Be careful...

Todays topic: Be careful what you pray, wish, hope, speak for.

Have you ever wished for something and it came true? Have you ever prayed for something and it came to pass? Have you hoped for something to happen and  it did? Have you spoke to a mountain and it moved? If the answer is yes, then you have used "faith".
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
Heb11:1 
You believed if you wished. prayed, hoped for something it would come true...and it did! Wonderful! But sometimes what we speak isn't so wonderful. It works both ways. As much as it can be used positively and to the good of one, so can it be negatively and against one. The spoken word is powerful! When we speak, not only does God listen, but the devil listens also. We give him ideas, did you know that? The word says our tongue is like a two edged sword!
We say, " Man, I haven't had this (bad thing) happen in a while."
The devil rears his ugly head and says, "hmmm, now there's an idea to make their life miserable".
See what I mean.
I am forever getting on to my husband for confessing bad things. He will say very negative things, such as, "Yeah, I am probably gonna die from that", (whatever the topic might be).
I tell him the devil just loves to hear people condemn their selves to dying of some horrific fate. He jumps at the chance to make it happen!

Why is it so much easier to believe a lie or a negative than the truth or a positive? Because we expect bad things to happen, NOT, good things! Call things as though they were, NOT as they are, but as though they were!

Recently I was working. Able to pay the bills, living comfortably. I was tired, sure. Working long hard hours (I always said hard work never killed anyone), getting paid a lot less than I was worth (according to me and some of my co-workers). I complained daily. "I should be making more. These hours are gonna kill me. I need another job. I wish I could stay home." 
Well, I, got my wish! My prayers were answered! Here I am sitting at home (like I had wished for). Only it's not working out quite as planned. I got sick and ended up in the hospital with a stroke and God knows what else. I am now told I cannot return to work. My bills are all due and I don't have a paycheck or means to pay them. One by one, I am losing all the things that I thought I could not live with out. (YES, you can live without satelite TV and phones). I have no idea why I still have internet. Guess God wants this message out! The next to go will be my house if there is not a miracle in the next few weeks.
But Hey, I got my wish! I'm not working! See what I mean.....Be careful what you wish for. Be careful what you speak out loud so the devil hears it. He listens to your every word also. He comes like a thief in the night to kill, steal, destroy!

Today I ask God's forgiveness for my lack of faith.  Please forgive me for not being grateful for the blessings I have and thankful for all you have given me.I thank you that you are my provider and in you I have hope.

By His Stripes!

Today has been a rather uneventful day. I slept late again....couldn't sleep last night. I was in too much discomfort with the python squeezing me around my back. I continue to have this "squeezing" feeling around my trunk and head. The left side of my body feels as if it is a piece of fruit being dehydrated. Like gravity is pulling it down.  I am not sure what is going on with my body, but I know God is here. I know he hears my cries and is holding my hand. I know that I have hope in the future because of the past....Jesus died for me...by HIS STRIPES I AM HEALED!  Thank you, Lord!

Author Anonymous!

"You promised me, Lord, that if I followed You,
You would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most
trying periods of my life there has only been
one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
have You not been there for me?"
The Lord replied, "The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints, My child, I carried you."
Author Anonymous!

Why do you think each time you read this, whichever rendention it is, it says
Author Anonymous or Author Unknown?
Why do we NOT know who wrote this infamous poem? It has been spread throughout the world. Put on t-shirts. Painted on canvis. Printed on bookmarkers, but Nobody knows who to give the credit to!
AOL coined the phrase  "You've got mail", now it's infamous. People say it and hear it every day, They even named a movie after it! Everyone knows where it originated. Then there are single words that represent groups or teams, such as, HOORAY, the US Marines or Whodat?, the New Orleans Saint fan's cries! We all know where those came from....Fans! Members!
I believe the reason the author is anonymous is that SO MANY have cried out to GOD.
"Where are you God? I need you God! I don't feel you or see you! Why have you left my side, God?"
Multitudes have felt alone in their hour of despair. Hopless when faced with life changing trials. Helpless when disaster strikes. BUT, this poem brings to prospective what kind of GOD we have.
*One that would Never turn His face from us.
*One that would carry us when we are down and weary
*One that is with us through thick and thin.
*One that brings hope, healing, comfort, salvation, peace, joy
HE is always here with us. His word says "He will never leave nor forsake us".
So Why would we not feel Him in our troubled times?

Here is a thought to ponder....
How do we expect to recognize God in our times of troubles if we don't take notice of Him in the good times?

me,me,me...GOD, GOD, GOD!

Now it came about that the apostles were going around performing miracles, healing people, and preaching the word of God. There were multitudes following them, lining the streets, selling their possessions, giving their proceeds to all in one accord. There was a couple who sold their possessions but held back a portion of the proceeds for themselves. When the men of God heard this, they confronted the man asking why he kept what was already his but had been promised to God. He asked why have you allowed Satan to fill your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? The man was so fearful he dropped dead right there and because his wife was aware of his lie, when they confronted her, she dropped dead also.

Do you think they dropped dead because they were embarrassed? NO, the word says they were fearful. What were they fearful of? I believe they feared what they had seen done to Jesus and the two thieves that were crucified. God just now showed me what this passage was all about. I was trying to find some deep meaning or parable in it, but it's really about this. We are such a "me" generation, that we would rather die than to give over our possessions, i.e. big homes, expensive cars, tvs, cell phones, dining out once or twice a week, drinking, smoking, etc.. We are all guilty of it. I have bought cigarettes before when I didn't have milk money! How selfish is that? 
We all live above our means and are just one or two paychecks away from foreclosure. Let something catastrophic happen in your family, i.e. death, illness, loss of wages, let's see how long you can hold your head above water. If you are like the average Joe, not very long! But! be of good cheer, God has got you covered! He said He will provide for you according to His riches in glory....NOT your riches.... but His riches.
Praise be to God! He is faithful and just!

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:18