GOD'S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT

GOD'S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT

FOR ME

But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and [a]show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may [b]pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!

2 Corinthians 12:9 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

The Greek word for "grace" is Charis, from which we get the modern word "charity." It is defined as, "that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness; good will, favor, merciful kindness." (www.answers.com) In Hebrew, the word for "grace" is Chen, which derives from a shoresh (root) meaning "favor, mercy, kindness, graciousness." (hebrew4christians.com). The Strong Concordance 2425, for "sufficient" means (hikanos) strong, worthy and suitable. Likewise, the Hebrew word means to overflow.

I peeled myself off my bed, talked to God for a bit and put on my clothes and headed for the front yard. Today I had to do some gardening and mowing, not chores I am too thrilled about. I have two areas around my house where I have to mow every two weeks, the backyard and the front yard. The mowing is not the problem but the bugs and the mosquitoes are the problems. As soon as I head for the yard it is as if they sense my presence and immediately marshaled themselves around me seeking me as their meal. I was not in the mood for them feasting on me. They attacked me viciously and tried to get to me any way they can. Two weeks ago, I bought a can of repellant and sprayed my clothes, boots and sun hat before I stepped into them and before I went outside. This certainly put a damper on them. However, this bi-weekly task depletes my energy especially when the sun comes out to play.


Today was one of those days when I had to gather all my positive energy and seek God for His strength. It took me one hour and forty-five minutes to complete the front yard. All the time asking God for His strength. I took two breaks in between to drink water and to re-energize myself. When the task was done I took up all my tools and headed for indoors. I peeled those clothes off and headed directly to take shower. I had breakfast and was so exhausted I laid on my bed and fell asleep. Anyway, later that day while at the gym I thought about strategic ways to do the yard without feeling so fatigued after. I also was begging God to send me some help to do this unbearable task. Then the Scripture in 2 Corinthians 12:9 popped into my mind. Well, it just didn't pop in rather it was the Holy Spirit leading me.


When I got home from the gym while taking another shower I recalled the Scripture. It is as if God was telling me that His grace is sufficient for me even in my weakness, even at this unbearable task. I realized then how negative my attitude was regarding cleaning up the yard. I tried to be positive but when I feel so drained and exhausted it is as if all my joy and positive energy go on a hiatus. God also reminded me that He is my Source of everything I needed and if He believed I needed help He would have sent me the help. He knew that if I change my outlook and attitude I would have enough energy to complete the yard. He is my strength after all and He will infuse me with what I needed for the moment. He was teaching me that I needed to depend on Him rather than crying and griping about not having the help I believe I needed.


I am determined to change my attitude and meditate on this Scripture until I can get it down on the inside of my spirit because only then will I receive the strength I need. I have to see myself clothed with God's strength as a garment, as an adornment over me. When I have this revelation in me no matter what circumstance I may be experiencing at any given time God is my Everlasting strength. Habakkuk endorses, "the Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet and He will make me walk on high hills." (Chapter 3:19). I have a choice either to accept God's strength and rejoice in that or dwell in the sea of discouragement. I choose to rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC). When I look away from the circumstances and fix my eyes on Jesus where my strength is it is easy for me to yield to joy and start rejoicing in Him. The emphasis is on the word rejoice. The Greek meaning of the word chairo is to be full of joy (rejoice) and the Hebrew word gil means to cry, exult and be glad. King David understood that concept very well throughout the Psalms.


The word "strength" is associated with power, endurance and changelessness. The Greek word for strength is "dunamis" which means a force or power. This tells me that God's strength is a force behind my weakness it puts pressure that compels me to lean on His strength or dunamis, rather than focusing on my weakness. This force is attracted to my weakness and takes my weakness and makes it perfect so that I can get the job done. It is Jesus' power that rests upon me. The word rest means to be completely at peace. The Greek word for "rest" is anapausis meaning refreshment or cessation. Cessation from toiling or ceasing from labor, I was toiling rather than resting in Jesus and allowing His peace, His strength and power to abide in me and flow through me. Jesus said to His disciples, "I Am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, NKJV). So, I knew His words have to abide in me to bear the fruit of peace and rest even in midst of physical toiling. I could not do it on in my own strength or should say in this case my own weakness.


Jesus encourages us to depend on Him for everything we need no matter how big or small it is. He also encourages us to rest in Him. He said in Matthew 11:28, "come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I Am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (NKJV). God is very capable to take excellent care of each one of us even to help me in my gardening tasks. This is grace, God's unmerited favor toward each one of us. It doesn't matter what the task may be or the challenging aspects of our jobs as long as we know we are never, ever alone. We only have to beware of His Awesome Presence with us and grip tenaciously to His hand and skip along life with joy in our hearts knowing God has each of our backs.


Finally, 2 Corinthians 12:9 The Passion Translation (TPT), says it so uniquely and relatable for me: "But he answered me, "My grace is always more than enough for you,[a] and my power finds its full expression through your weakness." So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me.[b]"



Shalom
https://goldencordofhope.BlogSpot.com




　


　


　

Good, Good Father - Chris Tomlin

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY 

What can I say about the best Father of them all? He is Mighty, Strong, Longsuffering and Patient and He loves me with an everlasting Love. I echo the same praises of David to my Loving Father, my Abba. "Blessed are You, Lord God, my Father forever and ever, Yours O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great; and to give strength to all. Now therefore, my God, I thank You and praise Your glorious Name...for all things come from You. (1 Chronicles 29:11-13, 14) NKJV 

How can I explain my Father to someone who do not know Him and to appreciate Him as much as they would appreciate their earthly father? It is a challenging task in the current climate we now live in, but everything about my Father, God, is simply amazing. He has always been here for me even in those times I thought He was far away, unreachable. No, that was just the enemy trying to deceive me that my Father did not care. I know now in retrospect how wrong I have been. I know now He was always with me and never once left my side. The times when I felt all alone and unloved He came and showed me I was never alone and He opened wide His embrace and drew me into Him. I know He is the best listener and He would always guide me on the right path when I took the time to be still and listen to Him.

There are so many things He has done for me, they are too numerous to count. It may take a life time even in the things I am unaware of. When I was a little girl He sent an angel to save me from drowning, it was in the form of my neighbor. I might have died that day. I believe the enemy did not want me to survive, to live because he knew what I would grow up to be- a child of the Most High God and his enemy. There was another incident when I attempted to cross a busy intersection, a driver almost mowed me down; God sent an unseen angel this time to pull me from the path of that driver. As I grew older I can recall many, many incidents where I saw the hand of my Ever-Loving Father. 

God has done some impossible things for me and my daughter. He saw all my difficult moments in my life and He stood with me through them all. When I was in darkness and did not adhere to His Word or His will for my life, He waited until I was ready. He is longsuffering toward us all and He is patient not wanting anyone of us to perish but that we all come to repentance. So when I was doing my thing out there in the world and making a humungous mess of my life He patiently endured my ignorance never once condemning me in any way. I did that on my own. When I was tired of the insanity I knew I had a Father who would love me unconditionally. 

"I once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also I once conducted myself in the lusts of my flesh and of the mind and was by nature a child of wrath, just as the others, but God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved me, even when I was dead in trespasses made me alive together with Christ, by grace I have been saved, and raised me up together and made me sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. For by grace I have been saved through faith, not of myself, it is a gift of God; not of works. I am now His workmanship created in Jesus' Name, for good works which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them. (Ephesians 2) NKJV. This is who I was and who I am now, as Paul said it so eloquently. The person I was is a very poor reflection of who I am becoming, by the grace of God. 

I cried out to Him for help and He opened His heart, His arms and received me with all the love and mercy and grace a Father can give. I knew deep down inside as a little girl I was not complete. I knew somethings in my life was missing, was a puzzle to me. I did not know back then what I was searching for until He found me. He sought me out and stood by watching and waiting patiently until I had enough of the chaos I had created on my own. When I realized that He had my attention it was like a dam was broken. I could not get enough of Him. My soul, my heart longed for Him and it was as if all those wasted years I finally felt like the prodigal daughter who came home to her Father. When I am with Him, I am home. 

Romans 8:28, says, "and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called (or chosen) according to His purpose." God took all my messes and turned them around to my favor. Everything that I have ever done that was out of the will of God for me and that the enemy had used against me God took those moments and created a tapestry of grace for me. He made me a new creation and as Paul has said his life truly began when He gave his life to the Lord. I concur. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)" Therefore if any person is [in grafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! This is who I am today, not that old messed up, confused, critical, self-absorbed woman trying her 'darnest' to be cool and looking silly at the same time. 

I am still being transformed daily and the more time I spend with my Daddy, the closer our relationship is becoming. He likes it when I spend time with Him in fellowship. He likes it when I am obedient to His Word, He likes it when I praise Him, thank Him, and simply love Him with all my heart and soul. He likes it when I trust Him with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. This is the best part. When I do, it is as if I can actually see Him smile and may be say, "that's my daughter." God loved me and the whole world, even the children who are in darkness, so much, He gave us His only begotten Son, that whoever believed in Him they too can have everlasting life. I know when I am ready to check out of this world I have a beautiful home to spend eternity and my Abba will receive me with open arms. 

There are some things I am learning each day when I spend time in the Word and fellowship with my Abba. I have to yield to the fruit of the Spirit of God which helps me to live the life God created me to live. These are spiritual forces: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23. NKJV. As I spend more time with my Father I am receiving His understanding, wisdom and knowledge about the things of the spiritual realm vs the physical realm. Trying to explain the things of the spirit to someone who do not understand will be unprofitable and ineffective. In other words, unless you are born again child of God you will never understand the things of the spirit. These things come from the revelation of God for His children. I am a daughter of the Most High God through faith in Jesus Christ; an heir of God through Christ. (See Galatians 4). 

These are just some things I can say about my Father. He is a good, good Father and nothing is impossible with Him as long as I believe in Him. I do. All my expectations are from Him. He takes care of me and provides all my needs. Each need is met. He protects me from all harm and dangers and He fight all my battles for me. Now since I have authority and dominion over the Enemy He expects me to deal with him when he attacks me in any way and He will do the rest. He expects me to take care of my body since it is the temple of the Holy Ghost and a sacrifice to Jesus. He heals me from all the terrible diseases and delivers me from destruction. No evil can come near me and my Father never slumbers nor sleeps. He sends His angels to minister to me as I need. He loves me unconditionally but when I mess up He expects me to be accountable and repent immediately. He expects me to be a light in this world of darkness and to demonstrate love to others, to forgive if I have aught against any and to live my life with joy which is my strength. He is my only Source and I depend on Him totally. I have victory over anything the enemy throws at me. I am alive and I am free and I live for my Father. 

I am reminded that God made me in His own image and the things I would feel I believe He feels them too. He feels disappointed and saddened when I neglect to spend time with Him or I disobey His commands or His will for me. He can be a jealous God when I go after the things of this world and make them an idol. He gets angry if anyone tries to hurt me and He puts His protective armor around me. He hates sin and does not approve of me when I succumb to the wiles of the devil and fall into sin. He waits for me to repent but He does not condemn me. He corrects me when I do wrong because He loves me. (He only chastens those He loves). He is merciful and does not remain angry forever when we acknowledge our iniquities. He does not want me to follow the dictates of an evil heart so He pleads with me to return to Him and heals my backsliding when I do.  

He says to obey His voice, and He will be my God, and I shall be His daughter, and when I walk in all the ways that He has commanded me, I know it will be well with me. (Jeremiah 7:23) His thoughts toward me are of peace and not evil, to give me a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11). This is the essence of who God is- a good, loving Father. I have shared some of the details of my relationship with my true Father, my ever-loving Father. However, I am disappointed when people use my Father's name indiscriminately and blame Him for all the ills of the world. Which is a lie created by the Accuser? People have refused to take into consideration that they have an enemy who will do anything in his limited power to subvert the Word of God and to annihilate God's people even those in darkness. God is not to blame for the evil in this world. If God is taken out of our lives He would not help us in anyway unless we asked Him and repent from our wicked ways. We can't use God for our convenience. We can't use God for when we want something and not spend time with Him and loving Him. We wouldn't want people to treat us this way so why should we expect God to be treated without honor or respect.  

I will proclaim it again, God wants us all to be saved. When we are under the banner of His love we know we have everything we would ever need in this life and beyond. God champions for His children and will do everything in His Mighty Power to protect us, to heal us, to provide for us even when there is a shortage in the world, we will live in abundance. This is the God who created the Heavens and the Earth and nothing is too hard for Him; nothing is impossible. So today I say to my Abba, Happy Father's Day. By the way, Father's Day is a daily occurrence in my house. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. 

I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your Name forever and ever, every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your Name forever and ever, Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable...Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. Psalm 145 NKJV 

Glory to God and Praise to His Holy Name.

https://youtu.be/OfJrxvVnmkE 

Shalom

You Are Good by Bethel Church

Armor of God

There are times in our lives when people have hurt us in some way that sometime leave us stunned or confused, especially if that person was someone you considered a mentor or a friend or a family member. I was thinking about that this weekend. And while doing my devotions today I gave it some more thought and I can hear very subtly from the Holy Spirit. It was about the Armor of God. God has given us an armor to wear and this is an armor of not only protection but for identification. Protection from the forces of evil which are constantly around us and identification as soldiers in the army of God. Paul, God's apostle says this to us in Ephesians chapter 6:11-13,(11) "Put on God’s complete set of armor[j] provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser![k] (12) Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms.[l] For they are a powerful class of demon-gods[m] and evil spirits that hold[n] this dark world in bondage.(13) Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer,[o] for you are destined for all things[p] and will rise victorious. (The Passion Translation (TPT)

The Accuser or The Enemy always uses people to entrap us and make us doubt ourselves, and ultimately steal the Word from our hearts. I have been hurt many, many times and I know most of us have been also. What the Spirit of God was leading me to, was the Armor of God. When we are filled with the Word of God and our hearts are sensitive to the prompting of the Spirit of God and we wear our armor we know the enemy can't touch us unless we give him permission. The arrows of hurts, pain, disappointments, mental or emotional sufferings and discomfort can be deflected with the shield of faith. If we wear our armor consistently and daily and be vigilant and be aware of the enemy's devices we can be assured that none of his darts will be able to penetrate our full armor. Besides that, we have our Commander and Chief, Jesus Christ watching over us at all times.

This is our armor that God has provided for all His children: Ephesians 6: "So stand strong, with the belt of truth tied around your waist and the protection of right living on your chest. (15) On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. (16) And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows of the Evil One. (17) Accept God’s salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (18) Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up. Always pray for all God’s people." (New Century Version NCV) Now, this is a formidable armor that is impenetrable and impressive. Remember, we are not fighting people but this is a spiritual warfare between God's people and Satan and his demonic forces.

The Joy of The Lord

I learned over the weekend that when someone hurt us and we already have on our full armor the darts thrown at us will not penetrate our armor. What may cause the armor to lose its protective covering or effectiveness or cause it to be damaged in some way will be the condition of our hearts. Strife will cause a chink in our armor and the enemy will find that vulnerability and cause us to fall. Love on the other hand will make us stronger and formidable and have the enemy running with his tail between his legs. Laughter in the Spirit of God will help us to conquer whatever perceived hurts we may be carrying around. When we laugh in faith joy rises in our hearts. "The joy of the Lord is our strength" according to Nehemiah. Psalm 126 says, laughter in the Spirit open us up for blessings and victory over every obstacle and hindrances in our lives. "Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the [b]nations, "The Lord has done great things for them. "The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad." New King James Version (NKJV) "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again, I say, Rejoice." Philippians 4:4 King James Version (KJV)

Laughter is the best medicine for when we are under attack by the Enemy. Proverbs 17:22, says, " a merry heart does good like medicine," and conversely, "a broken spirit dries the bones." (NKJV). We are to guard our minds at all times because we know that is where the Accuser does his finest work. Our minds are like playgrounds for him and his demonic bunch. When we are being buffeted ("maltreated"- Strong Concordance) by the Enemy the best defense is joy and laughter. When we do so it destabilizes the Enemy and his bunch. Then they realize we are not affected by their shenanigans. Even though, we do not feel like laughing, fake it until the Spirit of God join in with us and then the real stuff comes up from the inside of us. Why? Because we need to be reminded we are already conquerors in Christ Jesus. We are already victorious in Him. Jesus has overcome the world for us and we are now like Him in spirit as new creatures. We too are overcomers. Now that is something to jump up, shout and celebrate and do our happy dance. That will definitely send the Enemy flying. God is a good, good Father and He loves His children with a deep and abiding love. All is well with our souls.

shalom

https://goldencordofhope.blogspot.com

LEGACY

LEGACY

Psalm 78:4 Living Bible (TLB)

4. "I will reveal these truths to you so that you can describe these glorious deeds of Jehovah to your children and tell them about the mighty miracles he did."
Today as I sat at the Women's Overflow monthly group and listened to my pastor speak on legacy I thought about my own legacy that I will leave for my children and grand-children. I haven't really ever put any thought about it seriously but at church today I paused for a moment and wondered what legacy would I leave for my offspring. The word legacy is defined according to Merriam Webster: "something that happened in the past or that comes from someone in the past." or 'something handed down from one generation to another.' A legacy could be a tradition, an inheritance, a gift or a consequence.

As I mulled on this I thought about my own life. There have been some things I rather had not passed on to my own children and grand-children, those are the consequences of things done in the past that may have left a lasting memory of pain or bitterness or unforgiveness or hurt. We as women sometimes do not get things right especially as young wives or single mothers. We make a lot of mistakes and not really thinking about the consequences and how our children are receiving the information in the situation at hand. We fail to realize that our children are absorbing all the information provided to them in their lives from the way we live our lives or the words expressed or our through our nonverbal language.

I am guilty of charge of some of those negative images but I also want to focus on some of the positive images. Some of the things I did get right from the help of Almighty God. You see, the reason I did not get things right in the beginning is because God was not involved in my life way back then. I thought I could do it alone or rather I was ignorant of what God meant to me and what He could do for me. I didn't know; and there was no one really to help me or guide me. I was not surrounded by women, mentors who could teach me about the Lord and His role in my life. I felt alone, lost most of the time. I felt overwhelmed and frightened and didn't know who to ask for help or where to go for help. Sometimes I prayed and hoped that God will hear me and save me and my children.

What has saved me today is that I kept searching, I kept listening for God and I kept praying. As time went by little by little I learned some things and I began to improve. Today I am in a much better place in my walk with the Lord. He is my Mentor, my Counselor, my Best Friend and everything else. When I want advise I go to Him first and maybe from another woman of faith. God is willing and able to help all of us as women, in every area of our lives and our children's and our husbands'. I realized why I failed in the past and made a humongous mess of my life and my children's in the process. But I also know I have left some good qualities in their lives that hopefully will cancel out the poor memories of the past. I have asked God to heal my past and that of my children's and I know He would.

Where is your treasure? What are you laying up for your future generation? What value you hope your children would receive as their legacy? The Bible says in Matthew 6:20. "Instead, stockpile heavenly treasures[a] for yourselves that cannot be stolen and will never rust, decay, or lose their value. 21. For your heart will always pursue what you value as your treasure." (TPT). I hope my daughters will treasure and value the Almighty God and His Son, Our Savior, Jesus, above all else. I hope this one thing I could leave as a legacy for them is to put God first place in their lives. I hope they would desire and love the Lord with all their heart and soul and mind. I hope they would pray vigilantly over their household, their children and their spouses.

I hope they would choose to be the gatekeepers of their families as the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 and Ruth in the Old Testament; strong women of faith. I hope they will face the giants in their lives as David did with strength, determination and complete confidence in God to take them safely through to the other side- no matter what. I hope they would know that God loves women and as women they are special to Him. I hope they know God loves them with an everlasting love and that He would never leave them nor forsake them. I hope that if they mess up they would not run away in shame but run to Him and ask for forgiveness. I hope that all these things I have learned will be part of the fabric of their lives like a tapestry of various times in our lives. Growing from strength to strength from faith to faith.

Today I am in a good place and I honor my Father, God by giving Him all the glory and all the praise. God chose me since the foundation of the world-me. I use to think I didn't matter much to the people in my life and my family didn't know how special I was. Today I know. God knows me by my name and He loves me with all of my flaws; even my past mistakes and every day I know He is transforming me into the woman He designed from the beginning. I am being transformed everyday until I return home to heaven. So I pray for every woman and their families. I pray for my own family, my children and grand-children that as we grow in grace let us be cognizant of the life we live today and the inheritance we would pass on to our offspring and to the future generations. Remember, what we do and say today will have a ripple effect on our future generations.



Psalm 145:4 The Passion Translation (TPT) "Generation after generation will declare more of your greatness and declare more of your glory."

John 15:16 The Passion Translation (TPT) 16. "You didn’t choose me, but I’ve chosen[a] and commissioned you to go into the world[b] to bear fruit. And your fruit will last, because whatever you ask of my Father, for my sake,[c] he will give it to you!"

　
Heavenly Father,

Thank you for everything you have done for us and thank you for healing our past mistakes and bringing good gifts into our lives. You gave us Jesus, Your Own Legacy so that we would know how to live our lives through Him. You give us Your Word as a road map on how to chart the course of our journey through this life and this world. You are constantly with us and we never have to walk alone. When things get messy we will run to You and You will help us through every difficult moment. Thank You for being the Rock, the Foundation to build our lives upon, our families and our home. Glory to Your Name. We praise and honor You with all that we are and striving to be, in Jesus' Name, Amen.
http://goldencordofhope.blogspot.com





shalom