All posts by Kimberly

Awestruck

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Habakkuk 2:18 imageQuotes about idols:

“As long as you want anything very much, especially more than you want God, it is an idol.”
– A. B. Simpson

“If we exalt money, status, or sex above the Word of God, we are living in idolatry. Every time we inwardly submit to the strongholds of fear, bitterness, and pride, we are bowing to the rulers of darkness. Each of these idols must be smashed, splintered, and obliterated from the landscape of our hearts.” – Francis Frangipane

“An idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand.” – A. W. Tozer

We tend to grasp ahold of things and idolize them as if they are our God. The Israelites did it when Moses led them through the desert. In Exodus 32:4; 8 it tells us:

Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

It happens today. We look to ourselves, we carry on about our materials things, i.e., automobiles, clothing/shoes, hair/cosmetics/jewelry, our identity in our jobs and things, and the list can go on and on.

Here’s an excerpt from a devotion I read:

Idolatry may seem like a sin that modern people need not fear. But idolatry is not just bowing down to idols; it is trusting in what one has made, and therefore, in one’s own power as creator and sustainer. If we say we worship God but put our trust in bank accounts, homes, businesses, and organizations, then we are idolaters. Excerpted from Life Application Study Bible

Do you trust Yahweh more than you trust what you have? Surrender to Him. Be in awe of Yahweh, not things.

Listen to this music video. Allow the Holy Spirit to wash over you and be in awe of Yahweh.

Do you need prayer? Contact us now with your prayer request.

Slip of The Tongue

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Ecclesiastes 5:6 imageYou should never make a promise you’re not going to be able to keep. Also, you should never make a promise that will lead you to sin. Yahweh doesn’t like when we lie and sin. He will destroy everything we worked for when we lie and sin.

 

We all do it. Sometimes unknowingly at first. Once we’ve realized the lie and sin and what is going to happen we need to seek to correct it before it gets worse. Better yet, don’t make promises that will lead to sin. How? Here’s how:
  1. When asked to make a promise/vow we need to seek deep into our soul and looking at the long term big picture (not fooling ourselves with wishful thinking) asking ourselves:
    1. Where will this lead?
    2. What’s the end result?
  2. Once you see the end result and know it will lead to sin don’t make the promise/vow.

Problem solved before it ever happens.

Are you struggling with sin? Do you need prayer? Contact us now with prayer request.

Share how Yahweh has spared you from lies and sin.

Love Who?

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Mark 12:30-31 imageAre you having relationship issues?

Why do you think that is?

Who’s your love focused on mainly?

Narcissism is a serious issue. Society’s focus is all “I”/”me” centered.

We’ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can’t just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it’s going to get on by itself. You’ve got to keep watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it. -John Lennon

 

Maintaining relationships are hard work. They need tending too.

Yahweh commands us, in Mark 12, to love our neighbor and Him.

Do you struggle with showing love? Maybe it’s time to get into His word and let Him transform your heart.

Comment and share how Yahweh is working in your life. Do  you need prayer? Contact us for your prayer requests.

Be An Iceberg

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Mark 8:35-36 imageServing God in any public capacity your life should like an iceberg. – Ngina Otiende

Why should we live our lives like an iceberg?

Human nature is such that is likes to be noticed. It likes to be the center of attention.

Yahweh calls us to a different way of life.

Here’s an example:

Iceberg Success image

Everything below the surface is where all the work takes place.

Yahweh wants us to give up all the showy stuff in public. He calls us to our prayer closets.

In Matthew 6:5-6 Jesus Teaches About Prayer:

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray so people will see them. I tell you the truth, they already have their full reward. When you pray, you should go into your room and close the door and pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

Drawing attention to self is taking attention away from Yahweh. It’s not about us. It’s about Yahweh.

My friend Ngina Otiende also said:

What people see in public should be like a dot compared to what goes on behind the scenes – our daily walk, our devotion, prayer, obedience, service – it should be deeper than the public life.

Folks, without the Holy Spirit’s help in our faith walk it is impossible. But, with Yahweh all thing are possible. We can do nothing without Yahweh. He is our strength and protection.

Are you living an upside down life? What can you do to make your life upright? It all goes back to obedience to Yahweh. If you’d like prayer, contact us now.

Share how Yahweh is working in your life.

Why Do We Pray?

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Daniel 6:10 imagePrayer. What is it? Why do we pray?

The dictionary defines prayer as this:

a spiritual communion with Yahweh or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.

We pray because it’s our direct open line to talk to Yahweh. There’s no holding or waiting. There’s no numbers to press to get to the correct department.

It’s one of the ways to worship Him giving Him thanks, adoring Him, and to confess our sins in reconciling with Him.

One thing that happens with prayers is that many will wait until they’re in dire straights and then pray asking Yahweh to help and save them from despair.

Yahweh likes to hear from us daily. He also likes for us to bring our petitions as well as our thanks for what He’s blessed us with in our lives.

At the moment I’m reading a book about prayer (The Circle Maker) and learning to make my prayers more effective. It’s no different than learning to communicate with the world around us. Communication is a key component of life. Without it, life is chaos.

In today’s scripture Daniel prays often throughout the day. A law was made that said no praying was aloud for 30 days. Here’s the scripture:

1 Darius (King) thought it would be a good idea to choose one hundred twenty governors who would rule his kingdom. 2 He chose three men as supervisors over those governors, and Daniel was one of the supervisors. The supervisors were to ensure that the governors did not try to cheat the king. 3 Daniel showed that he could do the work better than the other supervisors and governors, so the king planned to put Daniel in charge of the whole kingdom. 4 Because of this, the other supervisors and governors tried to find reasons to accuse Daniel about his work in the government. But they could not find anything wrong with him or any reason to accuse him, because he was trustworthy and not lazy or dishonest. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any reason to accuse Daniel unless it is about the law of his God.” 6 So the supervisors and governors went as a group to the king and said: “King Darius, live forever! 7 The supervisors, assistant governors, governors, the people who advise you, and the captains of the soldiers have all agreed that you should make a new law for everyone to obey: For the next thirty days no one should pray to any god or human except to you, O king. Anyone who doesn’t obey will be thrown into the lion’s den. Daniel 6:1-7

We see in v.10 that Daniel doesn’t let that stop him. He knew he’d get into trouble if he was caught. It was more important and paramount that he talk to Yahweh.

And so should we. Prayer is a powerful thing. There’s many books written about it. The Bible impresses upon its importance. In fact, we see in Matthew 6:9-13, the model prayer:

So when you pray, you should pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name always be kept holy. May your kingdom come and what you want be done, here on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the food we need for each day. Forgive us for our sins, just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us. And do not cause us to be tempted, but save us from the Evil One.’

The Bible is also full of prayers of the saints praying to Yahweh for people and themselves.

Prayers prayed sincerely in earnest (not for what we selfishly want) are answered.

How’s your prayer life? Do you struggle daily to get a prayer in?

Billy Graham offers up a lesson in praying. Click through and read it. Meditate on The Word and lift up your prayers to Yahweh and talk to Him.

Share an answered prayer and let us know how Yahweh has blessed you.

Need prayer? Contact us today with your prayer request.

The Truth

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Psalm 86:11 imageDavid is humbling himself to Yahweh. He’s reached the end of himself and realizes he needs Yahweh.

David realizes the truth of the matter. He needs Yahweh. He isn’t able to do it on his own.

David wants to honor Yahweh, so, he seeks Yahweh to teach him Yahweh’s ways according to His truth. Not David’s idea of truth, but Yahweh’s truth. David is being sincere in his request. As should we. David is finally surrendering in obedience to Yahweh.

Sincerity brings a man’s will into subjection to the will of God; and this being done, the greatest danger and difficulty is over with such a man. This is that holy oil which makes the wheels of the soul run nimbly, even in the difficult paths of obedience. – John Flavel.

How’s your obedience to Yahweh? Have you reached the end of yourself?

Obedience to Yahweh proves our love for Him (1 John 5:2-3), demonstrates our faithfulness to Him (1 John 2:3-6), glorifies Him in the world (1 Peter 2:12), and opens avenues of blessing for us (John 13:17).

When we obey the Lord, we can live a life of joy, without shame, rooted deeply in the Lord and confident in our eternal hope. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Our obedience is actually part of our assurance that we truly know Yahweh (1 John 2:3).

James 1:22-25 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. . . . Whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

Comment on how Yahweh is blessing you. Do you need prayer? Contact us today with your prayer request.

The Rewarder

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1 Timothy image

If Christ therefore be the Saviour of all men, then much more will he be the Rewarder of those who seek and serve him; he will provide well for those whom he has made new creatures. – Matthew Henry

Who doesn’t love being rewarded?

Then, it’s a good idea to train your spiritual muscles and be a servant of Yahweh to receive His blessings for now and the future.

How do I train my spiritual muscles you ask? Let me share how you can train yourself. (Adapted from Chana Weisberg’s recipe.)

Exercise: When: Spiritual Muscles Used: Duration: How many times:
Say words of thanks to Yahweh for the gift of another day of life. Immediately upon awakening. Introspection, connection with your Creator, gratitude. 15 seconds Once a day, every morning.
Say a blessing on your food. Before or after eating. Gratitude and appreciation for what you have. 2-5 seconds Throughout the day.
Pick up the phone and say a kind word to your parent (For those whose parents are alive.) Could be a family member. Any time you have a spare moment (make sure you FIND that moment). Kindness, honouring and respecting your parents/family. 5-15+ minutes As many times as you are able, depending on circumstances.
Pray to Yahweh and meditate on His Word Morning, afternoon and evening Realign yourself, evaluation of your priorities, developing a relationship with your Creator 5 min. to 1 hour + depending on spiritual stamina 1-3 times a day
Volunteer to help someone who needs it. Anytime! Compassion, awareness of the plight of others 5 seconds-1+ hours At least once or twice a week

I know there is a lot more that you can do. But you must be careful not to strain your spiritual muscles or you could get disheartened with the workout and give up altogether. I have in the past.

You could just be surprised at how an investment of a few seconds several times throughout your day can give you a bunch of spiritual energy while revitalizing your whole being.

Let’s spend 2% of our day for ourselves, for Yahweh and for all of humanity?

Share your results in the comments. Let us know how Yahweh has blessed you.

Do you need prayer? Contact us today. We have a prayer army waiting to pray for you.

He Is Risen

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He Is Risen image

1 The day after the Sabbath day was the first day of the week. At dawn on the first day, Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 At that time there was a strong earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the stone away from the entrance. Then he sat on the stone. 3 He was shining as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The soldiers guarding the tomb shook with fear because of the angel, and they became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified. 6 He is not here. He has risen from the dead as he said he would. Come and see the place where his body was. 7 And go quickly and tell his followers, ‘Jesus has risen from the dead. He is going into Galilee ahead of you, and you will see him there.'” Then the angel said, “Now I have told you.” 8 The women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, but they were also very happy. They ran to tell Jesus’ followers what had happened. Matthew 28:1-8

He Is Risen Indeed!

In The Waiting

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They mourned His death. They anguished over His tragic torturing wondering why He had to die. In 1 Peter 3 it tells us this:

Christ himself suffered for sins once. He was not guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty to bring you to God. His body was killed, but he was made alive in the spirit. And in the spirit he went and preached to the spirits in prison who refused to obey God long ago… — 1 Pe 3:18-20

He briefly proclaimed the truth to those in spiritual prison.

This image is merely a visual aid of a spiritual proclamation in hades [spiritual prison].
We have the benefit of Yahweh’s Word to see the details of the truth. However, imagine if you will the mourning, despair, and struggles people experienced because of the confusion.

We have no need to despair however, because we know He has risen! He is alive!

How are you doing in your waiting? Are you in mourning, in despair, and struggling with something? If so, give it to Yahweh. Expect Him to meet your needs.

Share how you’re doing in waiting. Contact us for your prayer needs.