The Joy of the Lord is my Strength!

Psalms 28:7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

Hi friends,

How are you doing today? Is there a smile on your face this morning? If not, just allow one on your face right now. Forget the burdens of your yesterday, the fears of your tomorrow and just smile for this one  moment....and the next ...and the next. WHY? Well, coz you are alive,coz God is on HIS throne and totally in control of everything in your life. Friend, would you just say out aloud these words with me?

"I choose to be JOYFUL today. My life situations may not be 100% alright. I may not be all I wish I was. My bills may be unpaid. My body may be sick. My prayers unanswered. My loved one may be dying,  I may not even feel happy. But I choose to be  strong in the JOY of the Lord.

Lord, I choose to be JOYFUL coz I have breath in my nostrils,

I am JOYFUL coz I have eyes to see, coz I have Internet connection to browse with ,

I am Joyful coz I know that GOD loves me with an Infinite Unfailing Unconditional Love.

I am Joyful coz Jesus blood covers me with a robe of righteousness. 

I am Joyful coz I am fearfully and wonderfully made in God's very own image and that He is evermindful of me.

I am Joyful that I have His faithful promises to stand on and so no weapon formed against me shall prosper and every tongue that rises against me in judgement I will condemn for this is my heritage as the servant of the Lord and my righteousness comes from Him.

I am joyful bcoz God's favor surrounds me on every side.

 I am Joyful coz blessings and honor chase me all the days of my life.

I am Joyful coz the Lord anoints my head with oil and prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies.

I am Joyful coz I choose to be strong in HIM. 

 I am Joyful with the Joy that His Holy Spirit gives me and it is His Joy that will give me the Strength to face and get thru today, tomorrow and every other day of my life.  - In Jesus Loving Name, Amen

Take a deep breath friend and feel the Joy arising in your spirit and flooding your whole being and now your face through your smile. Smile today and spread the JOY of the Lord! ;)

Click to enjoy these songs:

http://youtu.be/YqjivEw7gzE

http://youtu.be/iLxqHjctAN4

Have a JOYFUL week!

Take care,God bless us all!

Sparky Laurie

Freed from the Grip of Fear!

Romans 8:15 “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Hi friends,

In this post I’d like to tell you about how God freed me from a Spirit of Fear. The Bible tells us in 2 Tim 1:7  “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love and a sound mind.”

I remember how I dressed up as Red Riding Hood for a Fancy Dress Competition during my Kindergarten days. True, I never won the best performance which went to chirpy& pretty “Betty Bo Peep” nor the cutest performance which went to the adorable sleepy-head  “Deedle Deedle Dumpling My son John” but the trophy for most confident child on the stage that night was mine to keep! How in the world could this confident me turn into a person cowering in fear in the shadows, avoiding the lime-light at any cost? Well that’s what life sometimes does to the best of us!

In spite of having a happy childhood and excellence in both curricular and co curricular activities, I really don’t remember how and when the Spirit of Fear crept in me. It all started with a fear of failure. I slowly watched opportunities for excellence slip between my fingers. This was only the beginning and strangely even not winning was relief to me rather than trying and losing!  Slowly it became fear of being rejected by people. Due to some thoughtless comments by persons who didn’t even know me well, I realized how people may dislike you simply on the basis of what they hear or think even without giving you a chance to explain. That made me anxious and dreadful of all social situations. I felt as if everyone in the crowd belonged except me. Often I tried to get out of situations by flat out refusing to go but later on would try and go but the experience would be so wearisome and exhausting that it would take me almost a week to pick myself up emotionally. On the outside, all seemed well, inside I was crying.

All this while I prayed and tried to be brave. I tried to read all I could on how to face my fears. I knew what to do but when I was faced with the situation, it was as if my mind suddenly froze, memory became blank, mouth became dry and body became paralyzed. I don’t know any way to describe this better than I was “gripped by the spirit of fear”. There was absolutely nothing in my power I could do to entangle myself from it in spite of knowing exactly what I had to do and how to do it and that is what being paralyzed is all about, isn’t it?

With every passing day, I began to dread company, especially of those who I knew would not be sensitive/ kind but thoughtless & critical. I admit, at that time, it was so difficult for anyone to be around me and not offend me. I actually felt nobody could understand me and that they would unknowingly hurt me so I had to protect myself. I  began avoiding  people and situations as  I wanted to solve my problem first and then face people as the confident person I knew I was deep down inside. Though it made me feel less threatened as my outer life was now predictable, I knew how out of control my inner life actually was. Lists would dominate my day and though I made considerable progress I still knew in my heart that the real problem was not being dealt with. It was as if I was running away from my life. There were moments  especially after prayer and when I acted without over thinking that I would be happy and fine but at other times I got caught up in the paralysis of analysis ;dwelling on what I did wrong /how I appeared to people and how I should prevent turning people off, etc became my preoccupation. I realized that I also began having difficulty remembering things and slowly my health also started getting affected. Now I realize that worry & negativity had actually affected my immune system which made me have varied health problems one after the other. The fact that my support system was minimal due to my spouse’s demanding job and my being far away from the people who knew me and I could trust only made things worse. Opening up to a few Christians at church didn't help as they made me feel all the more condemned for not being “spiritual enough”. I knew I was doing everything I knew to but was still unsuccessful. Finally I began to isolate myself, extremely lonely but at the same time felt safe. I started spending time with the Lord and soaking myself in His presence and declaring His word over my life. The more time spent with Him the more I got to know His unconditional love & acceptance for me. I had finally found my safe place and could totally resonate with the psalmist in Psalms 46:1 “The Lord is my refuge and strength, a safe hiding place in times of trouble.”

It is during this time that I started blogging and sharing all that God was teaching me. Each day became an adventure as the Holy Spirit revealed more of me that needed to be healed, cleansed, sanctified, etc. I also learnt by now how to hear, receive and obey the Lord. The blessings became more evident in my life. I no longer ran after human comfort or understanding for I finally felt understood in Jesus. Slowly I began to declare “For God has not given me a Spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love and a sound mind” and take mini steps in obedience to Him. Some days were easy, some days were hard but with time, I learned how to ‘do things afraid’. However, many times negative responses of people (who didn’t know my inner struggles) discouraged me. Metamorphically speaking, it was as if I was being chased by an imaginary bear and so often in my dealings with others my words/actions may have appeared hasty/ curt, but for a person barely trying to survive at that time , even that effort was far beyond human capacity. Many of my old friends could not understand me now because of my extreme passion for the Lord and avoided me , some I chose to leave believing God for Godly friends & Divine Connections, which I am glad to say He has abundantly blessed me with today.

We also continually prayed for a home closer to church as that would enable us to spend more time in His presence (the only place I could relax.) It was as if I was in a constant  invisible battle with invisible enemies. Those who saw me frustrated/angry would naturally think of me as cranky/touchy as they would never know what I was actually going through. However, my battle was real and my life situations were not making it any easier for me. I was never afraid to die , for me living was what terrified me.

All this while I continued doing my duties faithfully believing that God could and would one day totally heal me. In the process however, Jesus went more from being my Creator & Savior to my Protector, Healer, Comforter, Teacher, Friend, my All in All. I began to long for quiet moments with the Lord as I now loved Him more for His heart than His hand. I could now pray, Lord I praise you for whatever it is that I am going through. Even though I don’t understand it fully, it has brought me closer to you & made me know you in a way that I would otherwise never have. I am in the best place I could be. Even if you never heal me fully, I will still love you for who you are. I had learnt to rest in Him even in the midst of the storm.

God showed me how I needed to now slowly get ready to move out from my comfort zone and reach out to help others. Honestly, looking around I could see possibilities all around me. God gave me fresh eyes through which I could see as He saw: the good in every one and everything. He had changed me so much in this time that I began to see, act and think with some of His love and kindness. However, when I started sharing with the world the pearls that He graciously gave me, I was faced with a new problem the Spirit of Rejection. Jesus taught me how to respond to this,  by not taking offense but by loving with His forgiving love. Next he taught me that being meek did not mean being a doormat. Many could see the new holy boldness in me and began accusing me of being controlling and not submissive. That again put me in confusion as I wanted to be a Godly woman of peace. Actually I was now troubled by a Spirit of Intimidation. I realized that even without doing anything wrong, I was being falsely accused. I realized the craftiness of the Deceiver and the folly of trying to please anyone but God.

I share this post with you in obedience to the awesome Holy Spirit. This is my testimony of how the Lord has freed me from the grip of fear. Even now from time to time, fear raises its ugly head to trouble me  but I choose to slam it down daily with the Rhema Word of God and by facing my fears and courageously doing the very thing I fear. As Meg Cabot says “Courage is not the absence of fear but the judgment that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all. For now you are traveling the road between who you think you are and who you can be.”

Above all, when we are filled with the love of God, fear will definitely leave us. After all, the best antidote to fear is Faith. 1 John 4:18 : “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear is by suspicion, but he who fears is not grown up in love.”
                                                 
I love this song by Bob Fitts. The song starts with these amazing words : “ Say to those who are fearful-hearted, do not be afraid. The Lord your God is strong and with His mighty arm, when you call on His name, He will come and save you……” 

http://youtu.be/_w7RMj58Z_M

Have a blessed week,

Take care, God bless you,

Sparkylaurie

We are Overcomers in Christ

Psalms 84:11”For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.”

Hi friends,

Hope you are doing good. I just would like to testify of the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness.We have been blessed with a new home, an answer to a long awaited prayer.  When His children ask anything in accordance with His will, it will be done. Maybe not immediately but we can be sure that if we pray like this: “Father; this is my desire, let your will be done and in your perfect timing. I trust that you always know what is best for your children. Be it unto me according to your Word, according to your promises I shall stand secure.”  You will surely watch and see things come to pass. God is no respecter of persons what He has done for us, He will definitely do for you!

This week I’d like to encourage those of you who are going through a tough time and feel no answers coming. This poem below is a reminder of who you are in Christ- AN OVERCOMER. It has been a tremendous encouragement to me. Be blessed!

THE OVER COMER – BY DAVID W MCCRACKEN

The battle I know surrounds us

No doubting that it’s real,

But we have to see our victory

Is not in how we feel. 

Its reality is because of Calvary,

Authority is now our own

We view it not from our humanity

But from a heavenly throne.

 As I’m seated with my Savior

And His grace now fills my heart

I treat my adversary with contempt

And determine to play my part.

 Not intimidated nor diverted

By my enemies beguiling talk,

With Christ within my reality

In boldness I make my walk.

The triumph is not in avoidance

But in the joy as I overcome

So I’ll laugh in the face of my enemy

Not cringe in the shadows like some.

I’ll declare the Word with boldness

“It is written” shall be my cry.

Satan is a mere distraction

Failing miserably in his try.

 My life set free to focus

On the greatness of God’s call

Not shackled by a worrying

If I’ll stand or I’ll fall.

 Confusion and intimidation

Belong to those who in neutral lie

But I will forge ever forward

With resolute gaze and head held high. 

I am not called to meditate

On the possibilities of defeat

But to see God’s awesome majesty

And now Satan under my feet.

The keys of victory in spirit

Lie in a victorious overcoming Lord

Who fills my every consciousness

Not my enemy or his horde

Consumed by my Father’s beauty

Every day to possess His call

 I reach to embrace my future

To give His call my all 

So victory is now assured

As His greatness fills my heart,

This will be my confession

As each new day I start! 

-www.davidmccracken.org

Have a blessed week!

Take care, God bless,

Sparky Laurie

LIFE, DEATH & RESURRECTION OF JESUS - TWITTER STYLE !!!

Mathew 28:5,6 “Don’t be afraid, I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here! For He is risen just as He said.”

Hi friends,
As we go through this Season of Lent and commemorate the life, death and the resurrection of our Beloved Lord Jesus Christ, I think there can be no better moment to share this awesome Video I came across very recently. It’s about how the LIFE, DEATH & RESURRECTION of Jesus would have gone around with modern day SOCIAL NETWORKING & TWITTER. Enjoy and be blessed!  

LIFE OF JESUS - TWITTER STYLE!  
 http://youtu.be/XYmOmuW1ysk

We have an awesome God who took our place of suffering & shame on the Cross of Calvary and who rose again on the Third day after having defeated death forever. He continues to live in us His children today. Friend, are you a Follower of this awesome Jesus? If you are already one, may I ask you what have you done today in obedience to the MANDATE that our Lord gave us before ascending into Heaven? Math 28:19 “Wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Let us Arise and do our part to share the life story of this amazing Savior who even Death Couldn’t Handle and the Grave couldn’t hold! That’s Our King!

THAT’S MY KING! - DR S. M. LOCKRIDGE

http://youtu.be/yzqTFNfeDnE

Click for related posts  : LESSONS FROM THE HOLY WEEK , THE HUMANITY OF GOD

Have a blessed week!

Take care, God bless,

Sparky Laurie

 

           

HIS LOVE COMPELS US AND HIS BLOOD EMPOWERS US!

2 Corin 5:14 : “For Christ's love compels us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.”

Hi friends,

Just sharing some random thoughts that I penned down. Hope it blesses you!

When we start living a life in accordance with Christ, we may have to encounter problems of a different kind. Many will not be able to understand our sincere earnestness in the Lord. We may be looked down at because we are young. Some may consider our boldness inappropriate for our gender. Others may look at our passion for the Lord as immaturity. Some may question our risk- taking as we step forward to be-friend people in the love of God. Many may not accept our out- of –the- box- thinking. As we step out in faith to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit, God may call us to do many exploits totally contrary to our nature but if it is Him, we will know. For not only will there be a way but a holy ease as He divinely orchestrates everything down to the last detail so beautifully that we will know that it could not be us but only Him. Some may look at the waves that keep lashing against the boat of our lives and ask us to repent of some unpardonable sin. Others may see our empty pockets and question our faith in His providence. Still others may wonder about our  over-enthusiasm about Jesus & the Church. Others may laugh or mock at us as we dust ourselves after gingerly picking ourselves up from the ground. Some church folks may wrinkle their nose at our radical spirituality and lack of playing by their expectations /rules. Some may unknowingly ridicule us as we limp about due to a thorn in the flesh. We may often be scrutinized/ even slandered behind our backs as we talk with open hearts. We may be excited about things that bore others and bored with things that excite others and this may often cause us to be excluded, rejected or even misunderstood.

And when this happens, we may be tempted to strike back at the injustice or to conform quietly to avoid opposition, or maybe to over –explain. We may even get caught up in the fix-it for you game. Sometimes we may even disqualify ourselves and speak like Jeremiah “Lord, I love you but I am too young for the task.” We may wish we were not a woman but a man so that we would be taken more seriously. We may learn to become more cautious and less expressive of the love of God in our hearts. We may be pressurized to conform and our spirits may be crushed in the process of refusing to do so. Trying to change our unconventional ways may make us less unpopular with man but it surely will curb the flow of the anointing on our lives. As after all our Lord wants us with all of our uniqueness and not carbon copies or clones of perfection! Our hesitation to step out and do the impossible may be fueled not by our lack of faith in Him but by the fear of appearing out of this world both to the world we live in and to ourselves. We may be tempted to downplay our fervor and passion for the Lord when we discover how badly it can turn people off.

And yet the beauty of it all lies in the fact that no matter how hard we may try , we will never be able to let go His call on our lives and all He wants to accomplish through us. Infact, we will always find ourselves eager and overjoyed to do His bidding and will be totally unafraid and unbothered about anything else….and that will ONLY be because HIS LOVE COMPELS US & HIS BLOOD EMPOWERS US.

The Holy Blood of Jesus now becomes everything to us : our RANSOM, our REDEMPTION, our REASSURANCE, our RIGHTEOUSNESS, our RECOVERY, our RESTORATION & our REALITY. Honestly,there is no safer place to be!

Click to enjoy these beautiful songs :

1) WHAT LOVE IS THIS? - KARI JOBE

http://youtu.be/SsgUdVDfaoM

2)STILL BE STILL MY SOUL - DON MOEN

http://youtu.be/nHV_uEGSTXA

Have a blessed week!

Take care, God bless,Sparky Laurie

Poem : TELL THE TRUTH, SHAME THE DEVIL!

TELL THE DEVIL TODAY, HE IS A LIAR!

He will not take your joy, your peace or disturb your spirit.

Tell him he cannot sleep in your bed – there’s not enough cover.

Tell him he cannot sit in your chair – you will not give him a cushion of comfort.

Tell him he can’t touch your body – it’s covered with the blood.

Tell him he cannot audit your finances – you’ve changed accountants.

Tell him he cannot enter your home – the locks have been changed.

Tell him to leave your workplace – he’s not on your list of things to do for today.

Tell him to take his hands off your children – because you’ve had hands laid on them.

Tell him you have no time for his nonsense, criticism or fears – you are on a mission, and you walk by faith.

Tell him no more tears, heartaches, or headaches – because there’s another, He, that restoreth your soul.

Tell him; Tell him; Tell him; Tell him.

Tell him, today, you have a gentle, powerful inner peace within that consumes you and leaves no room for confusion.

Tell him, today you will – respond soothingly to a crying child, a tense spouse, or an impatient friend.

Tell him, today, you will find no fault with a relative, friend, or colleague.

Tell him to leave your tongue alone – for today you will not talk of anyone, before placing God at the beginning of your thought

Tell him, wherever you are, there God Is.

Tell him, God said, “My people will abide in a peaceful habitation…and in quiet resting places.” [Isaiah 32:18]

Today, Tell him he is a liar!!!, Amen.

-Author Unknown

THE GIFT OF PAIN !

2 Corin 7:10, 11 “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what great earnestness godly sorrow has produced in you! How ready you are to clear yourselves, how indignant, how alarmed, how full of longing and enthusiasm, how eager to seek justice”.

Hi friends, yesterday I watched the Bollywood movie ROCKSTAR through which God spoke a message to my heart. This may be out of the box thinking for many believers  but I truly believe that  if God really dwells in us, He can speak to us at the most unexpected times and ways and we just need to have an open mind and a pure heart to listen.

In the beginning of the movie, Ranbir who wants to become famous in the music world tries unsuccessfully at it, becoming an object of scorn and mockery of all who know him. Naïve, he sets out undaunted to do whatever it took to make himself a ROCKSTAR. Little did he know what was coming for him when he decides to follow the life changing advice of  his uncle. According to this uncle, Ranbir was an extremely shallow person who was too comfy in life. He advised Ranbir that in order for him to achieve his life ambition, he had to become a man of substance for which he would have to have his heart broken and pass through the sieve of suffering and pain.
The story then revolves around how Ranbir becomes a ROCKSTAR by going through pain of a very different kind. The part that really spoke volumes to me was towards the end when after achieving everything he had always dreamt of, Ranbir is left empty and lost in life. At a very crucial moment, he begs that same uncle [now his Manager] who had advised him earlier; to take away all that he had- fame, name, riches, glory and says I just don’t want all this. Just take pain away from my life. The life of greatness always has a price to pay.

There is a pain we endure when we make wrong choices and have to suffer the consequences but what when you are the innocent victim of certain painful circumstances in life? This is what I mean by Pain of A Different Kind! Many today preach a pain free Christianity; that once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, there will be no more pain in your life. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Take the example of the great men and women from the pages of the Bible.

Let’s look for a moment at the life of the Apostle Paul. Few of us will ever endure adversity of the kind he had. We read in 2 Corin 11:23-27 that he was imprisoned, whipped,beaten with rods,stoned,ship wrecked repeatedly,in danger from flooded rivers, thieves,Jews, Gentiles,his own people,faced danger in cities,deserts,stormy seas,danger from men who claimed to be Christians but were not,suffered weariness,pain,sleepless nights, hunger,thirst,cold weather,loneliness,burden of leadership etc etc. In addition to all this, we read of some unbearable suffering , a thorn in his flesh that tormented him more than any other hardship for which he repeatedly pleaded with God to take away but the only reply He got was
 2 Corin12:8,9  “My grace is sufficient for you for my power works best in your weakness.”

Another example would be the life of the blessed Mother Mary. Few of us consider the kind of suffering this wonderful woman of God endured. She was with child out of wedlock(Math 1:18).Consider the kind of unexplainable humiliation she had to endure for 9 months, after that it was time to have the baby and she had only a stable because there was no room at the inn in the village(Luke 1:7)Immediately after the baby was born, it was time to flee to Egypt with the newborn as Joseph was warned in a dream by the angel of the Lord.(Math 2:13,14).Then they frantically searched for Jesus at the young age of 12 as He sat in the Temple among the religious teachers discussing Scriptures with them.(Luke 2:48)Later on  we see the heart broken mother watch as her innocent first born is whipped ,beaten, mocked ,disrobed and spit at and watches him  crucified to death. A different kind of suffering that no mother on earth will ever bear again.

Among the many others are John the Baptist who was beheaded, Stephen who was stoned to death and the Suffering Servant, the Man of Sorrows , our Lord Jesus Himself. Heb 5:7 “ While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.”

The painful experiences of our Christian life is compared to the pruning procedure that the grape plant goes through in order to ensure optimal productivity. The vinedresser “cuts off  the diseased parts of the plant, gets rid of bugs and even cuts away seemingly healthy but unwanted shoots so that the branch can grow stronger in the direction that he desires. From the branch's perspective, being pruned can be uncomfortable, if not painful, and at times also appear to make no sense. But "every branch" (John 15:2) should trust that the vinedresser knows what He is doing and be grateful for His care and attention.”- JustBible.net

 There are 5 Ps that we need to remember when going through the Process of Pain.

1)PRAYER-Sometimes we may not understand why we go through certain trails during certain seasons of our life but we can be assured that our Heavenly Father knows what is best. Even when we don’t understand we need to be in constant conversation with Him honestly telling Him about our pain and confirming our faith in His goodness.

2)PROMISES-There are several promises in the Bible that we can stand on and declare out aloud until and unless we see our breakthrough. Just like Jesus counter-attacked satan with Scripture, we too need to use the powerful word of God. Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is full of living power. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
3)PATIENCE- Many times we just need to exercise self restraint in wanting to make things happen in our way and our time. While we wait patiently, God has promised to fight our battles for us. Psalms 30:5 “Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.”

4)PRAISE- While we believe and wait, we can also speed up the waiting process by praising God for the victory that He has already given to us. When we do this, we are declaring our faith in God and there is nothing that annoys satan more than this as by doing so we refuse to react on what we see but in God who we believe. Psalms 57:7-11 “ My heart is steadfast O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make music. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.”

5)PEACE- There is much power in being able to be filled with peace and behave in a way as if we have already got our answer from God. This pleases God because it proves our faith in His love. Psalms 46:10 : “Be still and know that I am God.”

Dear friend, are you going through some pain/ suffering, some thorn in your flesh that in spite of your obedience to the Lord and walking in love just will not go away?  Friend, let us stop fighting the pain and instead embrace it with the full awareness that we can be joyful and peaceful in spite of  the pain because  it is in our pain that God shouts His love to us!

Click to enjoy these lovely songs!

http://youtu.be/larbuWBZ58k

http://youtu.be/pX0knHZorb0

Have a blessed week!

Take care, God bless,

Sparky Laurie