I was reminded today of one of my "first" posts following being led to start the Make Room For God website.
Not too long after accepting Christ into my life, I wanted to create a central location for all the "good stuff" I was reading and listening to. With the help of my younger brother (a tech guru), the website was born! Over the last few months, I've tried to load content that I feel can help people, wherever they are in their faith journey. Interestingly enough, what started out as a place where I collected "other" believers' messages, thoughts and songs, has also turned into a place where i can also share my own thoughts as I seek to be closer to God. I can now look at this first meme and think, "that sure was short and not all that DEEP in meaning", but that's EXACTLY where my faith began to bloom! Compare this meme, and brief message, to what you'll find under the Daily Message link now. What this shows, is that if you give God just a LITTLE room to work in your life each and every day, how He can take the tiniest of mustard seeds (faith) and grow it into something far larger ALL for His glory! Micah 6:8, "to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."
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When we are pursing a job new opportunity, a new relationship or maybe trying to mend a marriage or a broken friendship, I think it's important to prayerfully ask for God's guidance. Has this opportunity (or situation) come about through your own efforts or mistakes, or does it seems like God has opened (or is trying to close) this door?
By spending time with your Heavenly Father through prayer, scripture and devotions, I know He'll help you discern His will in the situation. The key here is, what if you discover God's will is different than "your" desire? Will you trust Him and accept His answer or will you plow forward on your own? Therein lies how you view your relationship with God. Have you "surrendered" totally to God in ALL things or just when it's convenient for you and fits into your plans? Submit to God's will, even if the answer isn't what you had hoped for. Pray that you can just "let it go" and not worry about it. Remember, God is always working for your own good, so there's a reason for this outcome. You may not understand why right now, but trust it's part of God's LONG TERM plan for you. "Your kingdom come Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10 Hehe...I like it.
If you can transform yourself into that kind of man, your wife will notice (and more importantly, so will God). ♥🕆♥ This is a difficult one (even for believers) when we find ourselves in the middle of a storm and don't see a way out.
Since accepting Christ, I learned a couple of things early on. One is that "God" is not out to harm us. Sounds "logical", but how often do we blame God when things go wrong in our lives? I know I did. But the fact is, He loves us and is trying to arrange things in our favor, and for our own good , "independent" of our current circumstances. The dilemma is that many times, the current storm we are facing is so powerful that it is ripping our heart out and causing us to question our faith. So, why would God allow (not cause) these struggles. I believe there are a couple of reasons. One could be that He wants a relationship with you if you've been running from Him your whole life, but even if you haven't, it could be He wants to see how strong your faith really is (the book of Job is an excellent study of the testing of one's faith). Will you trust Him in times of sorrow, as you do, in times of joy? Or, will you discard and even curse Him, only to come back when you "need" something again. Now, don't get me wrong, God ALWAYS wants you back should you stray from Him, but how much stronger will your relationship be with Him if you can stand firm in your faith during the most trying times? The other reason we could be facing a storm is that God sees something in your future that he needs to get you prepared for (or out of the way of). Perhaps a new job, a new relationship, or maybe even an event He doesn't want you to be around (or a part of) 10 years from now! Remember, God is everywhere, including the future. A current storm could be God's way of saying, "I need to move you out of the way of this FUTURE event (or suffering)" or "I have something better planned for you than this current job, relationship or calling in life". God will allow this current struggle in your life to either get you to listen, move, or maybe even "mend" a relationship, so that the future GOOD is allowed to play out. Will you trust Him? There may be times during these current storms where you can't possibly see the "good" that can come out of it. And you know what? That's o.k. You're allowed to feel that way. And certainly don't feel bad or guilty about it. Here's why, if you saw everything that was going on, knew how it was all going to fall into place in the future, and thus never had a doubt, well, then, you'd be God! And God would never allow you to become so arrogant as to THINK you were Him! So, trust God in your current storm, no matter how painful it is. I know it's not easy, but each time the pain seems to get worse, spend even more time with Him. He wants to help. He really does. God's strength is perfected in your weakness. The weaker you become the stronger God will be! And lastly, that "good" I mentioned above? It will appear (though maybe not on your timetable). In fact, it may turn out to be something you never thought you ever wanted. But instead, turns out to be something God knew you NEEDED and you'll end up glorifying Him for it! "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Isaiah 55:8. Trust that God is working things out for you, even when you can't see it. For as much as you care about what's going on today, God has an even BIGGER plan for your future and "your" eternal well being so trust Him. Wounldn't it be nice if all the "doors" in life were as obvious as this. There's no doubt that as we navigate our lives that doors will open and close as we go along. Whether it's a decision around schooling, a job, a new home or a marriage (to name just a few), they'll be ample opportuntiy for us to "try" various doors. Some will open and we'll pass through, while others will remain closed (regardless of how much we wanted it to fling open) and some may even open but then later close.
Do you trust when a door doesn't open that it is God's will? Or, do you run out to the garage seeking the sledgehammer to start "banging" away on it. The prior exhibits faith. The latter says you think you know what's best, and gosh darn it, I "want" to go through that door, so I'm going (regardless of what God thinks)! That's what the above picture is about. If ALL those things were going on at a door we were going to try, no matter how BADLY we wanted it to open, we'd probably say "nah, guess this one isn't meant to be". Unfortuantely, that's not how God works. He's not going to make it THAT obvious because He respects our freedom to choose. He'll provide the door, but then will want to see how we handle it from there. Will we prayerfully consult Him about it or will we try to push through it on our own if it doesn't open? God doesn't want mindless slaves, but rather obedient servants who TRUST Him in all aspects of their lives. How have you handled your doors in life so far? Maybe God has you in front of one "right now". Remember this above all things, God loves you and is not out to harm you, but rather desires to provide you with hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). So, how are you going to proceed when you encounter your next door? Why not "ask" Him what you should do, because all He wants to do is help. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.”
1 John 2:20 Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m anointed to __________!”? You can fill in the blank because there are many flavors of people claiming to be anointed–and their “anointing” is always better than yours. That is, if you even have an anointing. I say this sarcastically because this is the gist of a lot of smoke-and-mirror teaching out there. Some claim they are anointed to preach, and some preachers even claim they are anointed just so their congregations will give them more money. Isn’t it amazing how the only people getting rich off of tithing are the anointed preachers who teach that tithing will get you rich? “You just gotta have more faith and give more! If your tithing isn’t working, give me–er, I mean God–give God, an offering above the tithe! Then He’ll really open up the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing you can’t contain! It will be all over your lap! Test Him in this and you’ll see! If your faith is big enough, He’ll pay you back a ten-fold portion!” Trash. I’ll stop my description of that teaching with one word. Some people claim they are anointed to sing, and others even call themselves “anointed prayer warriors.” Why do we need to be prayer warriors? As if we are at battle with our loving Heavenly Father, “fighting hard” to get Him to change His mind? Why not just ask Dad, and then trust Him? And who in the world anoints prayer warriors to be prayer warriors, other than themselves? Nobody. Some people are even making the claim that they are anointed to prophesy, as if they are modern-day future-tellers like the prophets of the Old Covenant. New Covenant prophesy is meant to build people up and encourage them with God’s truth, not freak them out by saying, “God told me to tell you to go to Antartica and start an orphanage for baby penguins.” BULLCRAP. God’s Spirit talks to each of us directly, we don’t need some yahoo to be our middle-man. Are we blind to such stupid arrogance? Has our egos gotten in the way of the gospel? And have you ever noticed that those who claim to be anointed, claimed that anointing for themselves? That, or their momma did?…I’m kidding, but honestly, if this subject upsets you, you’ve fallen way off course. THE GOSPEL AIN’T ABOUT YOU–and I’m not sorry to say that. I love you, but please refocus on Christ. Only then will you see what I mean. Friend, if you’ve experienced someone saying, “I’m anointed!” let me ask you, how did that make you feel? More than likely it made you feel like you weren’t anointed, as if you were lacking something that only they had. The devil loves this. He loves it when we put on religious outfits with the goal of having people gaze toward our presence, thinking, “Wow, look at how holy they are.” Lucifer loves it when we believe that God is treating others as if they are more important than us. He loves factions. He loves denominations. He loves pride. Today, I plan on punching this idiot in his face with this devotional. I want to ease your mind and help you recognize his demonic lies. Here’s the truth about God’s anointing:
Here’s what’s wrong with this insanity: they’ve taken their eyes off of the undiluted truth of the gospel. They might have started with it, but now they are trying to add to it, make it better, or sustain it. When we take our eyes off the gospel–God freely making His home in us for good–and instead fixate on what wethink our gifts are, bad stuff happens. Arrogant stuff happens. It’s sad to say but we’ve switched the word “gift” with “anointing.” This has thrown a huge monkey-wrench into the gears of our churches. It has created envy, resentment, hierarchies, and confusion, all of which is exactly what Satan wants for us. His desire is to cloud up the waters of God’s grace with stupid crap that doesn’t matter. We have to stop this mess and refocus on what the truth is about Christians being anointed. We are all anointed the same! I’m not talking about your gifts and talents, I’m talking about God’s Spirit living inside of yours! John attempts to explain this phenomenon as he wrote to the early Christians: “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” (1 John 2:20) We have an anointing from the Holy One! We’ve been smeared with His Spirit because we’ve been placed inside His Spirit! Unlike pre-Cross anointings of the Old Testament, we are not being anointed to be called to do great things, but we’ve been anointed with God’s own Spirit, so we are called to do great things! Use-it-or-lose-it is a lie for New Covenant believers! Every Christian is equally called to act according to God’s purposes because He is infused with our spirits! WE ARE ONE WITH HIM! Just look at what Paul told the Colossians: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3) Do you see that little two-letter word I’ve underlined–in?! Your old spirit died, and now your new spirit’s life is hidden with Jesus Christ in God! Ain’t nobody gonna win a hide-and-seek challenge with the Creator of the universe! You are hidden away inside of Him for good! YOU ARE INSIDE OF GOD’S SPIRIT! What does this have to do with anointing? Well, the only way you could be hidden in Him is if you were spiritually smeared with His Spirit. Friend, are you getting this? In the spiritual realm, Christian, you are inside of God! Smeared with! Anointed! But not only that, God is inside of you! It’s hard to understand this because our minds are finite, but Paul still tries to put it in words when he wrote to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19) Believer, the Maker of the heavens and earth is in you! God is Spirit and He is in you! In that physical body of yours God resides, and in that body, your spirit resides with Him. You’ve been mashed together with God Almighty and there is no difference between your spirits because you are one! You are separate, but you are one! How can this be?! How can we be in God and God in us? How can Paul tell the Colossians they are in God, but then he tells the Corinthians that God is in them?! HOW?! I’ve used some different examples in my writings of this anomaly, such as a handkerchief being immersed in a glass of water. Both the water and handkerchief remain separate, but both are now inside of each other. Here is a new one, the example of water and a tea-bag: Let’s say you have a glass of hot water, and you have a tea-bag, again, both are separate. You take the tea-bag and place it in the hot water and what happens? Does the tea-bag disappear? No. Does the water? No. They become one, yet they are still separate. The tea-bag and the water get mixed together and there is no changing it back. The combination is complete even though the elements of both are still individual. This same thing happens with your spirit and God’s Spirit from the very moment you first believe Jesus has forgiven you! The only difference is you, as a tea-bag, is that you have to be a new, resurrected tea-bag before you can be joined to Him! This happens once by grace through faith! (See Ephesians 2:8,9, John 1:12, Hebrews 10:10). Your old tea-bag spirit has to first be killed off so that God can give you your new tea-bag spirit! Only then can you be immersed in the water of Jesus Christ! (see Romans 6:6,7, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20, 3:27). THIS IS HOW YOU ARE TRULY ANOINTED! “But Matt, what about James 5:14? That verse is from a New Testament letter, and it talks about anointing people with oil to be healed.” This is a very legitimate question, and if we read that passage in context, we will see the correct meaning. Crazy idea, right? To actually take Scripture to heart in context? I know, I know, it’s not normal, but let’s try it out. Here’s the verse in full: “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” (James 5:14) This verse is a call for church members to pray for sick people, it’s not a gathering to perform an oily magic trick. It is in that prayer, from a group of God’s children, that we have the opportunity to be healed. It’s not in the oil, but in the prayer. That oil is but a symbol, in the same way that water in water baptism is a symbol. Neither have any supernatural power. If jugs of water and Wesson Cooking Oil had power, then Wal-Mart wouldn’t be able to keep it on the shelves. Power from God doesn’t come from any physical thing, it comes from His Spirit within us! We are the ones who are anointed with power, because we have the Holy One inside our spirits! So today, my friends, know this: All Christians are equally anointed because all Christians have the Spirit of God in them. Do we have different gifts? Sure. Are we each individual body parts in the Body of Christ? Absolutely! We all have different functions! God likes variety and we all work together! However, we are still equal in His eyes. It doesn’t matter if we are on stage singing and preaching, or if we are showing people where the restrooms are and helping in the nursery. It doesn’t matter if we are writing books, or taking care of the kids after school. It doesn’t matter if we are doing mission trips in South America, or reading the Bible with our teenager after dinner–WE. ARE. EQUAL. Our geographical location does not make us more anointed and neither do our gifts! We all have God’s Spirit living in us and through us–equally! We all are anointed with God in full! Let’s enjoy Him and live Him out! A prayer for you: Father, thank you for your anointing. For so long, I thought that if I wasn’t heavily involved in church work I wasn’t anointed. That was a lie from Satan to make me feel not good enough. He always wants me to feel like I’m a two out of ten, but your Spirit always reveals the truth–that I’m off the charts with you! That’s why you chose to live in me! Thank you so much! Right now, I lift up all who are reading this, directly to you. So many of them have felt inadequate because of the misrepresentation of the gospel from self-centered people. They’ve heard others proclaim that they are anointed to do certain things, and these lies have created stress for these dear readers. You don’t want us stressed out, so reveal the truth–you don’t have favorite kids! They’ve felt left out, so please let them know you’ve included them in full! Reveal that when Jesus was lifted up, He drew all people to Himself! HE INCLUDED US FOREVER! And by faith alone He makes His home in us, anointing us for good, with Himself. We are grateful for this! Take us deeper into the knowledge of such grace, and give us wisdom about our true anointing. In Christ’s awesome name I pray, amen. Matt McMillen https://mattmcmillenministries.com/devotionals/ Yes!
Live in TODAY ("for tomorrow will have its own troubles" Matthew 6:34). By stressing about what may or may not happen tomorrow, or at some other time in the future, satan is robbing you of TODAY! My dad used to tell me this all the time but I'd rarely listen. Only "now" do I understand.
I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. Luke 6:47-48
Only when your eyes are open to the goodness of Christ can you understand that struggles aren't there to punish us, but rather appear to "shape" and "mold' us into who God wants us to be.
We'll look at a difficult life event and say, "how can even a SHRED of good can come out of this?!?" Fair enough (when we are in the middle of the storm), but just because WE can't see how, doesn't mean that He can't. And...*spoiler alert*...HE CAN! "Trust" Him, as with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). The "good" MAY be much different than what we ever envisioned, but therein lies faith (as He knows what's good for us in the long run). If you find yourself cursing your situation (and maybe even God in the process), remember God is NEVER out to harm you (Jeremiah 29:11). So, with that in mind, what "does" He want you to learn during, and perhaps in some cases "from", your current struggle? Enlist God in your fight if you haven't yet. Why not, as He's the undefeated champion of this world, the heavens "and" even the grave! ♥🕆♥
Let's be honest. When we pray, what are we REALLY hoping for? Obviously, we are praying in hopes of getting the answer "we" want, and at times, that will come to pass. When it does, what will we do? We will "praise" Jesus and tell everyone how great our God is for answering our prayer! BUT, what happens when that answer is the OPPOSITE of what we had "hoped"? Well, at best we are silent. At worst, we are ANGRY to no end. "How can a GOOD God allow this to happen?" we may say (and maybe even share with others). When God's answer is "no", there's a reason and we should accept it as it's His will. We don't need to know the "why" because He does, and that's all that matters.
How about when the answer is the dreaded "in between", where we get neither a yea or a nay? It's a situation where an answer may be imminent but just not "quite" yet. This can be one of the most frustrating times as we don't know what to think. "Is God even listening to my prayers?" we may think for days, weeks or even months! The longer we sit in God's "waiting room", the more anxious we become, and the more our faith is stretched. The key here is to not "lose" faith. These are particularly important times in our lives. Will we accept God's "timing" for the answer, or are we going to try and rush ahead of Him in search of it? I HIGHLY recommend that you do the prior, and wait patiently. Not only because it shows obedience to God's will, BUT more importantly, it may be that He has something even BETTER planned than what you had "originally" prayed for! By trying to "force" an up or down vote, we may end up with a hung jury and have to start all over again! Where, by allowing deliberations to continue to a verdict, we are putting our full faith and trust in the judge. And believe me, this is one judge who NEVER gets it wrong! So, whether it's a "yes", "no", "not yet" or a "I've got a better idea", will you wait patiently and then TRUST God's answer? Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Lol...true.
In both cases (church or gym) you are going there to improve "you"! Either your relationship with God (church) or your health (gym). This isn't an example of a reason but rather an excuse. ♥🕆♥ The below is something I shared with a group I'm a member of (and felt led to share it with everyone).
A couple members mentioned the group this morning, so thought I'd expound on it a little as I came across an old bulletin insert just now (pic attached). One of the best things we can do as believers is stay connected with eachother. At "ALL" times. Some of those times will be joyful, and we'll be "sharpening" eachother's understandings and faith, but some of those times will be when we are struggling. It's important to be involved with other Christians, especially when we are struggling, for if you stray away, you are a much, MUCH, easier target for the enemy. Remain in the pack, for, "Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8). The most important relationship you'll EVER have is the "one on one" with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but remember we are all here to support you as well, so always stay "connected". "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17 It's really not about political issues, or even parties, but rather how God is "using" politics (at any given time) to further His agenda. ♥🕆♥
And old uncle Screwtape (satan) will certainly try to stop you. Being the crafty serpent that he is, he'll fight ya to the very last second before God reveals His glory for you for staying faithful for ALL ALONG! Don't lose heart, keep your faith in Jesus and never quit, because God's turning point for your life could be only a day away.
Who comes first, your spouse or your Heavenly Father (or YOU)?
Let's be honest. As we grew up dating and pursuing a future wife, it probably went something like this, 1. Self 2. Mate 3. God (that is if you had started a relationship with Him). Granted, I'm sure there are exceptions out there, but I think you'd agree, this order probably still holds true for most men nowadays. Suffice it to say, this order in priorities hasn't fared too well over the last few decades. Given the current divorce rate, rampant levels of adultery (both physical and online), and the quickly growing population of people just choosing to "live together" (versus making the Biblical commitment to marry), this tide seems unlikely to recede any time soon. How did it come to this? The more society has minimalized God in our marriages, and our very lives, the more we've become easy targets for satan. The enemy's tools are plentiful and powerful. These include online porn, Tinder, the pursuit of more and more money, pride and a basic selfishness that says "do whatever feels good and morals be darned" attitude. No wonder so many marriages end up in trouble. But, there is Good News (pun intended). No matter how powerful the enemy becomes in our world, and in our marriages, there's one power that will ALWAYS be greater, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! If we make God our priority, and love Him above all else, not only will all the tools of the devil be easier to deflect, but He promises to shoulder our burdens and guide our future paths (Jeremiah 29:11). But why would loving God first help us love our wives better? Simply because God is love, and if we love God the way "He" loves us, then how can we NOT love our spouses better. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." That's what I call love men! Would you have been willing to sacrifice your son for a bunch of creatures who, not only rebelled against you since the very beginning, but then "continue" to DENY your existence to this very day? I'm sure not, but yet God did! Why? Because His unconditional love is a love like no other. By better understanding love, a love like God "loves", we'll be able to love our spouses, not only better, but especially in times of great difficulty when we need to the most. 1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.” That's the kind of love that God "loves". And, if "God" loves that kind of love, how can our wives not when "we" love them that way. Seek God's face, make Him first in your life, and then let Him handle the rest. MATTHEW 6:33, "BUT SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU AS WELL." "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is." Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV
Today I Will . . . Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference. I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference. I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s okay to stumble. . . . I will get up. It’s okay to fail. . . . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference. I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Today I will make a difference. From Max Lucado ------------------------------------------------------ Be the light of Jesus in someone's life today and make a difference, Amen! They'll be times in your life that you just won't be able to comprehend why something is happening to you. It could be a failing marriage, a child on drugs, or the loss of a loved one, where you're going to look to the sky and yell "why???"
Perhaps you're there right now. Isaiah 55:8 " 'for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD". Meaning, you may find out the answer some day, or you may not, but trust that there is a reason for the current pain you are feeling. It could be that God is trying to reach you through this struggle (if you don't know Him already or have only professed to). Or perhaps, God's trying to prepare and strengthen you for something (or someone) that only "He" can see coming into your life down the road. I know it's not easy when you're in the middle of a storm, but TRUST Him. God is not out to harm you (Jeremiah 29:11). Search yourself for what He may be "trying" to tell you, pray to Him for a better understanding of the situation (not necessarily the answer), and then ask God for His guidance on your next move. In all things though, continue to seek Him, as He sees your struggle and wants to help you through it. You ARE loved. Maybe not by your spouse at the moment, but by somebody who ALWAYS will (no matter what "you" do or say to them in anger). Keep Matthew 6:33 in mind each day and get started if you haven't.
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