CHOICES

Greetings!  I hope you all had a wonderful and productive week and looking forward to an enjoyable and restful weekend.  As we continue to intercede on behalf of our children, please take some time to also intercede for children on a whole.  Our children are consistently faced with temptations and most times if not prayed up succumb to whatever the enemy throws at them.

Let us pray that they will make the right choices when faced with especially tough decisions.  Psalm 1:1-2 says: Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

This verse speaks entirely about choices, what will it be?  Moving in and around negativity or delighting in the positives?  The choice is entirely ours to make.  We have to live our personal life with a level of integrity that will rise above the moral decline we find in our society. Here is a well- known quote that offers some sound advice. 

Watch your words: They become your actions.  Watch your actions: They become your habits.  Watch your habits: They become your character. Watch your character: It becomes your destiny.

Another person decided to put a spin on these words and came up with the following:

A powerful destiny will affect the character of others.  A powerful character will affect the habits of others.  A powerful habit will affect the actions of others.

 A powerful action will affect the words of others.  A powerful word will affect the thoughts of others.

In His service,

Vilma

Three Spiritual Weapons to Fight the Enemy

I recently read a devotional by Joyce Meyer that I beleive is worth sharing. In essence Joyce was reminding us of how Satan wages war against us to keep us in a mindset of defeat. She discussed the importance of not allowing ourselves to become discouraged or feel defeated. By doing this would be playing right into Satan’s hands.  Joyce identified three spiritual weapons that we can use to fight off the enemy, ones that you may already know, but it wont hurt to hear it again for emphasis. For each of these weapons she mentioned I have given additional information for purposes of clarity. Let me see that Satan is real and we cannot take him for granted.

1.    God’s word: If you remember when Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He used the word to defeat Satan. If Jesus the son of God did this,why shouldn't we?  However in order for us to use the word of God against the enemy we must know the word. We must spend time to study the word of God (II Tim 2:15). After we study the word of God we need to hide it in our hearts -Psalm 119:11- because at times when we need to use it there may not be a bible around to grab, (some attacks are "Fast and Furious") but when it is in your heart you can easily retrieve it- you never leave your heart it is always with you!.  At times we can also receive teachings of God word through bible study or through the preached word.  Joyce mentioned the fact that we must endeavor to continue in the word until it becomes revelation as given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

2.    Praise: As Joyce mentioned Praise defeats the devil faster and more efficiently than  any other battle plan, but it must be a genuine heart-praise, not just lip-service or a religious ritual. Can you imagine going through a dark period in your life and Praising your way through-that is sure confusing to the enemy- Psalm 34. Most battles fought in the old testament were won by praise- check it out- the praise were sent on ahead to clear the way. You better open up your mouth right now and give Him some praise- Check outJehosaphat account in II Chronicles 20:21 or perhaps you want to ask Paul and Silas what happened to the prison doors when they broke out in Praise?

3.    Prayer: JWe must take every thing to God in prayer. We cannot afford to make rash decisons we must consult God first regardless of how imminent the danger seems. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us: 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. Joyce mentioned that prayer is relationship with the Godhead.  It is communication with God, asking Him for help or talking with Him about whatever is on your heart.  To have an effective prayer life, we must develop an intimate, personal relationship with the Father.  Know that He loves you and that He wants to help you. Do not be afraid to talk with Him and pour your heart out to Him. It is not that He does not know, but He wants to hear you say it.

II Cor. 10: 3  tells us - For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

II Cor 10:4-For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds.

We must remember what Ephesians 6:12 tell us: 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.

Prayer Starter : Lord, thank you so much for giving me the spiritual weapons I need to fight my enemy.  With your help, I know that I can win the battle today!

In His Service,

Vilma

 

 

The Spirit of Deception

Greetings!  I hope you all had a wonderful and productive week.  By this time all schools and colleges have reopened and in full swing and the tears have dried for those who had children leaving home for the first time.  I believe that this is especially difficult for those going to first grade and spending a full day in school and those who started college and living on campus.  Be of good courage, many of us have been there and survived, so will you.

For this week I would like for us to pray that our children will not fall prey to the spirit of deception especially our young adults.  Deception has been around for many years, as far back to the Garden of Eden in the book of Genesis where Eve was deceived by the serpent.  Satan is a master at deception and before you know it he will have you believing lies about yourself, your children, the church and God.  As the serpent did with Adam and Eve, the lie may not be a blatant one, but just a slight deviation from the truth, but it is still deception.  The most intelligent of us is susceptible to deception.  We must, however, counteract the lies of the enemy with the truth of God’s word.  When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He used the word against Satan, and so must we, but we first need to know the word.

Ephesians 5:6- Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Let us pray for God to give our children the spirit of discernment to recognize when they are being deceived.  Let us pray that the veil will be removed from their eyes so that they can see the light and become children of obedience.

In His Service,

Vilma

 

Waiting on the Lord

I trust you are all doing very well on this Fantastic Friday afternoon.  As usual it is a pleasure writing to you.  I know that you are continuing to P.U.S.H towards your goal as you do your best in raising your children according to the word of God.  Remember it does take some elbow grease most times to get it done, but if you partner with God- their “true father” you will be amazed at your success.

For this week, let us revisit a verse of scripture from Isaiah 40.This particular verse has been on many bible covers and most people often time can be heard quoting some portion of this verse.
Isaiah 40:31 says: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.
I know that as mothers we get anxious about our children and we find it difficult to wait for the manifestations of the things we have been praying for.  Sometimes we try to give God a hand in making it come to pass but instead only make it worse.  Is this waiting?  As a matter of fact what does this verse really mean?

Let us look at the word waiting -the word “wait” in the Hebrew translation means to “twist or tie together”, “to bind together like a cord”.  As we can see waiting is really not a bad thing.
The benefits of waiting: Renewed strength, running and not getting weary, walking without fainting.

Do you feel your strength being renewed?  Or are you always feeling weary or faint?  Do you believe it has to do with how well we are twisted?   If you think of a rope it is made up of many strands the more strands the stronger the rope.
ECC.4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Do you want to soar like the Eagle?  Well then let us wait on the Lord.  Eagles are powerful birds and very purposeful and because of their incredible strength they are able to rise above the tides and soar.  Not only will we soar but we will also run and not be weary, walk and not faint.  I think I will wait, how about you?

In his Service,

Vilma

Doing Our Best as Mothers

My greetings to everyone!  Not only is it another Friday evening but can you imagine it is the last day in the month of August.  In four months we will be celebrating Christmas.  If you did not make good your 2012 resolutions, you better get going.

How often do you consider this awesome blessing of being a mother?  I hope this is something you do every day, and because this is a blessing, as mothers we need to make sure that we do everything we possibly can to make God please with the work we have and are doing with these blessings/gifts.  Along with our teaching and role modeling, prayer is one of the most important tools that we can use in ensuring that our children walk in the ways of the Lord.  This is why I consistently encourage us all to P.U.S.H (Pray Until Something Happens).

As we pray for our children be reminded that our children belong to God first and then to us, be reminded that God’s love for them is greater than ours, remember that God can and does influence them more than we can and that we are dependent on God to fulfill the calling He’s given to us as mothers.

Let us pray the following scriptures for our children

 2 Thessalonians 3:3- But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep [you] from evil. 

Psalm 91:1-He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Let us thank God that He places an edge of protection around our children so that Satan cannot reach them.  Pray that our children will recognize that there is this edge of protection and will remain under this protection at all times and will not wander off where they will be easily swooped up by the enemy

Have a safe Labor Day Weekend!  If you are in or close to Delaware see you at our M.P.U.S.H meeting tomorrow at Rebuilders Apostolic Ministry 4pm 1543 Church Rd, Bear, DE

In His Service,

Vilma