Hand Picked

I was the lost sheep that the Shepherd found. He called me by name, and mercifully rescued me from the pit! With my head resting on my Father’s chest, I asked Him to forgive me for running away, and for all the things I had got myself mixed up in. My good Father quickly said, “You are forgiven and all is forgotten! Now let us focus on the great plans I have for you!” Oh Papa, thank You for making me a brand new creation! I will follow You all the days of my life!  Speak, for my heart is listening.  I’m willing to fly to wherever You want me to go!

To obtain and maintain peace depends on our decision to run to God, or to our old habits.  Our Father gave us the freedom to choose Him. It is time to DECIDE.  His way brings us into peace.  Our way is to hold onto our past and have a pity party.  Clinging to God, or onto our bitter, justified resentments?  It is our choice to remain in CHAOS. We either choose to live according to our fluctuating  emotions, or we choose to live in the peace of a willing Spirit. Floods, fires, and earthquake devastation have come upon millions. Today, our daily  choices are on the world stage. With the freedom to choose, we select  peace, mercy and hope — or stress, anger, and blame. We offer comfort and compassion or we give into the pressure to point fingers?  If you are feeling overwhelmed, sad, depressed or angry, read on. Our daily choices of thought and action can bring us breakthrough, or sink us deeper into the chaos. We have the  freedom to chose peace, mercy and hope — or stress, anger, and blame.

“The Greatest Words Ever Spoken” is a collection of all the Words of Jesus, by topic! A servant of God remains pure in heart and in step with the Spirit.  We stop the devil’s schemes by His power in prayer. The devil has zero playground! Frustrated, his demons flee!  The focus of David, Joseph, Esther, and Paul was unwavering. His attempts to distract us, or cause confusion are halted with a single word! JESUS!  “And forgive us our sins, as we forgive others, and lead us not into a temptation to be offended, but DELIVER us from evil.” Jesus taught the first prayer of deliverance!

Choose to surrender your emotions to the Spirit, so He can renew your mind.  Then you will suddenly increase in strength and power to persevere. Isaiah 26:3-4 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord Himself, is the Rock eternal.” The servants who regularly rely on the Spirit, keep their hearts pure through repentance.  We must gladly choose to foil the devil’s plan! Stand firm in faith by forgiving others quickly. Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will NOT forgive your sins.” Forgive to obtain peace and honor God.

When people compete with you, or visa versa, it is wise to remember that a sense of competition is caused by an unstable identity in Christ.  Insecure people become jealous and gossip to tear down others. Evil thoughts enter as accusing spirits enlist the weak to speak lies and falsely accuse others. Remember, the devil’s aim is to kill our joy and destroy our reliance on the truth. With ears to hear, we ask Holy Spirit for wisdom and discernment.  Keep your heart pure and stay focused on how God is calling you to respond. “Forgive, show mercy and compassion.” 

Maintain faith in His plan for you. Offense is a tool of the enemy. It is rooted in pride and selfishness.  The scheme of the devil is to get followers of Christ to become offended. Choose not to be offended when someone disagrees with your belief, style, or gifting. When a servant of God remains pure in heart and obedient to God, the devil can not stop the plans of God for their life. AMEN

The devil seeks to mess with the pure in heart. The devil was frustrated that he could not stop God’s plan for the disciples of Christ. He seeks to kill and destroy, look around.  Hearts are filled with offense, bitterness, and anger. As servants of God we keep our hearts pure through repentance. The devil is defeated by our choice to forgive quickly. A new command, not a suggestion.  “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you MUST love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, IF you love one another.” John 13:34

“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything NEW!’. Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and TRUE.’ He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the ALPHA and the OMEGA, the BEGINNING and the END. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.” Revelation 21:5  — The Shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Splash this good news around. Overflow with His abundance! Abounding in grace, we serve fresh, living water gladly. Meet the thirsty with a cup that will never run dry. His endless supply of love is unlike anything this world has to offer. We offer delicious food to the hungry. Our Father gave us all a buffet of gifts to share. It is fun to bubble up and offer FREE food to the NEEDY.  How wonderful is our Father to gift us all so uniquely!

Throughout history, God has called, forgiven, equipped, and purified ordinary people like you and me. His message is often rejected. As His light, we reflect His love and offer compassion. So shine the Light and pierce hopelessness. God desires to redeem all of humanity through His son, the Man of sorrows as prophesied by God’s messenger Isaiah.

Our heart is infused by the Spirit of God. He brings us light, love, joy, compassion, wisdom, discernment, grace, and mercy. If we are not fully possessed by God, we may have invited some dark spirits in. They enter when we entertain doubt, fear, hate, anger, self-pity, envy, pride or gossip.  When we enter the Holy Presence of God in prayer, we are transported into a spiritual dimension. Supernatural resources are available to us in the throne room. His mighty power is above all power and darkness. The demonic enemy of our soul is there to accuse us night and day. Our Advocate objects and the the blood of Jesus, the accuser loses as the Judge of all announces His irreversible verdict.

Picture the Father as the Sun, which we dare not gaze upon. The bright Light is Jesus, and the Warmth is the Holy Spirit. We sense His warmth as our eyes are opened to perceive what the Light pierces in us and in others.  Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father as our Judge. The sword of His Warmth melts down our resistance. He reveals any impure motive or any  hidden resentment. Humbled, we quickly confess and are purified and kept sharpened for His glory. Obedience has a cost. We set aside our inferior ways to walk in His power!

LOVING IS KNOWING. It is love that motivates our doing, our obedience. Seek to be the Lord’s ambassador and function as God’s changed instrument. Today, love in the name of Christ has become blurry. Clarity is needed.  A love that calls wrong right — and right wrong — is NOT gospel love. The Bible is clear about what love is. The love God extends is generous in patience. It is a love that is not envious or selfish. If we opt for silence to avoid issues, are we really hearing from the Holy Spirit? God is not silent, His love is loud and clear. When we don’t want to deal with His nudge,  out of His great love, our Father discipline us.

Personal sacrifice is needed to love like Jesus.  Any judgment, or critical condemnation does not come from a loving servant of God. Those attitudes put us in the way of what the Lord is doing. We are to grant everyone the same love and patience that we received from the Lord.

Refuse to condemn, but do not condone. Offer people a humble, patient, gentle, forbearing, and forgiving kind of love.  We must be clear as we communicate that it is NOT okay for them to take advantage for a selfish gain. When we choose to live and love as God does, our perspective shifts to His. Since God’s purpose is that we would become “partakers of the divine nature, change is always on His agenda.

If the sin of pride remains, God calls us to repent. Do not compromise in the relationships He gives us. Do not stand in the way of the Lord’s work in another person’s life. Accept that nobody is perfect. We all have lessons to learn.

𝗔 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 a day of trouble: God, may I be a humble and willing ambassador of love. Help me to fly as a new creation. Change my focus towards what You are now doing.   In the name of Jesus,  let it be done according to God’s will.

7 thoughts on “Hand Picked

  1. We are covered by the majestic mercy, lavish love and grandiose grace of God. Still, even David admitted that at times he felt weary as he agonized over God’s silence. “Why, O Lord, do You reject me and hide your face from me.” Mother Teresa, a woman thought to possess great faith. A servant of God who got a Nobel Peace Prize from man while her faith shook. Teresa’s  own dark doubts were published in a book. “Such deep longing for God had I, repulsed – I am empty without faith – no love – no zeal. Pray for me as I no longer pray.” Do not be deceived! Whenever a person has their own hopes and aspirations shattered; perhaps a diagnosis, our plans get interrupted, a wild storm, a war, a plague, or a number of delays — even those who have had a solid faith in God’s word can still feel angry, impatient, and filled with doubt.  I’m surprised to find how my emotions can mingle so freely with my faith. We who believe in the blood of Jesus have been saved, through FAITH, a supernatural gift of God. Strong FAITH is in the Eagle phase of our walk. It is our ASSURANCE of what HE is doing. God is ever working to refine, realign, and transform us.  He fought and won our battles.

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