Tag: Jesus Christ

Take Action

Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

take-action

Have you ever tried to talk to someone and for some reason or another they just didn’t get it? No matter how you tried to explain things or ‘break it down’ to their level it would not sink in. Then you decided to actually show them instead, thinking maybe if they see it they will finally understand and they do. What I am getting at here is that people are more likely to do something if you show them instead of tell them. There comes a time when your actions have to be about business so much so that you won’t have to ever say a word.

April 20, 2014 people all over the world celebrated something that embodies just that, Resurrection Sunday. Also known as Easter. We celebrated the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus walked among many people on this earth and told great stories and examples of how we are to live. In fact, the oracles of God are depicted throughout several books of the bible. And if His words weren’t powerful enough, He took it to the next step by putting those words into action by dying on the cross. When Jesus died on the cross every situation, every infirmity, every financial burden, every sickness, every disease or anything else you could possibly think of died with Him. Beautiful thing is however, is that’s not how His story ends. He died but three days later rose with ALL power.

Even more important is why He did it, simply put…because He loves you. He loves you so much that He knew simply telling you would not be enough. He had to show you by sacrificing himself. Can you say you’d be willing to do the same thing? I know I wouldn’t and I consider myself to be a pretty loving person.

In spite of what they have heard or even see for themselves, there are many people who rejected Jesus back then and still do today. If you are one of those people, I challenge you to make a decision today to take action and change. Change your perception and your mindset of the one who died to set you free. And who did so knowing that you would one day reject Him. Take action and decide to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Decide to live for Him, if for no other reason than because He died for you.

~letstalkaboutlife365.com~

Thought Check:

“But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” Matthew 28:5-7 NKJV

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Let's Talk Life: A New Perspective
Let’s Talk Life: A New Perspective by Nicole Ross

Make The Most of It

Author, Nicole L. Ross2 Comments

Make-the-most-of-lifeMake-the-most-of-life

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how our environment can effect our state of mind.  I was thinking of this because I was reminiscing on how it was when I first moved to Germany.  Coming from Atlanta, Georgia, this moved literally flipped my world upside down.  I absolutely despised it when I got here.  I did not want to come in the first place because I had never been so far away from my family.  Then when I got here the weather was cold, we are in a small country area where there really isn’t much around, it is cold, I did not like the food, I did not understand the language and did I mention it was very, very cold.  It took me about a year to really adapt and accept the fact that I was living in Germany.  In that year of adjustment I was not a very happy camper.  I did not want to go anywhere.  I did meet a few nice people but within a few months they all slowly started moving back to the states.  It was just a very tough transition for me.  I said all of that to say this, I was in a new environment and even though I did not like it, I allowed it to control me in a sense that it changed my entire outlook on life.  I allowed it to stop me and slow me down from truly operating in the full purpose of me being here.  I knew that God had sent me over here for a reason, and oddly enough I even had a strong spirit of expectation coming over.  I was expecting great things, but I was so stuck on me and being selfish that God could not begin to work in me like He wanted to.  Instead of me making the most of this new country I was living in, I chose to be miserable.  That’s right, I made a decision.  Therefore I was unable to be very effective because I was so stuck in my unhappy living situation.

How do we still fulfill our purpose and make the most out of situations where we are unhappy?  This is a tough question to answer.  I think it all goes back to perspective and not allowing your environment, or even people you surround yourself with to hold you back.  We have to accept life as it is handed to us and decide to make the most of it.  No matter who, what, when or where.

I’ve also noticed when talking with a few people about their job lately, they’ve mentioned how the environment at their job has had a negative impact on them.  I can see this happening, mainly because your workplace is somewhere you typically go on a regular basis.  This is no different from when children go to school and their behavior begins to rub off on each other.  For Christians however, having your own, individual, personal relationship with God is how this can be avoided. When you have your own special relationship with Him, you realize more and more about who He is, but you also realize more and more about who you are in Him.  When you know who you are in Christ, you have a confidence about yourself.  You go places knowing you have the power and authority to shift the atmosphere.  So whether it is work, school, or the grocery store, you take God with you.  Instead of the folks around you having a negative impact on you, you begin to have a positive impact on them.  The roles are reversed.

Learning how to take the good, the bad and the ugly and truly optimize the moment is the purpose of this message.  In order for us to fully be used at our utmost potential by God, we have to make a choice to do so.  When we make the choice, we should not allow anything, including our environment to stop us from moving forward and walking in our destiny.  #iDeclare #makethemostofit

 

Prayer:

Father God, in the name of Jesus.  I thank you for pushing me towards my destiny.  Forgive me for times when I allow the things going on around me to hinder me from moving forward.  Thank you for loving me and desiring a personal relationship with me.  As I draw closer to you, please help me to learn more about you and about myself.  Help me to walk in the knowledge of who I am in Christ at all times God.  I decree and declare that no matter what my environment is, I will make the most of it.  I will shift the atmosphere for the glory of God.  I will be a leader and not a follower.  Instead of me conforming to the ways of the world, I decree and declare that I have been transformed by the renewing of my mind in Christ Jesus.  Thank you God for hearing my prayer, In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Scripture References:

Romans 12:2 ESV “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Philippians 2:5 KJV “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

Opportunities

Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

opportunity

Here we are in June, the sixth month of the year half way through 2013.  I know several people who made resolutions when the year first started.  Stop doing this, start doing that, but I can be honest and say I didn’t really make any resolutions for the New Year.  I began 2013 with great expectations.  I couldn’t really pin point what those expectations were, so I did not specifically sit down and write a list I just knew it in my spirit.  I came into this year knowing that some things were about to change in my life for the good and I just needed to be ready when the opportunity presented itself.  What is an opportunity?  I’d say it is pretty much when doors are opened or a set of circumstances fall into place that make it possible to do something. I had to get myself in the mind state to know however, that opportunities are around me every day and I cannot just sit back and wait for them.  This is something I want to pass on to you as well.  Opportunities come a lot of times in ways we don’t even expect and if we are not ready for them, then it could just pass us by.  In my dialogue with people, I hear many different excuses and complaints as to why things aren’t working out for them or how nothing seems to be falling in place as they had planned.  Ok, so my question is this, how many times did an opportunity present itself but you let it pass you by because you were not ready?

I read the other day something that was extremely profound, it simply said that every gift, every talent and every skill that God gives you is an opportunity.  That took me back for a minute and I had to do a self-evaluation.  I know that gifts, talents and skills all come from God.  They are not something that can be earned or that you can buy.  I also believe that the more we use the three of these (whatever they may be because they are different for every person), the more they grow.  But, here is where I’d like to mentally separate the spiritual and natural things going on within to gain a better understanding of how opportunities manifest themselves and we may not even realize it.  Regardless of if an individual is saved, they are given a natural talent.  That natural talent is usually the result of genetics and the surrounding environment.  For instance, if you have a family history of musicians, more than likely you will be talented with music.  Spiritual gifts on the other hand are given to all believers, people who are saved and have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior.  As far as a skill, this is something you do well, simply put.

Now, think about your talents, gifts and skills.  What are some opportunities that you may have missed out on and at the time didn’t even realize it?  Once you are able to identify what it is that God has placed on the inside of you, it begins that process for you to move forward and fully capitalize on the opportunities I’ve been talking about.  Increase only happens when you learn how to discern the opportunities that God sends your way.  My prayer is that God will continue to help me discern these new opportunities and that I will trust Him enough to walk by faith and take total advantage of this new thing that He is doing in my life.  I encourage you to do the same.  Don’t sit back and wait only to have new opportunities pass by.  Get yourself together so that when those doors do open right in front of your eyes, you will be ready to walk right through in confidence.  My story may not be your story, but we all have a story. Purpose in your heart to make your story one that counts and one that will make a lasting impression not just for yourself, but for people all over the world. Are you a world changer? You can be! I challenge you today to be ready.  Open your eyes and ears so when the next opportunity comes your way, you will take full advantage, to the glory of God! #iDeclare #opportunities

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Prayer:

 Heavenly Father, I come thanking you for who you are in my life.  Please forgive me for not taking advantage and recognizing new opportunities that you have placed before me.  Help me to have a stronger spirit of discernment.  Help me God to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk and trust you with all things.  Help me to know and identify the gifts, skills, and talents that you have placed inside of me and operate in them for your glory.  I decree and declare that I will receive the increase of God in all areas of my life.  Thank you Jesus for hearing my prayer, In Jesus Name, Amen. 

Scripture:

Romans 12:3-8 NKJV “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 NKLV “for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”