True Identity Ministries Blog

Do you ever feel like you just aren't doing anything real big for God? Just the monotonous activities that fill your schedule...one day spilling over into the next?

Sometimes it's easy to look at what others are doing to impact God's kingdom in big ways and walk away wondering, "what am I really doing?" We can look at the nationally known speakers, the oversea missionaries and the individual who had a vision for building an orphanage in another country and is now serving there. The list goes on and on. And while all of these things are part of God's great big plan, we must be careful to not lose sight of our possibilities that we have right here where our two feet are planted.

Steven Furtick, author of Sun Stand Still, says, "Miracles happen when ordinary people do ordinary things with extraordinary passion for the glory of God. No act of service is insignificant when done for the most significant purpose in the universe: proclaiming the gospel of Jesus."

We are called to be marketplace missionaries right where we are. When we live our lives in our workplace, our homes, at the ballpark or anywhere we go, we are the image of God within our sphere of influence.

Whether we are serving at a local soup kitchen, listening to a hurting friend, helping coach a little league team, taking a meal to a neighbor who just lost their elderly parent....no ordinary thing is just ordinary when we do it with passion and purpose. Our passion and purpose is to be a light for Him, sharing His love in this dark and needy world.

My 6 year old daughter is thrilled to start volunteering at a nursing home. She's going to help me polish elderly women's nails and read books to them. It's not ordinary...when it's done with passion. A passion to show love...time...and compassion.

Wherever God has you right now...purpose in your heart to share the love of Jesus and His truth as a marketplace missionary.


Stephanie

Years ago, I went through a season where I was more fatigued and run down than usual. I struggled with feeling tired and more unmotivated than usual. I was experiencing headaches and a list of other symptoms. I simply remember feeling unproductive during that time.

My husband and I prayed for wisdom for what to do and we felt God was leading me to see a nutritionist/pharmacist/doctor’s assistant. She was very good at being able to discover what was the root cause, or problem, instead of just simply masking it with another medication. So, I met with her and after some blood testing, I simply found out that I had reason to be fatigued! After having four children so close together with close pregnancies and child-rearing to little ones, I was drained of some serious nutrition! I was deficient in Vit B, C and D and was very low in iron. No wonder I was so tired and felt unproductive!

After she started me on some vitamin supplements, I couldn’t believe how much better I felt! My body now had what it needed in order to be productive once again. I won’t tell you that I always had all the energy I wanted…but it sure helped when I was faithful in taking the supplements like I was supposed to! :)

When I was studying 2 Peter 1 this week, it brought back memories of that time in my life. Paul is talking about how God has given us everything we need for living a Godly life. But he instructs us on how important it is to supplement that faith with some very healthy and key things. This is just how it is in our physical bodies. We may get what we need through eating healthy foods, but it can be very helpful to supplement with some good vitamins to increase our health. Here’s what Peter tells us:

2 Peter 1:3-11 (NLT), “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
10 So, dear brothers and sisters,- work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

If we want to be more productive and useful in our spiritual lives, (and I know I sure want to be!) Peter tells us very clearly what we need in order to supplement our lives and grow.

1. Moral excellence-living our lives with excellent morals!

2. Knowledge-how do we gain this? Getting into God’s word and/or Christian books that will help us grow!

3. Self-control-learning when to say ‘no!’-to things that are dragging us down and slowing our productiveness. (food choices, over spending, unhealthy relationships, gossip, lack of priorities)

4. Patient endurance-when we are going through our daily drudges, endure-push through-don’t give up!

5. Godliness-how do we do this? Fill ourselves with more of God and His truths!

6. Brotherly affection-showing others a caring heart through our actions. (serving!)

7. Love (love, love and love!)

These actions do not come automatically, they require hard work. They are not optional either; we must make them a part of our Christian life. But, we don’t have to attain this on our own-God empowers us and enables us! But just like it was my responsibility to take my vitamin supplements, we also have a responsibility to learn and to grow.

I know that I want to be productive and useful for God and His kingdom…so I am off to supplement!

Love ya!
Stephanie

The other day as I was reading through the fifteenth proverb, I came across a verse in The Message that stuck out to me. One that places the words "disgust" and "God" in the same sentence. If that doesn't make you perk up and listen, I don't know what does?!

Before I read the above verse, it was actually a thought that was already stirring in my heart. This idea that God could take me at any moment, and how to make my moments count. Not in a morbid way, but in an eternal perspective kind of way. I'm sure you can relate to me when I say that when I stand before God, I want to hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

What does this mean for us? I want to encourage you to take a few moments to truly examine your life and wonder how you're making the most out of the days God is giving you. To perhaps let is settle in that we were made to live everyday with an eternal perspective.

It's always intriguing to look at the life of Jesus. And if we did, we would see a man with an agenda. Everything he did had purpose. Every moment he had he made count. Jesus was a man who lived with an eternal perspective.

I'm inspired by my Savior to do the same. I don't want to walk through the fire at the end of my life and see that most things I did were consumed in the fire because they had no eternal value. Don't you want the same?

It's a simple message today. One I hope would inspire you to live with the end in mind. In fact, right now I want you to ask yourself, "How will I make this day count." Go ahead, think about how you can impact your world today for the Kingdom of God. We ALL have a purpose that God wants to work out through us. Be available and purposeful for that to happen. Have an agenda.

Many times in Scripture we are challenged to run the race...to strain ahead...with perseverance...and throwing off everything that so easily entangles us. Do that today. And everyday ahead. Run this race to the finish line with all you got sister!

Good morning girls! Sorry it's been a while since I've stopped in to say "hello" and write. I've been missing it but life has been so full of sport camps, vacation, baseball, 4 H and all of the other great summer treats!

I recently read this devotional from a women's magazine I receive and just knew I had to share with all. It was such a great reminder for me....and knew you'd all enjoy and be challenged yourselves!


"Here in Colorado the meteorologists really earn their pay. Ours may be the only state where you use the heater and the air conditioner in the same day--or even in the same hour. Colorado's weather can change faster than a menopausal woman's emotions. Which gets me to my thought for today . . .

As women, we have more impact on the emotional temperature of our homes than anyone else. After all, "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

Our challenge is to take on the role of thermostat, not thermometer. A thermometer merely reflects the temperature in the room. It may be emotionally chilly because two family members are disagreeing. It may show temperatures rising when one explodes in anger against another. A thermometer is a passive instrument of measurement. It doesn't change the environment--it reveals it.

A thermostat, on the other hand, is an active tool. If it's too warm in the room, lower the thermostat. If it's too chilly, raise the thermostat. The thermostat changes the environment of the home.

As wives and mothers, we have the ability, if we choose to accept it, to regulate the emotional temperature in our homes, with God's help. Let's step up to that proactive role today, asking Him for the grace to be thermostats, not thermometers." (Marcia Washburn)

So, after reading that, where do you see yourself lately? Are you being a thermostat or a thermometer?

The amazing truth about this devotional is that we see that we can choose our way of regulating it! We don't just have to let our emotions and feelings rule us.

Galations 6:16 says, "So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves." Our sinful nature is going to tend to become impatient, unkind and unlovely during those real challenging times! We can't change on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us each and every minute of our days. When we feel our thermometer rising...pause, take a deep breath and ask God to send his stregnth, patience and wisdom. We have the choice to choose the temperature-what are you going to choose today?

Love,
Stephanie

A few weeks ago, my son and I were out working in the garden and he had put his pet turtle out in the grass to walk around while we were working. This was something he had always done, but on that particular day, the turtle decided to take off when we weren’t looking. My son was flustered, looking all over for little Willie. No turtle anywhere!

After looking a bit, I said, “Well, let’s pray that we find him.” My son and I said a quick prayer together and I had hopes that this was going to be an opportunity for my son to have faith that God was going to help him. About 15 minutes after looking for little Willie, my son found him under a bush! He was thrilled. I said, “We prayed, didn’t we?” My 5 year-old daughter who was playing nearby over heard us and said, “Well,Mom….prayer works!!”

The faith of a child. The simple belief that God was going to answer our prayers. Why even be surprised? I loved her response and the child like faith that spoke from her lips without even any hesitation.

It challenged my heart a bit. Do I have a child like faith?

In Mark 10:13-16 (CEV), we see that Jesus wants us to have this kind faith. Here’s what it tells us,

"Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them by placing his hands on them. But his disciples told the people to stop bothering him.
When Jesus saw this, he became angry and said, "Let the children come to me! Don't try to stop them. People who are like these little children belong to the kingdom of God I promise you that you cannot get into God's kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does." Then Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them by placing his hands on them.

Jesus simply wants us to trust in Him with this kind of childlike faith.

Is there anything you are facing today, big or small that gives you an opportunity to choose child-like faith?

Because as my five-year-old put it, “prayer works!”

Today I thought I would do a little fitness encouragement since it's summer time and we should have NO excuses for not being more active! Unless you are 8 months pregnant with low iron, have a two year old, and it's 100 degrees outside...then you're off the hook (aka...me). I can't think of a more motivating way to get more physically active than to have a goal in mind...better yet, to do it for a cause. That's why I have such a heart for a cause called Racing 2 Rescue. As you know TIM is a close partner with Rescue Her organization working at raising awareness and resources to help rescue women and girls out of human trafficking. One way this is happening is by communities holding race fundraisers such as a 5Ks called Racing 2 Rescue. It's an amazing way to raise awareness and support for women and girls being abused and missused in sex and slave trafficking across the world. Just because the problem may be miles from where you or I live doesn't mean that God is willing to allow us to just look the other way. We can save lives!

Not only does Racing 2 Rescue give you a goal to physically train for, but you can stay motivated because you know that the cause you are running for is literally going to be life changing for someone. What a great challenge for each of us to take!

Today consider running a race 2 rescue...or if there isn't one in your area, consider hosting one. I promise as you are faithful to step out into what may seem the unknown and uncomfortable, God will show up to help you. He is so faithful and loves it when we take risks to bring him glory and impact others. What about you, what risk can you take that may save a life?

Visit the below links for more information or feel free to contact TIM for more ideas on how you can get involved in the "rescue".

Racing2Rescue info >

Live in South Dakota area? Race with us in September! Email Karen today for more info at:
RACE2RESCUEBROOKINGS@GMAIL.COM 

Visit TIM for more info and resources: http://www.trueidentityministries.com/

So let's get moving...moving for a cause!

xoxo
Justeina

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24

I can tell you with all confidence that saying I’m sorry isn’t something that comes to me naturally. Have you ever had one of those moments that you know you have done something that offended or hurt a friend or family member? After we realize our offense there are usually two routes we seem to take. One is that we just try to pretend like nothing happened and expect and hope that they will get over it and soon forget without us ever apologizing. The other is that we try to apologize in a roundabout way, never really getting to the point. That apology usually includes a laundry list of reasons of why we did what we did that ended up hurting them. We work very hard at justifying our own actions while also trying to mend our offense.

Been there lately? I know I have. So often when my husband and I find ourselves in an argument because one of us has offended the other, it seems to take hours for anyone to finally say they are sorry; and if they do say it, it is always coupled with a lot of justifying. Recently I have come to a stark realization…God’s just not okay with that. There is a better way to say I’m sorry. It’s sincere and it’s genuine. It’s the type of I’m sorry that is believable and isn’t candy coated with all of our excuses. When was the last time you said an I’m sorry like that? When was the last time you just said with an overflowing heart, “I’m so sorry”? You didn’t justify it but you said it as soon as you knew you had hurt or offended and… you meant it.

I have realized that the biggest enemy to our sincere apology is pride. So often our need to be right can hinder our ability to apologize. Even when we deep down know that someone has been hurt as a result of our intentional or unintentional actions we will hold out on apologizing because of our own pride and desire to be right. On the other hand the greatest friend of our sincere apology is humility. Humility in an apology is when we decide that we value the other person and that relationship more than we value being right. If we can get ourselves to that humble place, a genuine I’m sorry will come naturally and instantly. I can tell you from personal experience that there has been so much freedom that has come to me when I am quick to apologize for my offenses. Jesus knew how important our ‘I’m sorry’ would be. That’s why in Matthew 5:23-24 he tells us that if we know someone is offended at us we need to immediately stop what we are doing and go and make amends reconciling the relationship.

So what does a true apology really look like? There are a few different things that will always take place during a sincere apology; the kind of apology that God will honor. The first thing that we need to do in our apology is get specific. We can’t just say I’m sorry you are hurt. We need to specifically apologize for the action that caused the offense. Let the other person know that you realize the behavior that caused the offense. The next thing to remember in an apology is to never make excuses. Don’t give every reason you behaved the way you did. Don’t explain to them that they just took it wrong. Be humble and just apologize for the behavior knowing that even if it was unintentional, that person’s pain is still valid.

The third thing to remember in an apology is to be ready to accept the consequences. Even if you get specific about the offending behavior and you don’t make excuses…there still may be consequences. If you have gossiped about a friend and they find out. Even after an apology they may be slow to trust you again. That is the consequence of your offense. The next step in a sincere apology is to change the offending behavior. And finally, and most importantly a sincere apology will always include the words, “Will you forgive me.” Don’t just assume that I’m sorry is enough. You need to take that apology to the next level with all humility and ask that person for forgiveness. It’s a biblical principal and one that will bring great restoration into conflicted relationships. I don’t know about you, but I want to be quick to say I’m sorry to those I’ve hurt not just to honor them and our relationship, but to always honor my God. Nothing pleases our God like a sincere and heartfelt humble apology. So who do you need to say I’m sorry to? Hmmm...I think I better call my husband now....

xoxo
Justeina

I felt led to share with all of you an entry I wrote in my personal journal almost four years ago:

"The other day I was really battling a 'What about me?!' kind of attitude. I felt like I was running in circles; changing diapers, tending to a crying baby, picking up after 4 kids, cleaning the house non-stop, trying to get homeschooling done and on and on...all with a not so great attitude. First of all, I got lousy sleep the night before and my quiet times consisted of about 2 minutes of uninterrupted time with the Lord. Wow, I didn’t like the feeling of thinking of myself.

There was nothing specifically wrong, I just felt down. So, I did what every desperate woman does-calls up the hubby for some affirmation! :) I called up Bill and was looking forward to a pick-me-up of some sorts, but the Lord did not allow him to be available. As I sat down to nurse the baby, the Lord spoke to me and told me to "count my blessings…be thankful".

Oh, it's so easy to loose track of our thoughts, emotions and perspective when we are focused on ourselves and all that is going on around us.

Later that afternoon, during my quiet times I ran across the verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17, “Be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances for this is Christ’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” This was no coincidence, huh? Wow, did I ever start counting my many blessings!

Instead of focusing my mind to the mounds of dirty (and some clean) laundry-I instead said, "Thank you God for these four children you've blessed me with."

Instead of focusing on the carpet that needed a desperate vaccuum job and kitchen crumbs on the floor that needed swept, I said, "Thank you God for a home that keeps us warm and safe. We are so thankful for the food we can eat together."

Instead of feeling sorry for myself for the small amount of time I had to myself, I whispered a "Thank you God for speaking to me through all of the day, even when my quiet times are short (and interuppted!).

It's amazing what a thankful heart does-changes perspective, lifts our spirit and get's our eyes off of ourselves and onto Him and others."

I felt led to share that with for some reason...so,what do you have to be thankful for today?

Join me today as I am choosing to be thankful in all circumstances (even the crazy, busy ones!)

Love,
Stephanie

I absolutely have a passion for and love talking about the Holy Spirit. It seems to me He may be one of the most neglected persons in the Church, which boggles my mind. We talk about God the Father and God the Son on a regular basis, and that's fantastic, but few people know much about God the Holy Spirit. I think people know more about Moses or Abraham or Paul than they do about this Person of the Godhead.

Why is this? John 16.7 says, "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." Sounds like He's kind of a big deal to me! Jesus says that it is to our advantage that he go so that the Helper (Holy Spirit) may come.

I honestly believe that if the Church and believers got this understanding of the moving and power of the Holy Spirit, and allowed Him to move in and through it/them the way He desires, there would be a shift on the earth.

I don't dare go into all the theology and what we know of the Holy Spirit; it would take too long. But I have this burning desire to help people understand Him and His moving a little better...because the Holy Spirit is moving today!

I am tempted to go in depth about the movings and workings of the Holy Spirit. But to summarize, there are two movings: dwelling and baptism. The dwelling of the Holy Spirit happens at the moment of salvation, when the believer is born in the Spirit. Through this, He makes us more like Christ and enables us to do our Fathers will.

Why did Jesus say that it would be better for him to leave and for the Helper to come? Wouldn't it be better to have Jesus there, in person? For a moment, you would think so...to have the Son of God, in the flesh, walking on the earth. But think about it this way. The Holy Spirit lives in us, and what's better than having God in us? To talk to Jesus on earth, you would have to fly to where he was, wait in line to talk to him, and then maybe get a question in. It's not that Jesus wouldn't want to spend all day talking to you, but there are six billion other people who would be vying for his attention. With the Holy Spirit, we have unlimited access to God, no matter where we are. How awesome is that!

The second moving is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which happens to a believer at some point. What I would like to emphasize is that this filling is for ALL believers. That's right; Gods desire is for you to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Acts 2.34 says, "For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." Do you see that? It's for all who are far off...to everyone whom the Lord calls to himself? Sounds like every believer to me.

So why, if this gift is for all believers, are so many missing it? It is so important that believers be baptized. Not only does it speed up the process that makes us more like Christ, but with it comes the power to witness and the gifts of the Spirit. I cannot express enough the importance of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. My prayer is that churches, leaders and believers all across the earth would eagerly seek the moving and power of the Holy Spirit. My prayer is that there would be a freedom for His moving. If there was, just think of what God would do through His Church for His glory!

A relationship with the Holy Sprit is a unique one, and one that I enjoy cultivating with each day. That relationship must be protected, nurtured, developed and guarded. You won't regret for a second the effort you put into the relationship.

God wants to maximize His power through our lives, but we must be willing.
Pray for the baptism if you have yet to experience it.
Seek it.
Have an open heart and an open mind.
Have faith; it is essential.
Be obedient.

It is Gods desire for His children to be baptized, and we should all eagerly desire it. If you have not, seek it. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't happen the first or fifth or tenth time you have prayed...keep praying and it will happen. If you have been, cultivate your relationship with the Holy Spirit. It's a two sided relationship; a communication that goes both ways.

The Holy Spirit longs to work in and through your life!

A few years ago I bought my son some of those water capsules that you are supposed to soak in warm water and wait for a short time before an animal or car or a ‘surprise’ shape comes out of it. Well, he was so excited! Even though it was supposed to change into something within a few hours, the waiting time was so challenging because my son couldn’t wait to see what was inside of it! He couldn’t stop staying, “Mom…I just can’t wait to see what’s inside!”

A few weeks after this, I was thinking that this is often how it is when we impatiently wait for ourselves to make changes.

Do you ever feel like you just know you are spiritually making some changes?

Sometimes it can be challenging because we want changes NOW and it just takes time. It takes time for the Holy Spirit to do his work and bring about the beautiful surprise that’s inside of each of us. We all have gifts, talents, and strengths within us, but sometimes they are covered by a hard ‘capsule’ or what the Word of God calls sin. Sin of pride, anger, impatience, lust, or any other acts of the sinful nature.

In John 4, Jesus talks about living waters. Just like soaking that toy capsule in water, we must continually soak ourselves in the Living Waters!

That living water is Jesus! Time with Him each and every day...allowing Him to make changes within us moment by moment...step by step in this journey of life.

What does this look like?

Maybe it's the next time I am tempted to get impatient when a child does something real irritating, instead of getting so aggravated, I instead respond in patience and mercy.

Someone offends me...instead of letting it affect my mood or emotions, I give it over to God and extend forgiveness and grace.

I'm asking Him daily to soak away (chip away) any hard coating; i.e-sin that is preventing the inward fruit from coming out.

Ask Him to change you!

When He keeps showing us what's inside...it's beyond what we could ever dream~!


Love ya!
Stephanie


(Psalms 36:9 says, “For with you is the fountain of life, in your light we see light."-which is the power of the Almighty God, we are made new!!)

"Then when you pray, God will answer. You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'"
Isaiah 58.9

Isaiah 58 is a beautiful passage, and I would highly recommend that you read it. I am quite fond of The Message translation because the Scripture seems to burst forth right in front of you! It is certainly a chapter worth reading in full.

Over the last four weeks, we have been able to take a glimpse into the lives of four men in the Bible who showed faith, courage, and obedience. Abraham, Jacob, Moses and Ananias all responded with "Here I am," when the Lord called their name. They were in place, both in their walk with God and in their purpose, in order that they may be ready when the Lord called upon them. Don't worry if you feel you can't relate. Truth is, they didn't have it all together, either. God calls on anyone who is willing, and it is HIM who equips us for the task.

What we have been able to learn is that when God calls our name for an assignment, we must first be in a place where we are willing to hear from Him. Then, with immediate obedience, we step out in faith and courage to accomplish the task He has set before us, in His mighty power!

Today we turn the tables and look to our Father for this response. In Isaiah 58, we find a promise. Oh, I just love Gods promises, don't you?! Even though we don't deserve any good thing, he longs to be gracious to us. Beyond that, He promises us so much! We find one right here, tucked away in verse 9...that when we call out to Him, He will say "Here I am."

The phrase "Here I am" actually notes a person ready at hand to help. When we call Gods name, when we seek Him out, He is ready to respond! If Abraham responded so quickly when God called him to sacrifice his son, how much more quickly will God respond to help His children?

We don't have to fear if our prayers will fall flat. Or if we have too much baggage for God to hear us. And we certainly don't have to worry if God cares. Because He does...about everything! Even what may seem small in contrast to everything else, God cares if it matters to us.

I want to be careful not to take this verse out of context. It must be read in a way that it is linked to the rest of the passage, which would be necessary. There is much in the chapter that addresses an action on our part. To care for the poor, stand up for injustice, to not gossip and to be generous. "THEN when you pray, God will answer."

I want to encourage you to today, and every day henceforth, to call out the name of the Lord. There is power in His name, and in prayer. And when you do, watch God respond!

Ananias...the one who started it all for me. It was reading in Acts 9 that I came across the account of the Lord calling out to Ananias in a vision, and Ananias responding with, "Here I am."

In the past few weeks, we have been able to take a glimpse into the lives of three men who said the same thing: Abraham, Jacob, and Moses. I don't know about you, but I have been encouraged and challenged by their example of obedience and courage...and above all, faith. As I have been in study for this series, I've heard the Lord speak things to my heart that I had never heard in quite the same way before. His Word is coming alive in me!

Ananias, the one that started it all for me, and the only example we will look at from the New Testament. Who is this man?

Ananias was a disciple of Jesus, and Paul later says, well spoken of by the Jews. I do want to address that this is not the same Ananias we find in Acts 5 who, with his wife Sapphira, sold his property, yet kept a portion of the proceeds for himself. His deeds were made known to the apostles, and at that point his life was lost. Nor is this Ananias, the high priest in Acts 23-24 who brought a case against Paul. No, indeed this is not the same Ananias we find in these two accounts. He was a man, perhaps not as well known as others we often think of, but without a doubt one of faith.

In Acts 9, Saul, who would come to be known as Paul, was on his way to Damascus. Verse 1-2 introduces Saul with, "But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." Saul was not one to be trifled with, and you can be sure Christians knew his name.

On his was to Damascus, Saul encounters the Lord, is stricken blind, and is told to go to Damascus and find a man named Ananias. About the same time, the Lord comes to Ananias in a vision, calling his name. Then we hear it..."Hear I am, Lord." The Lord proceeds to tell Ananias to go to a man named Saul, and to lay his hands on him.

Ananias knew who Saul was, and even asks God about it. No doubt there is a hint of fear in his voice. But as we have looked at before, there is often fear when God calls us to do something. However, Ananias didn't run away or avoid Saul, as many may have well done knowing Saul's reputation. No, he went right away to find Saul.

I can't help but chuckle a bit. If only Ananias knew what was about to happen. If only he knew what God was about to unleash through Saul/Paul. I don't think he could have imagined it!

Ananias finds Saul, lays his hands on him, and Saul regains his sight. Immediately, Ananias prophesizes over him and baptizes him. He gets to witness the transformation of a persecutor into a mighty man of God. Knowing Saul's reputation, I can imagine that Ananias must have felt some sense of how big this time was.

I can't help but think how exciting it must have been for Ananias. He made himself available to God, and when called upon to do something fearful, he proceeded with obedience and courage. The result of his faith was the conversion of Saul into Paul. The impact Paul made for the gospel cannot be counted or imagined. I'm amazed at what that meant for Ananias, and what that means for us.

Before we conclude, it would be appropriate to make known that Ananias is mentioned once more, in Acts 22.12-16. Paul is recounting his conversion, and mentions Ananias, and even recounts the conversion with a bit more detail. We can learn from this example given to us through Ananias, and be encouraged to step out in faith and expect that God will use our faith to do great things for His kingdom.

As we look back over the last few weeks:

Abraham has convicted me to be willing to lay my dreams on the altar. Never has this been more necessary or been called upon me more than in the last few weeks as I have been asked to lay down my greatest dream, and it has been the hardest thing I have ever had to do. But I would rather lay my dream down than be disobedient to my loving Father.

Jacob's testimony has encouraged me to go forward when I am called, even in the presence of fear. To take a step into the unknown when I am called.

Moses has challenged me to proceed when called upon, even though I might not feel qualified. We can be sure that when God calls us to do something, no matter the task, He will equip us to do it. We must just step out and believe He will give us what we need, when we rely on Him, to go forth.

And in Ananias, also teaching us to step out when we are afraid, we see the possibility of what one act of obedience can do to advance the gospel, impact the Kingdom, and change many lives.

My prayer for you would be that God would stir something in your heart through this study. That you would be challenged by each of these accounts to step out in obedience and courage when you are called upon.

However, we are not done. Next we will conclude our study by turning the tables a little, and taking a look at an Old Testament account of God replying to His child, "Here I am." You wont want to miss it!

Do you ever find your mind wondering off in several directions? A certain worry or concern sets your mind in panic mode? I don’t know if it’s just a ‘Mommy’ thing, but when it comes to my kids, my mind can easily wander off before I know it. Just for example, a few days ago when I was brushing my daughter’s hair, I noticed a tick stuck to her head. I tried all of the tick removal ‘tricks’ that I discovered on Google, and after several attempts, I removed the tick. Well, the following day my daughter started complaining of a headache and not feeling well. That quickly my mind began to go in a million directions, “I wonder if her headache is related to that tick bite?” “What if that tick had Lyme’s disease?” “Should I call the pediatrician and ask them if I should be watching my daughter for any symptoms?” Seriously, my mind started going a million miles a minute!

Ever been there?

Maybe it’s some worries with your children. Your marriage. Or any of the other hundreds of things that can flood our minds and rob our joy?

An unusual doctor’s report on our child?

Your child looks like his heart is far from God?

A marriage that looks completely hopeless?

Aging parents with health issues-and a future that is looking bleak?

Financial difficulties?

Fortunately, I recognized this worry sooner than later and gave my motherly panic over to God. I reminded myself that it’s at these times in our lives where we have to continually meditate on the scriptures, Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he’s done. 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.”

Did you notice that?

As we pray instead of worry and be thankful for all He’s done… then God is going to give us a supernatural peace that will guard our wandering minds! It's a supernatural peace-one that's given by our loving Father not a peace we can muster up on our own. This is the kind of peace I need at times my wandering mind has the best of me!

We need to fix our wandering minds on God-the maker of this world and the creator of the planets and stars. Let’s agree together today that the next time our minds begin to wonder and worry, we’re going to give it ALL to Him! I know we can trust Him! :)

Love,
Stephanie

More to meditate on: Philippians 4:8-9

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. Eph 5:1-3 MSG


Have you ever felt like your relationships were falling apart? Or simply barely hanging on at best? Wondered why your marriage and friendships seemed to always stay at surface level? Trust me I have felt like that before too. I have watched other women as they can’t stop talking about their “wonderful” husband they are so in love with and how fun marriage is and sometimes thought to myself, “why don’t I always feel like that too?” Other times I have sat in envy watching other women’s friendships and how committed they were to one another, again thinking to myself, “do I have a friend that close?”

Likely you have found yourself there before as well. So often we begin to feel sorry for ourselves. We think if we could have married the right man or if we could just find that one faithful friend, our world would be so different, so satisfying. The truth is that while we continue to blame the other parties for our surface level superficial relationship experiences, we might ought to take a look in the mirror. I have had to do that recently as well. As I stared intently into the reflection of my own relationships, I realized that I myself had built up a wall around my life allowing no one to get too close. I’m not sure if it was a fear of rejection or a fear of disappointment, but either way it caused me to continue to keep all the people God wanted to connect me with at arm’s length. Then I read Ephesians 5:1-3. I realized I was being…cautious.

Let’s face it, most of us have experienced some kind of relational hurt in our past, present and too be sure it will be in our future. So often we allow those experiences to cause us to become cautious in relationships. To be cautious according to the dictionary is to: be careful, watchful, alert, vigilant, guarded, and wary. According to Ephesians 5 that was something Jesus was not when it came to his relationships. Instead it teaches us that he was extravagant, he went above and beyond what was reasonable when it came to loving others. I wonder today…which one are you. Cautious or extravagant when it comes to your own relationships. Do you constantly become offended and guarded? Do you feel sorry for yourself that everyone else seems to have deeper connections than you? Do you walk around with your guard up never willing to be transparent with others in your life? If so I want to challenge you…take a step of faith and ask God to teach you how to be extravagant. Initiate deeper levels in your marriage, family ties, and friendships. That means you will have to take chances on getting hurt because let’s face it people are sure to fail us. But when you and I connect with others like God has planned for us to do, it will be one of the greatest joys of your life.

Want to know how I think it’s going to happen for you? One important way: Don’t love someone to get something from them, but instead to offer something to them. If you change that one principal in your life you are sure to see satisfying fruit begin to form in each of your relationships. Jesus was a perfect example of love…Love Like That.

Xoxo

Justeina

Over the last two weeks, we have been able take a peek into the lives of two men of the faith, Abraham and Jacob. We have been able to witness their immediate response and obedience in saying "Here I am, Lord." And in the face of the unknown, exercise courage. I don't know about you, but I have been greatly challenged and encouraged by this study.

The response, "here I am" has been echoing in my mind, like a dream I can't shake.
Abraham has convicted me to be willing to lay my dreams on the altar. Indeed, even in the last few weeks I have been asked to lay down my greatest dream, and it has been the hardest thing I have ever had to do. But I would rather lay my dream down than be disobedient to my loving Father.
Jacob's testimony has encouraged me to go forward when I am called, even in the presence of fear.

This week we examine the instance in which Moses responds to God with, "Here I am." We find his story in Exodus 3. I would encourage you now take the time to read the chapter.
When we come to chapter three, what do we know about Moses? We know that he was a Hebrew child hidden by his mother to escape death. We know he was placed into the river and eventually found by the Pharaohs daughter. We know he is raised in Pharaohs court and has gained much in his time there. We know, when one day he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, he kills the man, and out of fear, runs to the land of Midian. We know he marries the priests daughter, and for forty years, shepards the man flocks in the wilderness.

Forty years. The same routine every day. Certainly plenty of time to pray. One day, however, Moses would encounter God in a way he never had before. A day unlike any other.

As Moses was out with the flock, he notices a burning bush. Not extraordinary in itself. But as time goes by, Moses notices that the bush isn't being consumed. Interesting, don't you think? Moses did to. He goes to get a closer look and out of nowhere he hears his name called.

What I find crazy is that Moses responds, "Here I am." Seriously? Really? I'm fairly certain that if I saw a burning bush and heard a loud voice call out my name out in the middle of nowhere, I would be pretty darned scared. Wouldn't you? Not Moses though; he is cool, calm, and collected.

To get to the point, God calls Moses' name, Moses responds, and God tells Moses He wants for him to return to Egypt. Like Jacob, God was calling Moses to return to a place he had once fled out of fear of death. To return to Egypt would mean to face his past…something we all are afraid to do at times.

Can you imagine being told that God wants you to return to a dangerous place, and out of there, lead the deliverance of thousands of people through the desert? Pretty big task if you ask me! But Moses did it, and he was used as Gods instrument to deliver the Israelites out of bondage.

I want to challenge you today to face the fear ahead. Perhaps you don’t feel qualified like Moses? Do it anyway. Please know this…God wouldn’t call you to do anything He knew you couldn’t handle. He will equip you for what He has called you to do!

You have know idea what God has planned for you. Nor can you comprehend the magnitude of your purpose. We all have a purpose. Yes, you have a God ordained purpose to make an impact on this earth that ONLY YOU can make. My prayer would be that you would never regret being disobedient to the call of God because you were afraid or felt ill-qualified, but rather you would be able to see a life marked with obedience and courage!

Last week we began a look at five men in the Bible who responded with, "Here I am" when God called their name. In these men we can learn great lessons; lessons on what obedience and courage look like.

Deuteronomy 10 ~ MSG

12-13 So now Israel, what do you think GOD expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve GOD, your God, with everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of GOD that I'm commanding you today—live a good life.
14-18 Look around you: Everything you see is GOD's—the heavens above and beyond, the Earth, and everything on it. But it was your ancestors who GOD fell in love with; he picked their children—that's you!—out of all the other peoples. That's where we are right now. So cut away the thick calluses from your heart and stop being so willfully hardheaded. GOD, your God, is the God of all gods, he's the Master of all masters, a God immense and powerful and awesome. He doesn't play favorites, takes no bribes, makes sure orphans and widows are treated fairly, takes loving care of foreigners by seeing that they get food and clothing.

19-21 You must treat foreigners with the same loving care—
remember, you were once foreigners in Egypt.
Reverently respect GOD, your God, serve him, hold tight to him,
back up your promises with the authority of his name.
He's your praise! He's your God!
He did all these tremendous, these staggering things
that you saw with your own eyes.
22 When your ancestors entered Egypt, they numbered a mere seventy souls. And now look at you—you look more like the stars in the night skies in number. And your GOD did it.

I'm so in love with Our God! He wants the very best for us and tells us all throughout His Word. Live in MY presence! Follow the road I set out before you! Love Me, serve Me with everything you have in you and throughout everything you do! Live a good life! Seriously, what do we have to complain about or want??? We go without nothing and have so much more than we deserve!

I love Earth Day! I marvel in God's awesome creation and all He has blessed us with. From the birth of a precious new baby to the birds chirping in the morning, and fresh beautiful plants and flowers rising up from the ground, it's all for us from Him and He chose us to enjoy every bit of it! Wow! Lets work together to respect, appreciate and bring all of Gods creation one step closer to being one body. I can hardly contain the joy I feel when I read the last verse. We may have started small in number BUT one day we will look more like the stars in the night skies! Lets burn to see lives saved and forever changed through the power of Our Father!

Take a listen to today's radio broadcast from Justeina. It's a recorded message from a recent conference that shares about TIM's new partnership in fighting slavery! It's NOT ok! After you listen visit http://www.rescueher.org/ or http://www.trueidentityministries.com/ for more information on how you can help.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/trueidentityministries/2011/04/19/rescue-her

The other day I was reading in Acts 9, for no reason other than I opened up to it. As I was reading the chapter, I came across the character of Ananias. We find him in scripture twice; once in Acts 9 when he meets Saul and once in Acts 22 as the now Paul mentions him.

In a vision, the Lord calls Ananias' name, and immediately he responds with, "Here I am, Lord." This is a response I had remembered hearing before, so I quickly began to research other instances in the Bible when someone had responded with ,"Here I am" when God called their name.

There are five instances that I could find, using this exact phrasing; four times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament. Needless to say, my curiosity was peaked.

I took some time to study each instance, and each time I saw obedience and courage in the response of the person. As I began to write this devotional, I realized I couldn't fit it all into one segment. In fact, Abraham's experience was enough for one devotional. With that said, I will be turning this study into a five part study on the obedience and courage of those in the Bible who said, "Here I am."

Genesis 22 - Abraham

Abraham waited years, and I mean years, to have a son with his wife, Sarah. After decades of praying, waiting on God, and an attempt to get the process started early, God opens up Sarah's barren womb, and she bears Isaac. Beautiful and heaven sent Isaac...the answer to their prayers.

One day many years later, God calls out to Abraham, "and he said, 'Here am I.'" God tells Abraham that he would like for him to take Isaac to a designated mountain and...are you ready for a shocker? He tells Abraham to sacrifice beautiful Isaac. Really you might ask?! Oh yes.

What floors me and encourages me all at the same time is Abraham's immediate response! Scripture says he woke up early the next morning and set off on a a three day journey to the mountain.

Let's be honest, how many of us would have taken the time to get around obeying? Maybe taking a few days to prepare for the trip? Or taking a week to soak up your final moments with your loving son? It's not too hard to imagine stalling as long as possible. However, don't we fall into this trap more than we would like to admit? God asks us to do something difficult, and though we agree to obey, how often do we beat around the bush? Delayed obedience is still disobedience, no matter what way you try to paint the picture. Abraham didn't just respond immediately with "Here I am" when God called his name, but he responded in action as well. What a great directive for us all.

Furthermore, Abraham didn't even ask for God to reconsider His command! It would have been easy to rationalize with God. To perhaps ask God to spare him of such a thing. To remind God that Isaac was a promise to Abraham. But no. God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son, and in the next sentence we see Abraham's immediate obedience.

Can you imagine it? For years you pray for a child. One son with your bride. And finally, after years of trying and crying out to God, your son arrives. You spend many more years training him in the ways of the Lord. Years in fellowship with your pride and joy. Morning after morning of God'spromise looking back at you. Then one day, your Heavenly Father tells you to sacrifice your most treasured son. Instead of fighting back, your crying heart musters up enough faith to move forward in obedience.

Immediately you set off with your precious son. Three days you journey with him, all the while knowing that the son who is following you so willingly, who has trusted you all the days of his life, is about to be bound on an alter by your very hands.

The anguish Abraham must have carried in his soul...it's devastating to think about it. Yet what obedience, and courage it took to follow God. Surely, an example to us all. If Abraham can be ready to say "Here I am," and offer up his only son, can we not be ready to answer God and have the courage to sacrifice our own dreams.

C.H. Spurgeon, in his study of Genesis 22, made this point about our dreams and loves. "Let Isaac be dear, but let Isaac die sooner than God should be distrusted!"

Wow...

With much relief, we can read that God did not allow Abraham to go with through with the sacrifice. What we can learn from Abraham is followed up in two words: obedience, and courage.

We can also read further in Scripture and see that through Abraham's obedience, God used him to birth a nation. What an incredible testimony.

I pray your heart is strengthened with this message. I pray it will encourage you to be ready to say "Here I am," when God calls your name. I pray that if the last thing you hope God would ask you to do is asked, you would have the courage to respond with immediate obedience. I know this passage challenges me to do so.

"And the LORD afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, "Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm. But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" They said, "He is dead." Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate." 2 Samuel 12. 15-20

Have you ever found yourself in an incredibly difficult season of life, and the last thing you felt like doing in your pain was worshipping God? Nobody can hear your answer, so you can be honest with yourself. I will be honest with you and say that I have been there a few times. In fact, I was just there, and even yet find myself there at my low points.

A few weeks ago I wrote to you that I was going through the most difficult season of my life, as I shared with you the importance of staying connected to the true vine, Jesus, as John 15 illustrates. These past four weeks have been without a doubt, by far, the hardest of my 26 years. I have felt a pain I never thought existed.

When I first experienced the loss that brought me into this season, the last thing I felt like doing was worshipping God. I couldn't even say anything because the tears were overwhelming. I just collapsed onto the ground and felt a piece of myself die on the inside. Worship was not my first inclination...doubt was.

I wish I would have been stronger, but I wasn't. However, I soon discovered the story of David in 2 Samuel 12, when he experienced the loss of his son. I was amazed as I read this heart wrenching story.

I can't even imagine the loss of a child, yet David finds himself in this situation. For me, though as heart wrenching as the story is, it has offered me much encouragement. Why? Because it directed me to worship my loving Father rather than to sit in my suffering.

I don't know if you could find a much better example to worship God, no matter how hard the season, than this example that David has shown us. After he hears of the death of his son, he gets up, gets clean, and goes into the House of the Lord to worship.

All I can say is...wow.

It's easy to worship God, and to praise Him when life is good for us. But what if life isn't so good for a season? Whats if it's hard? Maybe it's hard for you right now, like me. Oh, we must worship God all the more! When the season is dark, difficult, and we don't feel much like doing anything but crying, cry out to God! That is when our faith is most tested and we need God the most.

Remember, regardless of the season, God is always good! Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, He is good! Remember the eternal gift He has given you through His only Son, Jesus Christ. That's enough to make me want to worship! Because I know that no matter how heart wrenching my own season is right now, one day I will be able to sit at the supper table with God himself for the banquet of all banquets, and it will be there in His heavenly presence that I will find no more suffering. Ever. And that alone, aside from all the other blessings He has bestowed upon me, lifts my heart to worship.

I don't share this story of mine for pity or attention...in fact, being transparent is very hard for me. I share this with you so that I may encourage you to not make the same mistake I did by containing my suffering, instead of releasing my worship. My prayer for you would be that you would learn how to release worship in your life. That when the wind blows and beats down on you, your first inclination would be to worship God! And there watch Him intervene with His neverending love.

I am about to be very candid and very vulnerable with you ladies. I figure it's okay because we're a bunch of chicks, and we do this, right? So as nervous as I am to open up, it's okay because I know y'all will be able to relate with me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

At this point is Scripture, Jesus is speaking to the eleven disciples (as Judas had already left to betray him) in the upper room, the night before his death. He speaks to them using an analogy of himself being a vine, and the Father being the vine dresser. Now just to bypass any confusion along the way, the branch that does not bear fruit does not represent a Christian not-bearing fruit. This is impossible. I could go through the theology of this, but I won't. All to say, there is no such thing as a Christian that does not bear fruit. The branch that does not bear fruit would represent a person who appears to be walking with the Lord, but is not connected to him, and inevitably turns from him.

What I would like to focus on is the branch that does bear fruit; the Christian. The first reference to this branch is that the Father gives much attention to the branch with pruning, as He does in pruning His children.

By pruning, I can also mean cleansing. God wants to remove whatever might be hindering a believer from full-potential, so He brings us through trials and tribulations that will open us up to His cleansing by the Word.

Why is this so important? On branches, there can be suckers; this would cause harm to the branch in that it sucks away energy. Therefore, God prunes, or purges us of our suckers in order to bring forth more fruit. A sucker to the Christian would be sin, as you can imagine. It is the sin in our life that saps away our energy and misdirects our energy to be fully devoted to God.

Think about it. It is the sin in our life that distracts us. Oooh, this relationship is nice. Or wow, I can get use to these nice things. Or boy, does she have a lot to learn. It's the sin that can ever so subtly turn our focus from God.

Jesus is calling every believer to abide in him. Abide simply means to stay close to Jesus. It is in remaining with him that produces fruit, and shows evidence of our salvation.

Does that mean if you make a mistake or have a season of drought that you'll stop bearing fruit and will be cut off. Absolutely not. A true believer will not lose their salvation because a true believer remains connected to the vine. Life comes from the vine and is directed into the branch, bearing fruit no matter the season of life.

Branches are totally dependent upon the vine, as a believer must be totally dependent upon Jesus. And accordingly, the Father will work to prune us, and to purge us of our suckers. Hence the trials in your life. But it is not the trial themselves that improve you...no. Trials merely open you up so that the Word can cleanse you.

I know this passage has been a great encouragement to me. In this most difficult season of life, this trial has opened me up to a very vulnerable place with God, allowing for Him to prune me. And it is in the study of His Word, and this passage in particular, that I am being cleansed. Yes, it hurts, but pruning usually does. These suckers don't like to be cut off so easily.

There is so much to be said concerning this passage, and I feel I am learning so much. But my encouragement to you would be this: remain as close to Jesus as possible. He is your source of energy and life. Apart from him, you can bear no fruit (as hard as we try...and I know you try, because we're all girls and we can't help it). It's impossible. You bear fruit by abiding in the vine, not by trying on your own to produce it. Abiding isn't really all that hard: love God and be in the Word. Truly, stay connected and spend as much time as you can allowing yourself to be cleansed by the Word of God. This will produce much fruit in your life, ultimately giving glory to God.

Today is the day that my family has been praying for and hoping for some time now. My sister-in-law is getting her kidney transplant. She was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease that caused her kidneys to fail last year. Since then, she has been undergoing dialysis three days a week, while being a mom to three young girls. It’s been a very tough, trying and testing year. My other sister-in-law went through extensive testing and is able to donate her kidney. So, as I write, they are undergoing the surgery. Praise God! When the date was set for the surgery, we all laughed that it was St. Patrick’s day or ‘lucky day’ as some call it. But, as we talked about it, we said, “Isn’t it great that we don’t have to ‘hope we get lucky?” Isn’t it great to know that we don’t have to hope we find some three leaf clover or superstitiously go about today thinking, “This is our lucky day.” No, this is the day that the Lord has planned long ago!


As Christians, we don’t have to hope for luck, we can put our trust in an Almighty God. He directs our days. He is in control of our lives. Maybe you are facing something today that you could be thinking, “I could use some major luck today!” :) And instead, what you really desire is for God’s blessings of peace, strength and hope. A verse from the Bible that has spoken to my heart so many times is this:
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

While living on this earth, we must learn to live by sight and the certainty that comes through faith in God. We must learn to see with the eyes of faith as we follow Jesus, while keeping our mindset on eternity.


Would you say your eyes are set on the temporal or eternal things?



When people approached Jesus to tell him about their circumstances, he’d often say something like, “You’re looking for a drink of water, but look past your circumstances because I’m the living water. I can quench your thirst for eternity, not just in this moment. Can you see it?” Or, “You want to see bread right now, but I want you to see that I am the living bread. I can feed you for this one meal, but-look!-I can feed you for all eternity. Can you see it?”

In some of the difficult seasons of our lives, when our faith is challenged and tested to grow, Jesus says we should see the unseen. How do we practically do that? The way to do that is to stay intimate with him and let the Holy Spirit direct our sight, both our physical eyes and our spiritual eyes. Jesus knows all of the answers to the questions that we ask ourselves. He knows which answers are “yes” and which ones are “no”. He knows when and where to reveal to us our next step. Our part is simply to take the next step of obedience and keep our eyes on him every step of the way. Many times in our lives, it appears God is answering “no” but they are really stepping stones to His amazing “yes”. When we learn to step out in obedience and trust, blessing is down the path. And when times in our journey hold pain, it’s then that we learn to choose trust and obedience over worry, fear and doubt.

Would you say that your mindset is on eternity or are you plagued with fear of what your circumstances look like presently?



“Trusting God completely means having faith that God knows what is best for your life. You expect him to keep his promises, help you with problems, and do the impossible when necessary.”
Rick Warren



As you go about today, trust and know that God is in control of all things. Rest in His plans for you, knowing that you don’t have to ‘get lucky’, God’s in control!


Romans 8 tell us that “nothing shall separate us from the love of God”-revel in that today!

In His love,
Stephanie

Masquerading Behind Hurt 3/15/2011 - True ID Ministries Internet Radio Blog Talk Radio

Masquerading Behind Wealth 3/8/2011 - True ID Ministries | Internet Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Matthew 5:23-24
"Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

Tough topic huh? I know this is something I come up against a lot! Is there anyone who you have ill feelings toward, is there anyone you need to ask for forgiveness? I challenge myself and you to follow what Jesus says and constantly reconcile. When we open our hearts and follow His lead He blesses us abundantly. Just imagine if you are being a spiritual hindrance to another person because of your lack of obedience to forgive or be forgiven. We are to be in unity for His kingdom. Lets examine our hearts and get all we can from our Father. Trust Him, whether you feel it is impossible to forgive or ask for forgiveness, He is for us. He will never ask us to do something to harm ourselves or others. Trust and Forgive or be Forgiven!

Masquerading your Sin 3/1/2011 - True ID Ministries | Internet Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Ladies, I have a thought for you to ponder. Proverbs 31 mentions ..."she is like the merchant ships..." So what does that mean? Many times I have read that tidbit of wisdom and haven't really given it much thought. But it happens to be one of the most important statements about how a godly woman is to be.

A merchant ship is a STRONG ship. It is not fragile.
A merchant ship is built for PURPOSE. It is not idle.
A merchant ship can CARRY. It is not weak.

Think about what a merchant ship is. And on top of that, it says we are to be like shipS...notice the plural? That means a fleet, many, a force. That is what God is calling us women to be. He doesn't want any more pretty little boats. All cute and fragile. NO, He wants merchant ships. There are plenty of pretty little ships sitting in the seats on a Sunday morning. But where in the house are the merchant ships? God has called His daughters to to be strong, to work hard, to carry the plans He has for us.

We are to be many things, and it is not going to be easy. Even the people that surround us are to lack nothing of value because of their confidence in us. WOW! But others can't be confident in us if we are not first confident in ourselves. We must be confident, not in our gifts or position or people. But confident in knowing that God's hand is on our life and that we are working for Him!

Make a decision daily to bring good, and not harm, to the lives around you. Work hard. Be task driven, not people driven.She doesn't invest into that which is not profitable. She is kind to others. She is not fearful of the times to come, but is prepared. She is a strong leader, clothing herself in strength and dignity. She watches, she speaks, she gives instruction...and she is blessed. AND SHE LOOKS GOOD (clothed in fine linen and purple)!

God is calling for the women in His house to stand up and be different. To be merchant ships. Can you rise to the calling? It won't be easy, but we aren't called to a life that will be easy. How much more can you do, through the power of God, for His kingdom if you are a woman of noble character?

Ladies, are there any merchant ships in His house?

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5 (NIV)



This morning my devotional time with my kids was about having an attitude of gratitude. It wasn’t even because they weren’t being grateful or anything; quite honestly it was just the next topic in the character building book we are going through. :) Isn’t it easy to sometimes lose that attitude?

I mean, it’s not that we don’t want to be grateful...I think it’s that we many times lose the right perspective. What I mean is…do you see the glass half full or half empty? Is it partly sunny or partly cloudy? Perspective can and certainly makes all the difference.

Even for strong Christians who are grounded in their faith, discouragement can easily sneak its way into hearts and minds as life deals us chaos. As we struggle with the challenges and difficulties of everyday life, or things that happened to us that were unfair or unwarranted, it is easy to get pulled into a habitual mindset of negativity. Just like that old song from the ‘80s says, we may find ourselves asking God, "What have you done for me lately?"

Our answer to that question will depend entirely upon our perspective. God does more for us each and every day than we deserve, but it 's so easy to lose sight of the good, because we can be caught up in the reality of the bad. How do we combat this perfectly human attitude and direct it over to an attitude of gratitude?

Prayer.

Resolve to have an attitude like Christ.

Take inventory of our every blessing.

Life. Your every breath. Your every heart beat. A spouse or loved one. Children. Clothes that need to be washed because God gave you clothes to wear, and a way to wash those clothes. Good health to help those whose health is failing. Trusted and educated doctors to treat you when you are facing health challenges. A house that needs cleaning. A car to drive. The ability to purchase gas for the car. A job to go to. The ability to be a stay at home mom or wife. Healthy kids who can play music or sports. Friends. Family. Freedom. Jesus. Eternal life.

What is on your inventory list today? If you were honest with yourself, would you say you have been looking for the positive aspects of the situations in your life? Are you considering how God could be using those things to draw you closer to Him? Or have you been primarily focused on the negative?

During times of negativity, we actually become our own enemy. We wage a battle in our mind because we look at our situation from our own perspective, instead of what God may be doing through our situation. So in order to change our minds, we have to choose to change the way we think – our perspective. Attitude is a choice.

I have heard it takes 21 days of doing something for it to become a new habit. The more you practice challenging your thought patterns, the more automatic it will become. Changes may not take place immediately, but over time, the challenge gets easier, and optimism becomes the norm instead of the exception.

Are you willing to take the challenge to become an optimist today? The rewards of looking for God's goodness in every situation will be a healthier and happier heart.

Dear Lord, forgive us for a lack of gratitude we all have at times. Thank You for your patience with us as we strive to grow to be more like you. Guide our hearts to recognize You at work, instead of seeing things from an earthly perspective. Lead me into a closer relationship with You by helping me remember to count my blessings every day. I n Jesus' Name, Amen.

"How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful!"

Hello to some of our favorite girlfriends (and guyfriends)!

We just wanted to use today's blog opportunity to tell you about some amazing upcoming conferences. You will want to make sure you join us if we are coming to your area. We could also use your help in spreading the word around!

BROOKINGS, SD
APRIL 1-2, 2011
SWIFTEL CENTER
http://www.trueidentityministries.com/BrookingsSD.html

DEFIANCE, OHIO
APRIL 15-16, 2011
THE SUMMIT
http://www.trueidentityministries.com/defianceohio2011.html

WEST CHICAGO, IL
MAY 13-14, 2011
CROSSROADS RESTORATION CENTER
http://www.trueidentityministries.com/chicago2011.html

The early bird registration discount for each of these events will end befoe you know it, so be sure to register soon! Visit the link to learn about discounted rates and conference details. If you are interested in helping us by volunteering at one of these events you can fill out a volunteer app online! We can't wait to see each of you very soon!

xoxo
Justeina

Masquerading with God 2/14/2011 - True ID Ministries Internet Radio Blog Talk Radio

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23


There may be nothing more intentional that scripture asks us to do than to guard our hearts. That word guard according to the dictionary means: to protect somebody or something against danger or loss by being vigilant and taking defensive measures, or to watch over and control passage through an entrance or across a boundary. Even though I had seen this scripture many times before in Proverbs 4 and the call to guard our hearts was very clear, for me the question still remained; from what? Finally it came to me. Guard our hearts from anything toxic.

That word toxic just means anything that contains poisonous material that can cause sickness or death. I can’t help but notice in today’s age how hard people are trying to keep their homes and bodies toxic free. You can now buy non toxic cleaning materials, hair care products, nail polishes, paints for your home, and the list goes on. So much effort and work put into living a toxic free life physically speaking, but no one thinks about all the toxic things surrounding our spiritual lives. If you and I are going to be able to be diligent in guarding our hearts we are going to have to be more aware of the toxic things we are allowing in. Allow me to point out just a few for you.


1. Toxic Thoughts
Part of guarding our hearts is to replace our toxic thoughts with God’s truth. Thoughts that are negative, fearful, critical and discontent need to be guarded against. In fact throughout scripture many times the word heart is used interchangeably with the word thoughts. The same is true for Proverbs 4:23. According to 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 we are to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. Sounds like guarding to me. So begin to think about what you are thinking about. Be vigilant to watch over and control the thoughts you allow to linger about in your heart and mind. Whatever you do remove the toxic ones and replace them with whatever is noble, true, right, pure, excellent, and praiseworthy.


2. Toxic Influences
From the movies we watch, to the music we listen to, even to the sites we surf on the web you may not find anything more toxic to our hearts than these influences. We have gotten a little lazy at monitoring the influences we are allowing to shape and mold our lives. If you are a mom you know how hard you may work to control the media and cultural influences your children are partaking in, but what about you? What are you doing to safeguard against the toxic influences surrounding your own life? A few things to ask yourself would be: Is What I am watching/reading displeasing to God? Am I being entertained somehow by sin? Is this luring me away from Christ? If you answer yes to any of those questions you need to flee from that type of entertainment. Don’t be lazy when it comes to guarding against toxic influences. They really will determine the course of your life.


3. Toxic Relationships

The bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:33 to not be misled, that bad company really does corrupt good character. Toxic company can be anyone that is chronically negative and critical, anyone that is a controller, and especially anyone that is a tempter. If you have any one of these types of company in your world you need to beware and guard your heart. That toxic company can work against your good character. As women we can be so timid to cut off toxic relationships even though we know how much they are poisoning our own walk with God. Be brave to take measures against the toxic company in your life. Set up healthy boundaries and be bold to cut ties where God leads you.


4. Toxic Words
Scripture tells us that the tongue holds the power of life and death and that is so true. Words have the unmatched ability to shape and mold a person’s belief system and self image. Whether its words spoken to you or words spoken by you, you need to guard against toxic words. Any words that don’t line up with God’s words are toxic. Begin to evaluate the words you are allowing to be spoken over your life by others and be quick to discredit them if they don’t line up with what God says about you. Be even quicker to evaluate the words you are allowing to come out of your own mouth. If they aren’t words that edify and build up those around you, don’t even speak them. Remember toxic and poisonous words have the power to bring sickness, but if you guard your heart and speak life you will bring healing all around you.

Of course this isn’t an exhaustive list of toxic things for us to be guarding our hearts from, but it is a great start. I have learned in my own life that what I allow into my heart and mind really will determine the course of my life just as Proverbs 4 teaches. As for me and my family I want the course of my life to be one that pleases and glorifies my God. That’s why I am determined to always guard my heart.

xoxo
Justeina

Dirty. Filthy. Covered with the dust from the streets, the feet of the disciples were left black and sore with cuts as they entered the room for the last supper. It was a servant’s job to wash the feet of those entering the house, but no servant was to be found. Reclining next to each other as they ate at the dinner table, Jesus laid aside his outer garments, took up a towel, and carried the basin of water over to Simon Peter. One by one Jesus, the Son of God, humbled himself to wash the grime and dirt off of the feet of each man.

Can you imagine sitting there at the dinner table as God washed the mud off of your feet? The task, however disagreeable, had to be done and only Jesus took the initiative to see it accomplished. It was out of love that he performed the service of a slave.

Later on in the evening, Jesus continued his ministry and proclaimed, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love another,” (John. 13.34).

How did Jesus love? He had just given an example of his love at dinner by washing the disciple’s feet. If you have any doubt that it was an example of love, go back to verse 15, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”

Jesus is calling all people to have this same kind of love...
A love that initiates when others sit back.
A love that humbles you to face what may seem unlovely and serve position underneath you.
A love that acts in the knowledge of another’s impure motives or betrayal.
A love that cleanses.
Among a group of men who quarreled over greatness, Jesus set the example of service instead of strife.

Loving a person isn’t always easy. If any person has a reason to withhold love, it is Jesus. He see’s the unlovely in a person and nothing is hidden from his sight, yet he loves unconditionally. This love served others by putting a person before himself. Men and women, that is the love that God is calling us to show. It won’t always be easy, but it is always worth it. And when you do, God is glorified. Verse 35 says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

In a self-serve world, service stands out. Love for other people is a witness to the ungodly. In this season of “love,” set the example to others. With those around you, whether friends or strangers, show love by taking the initiative to humble yourself and cleanse people. Put others before yourself and let God shine!