Tag: Jesus

We Share In This House

Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

help

Is it just me or do people seem to be stingy these days?  I mean it just really seems like people are all about themselves and what they can get out of folks.  This is one of the many things that seem to stick out to me now more than ever, not saying this doesn’t happen everywhere, but it has just become more prevalent in my environment.  Maybe because for my whole life back in the states I pretty much stayed to myself and the people I did associate with were family or true friends I have had for quite a while.  Granted, even some friends and family will still use and abuse if you let them, but for the most part I already know who operates like that, so I love on them from a distance.  The law of reciprocity is vital in any functional relationship.  There is give and take but it is not a one-way street, it comes from both ends.  I remember reading a book a while ago and it talked about the different ways people love.  I found this book to be very interesting because immediately I could point out one of the characteristics that fit me perfectly, and that was a giver.  I have no problems giving to people, in particular people who I have a relationship with.  Over the years though, God has shown me that I have to be very discerning in my giving spirit because the enemy will try to use that as a means to attack.  At first I didn’t quite understand how the enemy could attack me in my giving, after all it was a choice I was making.  The way the enemy moves is through people and what he will do is use people to try to take advantage of me.  Let’s be clear, I am not simply talking about physical things either.  Yes, when you think of a typical gift it’s something tangible, but tangible stuff doesn’t mean all that much to me.  It can easily be replaced.  If I give you a new shirt, I can go buy a new shirt tomorrow to replace it, no big deal.  I’m talking about giving as a whole.  Giving your time, your attention, making sacrifices for people, etc.  All of the above is a form of giving because it requires you to take away from yourself.

Yes it hurts when I figure out that someone is only trying to get what they want out of me and I am sure it hurts you too, but what bothers me even more is when someone does this to God.  As a servant of God and active member of my church, there have been so many people simply use God.  Now of course, this is just my take on the situation because God knows what’s going to happen before it ever does, but it just seem like problem after problem people will come asking for this and that from God and as soon as they get what they want, they turn their back and walk away from Him.  This makes me so angry.  How can we do God like that?  He is our daddy, our Heavenly Father who loves us so much but yet we only come to Him when we want something or when we are going through a tough time.  As a parent, I can only imagine how this would make me feel.  The crazy part about it is God is such a loving, gracious and merciful God.  He knows what we are going to do and how we are going to do it, yet He still allows us to walk around His earth breathing in His air, eat His food, have a roof over our head not to mention all the other things we take for granted.  The law of reciprocity should not only be applied towards other individuals, it should be applied towards God as well.  I don’t have to ask what He’s done for you, but I will ask what have you done for Him lately?  God is God, so there really isn’t much we can do for Him anyway, but we can pray and talk to Him, we can spend time with Him, we can tell other people about Him, overall we should at least do our best to have a true reciprocal relationship with Him.

It’s funny because while God placed this on my heart to write about, I keep hearing my three-year old daughter in the back of my head saying, “we share in this house”.  That is what her dad and I taught her when we had our youngest daughter so they can learn to share with one another.  One of the best things about having children is that you can lay the foundation early and teach them how to share.  I want my babies to know how to have a reciprocal relationship with people and I hope and pray that they teach their children to do the same.  God has been too good to us to just take, take, take and not want to give anything back to anyone in return.  Count your blessings, then start passing them out to others, I know I will.  After all, my baby girl said it best, “we share in this house”.  #iDeclare #weshareinthishouse

Is-it-Better-to-Share-on-Google+-Facebook-or-Twitter

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I come first and foremost repenting. Please forgive me for times when I have thought only about myself.  Forgive me for always taking, but not wanting to give in return.  You have been so good to me God, please forgive me.  I decree and declare that from this day forward I will operate in the law of reciprocity.  I will not just be a taker, but I will be a giver as well.  In Jesus name, Amen. 

Scripture Reading:

Hebrews 13:16 NIV “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

1 Timothy 6:18 NLT “Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.”

Get A Life!

Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

curtains-get a life - smaller

What does your typical day consist of?  Do you get up and go to work or maybe stay home and take care of your family?  In the midst of all that you do for everyone else, do you actually have a life?  What do you do for yourself?  Having a job that you go to every day is understood and so is staying home to be a homemaker but if that is all your life consists of, we have a problem.  I titled this article ‘Get a Life’ because so many people in my path seem to live lives that revolve around others.  I used to be that same way until I realized that my loved ones and friends lives should be a nice addition to my own.  It should accent and compliment what I already love to do.  This means that if they are not in the picture for one reason or another, I can still be content with doing me.  Prior to meeting my husband, this was something that God dealt with me on in regards to mates.  It seemed as though when I would date someone, all of a sudden my life became immersed with whatever they had going on.  I specifically remember praying and crying out to God one day and He said as clear as day, ‘Get a Life’.  I was a bit taken back because I thought I had a life, but when I sat down and deliberated for a moment I realized God was right, I didn’t.  Yeah I went to work and even went church and took an occasional shopping trip here and there, but that wasn’t much of a life.  I had to think about some things that I really loved to do, just for fun and do them.  My goal today is to encourage you and really push you to go out there and have some fun.  What is something you’ve always wanted to do but never got around to it?  What’s holding you back? I’ll answer the second question for you, NOTHING.  Go skydiving, ice skating, bungee jumping, white water kayaking, zip lining, travel the world!  Whatever it is just do something.  Life is too short to just stick to the same ole, same ole everyday all day.

An interesting piece that I wanted to add is directly related to the body of Christ.  On numerous occasions I have talked to people about being saved and living for God and one of the first things that comes out of their mouth is that being saved looks boring.  They don’t feel like they can have a relationship with Jesus Christ and have fun.  I always laugh at this response because it couldn’t be farther from the truth.  The unfortunate part about it though is that this is the image that is projected by people in the church and who claim to be saved all the time.  Anytime somebody halfway talk about doing something that’s not read your bible they want to look down upon or condemn folks.  Let me first say this, nowhere in the bible does it say that we have to read our bibles all day everyday.  But my theory is this, examine your motives.  I’m not gone look down on you.  If you like to dance, do your thing cause so do I but does that mean you have to be in the club dancing until three in the morning every Saturday night, not so much.   I had a blast when I was in the world, so I figure I’m gone do it even harder now that I’m saved.  I just got a different partner.  I’m rolling with Jesus now, so my approach is gone be a little more discrete.  You might catch me in a dance class instead of in the club where the atmosphere is a little different.  Whatever your thing is, examine your motives because when you accept Jesus into your life as your personal savior and begin to have a true relationship with Him, your spirit will become more sensitive to things and there will be certain places and certain things you won’t want to do anymore because you know that He is living inside of you.  That being said, there are still lots of ways you can have fun and still be saved, many of which I listed earlier.  Even if those things aren’t of interest to you find something that is and do it.  Have fun.  Get out and do something different.  Get A Life.  You’re worth it. And I promise you, God wouldn’t want it any other way.   #iDeclare #getalife

 

 getalife2

 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for this life you have given me.  Help me to get a life.  Show me ways I can go do fun things that I’ve wanted to do for a long time but never got around to it.  I decree and declare that from this day forward my life will not revolve around other people.  I will have fun.  I will do something different and I will enjoy it.  Thank you God for showing me that I can have fun and live righteous at the same time.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture Readings:

John 10:10 KJV “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.”

Psalms 118:17 NLT “I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the LORD has done.”

Train Up A Child…

Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

il_fullxfull.378842001_4b51

It seems as though things have gotten so out of control lately in regards to our youth.  I by no means claim to be old, but this new generation of youth coming up seems to be such a new breed.  They are doing things I never would have even imagined while growing up.  Even worse, they seem to have no sense of fear. They don’t fear their parents, they don’t fear their teachers, they don’t fear police, they definitely don’t fear each other, they don’t fear dying and most importantly they have no fear of God.  As sad as this is, I can’t help but wonder why that is.  Is it because of the way they were brought up?  Not putting the blame on parents because I am one, but at some point someone has to take accountability for this behavior.  I know I was very stubborn, and had a smart mouth growing up.  My childhood friends will tell you, I stayed on punishment as a kid.  In spite of all this however, my parents did lay a foundation for me.  The bible says in Proverbs 22:6 that we are to train up a child in the way they should go.  From the time I was born until I moved out of my mother’s house to go off to college at the age of 17, I went to church every Sunday.  No ifs, ands or buts about it.  Not only did I go, I was involved.  I was in Sunday school and choir.  It may not have meant much to me then, in fact there were times that I hated going, but nevertheless the foundation was laid.  Did I get wild and crazy when I went off to college, yeah I did some stuff I probably shouldn’t have done, but I always had a reverence for God and who He was in my life.  This element seems to be missing right now and it has to change.  We have to take back our children.  The enemy is out to kill, steal and destroy and he is trying to use our children to do just that, but we have to shut him down.  He has infiltrated the hearts and minds of children through music, the internet, social media, video games, and several other means.  It is up to us to cancel the assignment of the devil and put him in his place.  Command him to take his hands off our children.  They belong to the most High God.

Yes, indeed children will be children.  I get that, but it seems as though that’s part of the problem as well.  Kids now and days have been forced to grow up too quickly and are acting like adults.  They are missing out on what being a child is all about.  Being able to laugh and play, have nothing to worry about but going to school and get good grades.  The times have truly changed.  Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, no matter how young or old.  It is essential that we cover our children constantly.  In addition to praying for them, we have to lay the foundation for them while they are young.  Teach them about God, take them to church, teach them how to pray for themselves and how to build a personal relationship with God.  We must also be an example to them.  We cannot tell them one thing, then turn around and do something else.  We HAVE to be an example!  As I have learned lately, children hear what you say but they are actually moved more by what you do. #iDeclare #trainupachild

 

***I would like to invite every parent to pray this prayer over their children daily and do so out loud – releasing it into the atmosphere!***

 

Prayer:

Father God in the name of Jesus, I come pleading the precious blood of Jesus over my children right now.  I cover them Lord from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet.  I draw a bloodline of protection around them allowing no incidents, accidents, situations or circumstances which will bring them any hurt harm or danger to come anywhere near them in Jesus name.  Your word says that whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven and whatever we loose on earth is loosed in heaven.  I bind every plot, plan and scheme of the enemy to come against my children right now in the name of Jesus.  I pull down strongholds and cast down vain imaginations.  I dispatch warring angels to go before them and fight on their behalf.  Fight against those that fight against them, war against those that war against them, in the mighty name of Jesus.  I bind any spirits of oppression, depression, repression, suicide and bullying in the name of Jesus.  I release the perfect peace of God in their lives.  The peace that surpasses all understanding.  I release love, happiness and joy in their spirit.  I decree and declare that they will live for you and serve you, the only true and living God all the days of their lives in Jesus name.  No weapon formed against my children shall prosper and every tongue that rises against them in judgment I condemn.   I decree and declare that they are an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ.  I decree and declare that my children are the head and not the tail.  They are above only and not beneath.  My children are lenders and not borrowers.  The wealth of the wicked is no longer stored up for them but is being released right now in Jesus name.  I decree success, excellence and favor in the classrooms at school.  My children will not conform to the ways of the world, they will not follow the standard, they will be the standard in Jesus name.  I cover their DNA with your DNA right now in the name of Jesus, and I decree and declare that they are healed, whole and complete in you God.  I decree and declare that they will live doubt free, drug free, debt free, disease free and drama free all the days of their life.  I decree and declare that they will awaken each and every day ready to live the life of their dreams.  Excellence will be the signature upon all they say and do.  I seal this prayer in the matchless, magnificent, wonderful name of Jesus, Amen.

Scripture:

Matthew 18:2-6 NLT “Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them.  Then he said, “I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.  But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck.”