The Storm of Trusting in God’s Grace

Who I am?

That I would take ownership of my life

That I would take credit for the things You do in me

How could I neglect the love and mercy You’ve shown to me

Only You knew what it would take

You allowed your Son to take my place

You chose to look instead at His face

It is Your grace that adorns me

It is Your word that warns me

That my best is not enough

That my righteousness is worth but dust

I am in desperate need

Only the Blood of Christ is able to save me

Help me to understand

That it was Your Masterpiece

Your Master Plan

Given directly to me from Your Hands

We must not think that any good we do makes us righteous. ANY righteousness that we possess, which is of worth, is not our own. Thinking that the deeds we do carry enough value to save us is an attitude of self-righteousness. This type of attitude is pleasing to our flesh; it strokes our pride making it easy to fall into a skillfully crafted trap. This type of trap is so dangerous because the victim is unaware that they have been ensnared and are in need of help.

Our good deeds hold no value when compared to Jesus’ sacrifice. He is sinless, we are not. He is perfect, we are not. He sacrificed Himself for all to be saved, we did not. It was God’s grace that allowed Jesus to give His life for us, and it is God’s grace that chooses to look on Jesus’ PERFECT righteousness and not our vain attempts to do and be good. God’s grace adorns us and it covers our sins and shortcomings.

So, with that being said “Why should we do good?”.

1. Because He asks us to.

What does it truly mean to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior? As Savior, Jesus has rescued and redeemed us from the ultimate price of eternal death. As Lord, we give Him authority over us. This means He has the right to demand and expect our obedience. We should do good because His Word commands it. And we can count on Him to help us to do what He has commanded. His grace gives us the power to serve Him.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Hebrews 12:28 (KJV)

2. Because it pleases God and we are grateful.

Take a few moments to mediate on the magnitude of God’s sacrifice of His Son; consider what Jesus went through on our behalf. Now, think of how God freely offered His grace to you even though you did not deserve it. How could we not want to please such a Righteous, Loving, and Merciful Father? He alone is worthy of our affection. Yet, we still find that we can’t please Him without His help. We should do good because we are grateful and want to please Him.

Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:16 (NLT)

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 (KJV)

 3. But, never because it will make us deserving or grant us access to God.

Believing that any good we do makes us deserving of God’s grace is the same as saying that Jesus’ sacrifice was insufficient. This attitude of self-righteousness says that He was not beaten and bruised enough, that He didn’t suffer enough on the cross, and that God’s plan was flawed. When we choose not to receive of God’s grace, we are saying the same thing in our hearts.

So the final question is, “Have you truly received of God’s offer of salvation?”

I believe the answer can be found in these simple questions.

1.    Is He Lord of my life?

2.    Does He have authority over me?

3.    Am I obedient to His commands?

4.    Is He the center of my affections?

5.    Do I desire to please Him?

God’s grace is bigger than only delivering our souls from hell. It also gives us the strength to obey and the desire to please Him. When we receive salvation through God’s grace we also receive the power to overcome our flesh and live victorious lives. We must not pick and choose what we will believe. We must fully believe in God’s Word and His grace. Examine yourself today and receive God’s grace.

We would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments, or if you have a Surviving the Storm story, we would love for you to send it in to mountupblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for joining us, and see you next week… MOUNT UP!

For more information about surviving both natural and spiritual storms of life visit www.mountupbook.com or www.smokingforjesusministry.org.

Staying Responsive to God throughout the Storm

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God pings us just like a computer pings a server. In computers a ping is a test to see whether a server is responsive. Servers serve other programs so that they can carry out services and projects that meet a public need. As you continue to read, it is important to remember that a ping tests the responsiveness of the server, not whether it is doing what it is supposed to do.

When God pings us, He is testing to see if we are responsive. He chooses the means in which He will ping us. Whether it is through His Word, our pastors, trials, tribulations, or our obedience, He is testing us to see how we will respond to Him. If we are responsive to God, then we will react in these three ways:

1. It won’t be difficult for God to reach us and redirect us
2. We will respond favorable to Him
3. We will greet Him in the right manner; according to His Character

When God pings us, He is checking our responsiveness to Him, not whether we are doing what we are supposed to do. I believe this is linked to one of the many aspects of fearing God. Let us take a look at an excerpt from a book on this subject entitled, The Fear of the Lord by John Bevere. Read what he says:

“Hear me people of God: You can have the holy anointing oil on you, as Nadab and Abihu did. You can operate in miracles, cast out demons, and heal the sick in His Mighty Name. You can bring in large offerings to the church like Ananias and Sapphira. You can be anointed for praise and worship like Lucifer. But if you don’t possess the Fear of the Lord, you are not promised to endure forever. It is the fear of the Lord that causes you to stand before the presence of the Lord forever.”

Just like a server can serve the other programs and still NOT be responsive to the ping, we as leaders can be doing well serving in ministry and still NOT BE RESPONSIVE TO GOD. When we are not responsive to God, we don’t fear Him, and despite the service we do in His name, we will not endure forever. This is so dangerous. We must receive God’s help, repent, and allow Him to change us or just like Lucifer, Nadab, Abihu, Ananias and Saphirra we will lose our souls.

Let’s look at what the Word of God says:

“2 Kings 22:19 (NIV) ¹⁹Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the LORD.²⁰Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.”

If we have responsive hearts toward God we can avoid seeing disaster.

“Psalm 147:10-20 (KJV) ¹⁰He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. ¹¹The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.¹²Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. ¹³For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. ¹⁴He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. ¹⁵He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.¹⁶He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. ¹⁷He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? ¹⁸He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. ¹⁹He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. ²⁰He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.”

God does not delight in our strengths, talents, or abilities. He is pleased when we fear and hope in Him.

“1 Peter 2:9 (KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”

It is God who has called us out of darkness. We must respond by stepping into His marvelous light which exposes, strengthens, and cleanses us.

“1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 (KJV) ¹⁹Quench not the Spirit. ²⁰Despise not prophesyings. ²¹Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. ²²Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

We must be careful to examine ourselves. We should never automatically say, “Oh, that prophecy is for Bro or Sis So-and-So, not me.”

We must have open hearts towards God, agreeing with what He says about us. If we don’t confess our sins we will be unable to receive God’s grace which empowers us to change. We must not let our service and success in ministry fool us into thinking that we fear God.

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We would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments, or if you have a Surviving the Storm story, we would love for you to send it in to mountupblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for joining us, and see you next week… MOUNT UP!

For more information about surviving both natural and spiritual storms of life visit www.mountupbook.com or www.smokingforjesusministry.org.

The Storm of Lies

 Terrible thoughts cloud my mind
 Fighting to do what’s right
 Trying hard to be kind
 I gotta renew my mind
 Forget the things I taught myself
 I gotta get back to the things I shouldn’t have put on a shelf
 I need help because my thinking is bad
 I got a stinking attitude that tells me only I can do right by me
 But that’s a lie and I know why
 I can go back to the mistakes I made running my own life
 Going my own way caused a lot of pain and grief inside
 Wish I would have listened to the Holy Spirit
 Wish I had not believed a lie
 But I don't pity me
 Because there are greater things ahead
 I don't have to lie in the bed that I made
 I can live a life that’s FREE
 God can turn my mistakes into great victories
 But I can’t trust me
 I gotta believe that He knows much better than me
 And that He can see what I cannot see
 I choose to believe in the one I can’t see
 He does a much better job at taking care of me

After reading the poem above, can you think back to a time when you believed a lie? I want you to remember the consequences of believing in anything more than you believed in God’s Word. Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) says “⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” It is hard to admit that we don’t have the ability to make sound decisions without God’s help. However, we must. With that being said, “How can we avoid believing lies?”

We need a strong foundation in the Word of God. If we embed the Word of God in our hearts and lives, then there will be no room for lies to take root in us. False teaching and belief systems take root when there is nothing in our hearts to weed them out. Romans 1:28-31 (KJV) shows us what happens when refuse to study and apply the Word of God in our lives.

“²⁸And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; ²⁹Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, ³⁰Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:”

If we chose to ignore God, this is our fate.

Studying, applying, and hiding God’s Word in our hearts and daily walk are vital keys to staying on track when a multitude of people decide to take the easy route. When we don’t understand something, our first response should be to go to the Word of God. We should not be swayed by our emotions or worldly trends that crash through supposedly Christian environments. We should commit to living our lives and making decisions that will please God, not man. Paul says in Galatians 1:10 (NLT), “¹⁰ Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” We have to choose to please God more than man and more than our flesh. Don’t get caught up in the storm of lies.

We would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments, or if you have a Surviving the Storm story, we would love for you to send it in to mountupblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for joining us, and see you next week… MOUNT UP!

For more information about surviving both natural and spiritual storms of life visit www.mountupbook.com or www.smokingforjesusministry.org.

 

“Allowing God To Have Control In The Midst Of The Storm”

I should acknowledge You in all my ways
I know You’re the One Who numbers my days
I don’t count on You to see me through
I’d rather fix my own problems
I really think that I can solve them
I like doing things my own way
What can I say
Besides I know – I should change
I should trust only in You
But that’s not what I do and now I feel like a fool
But, today is a new day
I look in the mirror and I see change
I need You to rearrange my life
I need Your help to win this fight
You are my Creator and Father too
I’ve stopped worshiping me and now bow down only to You
I don’t wanna fight my Creator no more
Shut my windows and open Your doors
I want more than what I can provide
I want more than this longing I have on the inside
I want You
I’m finally listening so tell me what you want me to do

After reading the poem above can you remember a time when you trembled at the thought of giving God full control over a tough situation? It is comforting to know that that is a good reaction to losing control in the midst of a storm. Philippians 2:12-13 (KJV) says:

“12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

It is not always easy for us to allow God to have control of our lives. But, when we decide to trust Him fully, He will not only give us the strength to go forth, but also the will to continue. With that being said, “How can we allow God to have full control during our storms?”

We must acknowledge Him in our lives daily. When we acknowledge God we recognize His authority over our lives. This means that we trust that where He is guiding us will produce good and just results. Proverbs 3:5-8 (AMP) says:

“5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil. 8It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.”

We will never regret letting God have control in the midst of our storms. We can’t see the future and we don’t know the whole picture. Only God knows everything. Read this excerpt from “Gripped by the Greatness of God” by James MacDonald for more clarity:

Images: © 2009 Darleen Araujo and Sue Chastain

We may not always understand why God does things the way He does, but we can count on it to work out for our good.

We would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments, or if you have a Surviving the Storm story, we would love for you to send it in to mountupblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for joining us, and see you next week… MOUNT UP!

For more information about surviving both natural and spiritual storms of life visit www.mountupbook.com or www.smokingforjesusministry.org.

The Storm of Choices

Make up your mind
Now is the time
Will you obey or stay the way you are?
You don’t want to go too far
It’s like you are the only one on earth and you don’t care who you hurt
Love won’t walk out on you
So don’t leave -  Stand for the truth
Choose His benefits
Choose to honor Him
Don’t choose to serve yourself
It’s like you don’t even expect His help
You would rather help yourself
Choose to bless Him with your life
Come on – Make up your mind
He said everything would be alright
So you can let go of your own life
He alone can satisfy
Choose a full life
Stop stalling – Choose right
Come on – Choose life
Don’t choose to die

After reading the poem above, we should all be painfully aware of our free will. We should also be aware of the trouble we can get ourselves into when we make wrong choices. Our choices are our own to make. God did give us a free will to choose. He also gave us His Word to show us how to use our free will. With that being said, “Should we make our choices without God’s guidance?”

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (NLT) gives us a choice to make and the options are clear:

¹⁵ “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. ¹⁶ For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. ¹⁷ “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, ¹⁸ then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. ¹⁹ “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! ²⁰ You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Yes we have choices, but if we don’t choose to love and serve God, then we are choosing death, disaster, and curses. When we choose God we choose good things. The Word of God has so many promises and rewards for those who choose to serve the Lord. Psalm 103:2-6 (KJV) tells us of the benefits from serving God:

²Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: ³Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; ⁴Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; ⁵Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. ⁶The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

In a world full of choices we should be careful to understand the consequences of the choices we make and CHOOSE LIFE.

We would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments, or if you have a Surviving the Storm story, we would love for you to send it in to mountupblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for joining us, and see you next week… MOUNT UP!

For more information about surviving both natural and spiritual storms of life visit www.mountupbook.com or www.smokingforjesusministry.org.

The Storm of Broken Promises

Tell the world – He fulfills promises
I know you’ve lived long
I know you’ve seen the promises man made go wrong
So you figure it won’t be long
You figure God’s promises will also go wrong
But He is not like man
He won’t break the hearts He hold in His hands
He can be trusted
Prove Him and you will see
That nothing for Him is impossible and all things He sees
He has only good plans
So please – Stop comparing Him to man

After reading the poem above I am sure you can remember a promise made to you that was broken. God doesn’t break promises. Yet, our experiences with man can cause us to doubt that God will do what He said He would do. Hebrews 10:22-23 (KJV) tells us that God is faithful:

²²Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promise;)

We can rest assured that God will keep His promises. He is faithfulness. He firmly adheres to His promises. God wants us to prove Him. He wants us to activate our faith so He can activate His power. Let’s look at Psalm 34:8 (KJV):

⁸O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

God loves to prove His goodness towards us. We need to give Him a chance to show us that He can be trusted. Remember God is not like man. Numbers 23:19 (KJV) says

¹⁹God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

When people ask you to trust them you are taking a risk and you may get hurt. But, when you trust God you are blessed. There is no chance you can lose out when you put your trust in God.

In a world full of choices we should be careful to understand the consequences of the choices we make and CHOOSE LIFE.

We would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments, or if you have a Surviving the Storm story, we would love for you to send it in to mountupblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for joining us, and see you next week… MOUNT UP!

For more information about surviving both natural and spiritual storms of life visit www.mountupbook.com or www.smokingforjesusministry.org.

The Storm of Spiritual Bankruptcy

You are on a quest to satisfy
You feel empty and you act like you don’t know why
But I know, do you remember how you wouldn’t give God time?
He wanted to change your life – He tried to teach you where true value lies
You will find no satisfaction in the product of your own actions
What about the reaction you will get on judgment day? What will Jesus say?
What price could you pay to remedy your own soul?
The truth be told, you rejected the only One who could pay the price
You refused to surrender your rights
Do you really think you will hear “Well done?” OR Is He more likely to say, “I never knew you – now go away.”
What price could you pay to remedy your own soul? AND What could you say when it’s already too late?
Should have stored up heavenly treasures, the value of which cannot be measured
Satan works with the flesh to create a big mess and to make you settle for less
Now you stand before GOD and there is nothing left
Why didn’t you to choose life over death?

After reading this poem, I would like you to check your Spiritual Bank Account. Are you overdraft or running low on funds? If you find that you are low on spiritual treasures, it is a good thing, because you still have a chance to make the necessary deposits. With that being said, “How can we avoid Spiritual Bankruptcy?”

We must first believe that being wealthy in spiritual things is more important than obtaining natural wealth. Of course, we must have food to eat, a place to live, and we must provide for our families. But, we must also eat of spiritual food (the Word of God), live a life pleasing to Him, and provide an example of true godly living. Matthew 6:19-21 (KJV) says:

 “¹⁹Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:²⁰But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: ²¹For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

When we stand before God it won’t matter how wealthy we were here on earth. God wants righteousness. Were we obedient to His commands and principles? We must remember that our time here is extremely short compared to the eternal life we are working towards. We must be diligent to put God’s Will first. Mark 8:36-37 (KJV) says:

“³⁶For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? ³⁷Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Nothing is worth losing our souls and messing up the promises God has for us. I beg you… please choose LIFE over death.

We would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments, or if you have a Surviving the Storm story, we would love for you to send it in to mountupblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for joining us, and see you next week… MOUNT UP!

For more information about surviving both natural and spiritual storms of life visit www.mountupbook.com orwww.smokingforjesusministry.org.

“The Storm of Murmuring”

You have given me EVERYTHING ELSE

Now, give me a grateful heart

I don’t wanna depart from my service to You

Don’t wanna do things You didn’t tell me to do

I wanna serve You for the right reasons

I wanna to be ready to give my life in and out of season

I want You to call on me

I wanna prove that You can trust me

I am purposed to do Your will

To reach out with Your hands to the ones You wanna heal

I wanna agree with You and trust in all You do

I don’t wanna hide my sins

I wanna confess them and let You change me from within

Heal my heart and its wicked ways

Change me daily, so that I can give you authentic praise

Help me to remember that I was once an evil sinner

Help me to see that Your Son chose to die for me

I didn’t deserve it, yet, He said that I was worth it

He sacrificed His blood, He proved His love

Now I am free, to serve You as You please

So, give me a grateful heart

I don’t wanna depart, from the reason Jesus gave His life, from the reason I am now made right

This is my prayer

I’m trusting in You to get me there

As I think of all that Jesus went through on my behalf, I am overwhelmed with gratefulness. There is nothing that we did or that we could ever do to earn the gift of life and love that He gave us. God took care of our greatest need, our salvation. Yet, He still gives more and more. So, with that being said, “How can we receive a grateful heart?”

First, I believe that we must repent of spewing and consuming the poison of murmuring and complaining. Then, we can turn to God’s Word for the antidote. We must renew our minds with His thoughts on murmuring. Let’s look at Job 15:11-13(NLT),

¹¹ “Is God’s comfort too little for you? Is his gentle word not enough? ¹² What has taken away your reason? What has weakened your vision, ¹³ that you turn against God and say all these evil things?

Even in the face of great turmoil (such as Job experienced) we have no excuse for complaining. Is not God in full control of our lives? Is not all power given by God? He can turn any situation to benefit us. In our minds we can’t see it, but we need to know that we serve an incomprehensible God. Fully understanding His ways is beyond the grasp of our human intellect. Paul made it plain in Romans 9:18-20 (NLT),

¹⁸ So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. ¹⁹ Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?” ²⁰ No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?”

The wisest thing we can do is to let go, trust God, and be grateful for His help. It is God’s Will that we be grateful (1 Thessalonians 5:18). If we ask Him, He will show us the areas where we are blocking ourselves from receiving a grateful heart. BE HONEST with yourself. Ask for God’s help and receive of a grateful heart today.

We would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments, or if you have a Surviving the Storm story, we would love for you to send it in to mountupblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for joining us, and see you next week… MOUNT UP!

For more information about surviving both natural and spiritual storms of life visit www.mountupbook.com or www.smokingforjesusministry.org.

The Storm of Spiritual Deafness

Do an OBEDIENCE check.

Use God’s Word and don’t veer right nor left.

UNDERSTANDING comes to those who OBEY.

If you can’t UNDERSTAND, try doing what God says.

His Word is clear, “Let Him that have an ear Hear”.

And to those who don’t agree, even what you have will be taken and more you will not receive.

You choose to believe a lie.

You let your emotions, opinions, and will control your life.

It’s not right, but you can’t see.

It’s not for your benefit.

It won’t help you stay free.

Do an OBEDIENCE check.

Rid yourself of stubbornness, till there is none of it left.

Submit your will to His.

Believe that He is the one that made all things as it is.

Submit and OBEY.

Then you will UNDERSTAND what the Spirit has to say.

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I pray that this poem is a vivid reminder to CHECK YOURSELF. God tells us to judge ourselves or He will do it for us 1 Corinthians 11:31-32). Christians that Fear God are in a constant state of repentance. They are ever growing and ever changing.
Our obedience to God is tied to our understanding of His Word. If we are disobedient, we will hear the Word of God and not be able to understand what it is saying. God will be giving clear direction and guidance and we will still make decisions based on our emotions, opinions, and will. This disobedience to God will only cause our understanding to be dimed even more. Jesus tells us in Mark 4:23-25:

²³If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. ²⁴And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. ²⁵For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

So, with that being said “How do we do AN OBEDIENCE CHECK?” – REPENT (Follow David’s pattern in Psalm 51). We must allow God to show us where we went wrong. We must agree with Him and accept His grace to help to live a life in reverent fear (Hebrews 12:28). Seek God’s ways. Study His Word and begin to obey. Ask God for His help for this is something we cannot do without Him. Be HONEST with yourself, God already knows who you are.

 

To learn more about this subject contact our Resource Center @ 512-756-1712 and ask for resource# SSS02192012. (Developing Your Ears to Hear – Part II – To Hear Means To Obey) Taught By – Pastor Willie L. Monnet Sr., Smoking For Jesus Ministry (Rev 3:16) “On Fire For The Lord”.

We would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments, or if you have a Surviving the Storm story, we would love for you to send it in to mountupblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for joining us, and see you next week… MOUNT UP!

For more information about surviving both natural and spiritual storms of life visit www.mountupbook.com or www.smokingforjesusministry.org.

“The Storm of Becoming a Servant after God’s Heart”

Kimberly Collins – Surviving the Storm – Guest Blogger

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Many of you that are reading this may be getting attack after attack from various angles. If you try to handle it from the carnal or worldly mind frame then you may easily be defeated. Some people are so deceived that they don’t even realize that they are in bondage.

Remember, Ephesians 6:12 “We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principality, against powers, against the rulers against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Recognizing something isn’t right with our thinking and/or feelings is the first step to getting free. This helps us to know what to pray for and we can also let others know how to pray for us. When we use the Word of God as a lifeline, we can depend on God’s strength as our protection and shield. We can also count on the direction and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Once we become receptive and appreciative of the price that Jesus paid on the cross, we too can be free.

I have been attacked from so many angles since the death of my son. I thank God, because I know if He wasn’t with me, I wouldn’t still be standing. God is still with me and I write this aiming to help anyone that may be going through any type of storm. Some may have issues similar to mine or some may have harsher or milder afflictions, either way my desire is that we are set free. We all have tests. We all have trials. And if we allow these tests to mold us we can come out victorious. I pray this can encourage you.

Seven months ago, I relocated to a small town which is ten hours away from most of my family. I left my mother, father, sisters, brothers, family, and friends. I even left my sweet grandson. In the midst of all of these changes, I have been having health issues. I have been suffering from an uncommon strain of cluster headaches. The pain I experience during these attacks feel fatal and the intensity of this pain is unexplainable. I praise and thank God as I type this because I have been free from a cluster episode for over a month. I am praying and believing that this is an affliction of the past. But now as the cluster headache attacks cease I realize I am now experiencing depression paired with all sorts other issues. I have noticed since I moved here that there has been issue after issue. Now don’t misunderstand me. I have had issues since I’ve began to believe. I think that goes with the territory. But, when you experience depression to this point and your body doesn’t have the strength it represents a new set of problems. Now what I wrote above is my story and I am sure you have a story, but what I am writing is aimed to help us get free.

In Psalm 6 we read, “¹ LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. ² Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint; heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony. ³ My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long? ⁴ Turn, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. ⁵ Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave? ⁶ I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. ⁷ My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. ⁸ Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. ⁹ The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. ¹⁰ All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.”

In several of my recent readings of David, I realized that he was extremely depressed. King David lost his son to death, just as I have. All types of stuff happened to David. Yes he did sin, just as we do, but the point I am aiming at is that David was DEPRESSED. In his writings he pleaded to God to give him strength for his crying eyes and his tired bones and etc. I feel the same way.

The thing that sticks out the most about David’s story to me is that he was called “A Man after God’s Own Heart”. What does that mean to you? How could a depressed man be called a man seeking God’s heart. I think this shows us faith at its highest form. David, same as me, same as you need to know that our deliverance rest in God’s heart. So, no matter what seek His Heart, by any means necessary!!

Matthew 24:13 “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Don’t let the devil make you think it is taking too long or that it is too hard. Trust, your deliverance is near. So, the encouragement I give to you today is – Don’t get comfy doing nothing. Press to get out of that thing like David. Cry out to God and believe in Him. If you cannot do anything else YOU SEEK HIM!!!

As you can see if you read a few Psalms, David didn’t really have a strong support system. So if your support system is weak you have no excuse, you can still make it. David cried to His Father and our Father says that He is just to hear us. So cry to Him. If you can’t read because you are too tired let the word play on CD or DVD in your ear. There is power in the Word of God. If you cannot pray because you are too weary JUST cry, SAY JESUS!!! SAY JESUS!!! And he will deliver you. I believe He will do it for you and I believe He will do it for me. Be blessed!!!!! We will be Victorious!!!!!

Father God, in The Name of Jesus, thank you for all things You’ve done for us and I ask You to forgive us from all of our sins. I pray that You touch the lives of everyone that needs deliverance in any areas that have them bound. I realize all of our stories are different and You know the outcome of it all. We just ask for Your Will to be done in our lives and that we would line up in your perfect plan, in any area that is preventing us from living Victoriously. Father, I pray that you brake the chains that prevent your children from doing your will, set us free. In Jesus name we pray, Amen I am feeling better already, I pray you are too. Be Blessed!!!

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We would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments, or if you have a Surviving the Storm story, we would love for you to send it in to mountupblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for joining us, and see you next week… MOUNT UP!

For more information about surviving both natural and spiritual storms of life visit www.mountupbook.com or www.smokingforjesusministry.org.

“Lost in the Thicket”

by Eronie White – Surviving The Storm – Guest Blogger