt in me that has never been healed, never really released it’s just been covered over as I keep a smile on my face. One of my deepest hurts in our youngest daughter walking away from her family and this brings up those old lies that I thought had been put to rest.

God has healed me of so many things and they have been in stages because if He shows me everything at once He knows I could not handle it. Therefore, I’m grateful for the times of rest before we begin another cleansing, which gives me another testimony and hopefully helps someone else as it helps me.

So here I go on a journey of letting go of hurtful words that most people have no idea wounded me. And that I never should have allowed to get so deep inside me, to open up that wound again. So there is no pointing of my finger because I’ve heard it said when you point one finger forward the other 3 are pointing back at you. And I believe if we take this attitude with our brothers and sisters in Christ we will see a great advancement in His kingdom. The gossip and backbiting would stop and we would all truly work together to do what He has called us to do. We may have different personalities, likes and dislikes, different levels on our spiritual walk BUT we have a common goal…..opps I got off on another topic J maybe I’ll do one on working together in the church, what I have, what I am learning!

So whether it’s an unbeliever or a believer that speak unkind words I must remember it is not an attack on me. We all have bad days, things that have happened to us that open wounds that have not healed completely – I need to remember this could be happening to them as well. They could have  received bad news, something I did or said could have triggered a bad memory in them,  you never know what is going on.

If I know God’s Word and can pray it, speak it and forgive then that wound is going to heal, completely and that is what I want!

So I will remember Psalm 31:19-21

Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere, and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men! In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the plots of men; You keep them secretly in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord! For He has shown me His marvelous loving favor when I was beset as in a besieged city.

And

Psalm 32:7

You are a hiding place for me; You, Lord, preserve me from trouble, You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

I was reading a book and this really jumped out at me, ‘Whether we talk to ourselves or others, speaking evil or negative words that do not agree with God’s Word can create bondage. Words that others speak about us or write against us – if we agree with them – keep us in bondage!’  From A Woman’s Guide to Breaking Bondages

Proverbs 12:18

There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

The words we speak can be a blessing or a curse, we can bring healing or hurt in the words we speak- whether to the person or behind their backs.

Proverbs 18:21a

¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue

I could go on and on but will close with

Isaiah 54:17

But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord.

And a prayer from the above mentioned book.

Lord Jesus, You knew rejection, abandonment, pain and betrayal by those close to you. So you can identify with my hurts and wounds. Yet, Lord, as you hung on that cross, bleeding and dying from wounds you didn’t deserve, You actually asked Your Father to forgive Your offenders. Lord, please help me to forgive each person who has abused, rejected, or cursed me. Right now I honestly don’t feel some of them deserve forgiveness. But because I want my relationship with You to be right, I choose to forgive and set myself free. (help me love them as you love them – I added this). Lord, I ask you to heal my painful memories. Help me to anticipate with joy what you have in store for my life, now that I’m on the road to healing. Your Word says you complete the work you start. Thank you that you will finish my healing, and that you will never leave me nor forsake me. Amen

Depression and Anxiety My Journey to Be Free