A "Can Do" Attitude

Prayer  Lord God, I thank you for this day. You are my Strong Tower. Oh God arise, let your enemies  be scattered. I know that trials come to strengthen my faith. Thank you for sufficient grace  each and every day. Please bless my Pastor and His family, my church family and friends.  Bless my co-workers and my family, In Jesus' name, Amen.  A "Can Do" Attitude by Veronica Garrett  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phillippians 4:13 (NKJV) There comes a time when every child of God must face a giant. What are giants? They are great challenges, opposition and resistance to achieving our goals.  Many of us can supercede the expectation of those around us in optimal circumstance.  However, the idea of facing a giant is the ability to perservere in the face of adversity. The amazing race that we run does not go to the swift nor the strong but to the one that endures to the end.  When I consider that my talent or abilities will not secure the prize, it is true that having a "can do" attitude will. Any time you are developing endurance you are growing stronger in order to overcome whatever tries to hold you back. Far too often we fail to press on towards the mark of the high calling. A "Can Do" Attitude gives assurance when my qualifications, temperament, or skills constrain me Christ strengthens me so that I can. My weaknesses are real but when I consider my God He is far greater. Rather than face a giant, we surrender dreams of becoming business owners, artists, doctors, or other careers we greatly desire. In as much as my distrust appears to be toward's myself it really goes deeper than that.  I find it difficult to invest all that I am into believing that I can do all things through Christ. I find it hard to believe He will strengthen my many weaknesses. In 1Samuel 17, we have the young David coming bring a care package to his three older brothers who are in the Valley of Elah with Saul and all of then men of Israel fighting the Philistine. David's father sent him to see how his brothers were doing. So here Goliath is giving his daily insult toward Israel and David witnesses it. In 1 Samuel 17:26, he asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" The giant Goliath has been making his comments each morning and evening for forty days. So David tells Saul he will fight Goliath. After some resistence Saul  agrees to allow David to fight Goliath. David stated that Lord would deliver him from the giant.  Anytime we are facing a giant we are in need of the miraculous. So with five smooth stones and a sling the young David faced an armored giant named Goliath. David went against the giant in the name of the Lord and he struck Him down. Some of the giants that we run from we should run toward in the name of the Lord. Only then can we have a "can do" attitude.

Seeing Is Believing

Prayer    Lord God, Thank you for your tender mercy and unfailing love. Please Lord, give me a clean heart so that I can see you. Give me spiritual wisdom to give godly counsel and to labor today as your representative in the earth. Lead me and guide me by your spirit so that I can cooperate with your work in the earth. Please comfort those who have suffered the tragic loss of a loved one.  Bless our nation, and our government --give them wisdom for the task before them. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Seeing is Believing by Veronica Garrett   The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 1 Timothy 4:1 We live in a time when people are intrigued with the supernatural. There are many shows that demonstrate signs and wonders.  Some would say, "seeing is believing".  Unfortunately, many Christians fail to discern spirits and assume that any spiritual manifestation has to be God. In contrast, we know that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Believers who are willing to believe what they see can easily be misled. While often searching for the newest move of the spirit as well as some manifestation of spiritual gifts, people can be influenced by deceiving spirits.  What I've learned about spirit led living is my own desires have to give way to God's greatest purpose. A person can have great boldness and fervor to  pronounce and lead in their own way and not be led of the Spirit.   Learning to listen to the Spirit's leading is a growing process. If we never begin to listen we will fail to hear.  Our own unctions have to be deciphered and as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit he willingly teaches us how to hear and see Him more clearly. While driving to work one day I felt a strong urge to stop at a gas station. I believed I was being led of the Spirit to do so. My car was nearly full of gas and with some relunctance I pull up to the gas pump. No sooner than I could step out of the car a man asked me would I buy him something to eat. I went inside and purchased as much as one can find in a convenience store for breakfast. The man's face was filled with gratitude and he said, "Thank you, God Bless You". It was my great privilege and the joy of the Lord over flooded my heart. Over the years I've been asked for food and money by many but I can never recall that look of appreciation nor the prior unction. God is in the people business--saving the lost, helping the needy and encouraging spiritual growth.  We should not quench the spirit but always allow Him to freely flow in our lives. We must yield ourselves to God and be used for His glory.  When God promises to exalt, bless and esteem us before men it always has His purpose at heart.  In the last days many false teachings will happen within the church. The people of God must know the truth in order to recognize falsehood. In this case, one great resource that is often overlooked is the word of God.  It brings into balance my understanding of the ways and character of God.  It also restrains from misrepresenting the God we love by violating His divine order and principles. Those who deceiving spirits often prey upon think studying somehow is at odds with their faith so they tend to value an abstract view of faith matters.  In contrast, scripture is the guide to help keep us on track.  Charisma and animated expression are not true witness of God's presence and the people of God must test the spirit by the spirit.  Seeing is not always believing. Some manifestations are from the pit of hell. They are traps used by the evil one in efforts to deceive the elect. One lesson we learn in this life of faith is that our natural vision is often misaligned with what is happening in the supernatural. When we are poor we are rich. We we are cursed we are blessed. When we are seemingly defeated we stand in victory.  Only when we believe God can we see things as they really are.

Bullet Proof

Prayer    Heavenly Father, Thank you for my health and strength. Please forgive me for my sins--those I've committed as well as those that I've omitted. Please help me to use my faith to shield me from the attacks of the evil one.  Prick the hearts of the lost and prepare them to hear the good news. Give me the courage to share the gospel and an earnest desire to see the captives set free. Bless my family, friends, and colleagues.In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Bullet Proof by Veronica Garrett    In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. The on duty police officer acknowledges that he may come under attack somewhere during the day so he prepares by wearing a bullet proof vest. Due to his line of work, it is quite reasonable that he may come under attack with little or no warning. The vest which may go unnoticed by those in view of him, provides protection to his vital organs. The time for him to dress in this vest is not during an altercation but prior to an occurence. Like it or not a Christian is on the front line of the Lord's army. He or she must prepare by wearing the full armor of God. Most attacks of the evil one come with little to no warning.  At times it is a series of trivial events that can somehow provide great discouragement.  Very rarely do we hear of one standly boldly while another attempts to cause them bodily harm. However, when we rightly raise our shield of faith we can confidently stand our ground. Our faith will quench all the flaming arrows as each one comes our way. Not one, not two, but all the arrows of the evil one. When there are holes in our faith, ideas of distrust and doubt arise. When distrust and doubt becomes sizeable fear develops. As fear increases so does a sense of panic and a strong urge to respond. When we respond in fear our actions are just plain unreasonable. It is not because they do not believe in God that most are tossed to and fro. The problem lies, when things are shakey and they cannot see their way out, they don't concentrate their effort to believe God. Focus. If we don't stand firm in faith we wont stand at all.   Our enemy does not shoot blanks, he fires loaded weapons of flaming arrows. His hope is to coerce you and I to forfeit God's blessings in our moments of weakness. Job is testimony of how real the flaming arrows of the evil one can be. And yet, in the mist of great crisis and distress Job set his heart to trust in God.  When we focus our hearts and our minds on trusting God in the mist of trials we too are shielded by our faith.

Don't Miss the Opportunity

Prayer  Gracious Father,  O Great and Mighty God of all Creation! We Exalt thee. Thank you for tender mercies day after day. Open my heart that I may offer bold prayers of faith to you. Help me to focus, not on fancy rhetoric or vain repetition but to focus on a prayer offering before You. Give me grace to see the opportunity to pray with and for others and the courage to take it. Bless parents, teachers, as well as administrators who work with children. In Jesus' name, Amen.  Don't Miss the Opportunity by Veronica Garrett   And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.   Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. (James 5:15-17) One day I entered an alteration store to be greeted by a middle aged woman of Asian descent. I tried on her dress for alteration and as the dark haired Asian woman bent to her knees she did so in noticeable distress. I witnessed her pain in the mirror as she stood for the alteration. We begin to have conversation and it was true the middle aged Asian woman's back pain was nearly unbearable.   This bothered me even as she changed into her clothing and returned to the counter to receive her ticket. Seeing that the alteration lady's job required for her to swat with her ailing back bothered me. As I was giving her my name and information at the ticket counter I realized that the radio is playing a Christian station. In a split second decision before I walked out the door I asked the Asian lady, do you mind if I pray to ask God to heal you?  The look of surprise followed by excitement entered the alteration lady's face as she readily agreed. The two of us humbly stood before the throne of grace petitioning God to heal the alteration lady's back.  A week later when I picked up her altered garment the middle age Asian woman eagerly testified that although God didn't heal her instantly he did heal her from the back pain. A couple of days later while laying on her bed she felt His healing power deliver her completely from the back pain. She had even given testimony at church as to what the Lord had done.  How many times do people share stories of distress or illness and we miss the opportunity to pray for or with them?  How often do we tell people I will pray for you but fail to remember to do so? Only to remember the next time we see them. There are times that praying with someone at the time may not be the best thing to do, for example in a work environment. Yet far too often we miss the opportunity to used the loaded weapon God has given us called prayer. Scripture teaches us that Elijah was a man just like us and he prayed and it didn't rain for three and a half years!  I can't begin to tell you how many times I've missed the opportunity to pray with or for someone in great pain or need. Quite recently a woman with surmountable trials approached me while standing at an ATM machine.  She caught me completely off guard because people don't normally talk to you while standing behind you at an ATM! She was full of obscenities toward her soon to be ex-husband. I can definitely say I missed the opportunity. Young children often believe more in the power of a mother's healing kiss than we do in God's powerful response to the batters and bruises of broken lives. Even more than a mother who bends to kiss a scratch as streaming tears are quieted, is my God's eagerness to answer when His children are in need.  He tells us that we are often lacking because we miss the opportunity, we simply fail to ask. He is leading us to be prayerful, while longing to be lavish to us. Please, don't miss the opportunity to pray.