Lyrical Friday - Tear Down The Walls

As a Christian, it the desire of my heart to see all my loved ones walking in the ways of the Lord. I want for them to experience peace, love and joy. I want them to know the power of Christ in their lives and to share in the grace that has been so abundantly given to me. I want so much for them, yet they refuse it.

Out of all the unsaved people that I know, there is one in particular that has brought me to my knees year after year praying for His salvation. We will call him Bob. Being the straight forward gal that I am and battling years of foot in mouth disease, I thought it wise and prudent to always point out to Bob all his shortcomings and his faults. I thought that in doing so I was right. After all, in order to HELP Bob see his need of a savior, I needed to point out the sin in his life. Wrong! This is a common mistakes that Christians make unconsciously.

God graciously opened my eyes to error of my ways and used this song by Hillsong United to lead me in the way of His love. He helped me understand that I am not to play the role of the Holy Spirit in Bob's life, or any one else for that matter. He revealed to me that Bob was aware of his own shortcomings and unhappiness and I didn't need to keep reminding him of them (kicking the horse while its already dead). Faithful as God is, He forgave me for my mishandling of this situation and He tore down the walls in my heart. He has sown the fruits of His Spirit in my life and given me a new tactic: let love tear down the walls, not your condemnation.

Beloved reader, it is my prayer for you this day that you be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. May all the fruits of His precious Spirit be sown in your life and bear much fruit, good fruit, fruitful fruit. Heavenly Father I pray that the out pour of Your Holy Spirit be evident in their out pour of Your fruits from their lives to all others. May Your love tear down the walls in their lives and tear down the walls of all those around them who do not know You, Jesus, as their Lord and Savior. And when they don't see evidence of their love transforming their lives, let hope and faith arise, for they do not need to see it to believe it. Your Name is glorious. Your love is changing us, calling us, to worship in spirit and in truth, as all creation returns to You. It is in your name Father, Son and Holy Spirit that I pray. Amen. 
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Tear Down The Walls, Hillsong United

Flames from James

Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. 
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If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. 

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So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? James 4:11-12

Lyrical Friday - Break Every Chain

photo by Bloncorded

Happy Friday! 
I have a friend that when she prays, she always prays, "there is power in the name of Jesus." I love that at times, that is all she can mutter out. Sometimes that is all we need to know, acknowledge and pray.

There is tremendous power in the name of Jesus.
For only Jesus has overcome this world, overcoming death itself to set you free- He can surely break every chain. He can break any chain and every chain that is holding you captive:
Disordered Eating
Cutting
Depression
Drugs
Alcohol
Gambling
Debt
Fornication
Jealousy
Idolatry
Self Worship
Pride
Malice
Wrath
Legalism
Forgiveness
Wrong self image
Sexual Immorality/Addiction
you name it _____________. Whatever the chain may be, no matter how strong or inconspicuous, our Lord Jesus can break that chain and set you free.

Meditate on the powerful lyrics of this song and surrender to the One who can break any bondage in your life. Cry out to Jesus, ask Him to break every chain. He has a glorious plan for your life and no power on the earth can shut that door. Why wait any longer? Enter into the freedom and life that you were created to live.
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Therefore if Jesus sets you free, you shall be free indeed. 

John 8:36

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Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces. For He has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron in two. 
Psalm 107:13-14,16
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A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. Psalm 68:5-6
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I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness— secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. Isaiah 45:2-3-
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Break Every Chain, Jesus Culture



There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
To break every chain
To break every chain
To break every chain

All sufficient sacrifice
So freely given
Such a price bought
Our redemption
Heaven’s gates swing wide

There’s an army rising up
There’s an army rising up
There’s an army rising up
There’s an army rising up
To break every chain
To break every chain
To break every chain (4x)
There’s power in the Name of Jesus

hope for the persecuted Christian

This post is for those who are being ridiculed, mocked, put down, insulted, persecuted, and attacked for your faith in Jesus Christ. Keep on walking on with Jesus, proclaiming the Gospel of truth to a dying world.

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12


You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to allwho are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16


You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:43-44,48


Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:7-9


But You, O LORD, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head. 
I cried to the LORD with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill.  Selah 
I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around. 
Psalm 3:3-6

hungry?

Hi dear friends. 

It's taken me a few days to put into words the message God has placed in my heart to share with you. I am confident that if you are reading this, it is not by accident or chance but because it is the will of God. Be blessed. 

Have you ever been so hungry that your stomach cannot keep silent? 

Have you been so hungry that you cannot think straight?

Have you been so hungry that you eat the first thing you can, only to regret it later?

Hunger defined: 1. a compelling need or desire for food. 2. the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the need of food. 3. a shortage of food; famine. It may very well be that you are not experiencing physical hunger yet experiencing all of the symptoms above. 

Do you have a compelling need?

Do you have an unmet desire in your life?

Are you encountering a painful sensation?

Are you found in a state of weakness?

Is their a shortage for a basic need in your life?

Are you going through a dry season, a famine and/or barely surviving?

If you answered yes to 1 or all of the above, you are hungry! 

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. john 6:35

Just like physical hunger, our spirit groans to be filled. That is why we search for fulfillment in so many outlets: friends, food, shopping, relationships, career, success, hobbies, etc... you name it! We all seek to be filled. Much like physical hunger, our spirit is restless and cannot think straight. Our minds are so focused on our current state that we miss out on life. We are a self consumed generation, "it is all about me... what about me... poor me!" And sad to say, we can be so spiritually empty that we intake anything and everything but Jesus to be filled, only to regret it later because it never truly satisfied. 

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. 1 Peter 2:1-3 

So often, we are so hungry that we will eat just about anything. So it is with the spiritual hunger, we are so desperate that we turn to the first thing the world offers. The Word of God so clearly reminds us that in our flesh nothing good dwells, so I encourage you today: forsake the garbage this world offers and turn to Jesus. Many times, we seek the council of a friend or we rather go read what another Christian has to say, and to this I say, the Word of God cannot be substituted. As a baby desires milk, desire and seek to be filled with the Word of God. Then and only than will you be fully satisfied and quenched. "We cannot satisfy a physical hunger with a physical solution." -Pedro Garcia

Only Jesus can satisfy your hungry heart. So whether you are hungry for love, hungry for affection, hungry for romance- Jesus is the only source of fulfillment. If your hunger is for knowledge, wisdom or for purpose- only Jesus can fill you with these. Maybe your hungry for life, your hungry because life has not been easy and now you are empty- go to Jesus and you will never hunger again. Whatever your hunger may be, Jesus can and will feed you. 

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I leave you with these amazing promises in God's Word: 

How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the woman who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:6 

For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things. Psalm 81:10

By the power of your hand, O Lord, destroy those who look to this world for their reward. But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones.  Psalm 17:14

When you open your hand, You satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. Psalm 145:16

They will neither hunger nor thirst. Isaiah 49:10

The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. Psalm 34:10 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6

Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Luke 6:21

Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb (Jesus) who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:15-17

sentence tuesday

No matter where you are at, your citizenship is in Heaven, therefore, you are a missionary. 

-Mike Lawrence 

my friend Yesenia in Haiti 

Lyrical Friday - Daisy's Song

Happy Friday! 

I am so excited for today's lyrical post. I have played this song about a trillion times this week- OK, not really, but you get the point. Below I have included the personal account from the writer of this song and the story behind it. You are in for a perspective changing, life altering experience. 


God's love truly is stronger, strong enough for you and me. Strong enough to stand against the toughest trial yet gentle enough to pick us up from our weakest moments. May the Lord do a mighty work in your mind and heart as you take in the words of this song. May hope and perfect peace be settled in your heart. 

"Sometimes I sit down and try to write a song. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Other times it’s almost as if the song is writing me. It just comes. It’s a totally rare and holy moment when that happens and I’m always so humbled to be in the middle of it. Eight months ago, when we got the news that one of my best friend’s daughter – who happened to be my daughter’s best friend – had cancer, I was breathless and overwhelmed with heartache. The next morning several of us gathered together to pray for five year old Daisy Love Merrick and her family. During the prayer meeting I was flooded with the reality that the love of God is stronger than any storm that might come our way. Having a five year old daughter myself, I was absolutely thrashed by the idea of Daisy having cancer and wept for hours. Through the tears I sat down and had one of those holy moments where the song just kind of came. The lyrics are as follows…" -Dominic Balli 

Daisy's Song, Dominic Balli  

When that storm comes
Like a hurricane
And the sun seems far away

We will not fear the wind
We will not fear the waves
I can feel your calm within

When this life is shaken
By ragin’ seas
We are not gon’ be afraid

So if ya walk on waves and wind
Then hold my hand and I’ll walk again

Chorus:
This love is stronger than the blood that beats my heart
This love is deeper, than the pain of all these scars
This love goes farther than the hope in answer’s arms
This love is stronger
It’s strong enough for me

You lived our sorrows,
Befriended all our pain
All that we might rise again

You stole my sickness,
Rested in my disease
All that I might rest in thee

And you alone bring healing,
And for you I’ll wait
But we are not gon’ be afraid

We may be crushed but we are not ever forsaken
We may be struck down but we are not ever destroyed
Then when that fire comes to shine through me your glory
We are not gonna be afraid

Click HERE for a follow up on Daisy Love. 

operator, please connect me

This past Sunday, as I drove to church I had a strange thought in my mind: Have so-and-so pray for you. I was a bit confused. "Why would I have so-and-so pray for me?" I thought to myself. As a matter of fact, why would I need prayer from anyone? I wasn't in any harm or experiencing a pressing trial. When again the same thought came to my mind again.  OK Lord, you're on to something. 

At a red light, I sent a text to my friend (the Lord was very specific in bringing this person's name to pray for me): "Can you pray for me. I don't know for what but I feel like I need prayer." As soon as I hit send, so many different scenarios played in my mind. What if I am involved in a tragic car accident? What if I am about to suffer serious injuries in a freak car accident? Or is it that something will happen at church? Maybe some crazy person will confront me? Or may I need to guard my heart from a wolf in sheep's clothing? I literally had to stop myself.

The car accident paranoia leaves as I arrive safely to church. I walk in to the sanctuary and no crazies attacked me. I soon forget my worries and also the fact that the Lord had prompted me to ask for prayer.

Little did I know that as soon as worship was over and the teaching about to begin, an usher walks up to me and asks me to serve. He tells me, "You know I wouldn't ask you unless you were my last resort." And so, I get up and go serve to a ministry that I am not a part of and not ready for. What could go wrong went wrong and I was feeling like a failure. I even froze when I began. Out of nowhere, I began to speak boldly and with confidence, both of which were not there a second ago.

As soon as the service was over, the Lord reminded me of my request for prayer. OH! That's why the Lord prompted me to ask for prayer. He knew that I would need it. He reminded me of an important lesson: ASK for prayer. We have to be obedient and ask for prayer... it's like picking up the phone and asking the operator for help. Thank God for friends who are like operators, connecting us to the One who can help.

Do you have a friend like that? 
I encourage you to ask a friend or myself to pray for you, whether it be a direct prayer request or maybe one as vague as mine. Call, text, email or Facebook that friend and say, "Operator, please connect me!"

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For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:19

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Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. 1 Timothy 2:1,3

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Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called—His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. Ephesians 1:15-18

sentence tuesday

It is true that God provides people in our lives 

to help us through tough times, 

but He cannot be substituted. -Maky Fernandez