How Surrender Brings The Greatest Blessing

November 4, 2012 by 11 Comments
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How Surrender Brings The Greatest Blessing

 

Have you ever watched people walking their dogs? Some dogs are in sync with their owners. They happily trot directly ahead on a short lead, in pace with their master. And then there are those other dogs! It seems as if these dogs are walking their owners instead of the other way around. You see them constantly straining at the leash, eager to follow every distraction and oblivious to their master’s desire to protect them. The route the master wants to take makes no difference to these dogs. They are determined to have their own way – unwilling to yield to their master’s will.

Much like these pets, some believers have a hard time surrendering to the Master’s guidance and protection. Surrender can be perceived as negative, but let’s find out what it truly means in the context of our relationship with Jesus.

What Does It Mean To Surrender?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, surrender is an act of yielding or resigning your life or the possession of something into the power of another; to give up or to yield to the influence, passion, or power of another.

For example, the living Bible says, “We are not our own bosses…” and Romans 14:13 says, “Try instead to live in such a way that you will never make your brother stumble by letting him see you doing something he thinks is wrong” (TLB).

So instead of following our desires and impulses, we are to yield our lives to the influence of Jesus in every aspect of our beings. Evangelist T.L. Osborn once said, “You are painting a picture of Jesus to others by every word you speak and every deed you do. Make sure you are painting a good picture.” Surrender is easier said than done. But our motivation to surrender has a big part to play in how consistently we yield to Jesus.

What Is Our Motivation For Surrender?

Surrender is based on love. When you truly love someone, you surrender your plans and desires, and instead do that which honours and pleases the other person. You give serious consideration as to how your actions affect another person.

In surrender to Jesus, you now think about how your actions affect your relationship with Him and with others. Your surrender to Jesus is not a one-time experience. It becomes a daily experience. And an experience that deepens over time. To the extent we surrender, the more we are willing to surrender.

What Is The Extent Of Surrender?

We choose to surrender to the will of Jesus’ every day rather than demanding our own way. When you go your own way, choosing to be strong-willed or self-focused, you’ll experience the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit (and your own conscience) warning you to stop. I know this for a fact, because I have experienced the convicting power of the still small voice of the Holy Spirit many times.
Once you become a Christian, you need to recognize that your body and your spirit are now God’s dwelling place or house (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Believe me, God cares about His house.

Now that you have invited Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior and surrendered to Jesus, you no longer belong to yourself. You belong to God. He owns you. By the way, He can’t just be your Saviour without becoming your Lord. Lordship implies authority over you.

Many Christians want Jesus to be with them to help them out when they get into trouble (like a personal maintenance man), but they don’t want Him telling them what do when things are going smoothly.

So, your surrender extends to considering Jesus in everything that you do. Consider means “to think seriously; to have regard for; to respect; to take into view in examination.” When you consider Jesus, you take into account His opinion and His view of things. You want your attitudes, thoughts, motives, words, behaviour, and yes, even your appearance to honour Him.

You’re more highly motivated to please Him than to please yourself or others. Ask yourself, “Do I consider Jesus in what I think, what I say, and in what I do?” “Do I represent Jesus well to others?” Are people attracted to Jesus when they look at you? It’s good to ask yourself, “Can people see Jesus in the way I live? Does my lifestyle as well as the words I speak help or hinder people in becoming closer to Jesus? ( Romans 14:7). Surrender to Jesus is the path of blessing and has a significant outcome on our lives.

How Does Surrender Determine The Outcome Of Our Lives?

Your life, whether it is a good life or a difficult life, is determined by choices you make daily, living submitted and surrendered to God or living your own way. When you have your personal time with God each day, acknowledge that you know He owns you and you want Him to keep you and lead you.

The choices and decisions you make will affect your future. Jesus understood the power of choice, and He chose to live submitted and surrendered even in the face of great temptation. He showed us that it is possible for us to submit our will and surrender to God.
God gave us free will because He wanted us to love Him and obey Him by our own choice. God won’t force us, even though He knows the end result of an unsurrendered will is difficulty, heartache, pain, hardship, and sometimes destruction.

So when we Christians know that the Bible instructs us to live a surrendered life, why do we ignore that knowledge? Most often it’s because we want to fulfil our own desires or lust. When you decide you will go your own way, you unlock and open doors or windows to the enemy.

Sometimes Christians wonder why their lives are full of heartache and difficulty, but if they will take time to re-evaluate the choices they have made, they will discover where they have made themselves vulnerable through poor choices. Choices in which they stubbornly insisted on going their own direction instead of surrendering to and obeying God’s promptings and warnings. When you are self-willed, stubborn, rebellious, and unsubmissive to God’s authority, the enemy has much greater opportunity to rob you or even to destroy you.

Once you decide to surrender your life to Jesus, obeying God’s Word will become easier, your natural way of doing things. You will begin to see the Word as a guideline to live by.

To Sum It Up

When you are under the guidance and direction of the Master, surrendered to His good plan and ways, you won’t be straining at the leash, following after every distraction that comes up. Surrender is a blessed state, motivated by love for Jesus and extending to every aspect of our lives. It is of highest importance to Believers because it determines the outcome of our lives.

 

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How To Use Your Imagination, God’s Way

October 17, 2012 by 9 Comments
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How To Use Your Imagination, God’s Way

 

 

Lately, I’ve been in a mood to weed out junk that has accumulated around the house. While tidying some shelves in the garage, I found a forgotten unopened pressure cooker. Christmas in October! I had never used one before so I had to be serious and pay attention to the instruction manual. In case you’re not aware, pressure-cooking is done in a special pot that is heated on a burner. The manual said to keep the burner heated to a level that would allow a steady stream of steam to escape from a vent in the lid.

The problem was, I couldn’t see the steam. Was the burner hot enough? I walked around the stovetop and tilted my head several times in order to finally detect the wispy transparent cloud rolling off the pressure cooker. Just because I couldn’t see it or touch it, didn’t mean the steam wasn’t there. Steam is real, yet difficult to see and pin down.

The meaning of the word imagination is kind of like that steam. Depending on the angle from which you observe it, it can take on very different meanings.

What Is Imagination?

My experience with trying to detect that steam coming out of the vent came to mind when I wanted to pin down a definition for imagination.

The word imagination has several definitions. But depending how you look at them, they are the opposite of each other. On one hand, imagination conveys something positive as defined at Merriam-Webster.com

“An act or process of forming a conscious idea or mental image of something…also: the ability or gift of forming such conscious ideas or mental images especially for the purposes of artistic or intellectual creation.”

For example:

Through the author’s imagination, the temperaments of Jesus’ disciples came alive for me.
On the other hand, the word imagination can convey a negative meaning of something imaginary according to this definition also found at Merriam-Webster.com.

“…to form a notion without a sufficient basis. ”

For example:

She’s not ill. It’s all in her imagination.

In the Bible, especially the Old Testament, the word imagination is most often paired with vain or evil. So why is that? Does God dislike us to use our faculties of imagination? Our imaginations, as a function of our minds, are part of our souls. Like any other function of the soul, imagination can be used for purposes that are contrary to God. But when our imagination is placed under the Spirit’s control, supernatural force is released. In fact, there is a powerful link between imagination and faith.

Let’s explore

What Is The Link Between Faith And Imagination?

Now faith is the substantiating of things hoped for, [the] conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1, DARBY).

In order to see a thing “not seen” we must use our imagination. We imagine what we believe or what we have faith for. It’s a cycle: our imagination feeds our faith and faith expands our imagination.

In Romans 4:17 God is described as the One “who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they are “(NIV – emphasis, mine). “Calling things that are not as though they are” requires an act of forming a conscious image of a thing. That’s imagination.

In Ephesians 3: 20, we are told that as we make requests of God, His commitment to us is that He will go far beyond not only what we ask, but also what we can imagine. God is expecting us to use our imagination. The greater our capacity to imagine, the farther God must go in order to exceed it!

As we imagine the things of God, we know that we are limited, but we also must stretch ourselves to apprehend what lies beyond our natural sight.

Our faith is enhanced by our imagination when it is based upon the precepts, principals and interaction with the Divine. And there are other reasons that it is beneficial to use our imagination.

Why Is It Important To Use Our Imagination?

I hope you agree that imagination stimulates our faith, but it also has additional importance.

Through imagination, we give substance to God’s Word in our minds. As we read a verse or a chapter, our imagination can bring a passage to life and open us up to God’s imprint on His Words. For example, when we read “we and our household shall be saved,” we can envision our family attending church together. That’s imagination at work. That’s faith.

Imagination also transports us to flow in God’s compassion. We can identify with God and marvel at how he maintained His patience with the children of Israel. We can become the character of the woman caught in adultery, who had just escaped stoning, and too ashamed to lift her head heard the words “Go and sin no more.” How do you think that feels? Use your imagination.

Using our imagination also helps us to flow in God’s blessings. We read in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” God has so many ways that he wants to bless us and for His blessings to flow through us. Can you imagine how He wants to bless you? Can you imagine how you can be a blessing to others? We’ve just scratched the surface of the role of your imagination in growing a connection to and love for the Father and Jesus. Let’s wrap up with a few other quick ideas for stimulating your imagination.

Other Ways To Stimulate Your Imagination

We cannot believe for something and continue to look at things the way they are in the present. We must learn to form a mental picture in our hearts of that for which we are believing. We must see things that have not yet come to pass, looking ahead at the prize we desire. Faith is imagining and believing the desired goal as already accomplished.

Here are several other ways to stimulate your imagination toward the things of God. They are things either I have practiced or have heard from others.

Confessing God’s Word is a great way to stimulate your imagination. We know that the Word is incorruptible seed. Confessing the Word is not like reciting a poem. The Word of God is alive and active and engages body, soul and spirit in creative imagination.

Asking yourself questions is always a good way to provoke your imagination. The possibilities are endless. One of my favorite questions is: What would my life be like if I truly believed _________? Imagine going through your day and see what is different when you believe_________.

Writing a letter to a person who you are praying for imagining the outcome when God has answered your prayer. Save it to share with them when God has answered your prayer for their situation. Tell them how grateful you are for God’s changing power in their life.

I have known women who saved a seat in church for their husbands, years before the men were saved and wanted to attend church. Now that’s calling forth things that are not as though they are!

Our limitless God places no limits on our imaginations!

Call To Action

Perhaps you see yourself as uncreative or unimaginative. But God created each of us to have, to some degree, the capacity to imagine.

Are you using your imagination for things that are less than or contrary to what God has for you? Today is the day to turn that around and encourage yourself by imagining all the good God has in store for you. Project yourself into a God-ordained future beginning right now. Feel yourself smiling as you imagine your experience of His blessing. And since it is real, go ahead and thank Him for it!

photo credit: Toni Blay via photopin

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A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away?

September 26, 2012 by 8 Comments
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A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away?

 

The film, Star Wars, debuted in 1977. It became a pop culture sensation as subsequent films were made, to further expand the story of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Each film begins with the words “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” scrolling up the theater screen.

Many Christians think of God as far, far away. They see Him as “out there.” This sense of God’s remoteness is heightened by the words used when speaking about God. From the formerly popular “The Man Upstairs” to the newly popular “God, we ask you to show up and show off” we subtly reinforce the idea that God is somewhere “else” from whence we must summon Him. Is this accurate? Let’s look at what the Bible has to say.

Where is God?

From the Garden of Eden, man has tried to control his physical position in relation to God (Genesis 3:8). But it’s not possible to go unnoticed by God, because He is present everywhere. This quality of “omnipresence” is difficult for us to grasp because we are limited by time and space. But God is a spirit being. Nothing takes place apart from His presence, therefore He is aware of everything and everyone.

Psalm 139 beautifully expresses the nearness of God’s presence. Verse five says: “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” Picture a toddler taking his first wobbly steps, arms uplifted and inter-linked with his Daddy’s, hemmed in on either side by his Father’s sheltering presence. Just as the child is protected in his forward progress, so God positions Himself to buffer our instability. God is “up close and personal” present!

The Psalmist goes on to ask, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there; if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

May I ask again? Where is God?

Even His Name Testifies of His Nearness

God is so vast and beyond our ability to fathom, that He gives Himself names to express aspects of His character. One of these names even tells us where to find Him: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us” (Matthew 1:23). God is with us!

But What If God Seems Far Away?

There are times when our feelings and circumstances seem to contradict what the Bible says. It is essential that in such periods we cling to and dwell on the truth of the Word. So what does the Bible say about God’s nearness to us? Here are several passages that have sustained me through difficulty:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you (Isaiah 43:2).

…for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down, relax My hold on you! [Assuredly not!] (Hebrews 13:5b AMP).

Note: The three occurrences of “[I will] not” above are not a typo. The translators of the Amplified Bible chose to express the degree of the Bible’s assurance that God will never let us down by using a triple negative. God is absolutely emphatic that He is intimately intertwined with us.

And the LORD, he [it is] that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4).

Where is God?

God is so vast – so beyond our ability to conceptualize – that we can make the mistake of placing Him out there – apart from us. But he is here. He is there. He is everywhere and available to us in real time. There is no summoning the Creator of the Universe, for we are the ones who have been placed. And that place is within His protective and loving care. No, the Creator of the Galaxies, the Maker of Space and Time is not far, far away. He is right where you are!

 

 

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What Report Do You Believe?

September 9, 2012 by 34 Comments
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What Report Do You Believe?

Everybody is going to encounter problems in life, even the person who is in right standing with God. We can expect it because God said so in Psalm 34:19, but God promises also that He will be there for us and that He will rescue us. Not only will God deliver us, He wants to deliver us!

The state of the economy has played a significant role in the lives of many people over the last few years. People have lost their jobs and homes and some have diminished or completely emptied their life’s savings. Just watching the news can trigger some hopelessness.

Even though the reality is that the economy has affected our lives, dwelling on it won’t change the situation. We can’t be moved by things we see, like high gas prices, closing businesses, and negative bank balances. Our focus should be on the One who can change it all.

There is a lot of darkness in the world now. And if the only thing we’re feeding off of is negative television, negative news reports, and negative people, we’re going to be negative.

Positive Options

Thank God there are positive options also available through television, radio, music, books, and even magazines. When we take in negative information, we are influenced by it and ultimately participate in it by complaining and finding faults in others.

Let’s have a look at the story of Caleb in Numbers 13 and 14. Moses and the Israelites were traveling through the desert in search of the Promised Land. God told Moses that Canaan was the place designated for His people to inhabit. He asked Moses to send spies to inspect the land and its people. The land was already rich in resources and filled with everything they could possibly want or need.

When the twelve spies returned, they confirmed that the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey. The grapes were sweet and ripe and everything was plentiful. But soon their report became flooded with doom and gloom about the people who lived there.

All they could focus on was how big the people were. As a result, the spies feared they would be destroyed. They described the people in Canaan as giants! Rather than seeing themselves equipped for potential battle, the spies described themselves and their own people as small, defeated grasshoppers. The Israelites heard the report and began to stir. They constantly complained and were overcome by fear.

However Caleb, one of the spies, had a different report. He saw the same land and the same people the other spies saw, but he chose to see things from a positive perspective. Numbers 13:30-32

But the people were overcome with fear and began complaining to and about Moses. Rather than accepting the hope that Caleb provided, they chose to believe the negative report of the other spies.

Have You Missed Out?

How many blessings have we missed out on by choosing to focus on the negative? I believe one of the most valuable lessons we can learn from this story is the value of choosing a positive perspective. Had the Israelites chosen to believe Caleb’s report, they would have entered into the Promised Land in God’s timing.

Instead, they opted to believe all the negative things they heard, and, as a result, they were overtaken with fear.

The perspective we choose to take on is by which our circumstances generally determine the type of life we will lead and the results we will achieve. The results the Israelites received would have been far better had they chosen to trust Caleb’s optimistic perspective.

Instead they bought into the negative report, complained, and remained ungrateful. Canaan flowed with milk and honey just as God said. The spies confirmed that it was filled with everything they could even need or desire. Sure there were giants, but as Caleb reminded them, God was on their side. Their victory was guaranteed!

Being positive is a choice. We choose to see the glass as half full or we can choose to see it as half empty. Either way, it’s the same glass. Caleb, as well as Joshua, saw the glass half full while the other 10 spies saw it as half empty.

These great men of faith were able to see beyond the obstacles and embrace the destiny God had prepared for them. Although they were outnumbered, it was Caleb and Joshua’s optimistic view that earned God’s favor. He blessed them by allowing them and their descendants to live in the land.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotional that helps you to make the right choices in your life by clicking here

 

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3 Things You Need, to Discover The Life You Were Born to Live

August 5, 2012 by 37 Comments
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3 Things You Need
to Discover The Life You Were Born to Live

by Olga Hermans

#1. A Plan

The purpose of life is to discover your gift, which means that you need to discover the things that you like to do. If you are inspired and motivated to “Discover The Life You Were Born to Live” and make a difference with your life, then you must have a plan. Nothing will just happen automatically. The primary reason why most people do not succeed is because they do not plan. Planning is one of those lifestyle choices.

This morning my husband and I were talking about some things that we want to do with our life. He said a few things that just hit home to me. “Yeah, yeah, that’s where we’re going” was my quick reaction to it. And I saw it so very clearly what we are going to do in the next few months, the next year and the next five years.

I’ve discovered that most people do a better job at planning a trip that will only last for a week than they do planning their life which is a lifetime. A lot of people do not succeed simply because they do not plan. God didn’t just wake up one morning and said, “You know, I think I will make a universe.” That is not how God operates. Nothing that God does is by coincidence. God is the master-planner.

If you are one of our valuable readers, you have read a few times that we have talked about the fact that God has a plan for your life even before you were formed in your mother’s womb.

You know as well as I do that if you want to be a doctor, then you have to make plans to be a doctor. If you want to own a business, then you have to make plans to own your own business, and if you want a better life, then you have to make plans for a better life. All of that is a choice.

So many people live for the moment. Whatever happens, happens. What will be, will be. You are not going to experience God’s best with that attitude. It takes planning. Success in any endeavour requires planning and planning is a choice. If you never succeed at anything, it is simply because you didn’t plan to succeed. Success doesn’t come easy, if it did, everybody on the planet would be successful.

Just a few weeks ago I was at a party where some of my friends shared that they had gone through very stormy conditions in their life. Life can be full of stormy conditions and that is why you need a plan. With a plan you can maneuver through life’s storms much easier.

A person who never sets goals is like a ship without a rudder; a ship without a rudder is like a person who just wanders aimlessly through life. Aimlessly wandering is like depending upon which way the wind blows. There are a lot of people like that today.

#2. Positive thoughts, words and actions

This universe is governed by certain laws, which were put into motion by God Himself. One of them is called the law of gravity. This works for everybody the same way because it is a law. If you let go of a book in your hands, it will drop on the floor. If a baby rolls over to the edge of a table too far, it will fall on the floor. This law of gravity cannot decide that because the baby is a baby, it will not go into affect.

If you don’t want to be a failure, then you have to learn certain laws that produce success. One of these laws is also the law of seedtime and harvest; or the law of cause and effect. The way you live today is the result of the seeds sown in the past. If you don’t like the way you live, then you have no one to blame but yourself. So, if you don’t like the harvest, stop planting it.

I want to encourage you to take the time to sit down and carefully look at what you have been doing that is preventing you from having success. Most importantly, take time to listen to yourself. Whether you realize it or not, you are applying the law of cause and effect or as the bible calls it, the law of sowing and reaping every time you speak.

In my new book “Pursue your Destiny with Passion and Purpose” I cover this subject in great depth. It is a very important subject and we need to learn to apply this law and put it to work for the contentment and happiness of our life.

# 3. Perception

In order to discover the life you were born to live, you have to learn how to become perceptive. Every problem has a solution. Many times people fail, because of wrong perception. By changing how you perceive your problems, you can literally change your life from failure and defeat to victory and success.

You know the story of David and Goliath. When David saw Goliath, his perception of that challenge was totally different from that of his brothers and the entire armies of Israel; they perceived Goliath as too big to kill. When David looked at him, he thought he was too big to miss. Same giant, same problem, a different perception.

You and I are created by God to succeed and not to fail. Success does not come without adversity; there is no such thing as success without adversity. Most people run from it though.

Learn to look at every situation, every problem, and every challenge with a different perception that your problems are subject to change. That is how you can endure anything.

If you don’t like the way you are presently living, then it’s time to make some choices. If you don’t like where you are, then you have got some decisions to make. One thing you have to do for sure is to Pursue Your Destiny with everything that is within you. Stir up your passion to make a plan, to think on good things and let those thoughts come out of your mouth. Use your words as the rudder on that boat and decide to take some action. You will see your life from a totally different perspective.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here 

 

 

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Iron Sharpens Iron

July 10, 2012 by 66 Comments
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Iron Sharpens Iron

by Olga Hermans

Have you ever thought about who you want to hang out with? I want to be around people who are hungry for God. They have a sense of direction in life, but they also have this hunger for God and in this hunger for God they want to please God with their lives. I love it when people know where they are going and know what they want to do.

I love to be with them and let it rub off on me. I listen to them and ask them how they got where they are now from where they were. What was the most important choice that they made in their life and what was the worst. How do they make tough choices? What motivates them and so forth.

It is very important to know to whom people listen to. I think that, that is very important to know because you want to have the same source of influence in your life. Sometimes people are in church with great issues in their lives, they try to fight great temptations, but they are scared to go to somebody and be open about their life. So, they keep it to themselves and keep it as a secret. We need accountability in our life.

You know, when iron sharpens iron, sparks are going to fly! One person is chasing after God and the other person is not chasing after God, so when you confront a person on issues that are ungodly, sparks are going to fly.When there are no sparks flying then it is probably not a relationship where iron sharpens iron. But we need someone who is going to confront us on pride, selfishness and lust.

What about personal greed and jealousy? You want to be with people who are going to challenge you to take you forward in your walk with God and in your walk in life.You know, friends that you are able to bounce things off on and when they are able to put you in check; you are going to put them in check as well.

You actually need three types of people in your life:

1. Somebody who pours into you, somebody that you gain knowledge from; the ins and outs of life. Someone who helps you to stay focused on your vision that you so desperately like to accomplish.

2. Somebody that you can bounce things off on; somebody that can challenge you and build you up if necessary.

3. Somebody that you can pour into, all the knowledge that you gained can now flow into the life of somebody else.

Col 1:3-5 says: The Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.

We need that, don’t we? We need comfort, but then there are times that there are other people that God calls us to bless in a relationship. They need what we have to speak into their lives. Most importantly we can have relationships where we can confess our faults one to another so that we can be healed.

And at the same time, we can affirm each other; “I believe in you, I know that God has great things in store for your future, this is not the end; things like that seem to encourage us in a great way. Prov 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Ecc 4:9-10 “Two people are better than one because together they have a good reward for their hard work. If one falls, the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is all alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up.”

Two heads are better than one.
~John Heywood

Walking with a friend in the dark is
better than walking alone in the light.
~Helen Keller

A true friend never gets in your way
unless you happen to be going down.
~Arnold H. Glasow

You weren’t meant to go through life alone. God created you for a relationship. Relationships that will encourage you and strengthen you and challenge you. But more than anything, God wants a relationship with you Himself. God wanted a family from the very start; He wants you as a part of His family.

You can make a choice today to surrender your life to Him. He is a very good iron sharpener 🙂 Most important is that He loves you no matter what.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

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Speak to Your Mountains

July 1, 2012 by 13 Comments
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Speak to Your Mountains

by Olga Hermans

Now is the time to speak the Word Of God to the mountains in Your life and see them removed; whether is the mountain of sickness, lack, division, torment, oppression, or some other challenge. On one of Jesus’ final trips over the Mount of Olives before His betrayal and crucifixion, He taught His disciples in Mark 11:12-19

Jesus and His disciples left Jerusalem on the same route they had taken into Jerusalem, up over the Mount of Olives, down to the little town of Bethany. He taught, ministered and spoke each day in the temple. Mark 11:20-26

Often overlooked is the parallel between the fig tree and the nation of Israel. Jesus came to the fig tree, and it was supposed to be bearing fruit. It wasn’t so He spoke to it and it withered. Jesus came to the nation of Israel, and it was supposed to be bearing fruit; the fruit of a righteous, holy nation. He came to the temple and found a den of thieves. What he has done to the fig tree, He did to the temple and found it a den of thieves. He overthrew the money changers and spoke to them that their house would be left desolate.

It was only a few years later, 70 A.D., after Jesus had spoken it, that the Roman general Titus surrounded the city of Jerusalem and destroyed it.

In the Bible, we are likened to trees. The trees of the field shall clap their hands Isaiah 55:12. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches John 15:5. Jesus is looking for fruit in our lives; the fruit of answered prayer, the fruit of souls being won to Christ, the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

On one occasion when this parable was told, the landowner said, Let’s destroy the tree. Then the Word came, No, give it one more year. Let’s dig around it, fertilize it and see if it brings forth fruit. Thank God, He is merciful!

Jesus left us an example that we are to follow. He left us a pattern of faith. In verse 14, He spoke to the tree, and the disciples heard it. In other words, it wasn’t one of those whisper things. He spoke out loud. Nothing happened visibly at that moment. As you release your faith, nothing may happen visibly at that very moment.

But when Jesus returned by this same route some 24 hours later, the fig tree had dried up from the roots. In the natural, it is impossible for something to dry up that quickly.

Then Jesus commanded, Have faith in God. Romans 12:3 says,…God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Romans 10:17 says, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Hebrews 11:6 says, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It has been said, Faith is the title deed to that which is invisible. Corrie ten Boom said, Faith is the radar that sees things and catches an image of them, even though they may be beyond natural sight. The image of it is imprinted in us by the Word of God. Then Jesus said, For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain…Mark 11:23

Jesus was using the terminology of speaking to a mountain as a figure of speech, saying, If you have a problem, a difficulty, an obstacle that is like a mountain, you can speak to it to be removed. Jesus was saying that you can speak to any mountain-size problem to be removed and it has to go. Maybe your mountain is sickness or disease, depression, discouragement, fear, dismay, or financial lack.

Many people talk about their mountain, discuss their mountain and even evaluate their mountain. They take samples of their mountain and compare it with other people’s mountains. Then there are mountain conferences or dialogues where people get together and discuss their mountains!

Jesus didn’t say that we are to discuss our challenges. He said, “Speak to them!” Speak to cancer. Speak to financial lack. Speak to the rebellion in a child. Speak to the mountain in a situation. How do we get to the point where we believe that what we say will come to pass and that when we speak to our mountain, it will be removed?

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

One of the primary keys to your confidence in prayer is to know that what you are speaking is the will or the Word of God. This is the day and the hour for God’s people to do great exploits because we are in covenant relationship with Him; speaking His Word, praying His Word and obeying His Word.

What is your experience with speaking to your mountains? Please let us know in the comment section.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

 


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How Does Faith Work?

June 25, 2012 by 31 Comments
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How Does Faith Work?

 by Olga Hermans

Many people are talking about faith. Faith is not only believing. It is not simply confessing or just hearing the Word. Faith requires doing, yet that’s not all. Although faith includes prayer, there is still more. Meditation is not the final answer either. Learning how to receive from God is a big part of faith too. Praise is powerful, but it needs to be supported by the other parts of faith.

So, how does faith work? Most people think they know, but do they really? Can you explain how faith works to somebody? If you really like to discover the life you were born to live and fill it with passion, you need to know how faith works. So, let’s have a look!

In a given situation, a person may exercise great faith by utilizing only two or three parts of faith. It is not just a cut and dried formula that must be rigidly followed. It is a breakdown of faith that gives us an inner picture of how faith is developed and operate great faith by using everything God has given us.

The growth, development, and release of faith includes hearing the Word, believing the Word, praying according to the Word, receiving the promise, confessing the Word, praising God, and doing the Word.

Let’s say you would have a V-8 engine. The engine is to the average person just a machine. The person, who knows engines, however, knows it is made up of many stationary and moving parts. Primarily, the engine itself has eight cylinders with pistons inside of them. Timed explosions in each of these cylinders causes power to be released to move the pistons. The moving pistons turn a shaft that harnesses the power from the explosion of the gasoline in the cylinder and eventually channels that power to turn the wheels.

Even though some of the pistons or cylinders are not functioning properly, the engine will still run, but it will be rough. It is the same with people and faith. Some people will get a lot of mileage out of a little bit of faith, but the full potential can only be reached by continuous exercise of all parts of faith. Jesus must be our example for He is the one person who developed His faith to perfection. Our faith will grow the same way, because it is His faith that we have been given.

Your faith is very similar to the V-8 engine used in many cars. It is one operation, yet the power is generated through a series of operations within the engine itself. Each operation in faith has a specific place and will produce power if it is run by the Spirit. Although the engine may run on fewer than all 8 cylinders, its power and efficiency are greatly reduced. For highest performance every part of your faith must be operating.

A car engine must be properly tuned and the timing set for it to run properly. Depending on the make and year of the car, the spark plugs and/or points must be firing with precision or the explosion of the gasoline air mixture will not be good. Likewise the pistons, valves, and cylinders need to be in good shape. If all these things are not in order, the engine will run rough, lack power, start poorly, and cause many problems.

If so much knowledge is needed just to run an automobile, why shouldn’t we be more concerned about the great powerhouse God has given us? Don’t wait until a crisis arises to check your faith because it will be too late.

Faith includes hearing, believing, praying, receiving, confessing, meditating, praising and doing. All of these things are important, and you will probably discover other things that help our faith grow and mature to the place that it can be used to meet the needs of those around us. Remember, this is not a dead formula, a set of rules, or another do-it yourself kit. It is a simple explanation of the various parts of faith using a modern parable.

It is a great privilege to build our lives on a foundation that cannot be shaken and will stand firm against every wind, storm, and flood of the adversary. Faith reaches for the eternal and brings it into existence in order to change the natural things.

You may be burdened with sin, sickness, discouragement, or confusion, but your faith in the eternal Word of God can overcome those feelings and give you victory in every situation.

The temporal things will be changes by the Eternal, and you will be established on the rock. How wonderful is that!!

What things have you see change in your life because of your faith? Tells us about in the comment section…

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

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How to Get Back on Your Feet After a Storm?

February 13, 2012 by 11 Comments
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How to Get Back on Your Feet After a Storm?

by Olga Hermans

 

 

Have you ever watched the progress of a furious storm on the news, and noticed how trees respond to the assault of the relentless high winds? You may see an uprooted tree flying by while the newscaster describes the devastation of the storm. Or you may see a tropical tree bent to the ground as rain pummels the reporter who is struggling to stand upright.

People, when faced with the fast and furious storms of life, are similar to trees: some are strong and stable, withstanding the ongoing gales, but some come crashing down in heavy winds.

There is a particular tree that is found in areas that experience a lot of tropical storms: the palm tree. Its trunk is not as massive as, say an oak tree, but it seems to fare so much better than most other trees in those powerful storms. The resiliency and strength of the palm tree has amazed me when I have noticed them in a documentary or a TV show like Survivor. They seem to withstand the most violent of storms. Would you like to know why?

You guessed it! God designed them to bend, but not break in those heavy windstorms. Palm tree can bend all the way over until their tops touch the ground, yet still not break. They can remain bent for 4-5 hours without snapping in two, because they are very resilient. They bounce right back. Researchers say that when the palm tree is bent to the ground, its root system is actually strengthened by the stress, giving new opportunities for growth.

We too should bend with hard times and then grow. Psalm 92:12 says: “Righteous people flourish like palm trees.” That is what God says will happen to you and me, if we just stay in faith.

You and I were designed to bend and not break. God promises to give you ‘…strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy’ (Colossians 1:11). The unfolding of God’s amazing plan for your life will happen as you show your ability to endure. Do you believe that?

You may be facing a divorce that you don’t want, or the death of a loved one, or you may have received a bad report about your health. The storms come rolling in and it looks as if your dreams are being swept away with them. But you are like a palm tree, and once the storm has passed, you will arise. You will get back on your feet and keep growing. Certainly, there will be times that it would appear to be ‘over’ for you. You’re done.

But you are not average. You are not an ordinary person. Life may have given you a tough blow. But the good news is that God has put that bounce back in your spirit to get you back on your feet again in no time.

Don’t be tempted to give up on your dreams. Hold on to them. Dig deep into your spirit, and know that you are more than a conqueror. You were created to rise above your problems.

No weapon formed against you will prosper. Proverbs 24:16 says that even if good people fall seven times, they will get back up.
It is in the tough times of life that we find out what we are really made of. The storms in life are intended to test your quality, to test your character and to test your faith. All through life you will face various storms, and, of course, they are not enjoyable, but God uses storms to strengthen you, to cleanse and purify you.

He is trying to shape you into the person He wants you to be. Those winds, that storm, that trouble, that sickness will not last forever. When the ill winds are blowing, and they will, know that this too shall pass.

I remember the time I had to face severe rejection from people who meant a lot to me. Before my salvation, I was involved in a self-help group. I liked the people and was enjoying what I was learning.

At one meeting, the group leader guided us in visualization. (For those of you who are not familiar with how this works, the leader provides the general details of the visualization, such as place, time, and weather. Each group member imagines or visualizes the particulars of the experience such people, relationships, or emotions.)

The group was climbing a mountain. I was one of the last ones in the group and I kept looking at them, wondering why they never looked back at me to see that I was so far behind.

As I kept climbing, I saw that the whole group had gone to the left. They were sitting in a circle, not aware that I was missing. I continued to the top of the summit where a very old man with a beard was waiting for me. The mountain top was a cliff , and as I looked, I saw a little river of blood streaming below. Then I looked up again, and saw a man in a white dress, waving at me to come over to the other side. There wasn’t a bridge or anything, but I did notice, a hair-thin line connecting where I stood to the other side. I knew I couldn’t make it that day, and looked at the old man and asked him, “What I should do?” He replied, “At the right time, you will know what to do.”

I recounted my visualization experience to my group, and from that moment on they totally rejected me! I was mystified. It was very, very painful. At a later meeting, we were sitting in our customary circle and I asked each and every one of them “Do you want me to stay in the group?” I asked 15 people and 15 people told me that they preferred that I leave.

I wept and wept that evening. Totally broken, I couldn’t even stand upright from the emotional pain I was experiencing. I was devastated and in the middle of a storm. In that moment, I was bent to the ground. But God was strengthening my “root system”, preparing me for new growth. I will never forget that day. Later, that new growth came in the gift of my salvation and discovering the meaning of the stream of blood and the identity of the man (Jesus) on the other side.

King David said the following about people who trust in God, ‘They are strong, like a tree planted by a river…” (Psalm 1:3 NCV). God’s plan for you is to go deep, stay connected to Him, and never be uprooted, or blown away. If you’re facing attack, or a storm, don’t ask, ‘Why me?’ Instead remember, “God has made me like a palm tree” and you will ALWAYS be able to bounce back and get back on your feet.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

 

 

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Life Has Two Doors: Faith and Fear

December 19, 2011 by 13 Comments
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Life Has Two Doors: Faith and Fear     

by Olga Hermans     

 

 

There are so many things going on in the world right now, that it is very easy to let fear strike our hearts, especially in this time of the year. Christmas can bring all kinds of feelings to us and as we get to the end of 2011 to enter into 2012, uncertainties, worries and doubt try to get to us.

If there were two doors in front of you: one is called FEAR and the other is called FAITH; which one would you choose for the New Year? Of course, you would choose the door of FAITH. But do you realize that as you enter through the door of FAITH that FEAR doesn’t live there?

Many people are afraid of losing their health, their wealth and their loved ones. Some people are afraid of life itself. When you look around, you can see that many people are ruled by fear. It can absolutely take over a person’s life. I made a commitment to myself that I will not live in fear. This is what I confess on a regular basis.

Until the power of fear is broken in our lives, we are held captive to it, which means we are not free to follow God. To discover the life that You were Born to live and to enjoy all the blessings He wants to give us, we simply must refuse to live in fear. If fear rules in our lives we cannot enjoy anything we do. Fear brings torment and we must refuse to entertain it or our lives will be miserable.

Satan will always intimidate you through words, actions, or signs. But did you know that God does that as well; He also approaches you with words, actions, or signs. God desires for you to act on what He says, because then His Words will come into manifestation. When we act on what God says, we will be blessed in our deeds.

Satan will always try to intimidate us and tempt us to act upon our fears. Fear will bring things to pass just like faith will. Job said, “The thing which I greatly feared has come upon me” (Job 3:25).

Many of us have a fear of failure and are being intimidated or tempted by Satan to act on that fear, but there is absolutely no way that he can cause that to become a reality unless you start acting on what he says.

I remember a teacher in our bible school telling us that she had asked this question of God: “Father, can the devil do anything that he wants to do, anytime that he gets ready to do it?” God told her, “If he could do anything he wanted to do, anytime he got ready to do it, then why would he have to deceive you first?”

God has given us a choice and the choice is up to us what we do when satan comes to us with temptations to fear. When we refuse to fear, satan has to flee from us with his intimidations.

Man stands in a strategic position. He can be contacted by both God and Satan. You might say that man is the establishing witness (Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1).

Satan intimidates and tempts us with thoughts and words of fear and if we act on them, they come to pass. God contacts us through His Word and if we acts on His Word; it comes to pass. We can choose to refuse fear and act in faith.

The devil is limited and cannot do anything unless he first comes in and deceives, intimidates, or tempts the man and then gets him to fall for it and act in fear. If we do not refuse him in faith and believe his intimidations, then he has a legal right to cause it to become a reality. It’s as simple as that.

We all have been through difficult situations, where we thought there was no way out. I have been in a couple severe situations; some very painful and some very, very emotional. But God always showed up to rescue me and showed me the way out of my distress and as I stepped through the door of FAITH, my life changed from faith to faith and from glory to glory again!

There are more types of fear than we could name or count, but they all have the same source and the same purpose. They are all from the enemy and they are intended to rob us blind if we choose to let them. God is always right there to show us the way of escape.

As we go through trials, we must develop a right mental attitude and the only way to do that is to know what the Word of God says. If you do not recognize that God will always make a way of escape available in every circumstance then you will stay negative about your problem and expect satan to beat you.

The Bible says in Psalm 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Remember, there are two doors in front of you and when you enter the door of FAITH, there is no fear there. Faith and fear are like magnets: faith is a magnet that draws the very best and fear draws the worst; they both are expectations!

Fear is the opposite of faith. We receive from satan though fear, and we receive from God through faith. We can know and do God’s will through placing our faith in Him, but we can cooperate with satan’s plan though fear. When we are afraid, we may fail to do what God wants us to do and, instead, end up doing what the devil wants us to do.

When fear knocks at the door of your life, but finds you full of faith, it cannot enter in. I’d like to encourage you to meditate on and confess that you are filled with faith. Say: “I am full of faith!”

When satan comes to attack you with fear by bringing pressure, you can confidently say something like this: “Satan, I refuse to fear. I am not moved by what I see. You can do whatever you want, but God will always provide a way of escape. God will not allow you to defeat me; He showed a way of escape to Job and He will do the same for me. God is on my side; He is not a respecter of persons; you can’t beat me!”

That is the right mental attitude to approach the pressure that satan tries to bring against you. When difficult times come upon you, that is the time for you to grow in faith.

Everybody can go through tests, trials, and temptations and come out on the other side beaten and worn out. But there is a strength, a power that comes when you approach your situation with the right mentality. Make a choice to enter through that door of FAITH and come out victoriously instead of entering through that door of FEAR and be defeated.

The decision is up to you! Think about it!

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

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