YOU ARE NEVER ALONE

Grief and loneliness are two major situations that face a number of individuals today.  When these moments are encountered we tend to believe that we are alone and we lose sight of the simple truth of God’s word which tells us we are never alone.  Satan wants us to believe that we are all alone, and that no one understands what we are going through.  This is not true, Jesus wants to comfort and heal us, not to leave us alone to struggle through these situations.  Here is what the word of God says in Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

These verses or very explicit on what Jesus came to earth to do.  Unlike some of us do, He did not change his mind after He realized the magnitude of what He had to do.  He had a plan and He stuck to the plan to its completion.  While He hung on the cross He said “It is finished” His work was done and done well.  Nothing can undo the job He did on the cross.  His work will never be outdated; it does not need any addition or deletion as technology changes.  It will never become obsolete Hallelujah!!!

Here is another passage that reminds us of Jesus’ presence with us.  Deuteronomy 31:8: And the LORD, he [it is] that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

So stop looking around for your friends or family members, if they don’t show up, do not get dismayed or discouraged, do not fear you are not and never will be alone.  Sometimes we are expecting them to do for us more than they are capable of doing.  In addition there are situations that we expect others to understand what we are going through, but if the truth be told they may never want o, need to or be able to understand.  Be reminded not only is Jesus there with you every step of the way, but He also fully understands any situation that you face.

1Cor 10:13: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].

In His Service,

Vilma

GOD STILL DELIVERS

Have you been in a crisis situation and wondered if God is able to deliver you?  Have you forgotten the other times when you were from situations in the past?  Do we believe that this “now” situation is different from the last one and is perhaps just a bit too technical for God?  Why?  Is it lack of memory, a case of panic or simple a lack of Faith?  Whichever it is let me remind you and myself of this truth that God can and will deliver you out of crisis situations , but in instances when He chooses not to deliver you He does so for His Glory and will be right next to you as you face that giant.

In the bible we find a number of accounts where God has delivered people out of crisis situations and these can serve as a point of reference for us today.  In addition take a look back on your life and recall the instances where you, your children your neighbor or an acquaintance was also delivered from crisis situations.  

In I Samuel 17:37 we see David affirming this fact: David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.  

Being in the paw of a lion or a bear are definitely crisis situations.  I am sure it may have crossed David’s mind whether God would deliver him before he got devoured by these very much stronger animals.  God came through for David and hence David did not waver in his confidence that God would indeed deliver him from the hand of the Philistine Goliath.

In Daniel 3- we find the account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego-refusing to bow to the King’s idol and they were thrown into the fiery furnace.  Listen to what they said v 17-18-If it be [so], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver [us] out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.  What confidence? 

In Daniel 6 we find the account of Daniel disobeying the edict of the King Darius by continuing to pray to God three times daily.  He was thrown into the Lions’ den; we see where God intervened by shutting the mouths of the Lions that they would not harm David.  Daniel 6: 22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.  Please know that God’s power to deliver is much bigger than your problem

As mothers we face many crises our child getting pregnant at an early age and unmarried, or we may have a child who hung with the wrong crowd and has ended up getting incarcerated, a divorce, unemployment or the death of a child.  Our initial instinct is one of panic, instead let us take a step back and remind ourselves that our God is able and still delivers and if He chooses not to, He will be right there with you for the long haul.

So here is how our prayer should be- God time and time again, you have delivered us your children from trouble and I know you won’t fail me now.  You are more than able to deal with this situation that I am going through, so I refuse to panic and completely put my trust in you.

In His Service,

Vilma

IN HIS NAME

Most of us may have heard of a power of attorney (POA)-or letter of attorney.  What exactly is it?  A POA is a written authorization to represent or act on another's behalf in private affairs, business, or some other legal matter (Wikipedia).  

I work in the medical field with children birth to 18 years old.  Approximately two – three times every day, there is a person who comes into the office with a patient acting on behalf of their parent or legal guardian.  This individual is usually over the age of 18 years old and his or her responsibility as POA is to make decisions for the patient on behalf of their parent or legal guardian.  Occasional a patient may come into the office without any written consent from the parent or legal guardian, and the office staff has to locate the parent or guardian to get verbal telephone consent.  Once this consent has been obtained, the patient cannot be denied treatment and decisions made by the individual acting as POA are not questioned, because they come in the name or authority of the parent or legal guardian.

As Christian mothers we also have this privilege to act as POA’s as we have been given the authority or permission by Jesus Christ to use His name and to act on his behalf.  Let us look at a couple verses of scriptures.

John 16: 23-24: And in that day ye shall ask me nothing.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you.
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
My interpretation is that we will not be questioned or denied anything when we come in the name of Jesus Christ.  We are not going to the father in our name, instead we can approach the throne boldly without hesitation or second guessing ourselves, we will not be denied.  The catch however is that we must believe that we receive when we ask and behave as such, we cannot doubt.  
What do you need for yourself or your children?  Is it health, is it a financial need?  Is it patience, wisdom, understanding?  Is it love, peace, comfort, joy?  As a matter of fact Jesus Christ has already made provision for these things.  Our responsibility is to accept them.  So my advice to you is to go ahead and exercise your rights as POA’s.

In His Service,

Vilma

DISAPPOINTMENTS

As the 2012 summer Olympics continues I cannot help but watch the faces and demeanor of those athletes who did not make it to the medal stand or made it but in the wrong position.  I see some of them cry, I see some walk away to sit in a corner, others refuse to speak to anyone or to hear words of well done by their coaches or team mates.  The bottom line is that these athletes are disappointed in themselves and in their performances.  Well, some will quickly recover, for others the disappointment lingers and a few may even go into depression.
Have you ever been disappointed in yourself, other people, relationships or in some things? 

What about you disappointing someone?  I am sure many of you reading this are shaking your head in agreement.  For the few of you saying no, I guess we need to talk.  
What happens when we get disappointed or when we disappoint?  Could it be that our trust was misplaced?  So often we hear the phrases, “you truly let me down” or “I really let them down”
Psalm 146: 3 tells us: Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

David in this verse was letting us know that the greatest of men can fail us, they can go back on their word they can change their mind or perhaps even forget what they promised.  Although Princes are wise and in position of authority, they are sons of Adam, subject to failure.  Whether it is our parents, our pastor, or politicians, they cannot always live up to our expectations.
Psalm 118:8: It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. In this verse we are advised that it is better to take shelter or trust in the LORD, not man.  Why, God is not man, He does not go back on His word.  Not only should we not put our trust in man but we are also cautioned about leaning to our own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

In other words what we think is right or the best may not be and we can meet disappointment if we try it our way.  So when someone disappoints us or we disappoint ourselves, REFOCUS.  I am not advocating that we do not live a life of excellence, and keeping our word, but just reminding us that God is the only person immune to disappointing and being disappointed.

In His Service,

Vilma

FALSE STARTS

I truly enjoy watching the Olympics, especially, swimming, gymnastics and track.  I love to see the fierce competition in each event with the world’s best for a chance at winning the gold medal.  At every Olympics game there are those who beam with pride and excitement at their stellar performance, whether they qualified for a gold, silver or bronze medal.  There are those athletes, who are disappointed if they get a silver or bronze instead of the gold they anticipated.  Finally there are those athletes who are truly devastated because they fail to qualify for a medal.  I am not the one competing, but any athlete that qualifies to participate in the Olympics has my admiration and respect.
Each time that I watch the Olympics I cannot help but feel sorry for those athletes who get disqualified from an event for making a false start or for dropping their baton.  Due to the high caliber of the Olympics it is anticipated that athletes should know the rules and hence getting a second chance if they do make a false start or drop the baton is not considered.  Can you imagine an athlete training for long hours over at least three years to qualify for the Olympics and in the end getting  disqualified due to a false start or dropping their baton.  How devastating, not only for the athlete but their team and their country.

Have you ever wondered what would happen to us if we got disqualified when we made a mistake in our parenting or allow things to fall along the way as we got side tracked with other things?  Can you imagine waiting for another 4 years to redeem ourselves and get back to the role of parenting?  This could be devastating for us as well as our children.

In our role as a mother, we are involved in a race.  Winning this race is not determined by speed, but instead by our patience or endurance.  Heb. 12:1-Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

As mothers we often make a number of false starts with how we raise our children, we sometimes neglect to train them up in the way they should go, sometimes we abandon our roles for other roles that seem more attractive.  We have the rule book (the bible) but ignore it and try to do things how we believe it should be done.  Wherever we miss the boat, if we choose we can always return to the race for a fresh start.  Some of us start off well, but stop along the way, and still we are allowed to get up, dust off and keep going.  Remember it is not speed but patience and endurance and the person who makes the calls (Jesus) wants to see you succeed, not waiting for a chance to disqualify you.

In His Service,

 Vilma

NOT FLESH AND BLOOD

As I sit pondering on what to write for this post, my mind goes to what seems like an escalation of violence that involves our young people.  One very well-known incident is the recent shootings in Aurora, Colorado.  In addition to the gun violence, there seem to be a number of car accidents which have also been claiming the lives of our youth. There are many opinions on what needs to be done to curb this violence like stricter gun control.  People express there empathy and concern by erecting memorials at the various locations where either the violence was committed or the accident occurred.  In some communities, people gather together to pray for peace, in other communities, local leaders get together trying to come up with what is the best strategy to implement that will be effective in curbing this violence.

In all this there are parents who are mourning, the loss of their children, children mourning the loss of a parent, siblings mourning the loss of a brother or sister, other relatives mourning the loss of an uncle or aunt.  With these losses, we see, many dreams go unfulfilled, a scientist, who will never find the cure for that rare disease, an inventor who will never come up with that great invention, one less doctor, nurse, lawyer, police officer, preacher or politician.  Ultimately, we have a country and a world that is left poorer because it has lost valuable resources.

We see the individuals who commit these crimes as heinous, needing to be punished to the full extent of the law.  Could there be a better explanation for all this?

I am going to propose that we look beyond the individuals committing the crime as well as to look beyond the accidents which you may not even be able to explain, to the force that is behind these events.  This force is the enemy who is controlling these individuals who are committing these crimes, the enemy who is bent on doing what he knows best which is to create havoc, pain and worry.  Here are a couple of verses to help explain this point.

Eph. 6:12- For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

Jn. 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.

 What am I trying to say?  Let us pray that our children will not listen to the voice of the enemy, that they will not become an easy tool for him to use and to manipulate to carry out his deeds.  Let us use our authority to break the stronghold of the captor and set our children free.  We cannot allow Satan to have our children.  I beseech you mothers to rise up and P.U.S.H. our children into the will of God for their lives.

 In His Service,

 Vilma

When your Prayers seemed Unanswered?

Have you ever prayed for something and get no result?  Have you trusted God to come through for you and it appears as if he did not?  If this has happened to you- what did you do?  Did you stop praying?  Did you turn your back on God, perhaps you rationalized by saying what you were praying for was not God’s will and therefore, God did not give it to you.  Or perhaps you thought that God is angry at you and is punishing you for something you did in your past.  Perhaps you believe that you are not “holy” or “good” enough, or just maybe you are thinking that God does not answer prayers or work miracles as He did in the past.  Whatever the reason, do you believe God has failed you?

What if I say to you that perhaps it is none of the above reasons, it is not that God has failed to answer, but perhaps you have failed to receive the answer.  Ok before you get too upset let me explain the reasons for saying this.
Jeremiah 33: 3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Others may quote from Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
You are probable saying that is from the Old Testament, and it was abolished when Jesus came- No!  
Mathew 7:7-8 echoes this principle- Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

The word of God is true and God never goes back on His word He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19) and therefore what He has said in these verses has not changed.  So since God is keeping His end of the bargain then the problem must be at the other end - us.

From the preceding verses we see that when we ask in prayer God moves immediately.  So what happens?  He gives us the answer in our spirits.  It is our duty to fully believe this and act accordingly to bring the answer into the physical world.

 In John 4:24 we find these words: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.  It would appear that when God answers our prayers it goes to the spirit man.  So how do we bring this to the physical ? - Hebrew 11: 1 tells us- Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  So then our Faith has to come into play.

Ephesians 3:20 - Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Can we then say that this is the key?  We have a part to play!!!

Mark 11:24 puts it this way- Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

It may take 1 minute, 1 week, 1 month, one year to manifest, but until it happens we cannot waiver or doubt that it will happen.  There are hindrances to us activating our faith, sometimes it is ourselves or it may be the enemy, but one thing is for sure it is not the God.  This is really food for thought – so let us think about it and the next time we ask God for something let us put our faith in action to bring it from the spiritual to the physical.

In His Service,

Vilma