WHEN YOU ARE PLAGUED.....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

When you are plagued by a persistent problem - one that goes on and on - view it as a rich opportunity.  An ongoing problem is like a tutor who is always by your side.  The learning possibilities are limited only by your willingness to be teachable.  In faith, thank Me for your problem.  Ask Me to open your eyes and your heart to all that I am accomplishing through this difficulty.  Once you have become grateful for a problem, it loses its power to drag you down.  On the contrary, your thankful attitude will lift you up into heavenly places with Me.  From this perspective, your difficulty can be seen as a slight, temporary distress that is producing for you a transcendent Glory never to cease! 

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in His Presence"

PRAY FOR GOD TO GIVE YOU.....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

Pray for God to give you a heightened awareness of the way you're thinking.  Try to become alert to times when you're thinking according to the flesh.  Recognize the feeling it is sowing in your heart.

I often hear people say,  "I can't change the way I feel."  No, but we can change the way we think, and that in turn will change the way we feel.  The less we feed the Spirit of God within us with things that energize Him to fill us, the more His presence will "shrink" within us.  But praise God, the opposite is also true.  The more we feed the Spirit of God and yield to His control, the more His presence will fill and satiate us with life and peace.

"Breaking Free - Day by Day"

ONCE WE ARE WILLING.....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

Once we are willing to see the sin that is involved in our strongholds and agree with God through confession, we begin to see the lies surrounding us.  It's in tearing down these lies wallpapering our  minds that our prison doors swing open.

But while satan does not possess the power or authority to lock believers in prisons of oppression, he does work overtime to talk us into staying, having wooed us there with all the lures he has perfected.  Unfortunately, he doesn't require a written invitation to do his dirty work.  Our failure to post a "keep away" sign through Bible study and prayer can be an invitation by default.

"Breaking Free - Day by Day"

MANY OF OUR MAMMOTH CAPTORS.....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

Many of our mammoth captors began as seeds in the thought of life, but we watered and cultivated them by continued meditation until they grew to the size of Sequoias!  Other times, sudden unwelcome of over-whelming circumstances cause full-grown trees to appear.  But no matter whether these captors of ours began as seeds or trees, their destructive force assumes the size they occupy in our mind.

Securing a steadfast mind, then, is not a matter of denial.  Rather, it begins with admitting the truth.  Then with our willing cooperation, Bod begins to strip the power from these controlling thoughts so they no longer hold destructive power over us.

"Breaking Free Day By Day"

I AM THE PRINCE OF PEACE.....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

I Am the Prince of Peace.  As I said to My disciples, I say also to you:  Peace be with you.  Since I am your constant Companion, My Peace is steadfastly with you.  When you keep your focus on Me, you experience both My Presence and My Peace.  Worship Me as King of kings, Lord of lords, and Prince of Peace.

You need My Peace each moment to accomplish My purposes in your life.  Sometimes you are tempted to take shortcuts, in order to reach your goal as quickly as possible.  But if the shortcut requires turning your back on My peaceful Presence, you must choose the longer route.  Walk with Me along paths of Peace; enjoy the journey in My Presence.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in His Presence"

EVERY ONE OF US......

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

Every one of us creatures who have cast ourselves on God's mercy can know for certain that His righteousness will never fail, nor will we fail when we choose to obey Him.  His righteousness will last forever, and so will we, because He credits our belief with eternal righteousness.

Yes, the same Lord who is our Maker is also our Defender.  Our oppressor will one day cower at His feet.  The God who churns up the sea can also make a road in its depths so that we may cross over.  The One who set the heavens in place and laid the foundations of the earth covers us with the shadow of His Hand.

"Breaking Free Day by Day"

I LOVE YOU....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

I love you with an everlasting love, which flows out from the depths of eternity.  Before you were born, I knew you.  Ponder the awesome mystery of a Love that encompasses you from before birth to beyond the grave.

Modern man has lost the perspective of eternity.  To distract himself from the gaping jaws of death, he engages in ceaseless activity and amusement.  The practice of being still in My Presence is almost a lost art, yet it is this very stillness that enables you to experience My eternal Love.  You need the certainty of my loving Presence in order to weather the storms of life.  During the times of severe testing, even the best theology can fail you if it isn't accompanied by experiential knowledge of Me.  The ultimate protection against sinking during life's storms is devoting time to develop your friendship with Me.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in His Presence"

PROBLEMS ARE PART OF LIFE.

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

Problems are part of life.  They are inescapable: woven into the very fabric of this fallen world.  You tend to go into problem-solving mode all too readily, acting as if you have the capacity to fix everything.  This is a habitual response, so automatic that it bypasses your conscious thinking.  Not only does this habit frustrate you, it also distances you from Me.

Do not let fixing things be your top priority.  You are ever so limited in your capacity to correct all that is wrong in the world around you.  Don't weigh yourself down with responsibilities that are not your own.  Instead, make your relationship with Me your primary concern.  Talk with Me about whatever is on your mind, seeking My perspective on the situation.  Rather than trying to fix everything that comes to your attention, ask Me to show you what is truly important.  Remember that you are en route to heaven, and let your problems fade in the Light of eternity.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in His Presence"