Surrender?

Happy New Year everyone. I figured I should take advantage of this blogging platform and maybe help someone in the process to not have to go through the same striving as me!
Someone once told me I need to "just surrender". That's hard for a recovering control freak to do!
So it's time I share what the Lord is trying to teach me about how he operates.
One of my favorite teacher/pastors puts it like this. When you are "working", (on whatever the situation is - kids, finances, health, fill in the blank) God is resting. He is waiting for you to give the situation to Him so He can do His work. And likewise, when you are "resting" (trusting the God is in control, and He wants to fix the situation more than you want it fixed), God is working! He is a gentleman like that. He'll sit back and wait as you go around the mountain of self effort again and again. When you are finally tired of going around the mountain, and you give it to Him, He goes to work!
I'm learning that when I am "losing my peace" over a particular situation in my life (kids, finances, health, fill in the blank), and then I try to "fix it" in my own strength, I fall apart and nothing positive comes of it.Usually stress in the form of sickness or anxiety try to rear their ugly heads. Instead of trusting that God is the God of the universe, and that He might know best, and that I should trust Him, I think I have to use self effort to control or fix the situation.
God is showing me that this is called "walking after the flesh". Most believers have been taught that walking after the flesh is a sexual sin, or some other horrible sin. It is not. It is merely trusting in your own effort, instead of resting and trusting that God's got this! When we totally surrender all our self efforts and simply believe that God is for us and He loves us, and he has our back, that is called "walking after the spirit" or "being obedient".
I like Romans 4:1-6 in the Passion Translation when it speaks of this:

 Let me use Abraham as an example. It is clear that humanly speaking, he was the founder of Judaism. What was his experience of being made right with God? 2 Was it by his good works of keeping the law? No. For if it was by the things he did, he would have something to boast about, but no one boasts before God. 3 Listen to what the Scriptures say:
Because Abraham believed God’s words, his faith transferred God’s righteousness into his account.
4 When people work, they earn wages. It can’t be considered a free gift, because they earned it. 5 But no one earns God’s righteousness. It can only be transferred when we no longer rely on our own works but believe in the one who powerfully declares the ungodly to be righteous in his eyes. It is faith that transfers God’s righteousness into your account!
6 Even King David himself speaks to us regarding the complete wholeness that comes inside a person when God’s powerful declaration of righteousness is heard over our life. Apart from our works, God’s work is enough.

We also see this in Galatians 4:21-26 speaking about Abraham's two sons, one being born of the flesh {self-effort}, the other being born of the spirit (the result of a divine promise)

21–22 Tell me, do you want to go back to living strictly by the law? Haven’t you ever listened to what the law really says? Have you forgotten that Abraham had two sons; one by the slave girl, and the other by the freewoman?[a]

23 Ishmael, the son of the slave girl, was a child of the natural realm. But Isaac, the son of the freewoman, was born supernaturally by the Spirit—a child of the promise of God! 24 These two women and their sons express an allegory and become symbols of two covenants. The first covenant was born on Mt. Sinai, birthing children into slavery—children born to Hagar. 25 For “Hagar” represents the law given at Mt. Sinai in Arabia. The “Hagar” metaphor corresponds to the earthly Jerusalem of today who are currently in bondage.

26 In contrast, there is a heavenly Jerusalem above us, which is our true “mother.” She is the freewoman, birthing children into freedom!

I hope this encourages you to look to and trust God for the answer to your situation instead of trying in your own self effort to find an answer.
Blessings!
Tammy

What's this blog all about, anyway?

God is leading me to teach everyday people I meet what God and Jesus are all about and how They pertain to our everyday life. Being a recovering control freak, God and I have gone around and around. First with my health, then money. Then it was our adult children. Being codependent no more has found new meaning! I literally limited God, and didn't know how to "Rest in Him." Well, I'm learning! And I would love to share what I've learned with you. 

In the bible, God is portrayed as our shepherd, and we are portrayed as His sheep.
God sent Jesus to show us His love for us. Not to condemn us. But to save us.
The word says that God sent His beloved Son to die on a cross for us. Why would He do that?
He created a plan that allowed us to come close to Him! To know our worth and to believe that we matter.

 He also wants us to live lives that glorify Him, and that cause others to see light when they observe our lives. He wants our lives to be attractive to others. That is why doesn't want us to sin. Not because God punishes sinners, but because He wants to save them from self-destruction. The laws in the Old Testament, including the ten commandments, were given to show us just how short we fall in trying to keep the law in our own strength. When Jesus died on the cross, He knew that in our flesh, we could never do it alone. Jesus paid a huge price for you! Why? Because He loves you! He is LOVE! We have a principle in this world that says once judgment for a crime has been punished, it cannot be punished again. That is called "double jeopardy."

Your sins of past, present and future were judged in and on the body of Jesus Christ. THAT is why we are forgiven once we accept Jesus Christ as our savior. Jesus came so that the world might be saved, not punished. However, if we choose to go on making poor choices, we will have consequences in this life from them. Overeating, drug addiction, and smoking cause health problems. Those are the consequences. They also produce guilt, shame, and remorse, which are not from God.

We have an enemy that roams about seeking whom He may devour. He whispers lies to you about who you are, and all the negative things you do, or the things you are not doing enough of. THOSE THOUGHTS ARE LIES the devil put there to try and steal your joy, peace, faith and hope.

God also gave us the Holy Spirit. He is also called the comforter and the helper. His Spirit lives inside us. He is there to remind us who we are as a new creation in Christ.

That is what the gospel of Grace, which is a gift from God, is all about. You cannot earn this by anything you do. It is a gift that cost Jesus His life. Every passion that you have in this life was put there by God. They are His gifts to you, for you to share with the world.

There is an awful lot of controversy concerning the teaching of grace. First of all, Grace is not a teaching. You could say that Grace is a person. His name is Jesus. He/Grace is the object of the gospel that Paul preached in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, believers would go to a temple and worship, and there they would go before the High Priest, and offer bulls and goats as a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of their sins every year.

But now, because of the cross of Jesus Christ, we have a new way. Jesus is always a picture of things to come throughout the Old Testament. Here He is the High priest of the Old Testament. His blood sacrifice on the cross is a picture of our forgiveness of sins. The bible says we are cleansed once and for all of all our sins. The blood of bulls and goats covered sins in the Old Testament only for one year, but in the New Testament, the bible says the blood of Jesus Christ doesn't just cover sins, it washes them away forever. He says our sins have been washed away as far as the east is from the west! Now that's good news! He knew you were going to mess things up before you ever did. He created you.

We are not giving people a "license" to sin by believing the Good News of the Gospel. We are giving them a reason not to! Who would want to continue making bad choices when they know how deeply they are loved and cared for!

Won't you take a minute to thank God for what He accomplished at the cross through Jesus? Receive the free but high-priced gift of His salvation today! Just tell the Lord that you want to be a part of this plan of His. Thank him for the plan, and find a good tribe or community that points people to Jesus, and what He has done for us! It doesn't have to be a church. Reach out to like-minded people on Facebook, or search for groups that interest you. You would be surprised. There are groups for everything you can think of! Just don't isolate. Let people into your life and learn from each other!

If you want a greater revelation of what is yours through Jesus and his gift of grace and righteousness, start reading the bible in Galatians or Romans. Ask the Holy Spirit to help give you a greater meaning or revelation of what He is saying to you! He will! I promise. Enjoy!

Simple Man

1. 

   
   

God is so good! His grace is so simple that sometimes it is easy to miss! All that you need, God placed in your soul. The Holy Spirit dwells in you! He works through you when you rest and trust. His timing is always perfect. He arranges divine connections all the time. I have been yearning in my heart to be used of God. I strive over the thought that I am not doing more to reach people. He reminded me today, that he uses me all the time!

God wants us to be satisfied in the Finished Work of Jesus Christ and what He accomplished in us and through us. I am not a scholar, teacher or anything of the sort. I am just a simple "man". But GOD! He uses people right where they are at. Right in the middle of all there imperfection and struggles. Never underestimate His power. Never doubt that you are being used by God. Right where you are at. Stop listening to the accusing voices that you are not doing enough for the Lord. Christ in you will manifest when you rest and trust, and do not strive to be more in and of yourself. The bible teaches us in Col. 1:27 that God willed to make known this mystery among us, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory! Christ's spirit in us is our blood bought inheritance through Jesus.

A dear friend of ours was struggling with the gospel of Grace. Even though he is very knowledgeable about the Word of God, there were identity struggles going on. The verses in Hebrews 12 were confusing him, and putting him under major condemnation about certain circumstances in his life.

In my daily devotions and study every morning I listen to a certain pastor. In all the years I have been listening to him, I NEVER heard him preach on Esau, or Hebrews 12. So this morning, of all things, he was teaching on Hebrews 12! Even though I trust the Lord, and believe He uses ordinary people to help disciple one another, I was amazed at the timely showing of this teaching!

I told my friend about the teaching, and I believe that God used this to help him overcome his unbelief!

God uses simple men to plant seeds, and then others come along and water those seeds. You may never know this side of heaven how God is using to minister to His people. Trust that God has you right where he wants you! He is using you right where you are to be disciples of His Word and a testimony to others.

1. Simple Man

   Song by Lynyrd Skynyrd
2. Mama told me when I was young
   Come sit beside me, my only son
   And listen closely to what I say
   And if you do this it'll help you some sunny day

   Oh, take your time don't live too fast
   Troubles will come and they will pass
   Go find a woman you'll find love
   And don't forget son there is someone up above

   And be a simple kind of man
   oh, Be something you love and understand
   Baby be a simple kind of man
   Oh, won't you do this for me son if you can?

   Forget your lust for the rich man's gold
   All that you need is in your soul
   And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
   All that I want for you my son is to be satisfied

Healing is Already Yours!

As I was typing the following excerpt that Tim and I used to help us renew our minds, and help us believe that healing already belonged to us, I was thinking.....this almost sounds like "works".

There was a time when I thought that I had a part to play in getting my healing. Before I learned that healing is a gift already given to me through Christ. I guess that was a way of renewing my mind. I just don't want anyone to think there is a "formula" to get what Christ died to give us.

With that said, here is a "Healing Tool" that Tim and I used to claim our healing. I believe it came off of Joyce Meyer's website, and had several pages of healing scriptures. It was years ago, and she has since updated her material. At the time, I just googled "healing scriptures", and found this post to be the most helpful.

Tim had a lung collapse five years ago, and I have fought with fibromyalgia and depression over the years. Tim had 20% lung capacity then, and has 80% now. I was on many prescription medications over the years, and was able to stop them all. The devil is a liar, and you were given the gift of healing at the cross. Use God's Word to renew your mind, and believe and receive what Christ died to give you! Enjoy!

Proverbs 4:20-22 says, "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. FOR THEY ARE  LIFE TO THOSE WHO FIND THEM, AND HEALTH TO ALL THEIR FLESH."

The Hebrew word for "health" in verse 22 is "medicine". God's Word is medicine to all our flesh. Isaac Leeser's translation of Exodus 15:26 reads, "I the Lord am thy physician." The medicine He prescribes in His Word.

Many make the mistake of substituting belief in healing for the actual taking of God's medicine, His Word. They say, "I believe in healing" without actually taking the medicine. What good would it do to believe in food if you didn't eat it? You would starve. What good would it do you to believe in water if you didn;t actually drink any? You would die of thirst.

God's Word is His MEDICINE. There are several parallels between God's medicine and natural medicine. First, God's Word is a healing agent just as natural medicine is a healing agent or catalyst. In other words, the medicine itself contains the capacity to produce healing. God's Word contains inherent within it the capacity--the energy, the ability, and the nature to effect healing in your body.

Psalm 107:20 He sent His Word,and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction

Proverbs 4:22 For they (His Words) are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Isaiah 55:10 The Word of God will accomplish what it was sent out to do.

The Word itself contains the power to produce what it says, just as when God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. Healing Scriptures contain within them the capacity to produce healing.

Hebrews 4:12 The Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing assunder of soul and spirit.

THE KEY to partaking of the life and healing energy in the Word is FEEDING ON IT until it penetrates your Spirit where it deposits that life and energy.

Secondly, we might say that medicine is no respector of persons. It will work for anyone who takes it. It is not a matter of God willing or not willing to heal any individual, but whether or not the individual will RECEIVE healing by TAKING THE MEDICINE that produces it.

Thirdly, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, medicine must be taken according to the directions to be effective. Some medicine labels read, "Take internally"; or others say "Take externally." To rub it on your body externally when the directions say to take it internally will not work. To take it after meals when the directions say take it before meals will reduce its effectiveness. To take it once in a while when the directions say three times a day will mean limited results, if any. NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE MEDICINE IS, it must be taken according to the directions, or it won't work. So it is with God's medicine. It must be taken according to the directions to work. The directions for taking God's medicine are found in:

Proverbs 4:20,21 Attend to them, incline your ear to them, don't let them depart from before your eyes, and keep them in the midst of your heart.

You might say attending to them, inclining your ear to them, and keeping them before your eyes causes them to get in the midst of your heart. Notice this--it is only as they get in the midst of your heart and stay there that they produce healing in your body. Head knowledge won't do. They are going to have to penetrate to your spirit through attending, hearing, looking, muttering and pondering to produce healing in your body. But once they do penetrate, they will SURELY bring health to all your flesh.

Get a list of healing scriptures and feed on them several times a day. Repeat them over and over again to yourself. The medicine itself will work if it will get inside you.

Fourthly, remember that it takes time for medicine to work. Most people give natural medicine a lot of time and patience and money to work. They take the prescription back for refills and more refills. They are diligent about it. They don't just take one dose and expect a miracle. Keep taking God's medicine. Give it time to work.

Now take  your medicine! Say healing scriptures to yourself. Think on what you are saying in your heart. Use them in praise to the Father. His Word is medicine to all your flesh.

You are dead!

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

Are you struggling with sin and obedience today? Or are you trusting what Jesus has done for you on the Cross, and in his death, burial and resurrection? I have good news for you today, my friend!

YOU ARE DEAD TO SIN! That's what the bible says! The bible tells us NOT to let sin reign in your mortal body.....but it also tells us HOW.

In Romans 6, it says to offer yourself as an instrument of righteousness! Not only are we instruments of righteousness, the Word of God says we are SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. You were once a slave to sin. When Jesus died, your "old man" also died. Anyone who has died, has been set free from sin. It is no longer you that lives, but Christ in you that lives! That's very good news my friend. We are counted righteous because of His gift of righteousness. Not anything that we have done, or can do. We can't add anything to it. He gave us righteousness as a gift! We have been set free from the slavery of sin. You are now a slave of righteousness. Meditate on that for a moment.

YOU ARE A NEW CREATION! Sin is no longer your master. Because of what Jesus did for us, we are no longer under the law, but under grace. We are not obedient because the law says we have to be obedient, but we are obedient because when Jesus died, and gave us the gift of His righteousness, we were so grateful, that we longer wanted to sin against God! And as we allow Him to live and love through us, we change from the inside out. We are ALIVE IN HIM.

God loved us so much that He gave us His one and only Son, to die for us. In our place. He knew we couldn't keep the law in our own strength. So He provided a sacrificial lamb for us. JESUS. Won't you walk in the favor and blessings God meant for us to have today? Won't you trust in the finished work of the Cross today, and thank God for sending His son to be the reconciliation between God and man?

My passion and desire is to help you get to know who you really are, and why you are here. Here is more information on our inheritance. I will be offering lots of material as I begin to write and share the exciting good news of the gospel of grace. Please be sure to visit me on Twitter and Facebook or hit one of the share buttons below to share this information with friends. Check back often or subscribe to my blog for a wealth of life changing information. Comment on this blog if you have any suggestions for topics that you would like to see covered! I VALUE  YOUR FEEDBACK, and I want to be able to help you with the important things in life!

He Promised!

What are you believing for today? Your children to come back to the Lord? To kick a habit? To pay off your debt? To be healed of a disease?

If you have given your life to Jesus, all these things are already yours!

We have been grafted into the New Covenant by Jesus taking all our sins and punishment when He died on the cross. Not only did He bear all of our sins, but He was resurrected, and is seated in Heavenly places with God. What does that mean for us, as a believer?

It means that you are now a son or daughter of God! The bible says you are hidden in Christ. When God looks at you, He sees Jesus! Jesus was our sacrifice once and for all. No more sacrificing of lambs. He is our redemption, our healing, our Lord, our Father. His blood was payment for you to have all the blessings and promises offered in the New Covenant.

Because you are hidden in Him, the devil has no power over you. He sees Jesus, and runs the other way.

You might be thinking, if this is true, then why am I not seeing  results in these areas?

Even though it's a done deal, and His promises are always yes, and amen, you do have a part to play. Your part is to BELIEVE and to RECEIVE the truth that it's already yours in Him!

The bible says that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus is the Word of God! God loves you so much that He gave up His son to be your sacrificial lamb! He did it because He loves you! He planned this before you were even formed in your mother's womb!

The bible (which is Jesus) is full of God's promises to us from beginning to end. You can find Jesus in EVERY BOOK of the bible, carefully hidden away as a treasure that we are to hunt down, find, and receive. (More on that in another post!) Everything blessing that was promised to Abraham, is now for us! We are heirs to the PROMISE!

Whatever you are facing in life, Jesus said He would be there with you! There are promises in His Word for every trial and circumstance you are facing. He said there would be trouble in this world, but you are not going through it alone! Lay hold of your promises!

When hardship or cares come upon you, check your concordance in the back of your bible. There are promises there that you can declare over your situation. Jesus said to "cast your cares", because He cares for you! Whenever a care arises, CAST IT! Don't let it have dominion over your thoughts. As soon as you feel a concern, say, "Jesus take this care!" Look up verses and speak them over your situation.

God's Word is alive and powerful, and full of promises. Use it as the tool it was meant to be for you! He wants you to live right, but it all starts with right believing! Renew your mind, and start taking hold of God's promises for you in your life!

IT'S ALREADY YOURS!

My passion and desire is to help you get to know who you really are, and why you are here. Here is more information on our inheritance
. I will be offering lots of material as I begin to write and share the exciting good news of the gospel of grace. Please be sure to visit me on Twitter and Facebook or hit one of the share buttons below to share this information with friends. Check back often or subscribe to my blog for a wealth of life changing information. Comment on this blog if you have any suggestions for topics that you would like to see covered! I VALUE  YOUR FEEDBACK, and I want to be able to help you with the important things in life!

What Does God think?

In contemplating what God thinks about me, I turn back to scripture and I find these marvelous truths:

In John 3:16, we find that God loves us.

God is madly in love with you! He loves THE WORLD so much that He GAVE HIS ONLY SON. For me, and for you. Our part is only to have faith and BELIEVE that He loves us. That is the part we struggle with. That the creator of the universe LOVES US! He wants to hang out and be our FATHER!

In Psalm 139, we find that God made us.

You were God's idea. Psalm 139 also says that He knows us and that He is with us ALWAYS. And we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Read the whole chapter. Ephesians 2 says we are His workmanship, and God doesn't make mistakes. You are His masterpiece! It also says that in the ages to come he would show the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. It sounds like He wants to be kind and gracious to us.

1John 2:2 , we find that His Son died for us.

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Jesus, who knew no sin, BECAME sin for us. For the whole world.  He also took on all sickness and disease at the Cross. He did it for you. A very pretty price was paid on your behalf. If you didn't matter why would God waste His Son on you? Think about that for a moment.

In Jeremiah 29:11, God says He has a plan for you.

A lot of people struggle with what they are supposed to be doing with their life. God made you, and He put those dreams in your heart from the beginning. Never give up on your dreams. You have a purpose, and you were designed with specific gifts. If we could just do what we love to do, follow our hearts and our dreams, and trust the Lord to work through us, instead of trying to figure everything out on our own, we would be so much better off. We are jars of clay, designed to rest and be filled with the Holy Spirit who works through us. 2 Cor. 4:7 says that we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in earthen vessels. Rest and trust; and listen to the promptings from the Lord, and you will be amazed at where He leads you.

Let's practice getting these promises in our minds, and especially in our hearts.

He LOVES YOU! And there's not a thing you can do except BELIEVE and receive IT!

THANKS FOR READING!

My passion and desire is to help you get to know who you really are, and why you are here. Here is more information on our inheritance. I will be offering lots of material as I begin to write and share the exciting good news of the gospel of grace. Please be sure to visit me on Twitter and Facebook or hit one of the share buttons below to share this information with friends. Check back often or subscribe to my blog for a wealth of life changing information. Comment on this blog if you have any suggestions for topics that you would like to see covered! I VALUE  YOUR FEEDBACK, and I want to be able to help you with the important things in life!