The Spirit of Compromise

Lately, I have been thinking over my life and the lives of others and how there appears to be this compromising mindset. We may settle for a certain grade, in a friendship, or in our relationship with God. The type of compromising attitude I'm speaking about is when we don't give our all. 

We can learn a lot from the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. In particular, the Laodicea and Ephesus churches stand out to me. This is probably because I have fallen victim to the charges that stood against these churches. They lost their first love and they were neither hot nor cold. We can't give our all to God when we are stuck in a lukewarm mindset or if we have lost our focus from serving him completly. 

Listen, compromising is hardly a good thing because you're pretty much stuck lowering your standards while the other person gets more than they bargained for. With most compromising situations someone wins and someone loses. When you don't give your all in your relationship with God, it may appear that you're "winning" if you're living it up and having the time of your life. But, get that, it's not really you who is winning, it's the devil. If you keep up that lifestyle of compromising and not giving your all with Jesus, you will lose when he spews you out of his mouth. It just doesn't measure up because you're not only hurting yourself but also God. You're his beloved child, and it hurts him when you're not walking with him.

So, I was listening to this awesome song by the Newsboys. ( http://youtu.be/WjZ01FcK0yk) Me and my friend Tania were jamming and singing along to this song while we waited for my friend Camielle in Walmart's parking lot, when this guy parks next to us blaring his music. It was some nonsense music about bottles popping or something. However, his music started to get louder than my radio. All of a sudden my radio started to get static so I couldn't hear my music anymore. It then picked up his music and began to play his song. Once I realized this, I shut off the radio and turned on my Christian cd. 

Meaning: We can be doing what we need to do and be on the right track then a trick of the enemy comes up, and it's like we can't hear or feel God near. We can become complacent and accept our issues or we can fight back. If you are compromising your spiritual walk so that you can live in the flesh or you're not giving your all, get up and press in his presence to ensure that you get what you need from Him. Don't just sit back and let things happen. Do all it takes to give your all to God. If one way isn't working, try another. 

http://youtu.be/WjZ01FcK0yk

Listen to "Give My All" by KB. 

I provided the link above :)

Pray First, Act Second

As a Christian, it is vital to stay in prayer. Prayer is our communication with God. The more we talk with Jesus, the more our relationship grows.

I was strolling through my phone the other day, and I found the picture above. Honestly, it hit me like a ton of bricks because I had been so focused on myself that my attention wasn't on God and what he wanted for me. So, to make a long story short, I bought a car this weekend. I totally overspent on it, and to top it off the car needs a lot of money to still be put into it. Trust me, I went through! Spending thousands while making minimum wage is not my idea of fun. 

Where I went wrong in the natural is that I didn't do my research beforehand, and I rushed the entire process and didn't apply paitence. But in the spiritual, (for starters) I didn't pray before I moved. Had I prayed and asked God for direction, I wouldn't be short a few thousands of dollars with a less than perfect car. 

What I am trying to say here is that prayer is your lifeline. It's really important to get in that fellowship and communion with Christ. God will not bless what he's not apart of, so it is vital to incorporate him in every aspect of your life. I remember Heather Lindsay's blog where she stated that she talked to God about what she should wear. It struck me: there is nothing too big or too small to talk to God about. God just loves to hear from us! 

1 Thessalonians 5:17

  I'll end by recapping a dream I had a few weeks ago. 

I was with God or with one of God's angels and he led me to this dark place. What I saw down there, I assume to be the devil or one of his demons. He was pacing all around in this dark abyss. It was revealed to me that his biggest goal is stop people from praying. 

Remember the importance of prayer. It encases your weapons of warfare.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:18

Redefined By Fire

Redefine: To reexamine or reevaluate especially with a view to change. 

Daniel 3 tells the story of three Jewish men who refused to bow down at the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar and worship it. Nebuchadnezzar mandated that all the peoples of every nation and every tongue were to bow down and worship his image of gold whenever music was played.  If a person did not fall down and worship this false god, they were to be thrown into a fiery furnace. 

As soon as the music played, everyone (all the peoples, nations and men of every language) fell down and worshiped that image of gold (Daniel 3:7). Everyone but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (a.k.a Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) 

Quick side note: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were these three Jewish men’s Babylonian names which they were given. These new names mean “command of Aku,” “Who is what Aku is?” and “Servant of the god Nergal” respectively. These names are in reverence to false gods. Contrastingly, the men’s Jewish names bring admiration to the one true God, Jesus Christ.  Hananiah meaning “Yahweh is gracious,” Mishael meaning “Who is like God?” Or “to feed or “to provide,” and Azariah meaning “Yahweh has helped.”

How many times have people tried to change your name or your identity? But whom God appointed you to be and what he calls you to be shows whom you really are. You see, the names the Babylonians gave these three men did not define them. They were not led or helped by Aku or Nergal. Their Christ-ordained names explicitly shows readers who they were and who God is. God is gracious, there is none like him, he provides for us, and he helps us. 

While these three men are typically referred by their Babylonian names, it is important to understand the meaning of their real names. Understand your real name too (what God calls you: loved, redeemed, precious, honored, etc.) and you’ll understand your identity and God’s grace. 

Okay, I’m back to the story now. Lol. So the three Jewish men didn’t bow down and worship this false god. I picture this scene so vividly: beautiful wind instruments playing loudly throughout the kingdom declaring all people to do an evil deed, thousands (if not millions) of people falling to their face at the sight of a ninety feet high and nine feet wide statue, and three Jewish men standing boldly in their faith. I’m literally in tears just thinking about the strength these men had. Even faced with death they held their onto their beliefs. How many times have I compromised my beliefs just to avoid looking “different” in the eyes of my peers? We all need to have their unshakable, unwavering faith in God, and trust that he is our strength (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

So, they’re brought to King Nebuchadnezzar for not bowing down at his statute and he is FURIOUS. He warns them once more that if they don’t worship this image that they will be thrown into a blazing furnace. Then the cocky fellow states, “Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” (verse fifteen). 

But the three men’s response to the King’s ignorance is awesome! “we do not need to need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (verses sixteen-eighteen). 

Notice: 

1. They state “we do not need to defend ourselves.” Get that you do not need to defend yourself in every situation. Know when to hold your tongue. Know that God will fight your battles. God’s actions in the later verses show a lot more than the men could have ever said!
2. They believed God had the ability to save them, but even if he chose not to, they still refused to compromise their beliefs. God can save you from any situation you face. If it doesn’t go how you might want, still worship him. That’s sovereign praise.
3. They were still respectful. Even though Nebuchadnezzar is talking all this trash they  still showed him respect by speaking like they weren't ignorant. When your boss or teachers are getting on your nerves, remember that they are in authority over your life on this side of heaven. 

You will have opposition in the spiritual and natural realms. 

James 1:4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 

1 Corinthinans 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 

Okay so, the king is pretty mad and he orders the furnace to be heated SEVEN TIMES HOTTER than usual. He gets some of the strongest soldiers to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to throw them into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent the fire killed the soldiers who took up the Jewish men. Geez. 

So then, Nebuchadnezzar leaps to his feet in amazement and was like “Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”  And his advisers are like “yeah.” He (Nebuchadnezzar) said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” (verse twenty four-twenty five).

TIMEOUT.

The guards who tried to deliver the three Jewish men to the furnace died themselves (Psalm 57:6), but the three men who were thrown in the furnace are walking around with a fourth guy unharmed?!?!  

But how…

God’s grace. 

When we go through our fires in our lives and we’re for God, God will be for us. He literally walked with the three Jewish guys through it all. He promises the same for us too! (Deuteronomy 31:6)

While the men went through the fire they were loosed from the ties holding them. Sometimes we have to go through the fire to become unbound and freed from our chains. They were set free! This can be us too in both the natural and spiritual realms. 

A redefining took place. 

When they went through their fire and came out, the people observed that “the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them” (verse twenty seven). They didn't look like what they went through! We may go through some storms and fires in our lives, but thanks be to God, Jesus will cover us so that we will look like we didn’t go through some mess. 

The people saw what God brought them out unharmed. This was a testimony to others the power of God and how his hand is over those who are obedient to Him. Those people saw that day that there is no God like Jesus Christ! (verse twenty eight-thirty).

Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 

So if you are going through the fire know that God is with you. He’s the same God of Hananiah, Misheael, and Azariah who is able to protect and serve as your strength. 

Be Blessed.

C. Walt

For Every Mountain

For every mountain you've brought me overFor every trial you've seen me through -Kurt Carr 

Ahhh...mountains. We've all been there. We want to get over our mountains in our lives. But we may appear stuck in our valleys or struggling through our climbs.

We have seasons in our lives where we are in the valley or on top of a mountain. I have spent so much of my life in the valley. God gave me a visual of what it means to be in your valley with a giant mountain right in front of you. I would like to share with you how it relates to the spiritual realm :) 

Valleys are our low points. It's the hard times when all we see are the obstacles in front of us. Those obstacles are our mountains. The mountain is what we have to climb to get out of our valley. Too often we see our situation and not the hope and future God has in store for us (Jeremiah 29:11). I believe that God has already moved that mountain on our behalf. God knows what is over that mountain.There lies the fulfillment of his promises. Blessing are yours, just keep climbing! But let me tell you, straight up. It's not an easy climb, but once you get to the top of your mountain you'll realize that it was all so worth it. 

Now, don't get overwhelmed. You will get overwhelmed if you focus on the challenge in front of you and not on God. To get out of the valley, we have to keep moving forward and seeking God's face. We may think our mountain is too high or too much for us to climb, and it is without the proper equipment: God. We can't find our peace, deliverance, health, or whatever is on top of your mountain without God's help. 

Philippians 4:13- I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. 

God is our rope, harness, ice ax. Everything we need to get out of our valleys. While it's hard being in the valley, get ready because climbing your mountains is tough too. It's almost like the devil is doing all he can to keep you in your valley or in a stagnant season. But keep climbing! Keep striving for the breaking of your soul ties, removal of your depression, freedom from addictions, or loosing of demonic attacks. Beware that when you climb a mountain, it gets harder the closer you get to the top. The air gets thinner, it gets colder, the elements become more hazardous. You see, the the closer you get to defeating your obstacle the harder it may appear to be reach your salvation. It may seem like the devil is throwing everything at you to get you out of alignment. 

Understand that the closer you get reaching your full potential and living in Christ's purpose for you life the harder the devil is going to try to make sure you don't reach the top of your mountain. The devil attacks those who threaten his kingdom. But hold onto your life rope! The closer you get to the top the more you need to hang onto Jesus. Keep climbing and know that every mountain in your life that God has already brought you through it if you keep your eyes on him. 

Whatever you're struggling with, Jesus already died and rose again for it. 

Love, 

Courtney 

Confidence in Christ

Confidence. This term is something that I have struggled with a lot in my past, even now I have to work to remember whom I am in Christ. 

I remember being an extremely self-conscious teenager. While I appeared to be confident due to my outgoing personality, I had issues with my self-esteem. I remember trying to starve myself because I thought I wasn’t skinny enough (it lasted about a week because, well, I love food too much). The strongholds of insecurity were due to my feelings of inferiority. Growing up I was teased a lot. Let me tell you, words have the power to affect. I grew up thinking I was ugly, dumb, fat, and worthless. Even as I write this right now, tears spring to my eyes due to how blinded I was by the enemy. 

So how did I eventually learn to love myself? I learned to love Christ first. 1 John 4:8 states, “Whoever does not have love does not know God, because God is love.“ I truly believe that in order to love yourself and others you first have to know God. I would not have the love of Christ if I did not know him. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 explicitly explains what love is “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” 

When I think about Jesus, I think about so many things. However, it’s his love and his promises that stick out to me as I am writing this blog. He promises to work out all things for our good for those who love him (Romans 8:28). Wow. When I was depressed and couldn’t understand my worth, God got me through. Clinging onto God not only built our relationship, but it also gave me a testimony. Eventually, I figured I was a pretty confident gal and that I pretty much had it together, but then I took my eyes off of Christ. I was good as long as my weight stayed in a certain range, my hair stayed a good length, and I continued to get good grades in my classes. 

Then 2013 happened. 

It wasn’t like 2013 was absolutely terrible, it was just that at times my focus was more on my situations instead of God. Understand that just because things do not go as planned does not necessarily mean that God has removed his hand from your life. Looking back at God’s promise in Romans 8:28 reminds me that even through my painful situations God was still working it all out for my good. 

Last year I was over-worked, stressed, fearful, intimidated, not doing as good as I would have like to do in school, and to top it off I lost my hair. 

I was really broken. I could feel the chains of depression trying to bind me again. During this season my confidence was shattered. I walked with my head down and my value far from my mind. Through all of this, I kept wanting to feel healed by God. Now I realize that he had already given me the authority over the enemy and the lies he put in my mind. All I had to do was to accept God’s love towards me. 

You have to understand that even if we fail or don’t look how we want to that God still loves us. The Lord says in Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” He loves us in our shame, pain, happiness, in everything and anything we go through. He loves us forever.  

The Lord’s word to Samuel when he was uncertain about picking David to be the next king sticks out to me: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7. You see, God looks at your heart, not the way you look. He judges the heart. If you fail, remember that it’s not your works that can save you but God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8). 

I’m not going to lie to you and say that I never feel insecure sometimes, but through my struggles and dependency on God I have come to the realization that my worth is found in God. If the Most High God loves me, then what am I doing worrying about what other people think of me?  Remember whom you are in Christ and never forget it. 

Quick list of some of the things I learned in 2013:

• Love yourself unconditionally. Even if you’ve messed up, cut off all your hair, gained weight, didn’t do as well as you could of…just love yourself.
• Treat yourself kindly.
• You’re beautiful. 
• Know your worth.
• Confidence is attractive. Always be sure of yourself even when you’re not. 
• God’s love is unending. He’s there in the good and the bad. 

Jesus love you and so do I!

-Courtney

Wise Words <3

Fear.

Ughhhh. A feeling no one wants to experience. Just last week I had a terrible experience with a mouse in my apartment. Let me tell you, this is one of my BIGGEST fears. I woke up at seven a.m. to start my day with God by praying and reading the Bible, but, well, then I found a dead mouse on my floor. My amazing cat, Munsey, had killed it and there it lain in my living room looking ugly as ever.

My awesome cat.

 I didn't get to reading my Bible that day because I spent my free hour before work crying to my mom and sister over the phone. I also called Jeffton, my brother in Christ, who lives in the next apartment over to come pick up the corpse of the rodent. He came right away, but it took me almost ten minutes to just get up and open my front door. The time I had planned to spend with God that morning was spent with me frozen, unable to move. 

Fear paralyzes.  I spent way too much time being stuck in my stagnant position which made me miss out on my time I could have been praying to God. How many times have you been afraid and missed out on what you needed to do? If you’re a guy, maybe you wanted to ask out a girl who you really liked but you were to afraid to and before you knew it, you had missed your opportunity. The devil wants to keep you bound to your fear so that you do not advance in God’s kingdom. You may think you’re not smart enough, talented enough, or good enough to do something God specifically told you to do. If Moses had stuck with his excuse that he had a stutter and never moved out of his fear by trusting God, he would have never been accounted as one of the greatest men in the Bible. 

Reminder: God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called.

Fear is irrational. Yeah, sure it might make sense to you. My fear of mice seems perfectly rational in my mind, but if I really look at it, I realize that an animal the size of my hand has no business dominating my life. The devil is the ultimate deceiver. He wants to trick you into fearing something that is not a threat. 

Ironically, the night before I encountered  Jerry the mouse, I had read 2 Timothy 1:7 “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” It’s important that we focus on God’s word to give us what we need. Too bad I focused only on my situation and not on Jesus.  This situation threw me out of spiritual alignment for a bit, but I’m back on track now. Thanks to Jesus. 

So, what do we do when we fear?

1. Trust in God. Proverbs 3:5-6
2. Pray and God will comfort you. Isaiah 41:10, John 16:33, Romans 8: 28, 37-39,  2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Philippians 4:6
3. Listen to ministering (Christian) music. Psalm 22:3. A quote I made, “Worship ushers in the spirit of the Lord. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. Your freedom is in your praise.” So praise God despite of how it might look like. 
4. Face your fear. “Facing your fears robs them of their power” -Mark Burnett
5. Pray some more. 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Be honest with God and tell him what you’re feeling; allow him to hold your hand through it. 

Peace, love, and chin hugs!

Emotions

First let me start out by saying that some emotions are not a bad thing. God gives us feelings. He experiences them too. Yet, we have to be careful that we use these emotions in a holy way. God is still sovereign even when he experiences emotions.

For the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 6:15

Jealous? Anger? Sovereign? Yeah right you might say, but understand what this verse talking about. God’s jealousy is not like ours. I love the song “How He Loves Us.” This song’s lyrics states, “He is jealous for me.” He wants us. He made us, redeemed us, showed us grace and mercy, and he simply wants us to serve him. Wow. You? A sinner who has fallen short of the creator’s glory time after time? Yes. God wants you. That is his jealousy: it’s an intense desire for us. Our jealousy is explained as an emotion typically referred to the negative thoughts and feeling of insecurity, fear, and anxiety as according to Wikipedia.  The Tenth Commandment declares that we should not covet. We may covet our peers belongings and let that stew into jealousy. God doesn't want that for us. Our jealousy is an example of a bad emotion.

Now, the verse above explains how God in his anger will pretty much take you off the face of the earth. Looking further into the contexts of this chapter reveals that God wanted the Israelites (and us too) to serve the him and him only. His anger relates to his jealousy for us. “’You shall not put the LORD your God to the test…You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God…’” Deuteronomy 6:16-17.  God’s anger is just. He created us to serve him and that is exactly what we are supposed to do, if we don’t serve him then he has the right to wipe us out if he so pleases. 


While God  allows us to experience emotions through our free will,  we must not let some emotions take root like lust (Matthew 5:28) or jealousy. The Bible gives us instructions on what to do with our ill emotions. Take for example some of the things the Bible says about anger: Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Ephesians 4:26. God gets us. He’s not an unfeeling God who sits up in Heaven emotionless. He understands that we may become angry, but he gives us guidelines on what to do to get that emotion in check. 

It is okay to have certain emotions but it is what you do with them that can make or break you.  Ecclesiastics 3 declares that there is a season for everything, but be mindful that we may live in that season for too long. If you’re angry for too long and don’t follow the guidelines in Ephesians 4:26 or Matthew 5:21-26 it can grow into deep seeds of bitterness. Take for example sadness, if you are sad for too long it can lead to depression which can lead to suicide. The devil wants to take our emotions and twist them. He is the ultimate deceiver. He will lie to us so that he can try to build strongholds in our life. 

Go ahead! Experience the positive emotions freely! When negative emotions try to rise up, get them back into alignment with God’s will. If you struggle with getting your emotions in line, give them to Jesus.

 Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. 

Blessings!