Leaving This Month's Problems Behind

This month has been very interesting. The enemy has been attacking marriages, finances and the health of my family and friends. If it was not one thing, it was another. But God is faithful! He was there every step of the way. He was there to comfort and tell us everything was going to be alright. He is right now providing and healing hearts and bodies.
If there is one thing I know for sure, is that God hears our prayers and runs to the aid of those we pray for. He does not like to see us hurt and in pain. He constantly wants to hold us in his arms and shield us from harm.
In Psalms 145:19 David writes "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him; he also will hear their cry and will save them." God is ready and willing to come to our rescue if we just call on Him and have faith that he hears us and that the work has already been done. I pray for everyone that had a rough month of May and will walk into June victorious!!!!

My Savior My God by Aaron Shust

I have always liked this song and loved the words. Lately I have been singing it and the words just come alive. It reminds me of how loved I am by my Lord and Savior Jesus Chirst. I have included the lyrics to the song on the post, just so that you understand what the song is about. To all who know the song, enjoy. And to those who have never heard it, let it touch your spirit and rejoice at what your Savior has done for you.

Here is a video of Aaron Shust performing the song:



Lyrics to My Savior My God :
I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me; this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my savior
That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior
Chorus (2x's)
My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God: He was, my God; He is
My God is always gonna beYes, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring;
That He who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior
That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior
Chorus (2x's)
(2x's)My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior loves, My Savior lives

Who Will Pray for Me?

I don’t know about you but often times I have a problem praying for myself. I used to think that praying for myself was somehow selfish. While I shied away from praying for myself, I often wondered well if I don’t pray for myself who will. I learned that it’s okay to pray for myself and that it is very important to trust God for your needs. It is also good to remember that you should pray for others. It shouldn’t just be all about you, it needs to be about the body of Christ, your unsaved family and friends and your leaders. Prayer is a time to talk to God about everything that is going on in your life and the life of those around you.

Now to answer the question, who will pray for me? Well that’s easy; Jesus will pray for you. Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” This is one of the most beautiful promises from Jesus. He is praying for us. I don’t know about you but I am surely happy that Jesus intercedes on my behalf. Who better to pray for you! Praise God that He is always mindful of us! He cares so much! When you are going about your Father’s business, he has your back. Praying for you and loving you till the end.

So don’t be afraid to pray for yourself; but always remember to pray for others and that Jesus is praying for His sheep. Also know that if we are praying for others surely others are praying for us. It is a beautiful prayer circle! Praise God for His goodness and love! Praise Him for praying for us! Praise Him through it all!

Finding Blessings in Disappointments

I received an e-mail two weeks ago from a former supervisor at an internship I worked last summer. She was the VP of wholesale and her whole department was laid off last September. It actually happened while she was on her honeymoon! To make it worse, she and the owner/designer were friends. But she took it all very well. She was not bitter and she never said anything bad about her former boss.
She continued to have an upbeat attitude even though she and her husband are currently unemployed. She told me in her e-mail that she was interning for a costume designer and for the first time she is enjoying what she is doing. She also said that she is making a lot of contacts and might be an apprentice to the designer.
I responded and told her that sometimes disappointments can be blessings in disguise. God revealed to me that he is always in control. And that every “no” you hear, every job lost, every relationship that goes wrong, or every opportunity that gets a way just means that God has something else or better in store.
The story of Joseph is a good example of someone who had so many disappointments in their life. God had revealed to him at a young age, what his destiny would be. The devil did not want Joseph to fulfill his destiny so he used Joseph’s brothers and Potiphar’s wife to stop it from happening. The beautiful thing is that God was with Joseph through it all and blessed him in those trying times. In the end, Joseph’s dream came true and he was second in command in Egypt and brought his family into the country to avoid the famine in the land.
Joseph said to the enemy in Genesis 50:20 “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
So if you are facing life’s let downs, know that God is in control. Pray and ask the Lord for wisdom and understanding. Trust in His divine plan and serve the devil notice that you do not believe his lies. Let him know that you will endure the pain of rejection, loss and disappointments because your blessing is around the corner. So Praise the Lord because you are blessed and highly favored by the Most High God. You are a STORMRIDER!

True Stormriders: Mob Atttacks Christians in Niger

Here is an article from Voice of the Martyrs on the crosswalk website about Stormriders being persecuted for our Lord and Savior:

NIGERIA - Mob Violence Against Christians in Niger State

On April 13, a mob of suspected Islamic extremists attacked a group of Christians who were peacefully marching through the town of Gwada in an Easter Monday celebration in Niger State, Nigeria, according to VOM sources.

About 25 Christians were injured and three churches were torched in the violence. Attacks also occurred in the capital city of Minna, where extremists attempted to set a church building on fire. Cars were burned and vandalized and several believers were stabbed. At last report, approximately 110 suspects were arrested for their involvement in the attacks.

The Voice of the Martyrs is actively involved in ministry in Nigeria. VOM provides a wide range of support to persecuted Christians, some of which are providing support for widows by giving vocational studies in sewing and computers and providing literature. Pray that Christians will exemplify the love of God through consistent love and prayer for those who persecute them.

Impacting the Culture for the Kingdom of God

I ran across this article from the Crosswalk website called Cultural Engagement: Every Christian's Obligation by Paul Dean. It is a very interesting article on how we as Christians should be influential in today's culture. We are all called to further the Kingdom of God. And in this article Paul Dean explains how we can be in the world but not of the world.
I know for me and my sister working in the fashion and entertainment industry, there is a consent battle of compromising our beliefs or standing for holiness. I know many of you struggle with the same thing working in the medical field, music and film industry, the political area or Wall street. I know one thing we can agree on, is that it is not about us but that it is all about Jesus.
So at the end of the day people are looking for you to take a stand. They want to know your beliefs and morals. Because everyone, no matter what their religion or beliefs are, is searching for the truth. And as children of the Most High God we should be making an impact on our culture and not having the culture impact us.
Please take the time to read this article. It will give you a better understanding on how we are to influence and evangelize in today's world. Click here for the article.

A Lesson in Divine Produce

Early one day I was walking through the 59th Street/ Columbus Circle Station. I was already late for work and was trying to get through the station as fast as possible. As I was walking towards the stairs to get off the platform, I saw a man digging through the trash. I felt bad that he was looking for food, but I just didn’t have time to think about it. My mind was too preoccupied with work. As I approached the stairs, the Lord spoke to me saying, give him one of your oranges. My steps slowed and I said to the Lord, “Really, but I’m late”. I convinced myself that it was a self generate thought and picked up the pace to the stairs. Again the Lord said, “ Give him one of your oranges”. Again, my steps slowed down and I said to the Lord, “ But God, I’m late…. and this is all I’ll have to eat for the day…. the stairs are right there.” But the Lord repeated His words and as my left foot hit the first step, I bowed my head and said, “Okay God, I’ll obey You”. I quickly turned around and headed towards the man. I stopped near the trash can He was digging through, reached in my bag for one of the two oranges I had and said, “Excuse me Sir, would you like an orange”. He paused for a moment, never allowing for his hand to leave the trash can; looked me up and down and said, “NO”. He turned his head and continued to dig through the trash.

Upset, I raced back to the stairs and asked God, “Why did you allow me to waste my time, you knew he wasn’t going to take the orange. Did you just want to make sure that I would be obedient?” The Lord was silent and I was not happy about it. I got out of the station and raced across the street. Stomping now from the frustration of being late. It was then that I heard the Lord say, “ Do you know how often I offer people good fruit and they turn it down, imagine how I feel”. I paused for a moment to think about what the Lord told me. It is so very true! How often does the Lord offer us the best in life and we still want garbage. We turn down the wonderful things He has for our lives.

Don’t look in the trash when you can have the wonderful things that God is offering you. Praise God for good fruit! O taste and see that the LORD is good (Psalm 34:8)!