Divine Appointment

Recently, I attended a Bible study on the pros and cons of social media. The conference was geared for teens, but because I'm on social media for my blog, I think I got more out of it than they did. At first, it seemed that the cons outweighed the pros and I was ready to unplug, but then the pastor said something amazing. He said, "Social media is the greatest mission field most of us will ever be on. Just remember that you are Christ's Ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) in every thing you write, post, comment, tweet, or do."
He ended his talk giving us a challenge. He challenged us to ask the following question the next time we post on social media,
"How can I pray for you?"

So, I asked.  This morning, I posted that I was going to commit to pray for 30 minutes for my High School Moms group.

Well, you know that saying about good intentions...
Yeah, I don't know that saying either. Let's just say that life got in the way of my good intentions.
I woke up late.
My husband had a late start which interfered with my "quiet time".
I wanted to watch the last 15 minutes of this awesome move on Netflix called "Little Boy".
And then, before I knew it, it was time to go to work.
Oops! Man, did I feel guilty.

I asked the LORD to please help me keep my commitment to pray. I work early mornings at my Christian preschool, and most of the time, my first student shows up at 6:35 a.m.  

So, I asked the LORD, "Please give me 30 minutes before my first student arrives so I can dedicate 30 minutes to pray for every teen and child represented in my mom's group, for my preschool, for my fellow staff members, for my director, for my pastor, for the upcoming election, and for my nation. I got my classroom all set up and then started praying at 6:25 am. I kept praying, looking at clock, praying, looking out into the parking lot. As the clock neared 7:00 a.m., I started giving praise to The LORD for honoring my heart's desire to meet with Him. My first student arrived at 7:03 a.m.

Is GOD good or what?

If we tell GOD, "I want to meet one-on-one with You. I want a personal appointment to talk to You." He'll move Heaven and Earth to make sure that appointment happens.

Jeremiah 29:13-14 (MSG)
“When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. “I’ll turn things around for you..."
Proverbs 8:17 (AMP)
“I love those who love me; and those who seek me early and diligently will find me."

So, have you scheduled your appointment yet?
Love,
Yolanda

Are We Going to Hell in a Hand-Basket?

So, I am currently attending Boot Camp – BIBLE Boot Camp. It’s geared for teenagers and it is 3-weeks of intense Bible teaching with some fun thrown in. The organizers welcome parents to attend the classes for free. My teen is not so welcoming. My daughter asks me everyday with a pout, “Are you staying?”
YEP. But it’s not to keep an eye on her. I’m sitting in the very back, practically hiding behind a potted tree, so as not to interfere with her “teen time”.
Other parents ask me, “Are you staying? Don’t you want mom time?”
NOPE! I’ve got my Bible, pen, and notebook and I’m fully enlisted – heart, soul, and mind.


I feel like saying, “Don’t you know we are at war? There’s a spiritual battle raging and God is calling men and women to enlist in His army! I need this boot camp to get into spiritual shape, to learn the lessons of spiritual warfare, and to power up because I'm out of shape and weak. I'm basically the Private Benjamin of God's Army.

You see, the ugly war raging all around us is not a physical war against man. It is a spiritual war. We are losing the battle because we are fighting each other and not the real enemy.
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

In order to be effective in God’s Army, we need to fight this war with spiritual weapons. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit so we can see the real enemy, we need to know God’s Word, we need God’s supernatural love and compassion for each other, but most importantly we need to be on our knees praying. The greatest weapon against spiritual warfare is praying God’s Word. It’s a sword that cuts right to the heart of the enemy and destroys the powers of darkness.

Ephesians 6:10-12 (MSG)
A Fight to the Finish
God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Recently, I heard a pastor talk about why the world seems to be heading to “Hell in a hand-basket”. Why there is so much hatred and violence among us. Why it seems to be escalating faster and faster in a downward spiral. Here are the scripture verses that explain why.

Matthew 24:3-13 (NLT)
Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, what sign will signal your return and the end of the world?”
Jesus told them, “You will hear of wars and threats of wars...Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world…You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And MANY will turn away from me and BETRAY and HATE each other…SIN (LAWLESSNESS) will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

As more and more people reject GOD and remove Him from all aspects of our society, lawlessness will increase and the love of many will grow cold. Hearts harden and hate replaces love.

So what do we do? How do we fight the spiritual battle? Jesus said:
1. Keep watch
2. Be ready
3. Do good
 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming… You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected…Blessed is the servant, who the LORD finds being faithful and responsible for the care and feeding of others. Continue to do good so that when the LORD returns, you will be rewarded.” Paraphrase from Matthew 24:42-45

To endure, we must continue to do the work Jesus assigned us:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

All authority in heaven and earth has been given to us, through the indwelling of the Spirit of GOD in us. Greater is Jesus that is in us than the devil and his demons that are roaming this world. We must continue to do good, spread the love of Jesus, so that God’s love can defrost cold hearts, replacing hearts of stone, with new tender, responsive hearts. Ezekiel 36:26

The Devil wants us to keep fighting and destroying each other. Every time we do that, we are doing his bidding. If you are a Believer and Follower of Jesus Christ, than it's time to ask God to open your spiritual eyes so you can start to fight the real enemy. Jesus already showed us how to defeat the Devil - utilizing God's Word (Matthew 4:1-11).

In 2014, a Fox News Poll showed that 58% of registered voters thought the world was going to hell in a hand-basket. I can imagine, with everything going on today, that percentage is now higher. So does that mean that Believers should just give up and jump in the basket? NO! We must use every opportunity and God-given resource to pull people out of the burning basket.

Are you ready to do battle for a spiritually dying world? Then, let's pray.
Prayer taken from Psalm 18:28-36; 46-50
LORD, you have brought light to our life; my GOD, you light up the darkness.
In your strength we can crush an army.
With our God we can scale any wall.
As for God, his way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
For who is GOD except the LORD?
Who but our GOD is a solid rock?
God arms us with strength;
He has made our way safe.
He makes us surefooted as a deer, leading us safely along the mountain heights.
He prepares us for battle.
He strengthens us to draw a bow of bronze.
You [JESUS] have given us the shield of Your Salvation.
Your right hand supports us.
Your gentleness has made us great.
You have made a wide path for our feet to keep them from slipping.
The LORD lives! Blessed be our rock!
He is the God who pays back those who harm us.
He subdues the nations and rescues us from our enemies.
You hold us safe beyond the reach of our enemies.
For this, O LORD, we will praise you among the nations.
We will sing joyfully to Your Name.
You give great victories and show unfailing love to your anointed.
We love you, LORD.
Come quickly, we pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Love,

Yolanda