The Rock Solid Truth of God’s Word

Life’s rough.

That’s probably not a big revelation to you.  And when those waters of adversity get to churning, we can desperately look for a life raft of words that will comfort us and take us through another day.  Thanks to Facebook, Twitter and the abundance of the World Wide Web, we have no shortage of phrases, sayings, and quotes to inspire us, sometimes coupled with pictures of majestic sunsets or cute, little kittens.

Follow Your Heart.

It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.  ~Edmund Hillary

Put your future in good hands – your own.  ~Author Unknown

 On the outset, those may sound helpful.  They appeal to the “I can do it myself” attitude in all of us that seems to keep wanting to well to the surface. In reality, they leave God out of the picture altogether.  When we compare them to the truth in God’s Word, we can see how they come up short.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? ~Jer. 17:9

 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. ~James 3:7-8

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” ~James 4:13-15

 Just like he did in the garden with Adam and Eve, and in the desert with the Son of God, the enemy will infuse just enough truth with a lie to make it appealing.  To know the lie we must be intimately familiar with God’s Word. 

Then we’re equipped to follow Jesus’ example by rejecting the lies and temptations and act on the truth.  It can mean the difference between adopting a worldly attitude or a godly one, making a bad decision or a good one and either sinking or standing in the end. 

As believers, there is only one book we can trust to give us the rock solid truth–God’s Word.  

Trying to build a spiritual foundation on lies and half-truths is like building on sand. But if we build on the truth set in the pages of the one book God has given us, we will stand strong through the storms and the light of Jesus will shine through us to a dark and lost world.

Happy Bible Study!

Dorci

God-Designed Living

Have you ever gone through a season of life where you’ve thought, “There’s got to be more to life than this?”
Ever felt called to do something, but just weren’t sure how to go about it? 
Ever feel God has given you a really big promise…and though you can’t wait to see it come to pass, wonder if it will?

I imagine if we were all in a room together most (if not all) of us would have to raise our hands to at least one of the questions listed above. So what’s my point?

Simply this, our feelings and struggles are not uncommon; which gives a whole new revelation to the truth, that, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…” BUT the GOOD NEWS of John 10:10 is that Jesus has “come that we may have life, and have it to the full. NIV

II Peter 1:3 promises that God has given us everything that we need that pertains to life and godliness.

The key to God designed living is to come to the end of ourselves…our abilities…and our power…and recognize that it’s always been about God…His ability…and His Power…

When we exchange our best efforts and substitute our busy activity with simple obedience we will find the strength to declare as Paul did that “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”

I feel the Lord gently encouraging us today, as He did Jacob when Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran, with these words:

Genesis 28:13-15
“I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” NIV

You are amazing. Created uniquely. Designed with and for a purpose. And…when you purpose to give your gifts in full service to the Lord you cannot fail. You will accomplish what He has destined for you to accomplish.

My prayer for you today: May God grant you wisdom to know His will and purpose for your life and the strength and passion to fulfill it.

For more encouragement on “Discovering, Developing, & Doing Your Passion” visit Julie at http://HisLoveExtendedMinistries.blogspot.com

What Faith Can Do

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

I’ve had a song in my head the last couple of days, What Faith Can Do, by Kutless.  It has a catchy beat, which caught my attention, but the words are what make it so powerful.  This is the chorus:

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do.

I love the line … broken hearts become brand new.

Our heart is one of the most vital organs in our body.  When it stops, we stop.  Yes, all parts work together, but without the heart pumping blood, nothing else works.  We can even lose function of our brain, and our heart will keep pumping, but when the heart stops, we die. 

In Proverbs 4:23, God tells us, Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.  

I don’t think He’s talking about our physical heart here, but rather our spirit; who we are inside.   When our spirits are broken, it’s hard for us to function properly.  And once a heart / spirit  is broken, it’s hard to make it new again.  It just doesn’t work the same.  Or we don’t feel the same. 

I delivered a little stillborn baby seven years ago.  My heart was broken.  I really didn’t think I would ever be okay again.  But …

With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

When we have faith in God, dreams become realities, hope flows, miracles abound, and broken hearts do become brand new!

Thank you Jesus for healing my heart and my hurts and for giving me hope and a future.  Thank you for turning my dreams into reality.  Thank you for loving me Jesus, first.

I love you!
In Jesus Name I Pray,
Amen

God’s Blessings Upon You!

Love,
Joyce

The Choices You Make Today
Will Affect Your Tomorrow
http://www.alifedecision.org

The Jesus Way

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying.
Matthew 5:1

Jesus had been sharing His message for about a year when He took his followers up onto the side of a mountain to give them some words of advice.  They had been living the way of the world … now it was time for a change.  Time to do things The Jesus Way.

Jesus said:

•  The meek would inherit the earth, and the pure in heart would see God.  His followers were to be a beacon of  light to a dark and dying world.
• Getting angry at a brother was not acceptable … forgiveness was not an option.  Adultery, divorce and oaths were not cool and we need to learn how to turn the other cheek and love not only our friends, but also the ones who treat us wrong.
• Give to the needy, but don’t make a show of it … pray to God simply … give him the honor and praise that only He deserves. Fast for God … not man.
• Don’t put your store in things … things will come and things will go.  Put your energy into heaven, your rewards will be eternal.
• You can love God or money … but not both.  Money isn’t the root of all evil, but the love of money is where the trouble starts.
• Don’t spend today worrying …  let today be today. 
• Don’t judge others … period.
• Ask … seek … knock.  these are action verbs.  Do something.
• There is a narrow gate into heaven … and a broad gate to destruction.  Choose the narrow gate for life eternal with Him.
• A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
• If you do these things you are wise and your foundation strong.

This is The Jesus Way!

Father, teach me to walk Your Way.

I Love You Jesus!
In Your Name I Pray!
Amen

God’s Blessings Upon You!

Love,
Joyce

The Choices You Make Today …
Will Affect Your Tomorrow!
http://www.alifedecision.org

Big Dreams

“For I know the plans I have for you, ” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11

Carson and Chase spend a lot of time talking about what they want to do when they grow up. Carson wants to be a Veterinarian and live on a farm in North Florida with a lake and raise Guinea Pigs and take care of hurting animals. That is a big dream.

Chase wants to work at Sea World and swim with the dolphins and the whales. He wants to own a preserve and have all sorts of animals there that he and his buddy, Josh, take care of. That is a big dream.

I used to have big dreams when I was a kid. Then I grew up … and I allowed life to steal my dreams.

A few years ago, my life turned around and I wrote a book about the hope and healing I had experienced through Jesus. Most authors dream of selling a million copies of their books. My book was never about the sales, but rather the lives helped.

I had an idea the other day … why couldn’t I GIVE AWAY A MILLION COPIES in E-Book Format? That’s a BIG DREAM … but I serve a BIG GOD!

So … here goes. I am dreaming big. Will you help me achieve my goal?

Please forward this email to your friends and family … let’s see how many lives God can affect through email … through the Internet … through a book about healing and hope!

Chili and Chocolate Cake is not your average inspirational book; and is as unique as the title. The author shares her message of forgiveness, restoration, and hope for hurting women– especially those who have experienced the loss of a child through abortion, miscarriage, or stillborn birth. This book is a shining testimony to the power of God to heal the broken heart. Author Joyce Schneider’s dramatic life and the miraculous change from a tortured young women to a great woman of God will encourage every reader. God even used the stablilty gained from preparing chili and chocolate cake to weave the thread of His grace throughout her troubled life. Get ready for an outpouring–from the barren days of the past, to springs of living waters; rivers that will refresh long after you close the pages of this book.

All the details are on my website:
http://www.alifedecision.org

Thank you for your support!

Father, thank you for dreams. Thank you for giving me the encouragement to step out of my comfort zone and make a difference … for you!

I Love You Jesus!
  In Your Name I Pray,
  Amen

God’s Blessings To You!

Love,
Joyce