by Alisha | Oct 1, 2012 | Uncategorized
Is your life producing the good fruit that the Lord desires of you? Are you enjoying the benefits of the Word of God growing and thriving in your life on a continual basis? If not, then perhaps it’s time to get rid of the weeds that have grown up in your heart.
What do I mean by weeds?
In Mark 4, Jesus tells the “Parable of the Sower,” in which He describes four types of soil: (1) hardened soil; (2) stony soil; (3) thorny (or weedy) soil; and (4) fertile soil.
The soil represents the hearts of those in whom the seeds (Word of God) are sown.
The Lord wants each of our hearts to be the rich, fertile soil that will bring forth much fruit for His kingdom, like He talks about in Mark 4:8 MSG: Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams.
But sadly, most of the time we Christians fall into categories other than the good soil. And most of us are in the thorny soil category – the soil that is filled with all sorts of weeds.
Mark 4:18, 19 MSG says, The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.
What are the weeds that so easily choke the Word of God out of our hearts?
I like the way The Amplified Bible says it in verse 19: Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.
Basically you can break “weeds” down into two different categories: cares and distractions.
I’ve never been much of a worrier. Yes, I’ve had my share of problems and stresses to worry and be anxious about, but for the most part, I’ve always been able to cast those over onto the Lord and go on with my life.
But distractions, on the other hand…well, let’s just say I’m very easily distracted. (Before I got married, my initials were A.D.D.)
I don’t know about you, but I can open up my laptop to look up one little thing on the internet, and an hour and a half later, I can’t remember what I was looking up or if I even did look it up.
Emails, tweets, facebook posts, blog posts, news, the latest Hobbit trailer, baseball division race standings (I swear, as soon as I typed this, I went online to see what time the Atlanta Braves game was coming on tonight!). There’s so much information at my fingertips that I tend to get very sidetracked. My brain gets cluttered with all the things I have to do, should do and want to do.
It’s the same for many other Christians. If we are not careful, we will allow the cares of life (problems, circumstances, trials, etc.) or distractions (entertainment, the drive to succeed, the quest for knowledge, etc.) to clutter our minds and even become weeds in our hearts. These weeds will eventually choke the Word of God out of our hearts.
That is why we have to be intentional with God’s Word – we must put it in our hearts on a daily basis. But we must also be intentional about keeping God’s Word in our hearts. We have to water it, nurture it, tend it, and attend to it. His Word is our very life (Phil. 2:16).
We need to be able to discern what things to keep in our lives and what things need to be weeded out. Obviously, cares, worries, and anxieties ALL need to be weeded out. If you have worries and concerns that you need to deal with, please read: How to Live Worry Free, or What to Do When Your Heart is Overwhelmed. Get rid of those weeds because they will allow fear to consume you. Fear is the enemy of faith.
When it comes to the “distractions of this age,” you will need to allow the Holy Spirit to show you which things are legitimate, and which things are just stealing your time and robbing you of the benefits of God’s Word flourishing in your life.
The less cluttered your heart is, the more sensitive you will be to the leading of the Spirit of God. And the more sensitive you are to Him, the more fruit you will produce in your life.
Your heart can be the rich, fertile soil that the Lord desires it to be. It can bring forth a harvest of good fruit for the kingdom of God. But you will have to maintain the soil. You will have to water it, feed it, and nurture it. And you will have to get rid of the weeds of cares and distractions on a continual basis.
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by Alisha | Sep 24, 2012 | Uncategorized
Do you live in a constant state of worry or anxiety? Are there fears that harass you on a continual basis? Do your thoughts tend to run in negative, pessimistic patterns? Perhaps you have habits or addictions that you know you need to break?
What you need is an extreme mind makeover – a transformation. You need to get so full of the Word of God that it begins to change your attitude and renew your way of thinking.
Romans 12:2 (AMP) says, Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude]…
Renewing your mind is one of the most important things you can learn to do as a Christian. In this world we are constantly inundated with negativity, fear, worry, anxiety, stress, sin and many other things that can easily bring us down. If we’re not careful to guard our minds against these assaults, we will be reduced to a nominal Christian, struggling to survive instead of a triumphant believer rising up in faith and power.
But thankfully, God has given you the ability to transform yourself! All you need to do is feed upon the Word on a consistent basis so that it drives out those negative thoughts, attitudes, worries, and fears. His Word can completely renovate your mind.
The Greek word for “renew” used here in Romans 12:2 is anakaninosis, which means “renovation,” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance).
The Authentic New Testament translates it this way:
Do not accommodate yourselves to the age we live in, but transform yourselves by a mental renovation, so that you are competent to determine what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.
When one renovates a house, it usually consists of a complete overhaul, a restoration, or a reconstruction. That is what the Word does for your mind. As you spend time meditating on the Word of God, it completely overhauls your way of thinking, and restores and aligns your mind with God’s way of thinking.
You can become so established in the Word of God that you will literally transform yourself from a fearful, cringing, stressed-out worrier into a powerful man or woman of God, walking around in victory and perfect peace!
Transform yourself by the power of the living Word of God!
(Click here to find out seven ways to become established in the Word of God.)
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by Alisha | Sep 17, 2012 | Uncategorized
Life is full of tests, trials, discouragement, and opportunities to quit on the way to fulfilling your God-given destiny. The Lord Jesus Himself said, “In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration….” But thankfully, He didn’t stop there. He continued, “but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” John 16:33 (Amp.)
So what do you do when you encounter tests, trials, tribulations, afflictions, persecutions, and such? Do you cry and feel sorry for yourself? Do you question where the Lord is and if He’s ever going to come through for you? Do you wonder why the devil’s picking on poor little ole you?
No! These times are the perfect opportunities for you to be a doer of the Word and “put on the garment of praise.” Isaiah 61:3 says that God has given us “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (discouragement, weakness, fainting, grief)…” When life seems too hard, when things just aren’t going the way they’re supposed to go, when you’re down and discouraged, that’s the time to get your praise on!
Hebrews 13:15 says, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Sometimes, it may seem like the hardest thing to do is to praise the Lord in the midst of pain, distress or suffering, but that’s when we offer up the “sacrifice of praise.” It might be difficult on the mind and the flesh, but it does absolute wonders for your spirit man – and ultimately your whole life!
Praise is one of the weapons in our arsenal as believers that will defeat the enemy every time. We see evidence of this in 2 Chronicles 20, when instead of fighting, the Israelites stood still and gave praise to the Lord. It was when they begin to sing and to praise that the Lord set ambushments against their enemies. They didn’t have to fight – they only had to praise!
When we praise, we position ourselves in faith, and pave the way for the Lord to work in our lives. Praise is an attitude of the heart that refuses to consider circumstances, but instead determines to fully trust in the Lord!
When you praise, you acknowledge that God is greater than any circumstance or situation you face, that He has only good in store for you, and that He is willing and able to bring that goodness to pass in your life.
Psalm 57:7 says, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.” No matter what you go through, you can keep your heart fixed (steadfast, confident, unwavering, and faithful) by singing and giving the Lord praise.
We have the Lord’s promise that we will encounter tests and trials in this world, but He has also promised us that He has already overcome the world.
So when faced with the temptation to fret, feel sorry for yourself, and become discouraged, instead choose to get your praise garment on.
Choose to keep your heart fixed and confident in the Lord. Then watch as He works and moves in miraculous ways in your life!
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by Alisha | Sep 3, 2012 | Uncategorized
Has your heart ever been overwhelmed? Have you ever felt besieged by the storms of life? Inundated with problems of all sorts? Have you ever felt that you just couldn’t take it anymore?
In times like this, what do you do? Do you succumb and surrender to these storms? Do you allow yourself to accept failure or defeat? Do you feel sorry for yourself and throw a pity party? No way!
You keep standing – in the midst of the storm – you keep declaring that God’s Word is true. You keep pressing into Him and His Word, and you keep holding fast to your faith.
Psalm 61:2 KJV says…when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
The Contemporary English Version of Psalm 61:2-4 says, I feel hopeless, and I cry out to you from a faraway land. Lead me to the mighty rock high above me. You are a strong tower, where I am safe from my enemies. Let me live with you forever and find protection under your wings, my God.
When you feel overwhelmed, when you begin to feel hopeless, when you lose heart, cry out to the Lord. He is your Rock, your Strong Tower, your Safe Refuge from the storms of life. Remind yourself that the God you serve is a mighty God. He will protect you. He will keep you safe. And He will deliver you. Always.
Everyone goes through difficult tests and trials. We’ve all felt overwhelmed and hopeless at one time or another. But it is not okay to continue feeling that way – not when Almighty God is your Father!
You must put yourself in remembrance of God’s great love for you. You must remind yourself of His faithfulness and of all the times He has come through for you. You must refuse to waver in your faith and trust in Him.
Psalm 34:19 says, Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
We are guaranteed afflictions, but we have a promise that the Lord will deliver us out of them all.
We must be so grounded in the Word of God that when we face these tests, trials, afflictions, storms, and outright assaults from the enemy, we will not waver, be swayed or shaken.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-25 (NLT), Anyone who listens to My teaching and obeys Me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock.
The storms of life will come, but you don’t have to be swept away by them. Instead, you can just stand firm with your feet planted on the solid rock of God’s Word. Though the storms may come and the winds may blow, you will remain steadfast and immovable because of the Word of God that is in your heart.
You will look the storms in the eye and laugh because they are powerless to harm you. You are sheltered safe within God, your Refuge. Nothing can by any means harm you. No weapon formed against you shall prosper.
Storms come and storms go, but those who remain fixed and stable on the Solid Rock will weather the storms and grow stronger still.
Just like David, we must learn to “encourage ourselves in the Lord” (1 Sam. 30:6), and we do that by reminding ourselves of the Lord’s great faithfulness to us in times past, and by meditating on scriptures that speak of His goodness and faithfulness to us.
I have a included a few scriptures for you to remember when your heart is overwhelmed. These are just a starting point. If you would like a FREE printable of even more scriptures to help you stand in the midst of a storm, sign up below and we’ll send it to you.
- Psalm 91:2 (KJV) I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.
- Isaiah 54:17 (NKJ) No weapon formed against you shall prosper…
- Luke 10:19-20 (NKJ) Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
- 1 John 4:4 (KJV) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.
- 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 (NIV) But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.
Thank you!
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by Alisha | Aug 27, 2012 | Uncategorized
In my recent post, Hello Mornings!, I mentioned that I was part of a large group of women who are studying the Book of 1 Peter, and that we were reading various other passages of scripture to get to know Peter as a person. As I was reading Acts 4:13, this particular phrase jumped out at me: “they recognized that they (Peter and John) had been with Jesus.”
As I mentioned, I realize that this scripture refers to Peter and John being physically identified as two of Jesus’ disciples, who had walked and lived with the Lord. But as I read this, the thought came to me, “Can people recognize that I have been with Jesus?”
Jesus told us in John 13:35 how others would recognize us as being with Him. He said, This is how everyone will recognize that you are My disciples – when they see the love you have for each other.
How will people recognize that you have been with Jesus? By the love you show to others.
The Bible tells us to “walk in love” – Ephesians 5:2 (NLT) Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ…
This is a command, not a suggestion: Matt 22:37-39 (KJV) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself .
If we are going to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only (James 1:22), then we must train ourselves to walk in love. We must respond in love at ALL times. We should be endeavoring each day to display the love of God within our own home to our family. We should walk in love to our friends and fellow Christians. We should respond in love to those who irritate us, anger us, use us, and persecute us. (Ouch!) We should live a life of love toward those who are unsaved, unlovely, or seemingly undeserving.
After all, this is what Jesus did – what He still does!
We have to remember that love is not a feeling. Love is a decision. Love is an action. There will be many, many times that we will have to “act” in love even when we don’t have those warm-fuzzy feelings toward someone. We will have to “act” in love when our flesh would rather punch someone in the face (I’m sure you’ve never wanted to do that – that’s probably just me)! As an act of our will, and in obedience to our Lord, we will purposely show His love.
The more you practice walking in love, the more you “act” like you love, the easier it will become. Love is revealed in word and action, so you’re going to have to act like you love because you really do! Romans 5:5 (NIV) tells us that God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. We have God’s love in us so that we can love others.
Will you be perfect? No! But anytime you find yourself stepping out of love with someone (in your thoughts, words or actions), be quick to repent and get back over into love.
Here are a few scriptures to meditate on:
1 Peter 1:22 (CEB) As you set yourselves apart by your obedience to the truth so that you might have genuine affection for your fellow believers, love each other deeply and earnestly.
1 Peter 4:8 (AMP) Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (AMP) Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails…
1 Corinthians 14:1 (AMP) Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire this love [make it your aim, your great quest]…
The more we meditate on the love of God, the more eagerly we pursue love and the more we practice walking in love, the more people will recognize that we have been with Jesus!
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