Secrets For A Better Life

Terror Shall Not Touch Me

May 5, 2013

I have a guest writer today, Nike Chillemi. Nike writes historical suspense, mostly set in World War II era.  She calls herself a crime fictionista. Don’t you just love that title? Wish I’d thought of it first!  She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers and you can learn more about her at: http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/

I think her devotion is timely considering the Boston Marathon bombing.

 

Terror Shall Not Touch Me by Nike Chillemi

3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.
4 “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies. ~~ taken from 2 Samuel 22:3-4 [NASB]

Many of us face terror in one way or another every day. Even if it’s not directly on our door step, it touches us. We watch helplessly as bombs go off in our cities, our law enforcement officers are targeted for assassination, Christian clergy and the faithful are being imprisoned and tortured in communist and radical Islamist nations.

Let’s not get so overwhelmed by everything that we come from a place of fear. Remember He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and might. This is where making the time, getting quiet, and getting with the Lord is so vitally important.

When events are stressing us out, and we might be edging toward depression…stop and start praying. Go to Scripture, such as the portion above from 2 Samuel or to the 23rd or 91st Psalms. Read them aloud so you hear the Lord’s words of protection for you. Stand on that and start praying.

There is nothing quite as wonderful and practically useful as a prayer partner, somebody who’s on your spiritual wave length. When worries get too burdensome, go to visit your prayer partner for a cup of coffee and prayer, or phone them and pray. We are told to carry each other’s burdens and to lift each other up.

However, we need to do it…we need to go to God. His grace is sufficient for us. He is the Healer who has the divine healing balm for our soul. He can get rid of stress and the willies. He is the answer and He has the solution for us.

As a writer of classic whodunits with love stories set in the 1940s, I try to incorporate into my storylines the types of relevant situations we face today, in real life. In BURNING HEARTS, formerly an ebook which has just come out in print, Erica and Lorne face a terrifying arsonist/murderer. Ultimately, their faith in God and love for each other help them triumph over this evil.

Amazon Link to Burning Hearts:   http://tiny.cc/eszcww

Thanks, Nike for your devotion and your thoughts.

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TRUST

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What’s Your God-Given Dream?

April 30, 2013

 Ephesians 2:10

For we are God handiwork, recreated in Christ Jesus, that we may do those good works which God predestined for us, taking paths which He prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them, living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live.

I love this verse. It sounds so simple: God created us. God prepared a path for us. If we walk the path, we will have a good life.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, real life isn’t always so simple. Some of us make a wrong turn and miss that path. And how are we even supposed to know what path to take? After all, there are a lot of paths out there to choose from.

Do you have a dream that doesn’t make sense? A passion that won’t quit? If so, that is probably the good works God predestined for you. Each of us are different and each of us have a different task here on earth. My task is different than yours, but yours is just as important as mine. If you don’t know what your task is, let God guide you to it.

God is such an awesome and loving God that when He starts our heart beating, His touch lingers for just a moment.

And in that touch, He creates us to be us.

And in that touch, He creates us to be unique.

And in that touch, He gives us talents, interests, abilities and gifts.

And in that touch, He pours certain passions into our heart.

And in that touch, He loves us as no other ever can or ever will.

So, what’s the answer to the question of what does God want you to do? He wants you to do something that you love because He gave you that passion. Something that you are good at because He gave you that gift. Something that you care about so much that you will spend hours and hours doing it and enjoy it.

That something is YOUR DREAM.

Your Dream is God’s Purpose.

Here is some really good news.  God dreams often seem impossible, but He gives us all that we need to accomplish His purpose and our dream. So no matter how crazy it sounds, God wants you to pursue that dream.  And it is when we pursue those dreams that we are filled with a joy and peace that can’t be explained. As we pursue our dreams, we are fulfilling God’s purpose for us. Some may not understand it; some will call it a hobby; some a waste of time, but focusing on our God-given dream is a divine task.

QUESTION TO PONDER: What do you care about? If money wasn’t an issue, what would you love to do more than anything else in the world? How can you use your dream to serve God?

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FINDING MORE OF GOD’S POWER

April 5, 2013

 Romans 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The Bible is full of wisdom to help in any situation.

You can be a Christian without reading, knowing, studying, meditating, and understanding the Bible. But why would you want to? I became a Christian in my teenage years, but never understood the value of God’s Holy Word.

I understand the value now!

I could have avoided so much pain, darkness, and emptiness in my life if I’d understood the value sooner.

By studying it before the adversity comes, you’ll have a better understanding of God and his faithfulness. This will prepare you for any situation that arises. If you’re knee-deep in adversity or even feel as if you’re drowning in it, fear not. God is with you and it’s not too late to start today.

The value doesn’t come  from  reading the Bible. Reading it won’t change your heart or your life. Meditating on, believing, and doing  will!

So, whether you are in the midst of adversity or not, pick up that Bible today and you will never regret it. There is power in God’s words.

But the power doesn’t come from reading the words–it comes from being a DOER OF THE WORD. Mmm…maybe that wasn’t what you wanted to hear?  Maybe, you wanted  the easy way? God’s way is NOT the easy way, but it is the BEST way!

 

SHARING TIME:  WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN AVOIDING BECAUSE IT’S TOO HARD? 

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Mary Did You Know by Mark Lowery

March 30, 2013

I thought I’d share one of my favorite songs with you today to celebrate Easter.  Here’s a wonderful video of Mark Lowery’s beautiful song,  Just click on the link and enjoy!

Mary Did You Know?

HAVE A WONDERFUL EASTER!

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Only One Sane Choice!

March 22, 2013

Joshua 1: 9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

 

As I was drifting off to sleep, God nudged me awake with the idea of this devotion. So up from the bed to my computer I went.

It’s been a rough fifteen months for myself and my husband. It actually started on Christmas day 2011 and we’ve had crisis after crisis since then. The details aren’t important—well, actually they’re very important to me but not to you.

The reality is we’re still going through the crises and we don’t know what the future holds. Things are getting better and God is working in our lives, but we still don’t know and won’t know the outcome of all our “issues” for quite some time. In spite of that, we haven’t stopped smiling, stopped enjoying life, or stopped trusting God.

But guess what?

You don’t know what the future holds either.  You may think you do. You may have all sorts of activities, goals, plans and strategies in place for the next year or even five years. The truth is none of us know what will happen in the next minute, hour, day, week……well, you get the idea.

When faced with that truth, there really is only one sane choice.

TRUST GOD.

Trusting God is the only reasonable choice in an unreasonable world.

God will bring a supernatural peace and joy that confuses the world. We don’t have to understand everything. We don’t have to know the future. All we really need to know is that God loves us and will be with us wherever we go.

Trusting God really is the only sane choice!

Category:

FAITH, TRUST

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WHO’S IN CONTROL?

March 19, 2013

Proverbs 3: 26

for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about control lately

If you ask me, who is in control, I would, of course, give the good Christian answer—GOD . If you ask me who is my provision, I would, of course, give the good Christian answer—GOD. If you ask me who the source if my confidence is, I would give the good Christian answer—GOD.

And I believe that but….

On the other hand, I like to think of myself as self-reliant. I started working the same week I graduated from high school in…cough…stammer…uhm 1973 . I found a job the same week and have worked since then with the exception of one quarter in college when I saved enough money to take a break.

I put myself through college along with a few grants and scholarships—no loans. ME and MY WORK. I saved my money—bought my houses-bought my cars. ME and MY WORK

So, even though I say and believe God is in control, believe He is my provision, I’m not so sure I’ve ever depended on HIM the way HE wants. Because after all, for almost forty years, it’s been ME and MY WORK.

That is until lately.

I’ve been retired and only working part-time for the past few years. That was really awesome!  I had time to write and enough money not to worry!  And then it happened!

NO JOB! I actually didn’t freak out at first. I assumed something would come along at the last minute. But it didn’t.

The last check came and then it wasn’t ME and MY WORK anymore! Just me!  Oh, that’s right, I admit it—I forgot about God for a few anxiety-filled weeks. I worried, I grumbled to myself. I was more anxious than I’d been in years!

And it was driving me crazy!

Suddenly, my peace and joy was replaced with worry and aggravation. A lot of it and I didn’t like it. But I didn’t stop me from doing it until one day when I realized by worrying I wasn’t trusting God. I was NOT placing my confidence in God as my provider.

HE had been my provider all along but as with us fleshly humans, I forgot that for awhile..

So, now each time the worry comes back, I say a quick prayer: “I know You love me. You are all-powerful and I know you will work this out for my good.” Sometimes, it’s simpler and even quicker: “I need you or Your Will be done.”

The anxiety and worry are slowly being replaced by the peace and joy again. And that is wonderful!

We don’t, can’t, and won’t always know why things happen the way they do, but we always have a choice in how we react to them. We can choose to believe God’s promises. We can choose to believe God loves us and will take care of us. We can choose to stay in faith.

My life circumstances may still a mess, but as long as I keep my eyes on God, my faith remains steady. I now know that GOD truly is in control and my times are indeed in HIS hands

Psalm 105:4

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

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UNSEEN BATTLES-PART 3

March 9, 2013

UNSEEN BATTLES-PART 3

Ephesians 6: 13-20

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

 

 

Yes, we are on Part 3 of Unseen Battles. Mmm. I wonder why? It must be because I think it’s important.  And I do! Very important!

Battles are coming your way and my way. Make no mistake about that. They always do! For every battle (big and small) that you can see, there are unseen battles being fought as well. And they are as important–if not MORE important than the battle you can see. God does NOT leave us defenseless in the battles–seen or unseen, but battles ar not won by being passive!

You are the one that must fight the battle!

I want you to be prepared for the battles coming in your life—seen and unseen battles. Because they are out there or maybe like me, you are already in them but find yourself sinking a little more each day into doubt and despair.

That’s what happened to me. I was diagnosed with bilateral benign brain tumors almost a year ago. At first, not much changed except a lot of doctor’s visits. Then I had my first treatment in August and all was well (or so I thought.)

Come December all that changed—along with a sharp decline in my health.

The dreaded complications started and the complications from the steroids to treat the complications continued and now I’m on my second round of complications and that means more steroids.

As difficult as the first round of complications and treatment were, I was able to keep my joy and peace most days in spite of how bad I felt physically. Then I was finally off the steroids and about three weeks later felt better—more energy—more like me than I’d been in months.

And then it happened.

More complications!

Too much! I admit it! I got discouraged. I cried! I whined! Certainly part of it was physical—just tired and not feeling right. But it was much more than a physical issue, that’s when I knew there was an unseen battle happening-a spiritual battle within my soul.

Would I believe God’s Words or the enemy’s lies?

God does not leave us defenseless against the dark forces. He has given us numerous tools. We’ve already talked about faith, but another important spiritual tool is God’s Word.  The Bible calls the Word of God the sword of the spirit.

A sword is a powerful tool!

But you must possess the tool in order to use it.

To prepare for the battles—seen and unseen—you need to know God’s promises, His words, and His character before the battle begins. You MUST believe God’s there fighting with you but if you don’t know HIS Words before the battle, you might falter.  Knowing God’s Word ahead of time will prepare you for any and all battles coming your way.

The way to do that is to read, study, and believe His Words every day—before the battle, during the battle, and after the battle as well. Memory is not my strong suit so what I do as I read devotions and the Bible is I write verses on index cards that touch me in some way.

Those index cards sit on my desk and I read through them often.  After years of doing that, I may not remember the specific words but I remember the idea and call them to mind as needed.

Not to mention, I find them and read them when I need them specifically.

There is power in speaking God’s Words.

Don’t just read the words, speak the words.

God’s Words truly are the sword of the spirit. Each time, the enemy lies to you through your thoughts or through other people’s words and actions, you can cut their power to shreds by using God’s Words to lift up your spirit to God’s.

 

SHARING TIME: What’s your favorite way to study God’s Word?

Category:

GOD'S WORD, SPIRITUAL BATTLES

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UNSEEN BATTLES-PART 2

March 6, 2013

Ephesians 6:
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

FAITH! FAITH! FAITH!
Our spiritual journey begins with faith when we take that first step to believe and to become God’s child, then faith continues as we grow and mature spiritually, and finally our faith becomes fulfilled on that glorious day when we reunite with our Creator.
In our last devotion, we talked about life’s problems, big and small and that with each of those real-world struggles come an UNSEEN BATTLE—the battle to steal our spiritual inheritance and legacy. That is what the enemy wants. He wants us to listen to his lies, to believe him, to believe we don’t have the power to change our circumstances. To believe that God is not God. To believe that God is not good. To believe that God doesn’t love us as much as the other people around us.

We can’t always choose our circumstances, but we can choose to activate our faith in and through every circumstance. In Beth Moore’s study—Living Beyond Yourself—she has a phrase for each of the fruit of the spirits. For faith, the phrase is FAITH FIGHTS!

FAITH FIGHTS!
Faith is not passive.
Faith is active.
Let’s look at today’s verse again in light of the fact that FAITH FIGHTS. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Which YOU can extinguish…. YOU must do it. Faith is not passive.  Faith is active. You must be the one who activates your faith.
But how?
A good start is with our thoughts, our words, and then our actions!
Every time, those seeds of doubt enter our minds, banish them with God thoughts! A great verse and very easy to remember is “With God, all things are possible.”
Every time, you are tempted to whine about the situation, change it to an act of faith, by using positive words:” It’s tough right now, but God is still with me.”
As you practice using your thoughts and words to activate your faith, let your actions show that you are believing God’s Words and His Promises, not the enemy’s lies.
Faith Fights!
In her study, Beth also talks about prayer and that prayer can change our circumstances. She uses the illustration of a wall of doubt but with prayer that wall can be knocked out and turned into a window to allow God’s Power into our lives. Can you picture that?
I can. I kneel before a sold wall but as I pray to God. I pick up my  axe of faith and start to knock out the wall. With each prayer a little more of the wall of doubt crumbles allowing more of God’s light and power to shine on me. And before I  know it, I am bathed in the light of God’s love.

Bring on the flaming arrows, enemy—I will use them to enlarge my window of faith!
FAITH FIGHTS!

 

 

SHARING TIME: What’s one real way you can activate your faith on a daily basis?

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FAITH, SPIRITUAL BATTLES

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UNSEEN BATTLES

March 4, 2013

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

LIFE IS TOUGH! And then it gets even tougher. Sometimes it seems as if our problems and troubles will never end. And the truth is they might not! Or they might not end the way we want them to.

Disappointments, worries, and problems come. Illnesses happen. Tragedies strike. That’s the reality of the fallen world we live in.

Those are the battles we fight every day in the natural world.

Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, and sometimes it becomes a wait and see what happens. But there’s another battle going on as well. This battle is much more important than whatever you are experiencing in the natural world.

It’s an UNSEEN BATTLE

The unseen battle is about stealing your faith, hope, trust,  power,  peace, joy, and all the other wonderful gifts God gives us as His heir. Paul says it this way in Ephesians 6:

For 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.

 

Paul knew what many of us forget in this modern world. Even though we can’t see the supernatural world, it’s out there and there’s an unseen battle going on. And that’s the battle that counts!

You may not be able to do much about the battle in the physical world. Sometimes, you can and you certainly should do all you can, but there are times, it is what it is and you can’t change it.

But the UNSEEN BATTLE.

God gives us the weapons we need for that battle, but it’s up to us to use them. If we don’t we’ll lose the war. So, what are the weapons for fighting the unseen battle?

Ephesians 6: 13-20

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

 

As you can see, God has not left you defenseless in the UNSEEN BATTLES, but instead has given you many weapons. They are all important, of course, but it all starts with that shield of faith which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Wow! Did you read that line? Maybe you should read it again:  that shield of faith which YOU can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Did you notice the word I put the emphasis on that time?

YOU can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one! YOU are the one that much activate your faith. YOU are the one that must use your faith.

So, how do you do that? Good question and we’ll  discuss it some more in the next devotion.

SHARING TIME:  What are ways you activate your shield of faith?

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FAITH, SPIRITUAL BATTLES

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Letting Go Of Expectations

February 27, 2013

Isahiah 43:18

Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.

This verse is fairly familiar to most of us. Paul also talked about this same idea. Letting go of the past and moving forward. But as I read this verse this past week, another thought occurred to me that I’d like to share with you.

I think the verses are also about our expectations.

As we go through life and all the experiences that it throws at us, we form expectations. Those expectations can become so ingrained in us that they hold us back form God’s best plan for us.

For example, I’ve struggled with my weight for many years. And that means I’ve been on many diets. Each time I go on one, I truly want to lose the weight, but past results of diets have led me to certain expectations. The expectation being that I may lose 10 or 15 pounds before the diet stops working and/or I go back to old habits.

And you know what?

That’s exactly what happens!

And do you know why? Because of the expectations I’ve learned from past experiences. The truth is it doesn’t have to happen that way, but I let my past expectations control my present actions. If I stay with the nutrition plan and the exercise program that’s been working, why wouldn’t it continue to work?

It would except that I’ve programmed myself to expect failure. And so I that’s exactly what I get–FAILURE!

Maybe, it’s time to reset our expectations and experience more of God’s blessings, more of God’s success, more of God’s power in our life.

One way to do that is that as shut down those  negative voices telling  you that you CAN’T do it, that it WON’T work out, that you SHOULDN’T expect good things, use your voice and tell them out loud:  WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

SHARING TIME:  What negative expectations are holding you back from God’s best for you?

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FAITH

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