God’s Way or the Highway

^{“And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing;  but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” – Acts 5:38-19}

Yet another gem I came across while reading the book of Acts. It’s amazing how many there are for us to dig up. There’s a reason they say we should read the Bible like we’re looking for treasure! And there’s so much for us to find.

This scripture really stood out to me. I’m a bit of a control freak so I often try and fight against all things to have things go my way – including God. Although I’m no where near as bad now as I was then, I still fall into the enemy’s lie that I can have my own way.

Well, the truth is, as long as my desires aren’t God’s, I’m not going to have them. This is made quite clear in these scriptures.

Why is that? Because God has control over the universe and He doesn’t give people things that don’t go with His plan. God’s plan and man’s plan are very different. God’s are all about the Kingdom and saving people where man’s plans are often more focused on their own lives then anything. You want to be a millionaire? I’m not saying it’s NOT going to happen because God is a God of miracles, but when you line up ever desire and hope with that of God’s, they WILL come to pass.

Only God’s will, will happen. Using the millionaire idea: if God wants you to be a millionaire, you will be. But if He doesn’t? You can bet you never will.

So to stop us from all the heartache, we have got to STEP BACK and let God take control. It’s not easy submitting, but remind yourself who you’re submitting too – the God of the universe, Your creator and designer. I can’t think of anyone better to lead your life.

Can you?

 

GOD BLESS XX

~ C

 

 

Healing from the Past

We’ve all been through heart break at some point in our lives. Maybe it’s from a relationship, or family or anything for that matter but we can all agree they suck.

My heart goes out to those who have been abused and mistreated by their loved ones. They gave their all to someone who threw it back in their face and threw them aside like they were worthless. Then these wonderful, hard working people lose heart and take on what was said. They don’t feel of worth, they feel like they’re never going to be good enough and their hearts which were broken, stay broken.

Maybe that’s you today. Maybe you’re so shaken up and torn to pieces because someone you loved didn’t love you back. I’m here to tell you that healing belongs to you. True love belongs to you. Jesus belongs to you.

I know of broken people who have entered broken relationships, taking the abuse because they think they deserve it. It makes my heart weep to see all those beautiful souls degrading themselves and letting others do the same. It shows how deeply Satan has worked his way into their lives that they have nothing except the pain to live for.

Those people are my heroes because although they’ve been so broken, they continue to live.

Relationships can’t heal you. You’re looking in all the wrong places for healing if you’re not first looking to God. And healing is but seconds away.

“LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.” – Psalm 30:2

It’s as simple as that, dear ones. God wants to heal us. He hates seeing us broken and in pain, just as any good father would. He holds the ointment that can take away our pain. He has the glue that can put our broken heart back together again. God is the source of all good things so why would healing not be apart of it?

Step into your Saviours arms. Jesus loved you in a moment more then any man or woman ever could. While you’re out their searching for the perfect partner and a fulfilling relationship, you’re missing the fact that He’s right there in front of you,

Jesus died for you! Jesus saved you from eternal pain! He wiped away the tears of the brokenhearted and gave comfort. He gave people a life of worth and meaning. Why are you searching for love like Jesus’ love isn’t enough? Jesus love is more then we could ever deserve and He wants to give it to us NOW!

You deserve healing. You deserve a better life then you’ve been giving yourself. Go to Jesus, the one who’s all perfect. The one who can fulfill every desire of your heart.

The one who will give you new hope and joy.

 

And it’s waiting for you!

 

GOD BLESS!! XX

~ C

 

Setting An Example

It wasn’t to long ago that my mother pulled J and I aside to have a discussion on the way we interacted around other people. While we knew what we were doing was in good heart and godly, my mother pointed out that my younger siblings, whom look up to me, will want to copy.

In the moment I realised the amount of influence I have on those around me. I could use what I had for good, or bad. Depending on what I wanted.

It was tough at first. At the end of 2014 I was confronted with the same thing by my old youth pastor who got mad at us for even holding hands. As we were both serving in the ministry, we had an influence that they wanted us to use for good. I was miffed at the time. Why was holding hands during church such a bad thing? (To this day I still believe that was over the top). In the end we actually left that church and started at a new one where we are again serving. The influence I had then is still with me now.

What we Christians don’t realise is how important it is to set an example, especially for our kids. If they grow up seeing their sister or their mother sleeping around, what do you think they’re going to do? If they see their daddies beating up their mums, what message does that send to them?

We are all called to be reflections of God, a sample of what is to come. We’re so focused on being godly that we forget to live Godly and take that responsibility to heart.

There’s nothing wrong with exchanging a kiss with your partner and holding hands, but do it knowing that little eyes and learning eyes are watching, taking in your every movement. Even adults are watching how you live and how you act in your relationships. Isn’t that a great tool to use?

Imagine if a victim of abuse saw the gentle affection you were showing your spouse and your kind words? They’d wonder what made you different. Imagine now if every person you knew was to do the same things you were doing in your life and your relationship?

I know there’s some things J and I have done that I deeply regret and I don’t want copied. Look at those things and seek to fix and change them.

 

As Christians, we are representatives and examples for the new generation and even the current generation. Don’t use the power we’ve been given by God to cause more damage instead, but instead use your influence to change the way people view God and relationships.

 

GOD BLESS!!

C

 

A Letter to the Cheated On

Firstly,

You are not alone.

You are not the first to be picked up and played with only to be discarded like a toy. You are not the only one who gave their all to someone who gave nothing but pain and hurt back.

You. Are. Not. Alone.

I haven’t been cheated on. Heck, J is my first and hopefully my last relationship, but just as any and every girl does, I can’t help but question if I’m good enough or if I’ll ever be discarded.

I can only imagine the pain of such a thing. Just thinking about it brings me to tears.

It’s okay that you’re in pain and that you’re hurting. If you weren’t, I’d be a bit concerned. Humans are delicate creatures. We are not made to withstand such a traumatic experience. No one should go through it, but sadly, with Satan’s dominion over earth, it’s a reality that many are facing each day.

Beloved, you a precious and so desired by God. I know right now you feel worthless. Why else would those men or women discarded you like you are? No one that belongs to God is worthless. The people that have betrayed you are of the enemy, the deceiver. Anyone that goes against the Word and God are of the enemy.

But what matters is you. You’ve been broken, but God offers you healing. In Him, by His stripes, you are ALREADY healed. You just have to believe it and offer the broken shards over to Him who is filled with nothing but love and sorrow for the pain His beloved child has had to go through.

But I know, sometimes it feels like God isn’t enough and that’s a perfectly normal feeling to have. We as people are not designed to do life alone. God made Eve to fit with Adam so humans could fellowship.

I know you feel like you’ll never find an Eve or Adam again and part of you doesn’t want to anyway because that kind of pain isn’t something You want to risk every again.

But beloved child of God, that’s what God wants you to do. He wants us to rise up and take our healing. He wants to mend us and make us whole. He wants to build us up to be strong individuals and He wants to join two individuals so that they might come one and deep down, you DO want it.

Don’t be afraid of those feelings. You have them for a reason. Is it insane to have them? No! Love is a beautiful thing and just because some guy or girl threw you a screwed up version of it, it is still out there and God still desires it for you.

I know for those of you who are married, it’s a lot harder then just breaking up and going separate ways. As a married couple, you made vows and while the other didn’t commit to them, part of you is still devoted to yours.

Divorce is a big thing. Divorce is painful. That’s why Gad hates it so much (Malachi 2). It’s not something to be taken lightly, but remembered beloved that God is your true source of love. You can move on from your marriage, or you can fight your hardest. God is always there to catch you within it all.

God is there to catch all of us. But please don’t give up on love. You are worthless and you truly are enough. Satan and lust tells us that nothing is every enough, but true Godly people know that what we have is more then enough. You are enough. You are more then enough.

You are lovable.

You are wanted.

You are beautiful (yes, fellas, you are beautiful!).

And you are enough.

 

If this isn’t to much to ask, I would love to gather some testimonies of those who have gone through affairs and adultery in dating and marriage relationships. Please if you’re willing, send them to our Facebook page. I desire this to be a future blog post.

God bless!!

~ C

 

Building Healthy Spiritual Ties

When you’re in a relationship, there’s no better feeling then being close to your significant other. It’s because of that feeling however that so many relationships are ending after boundaries have been crossed and that feeling of completeness is lost.

This is because people are trying to draw closer to their partner or their spouse in ways other then spiritual. This could mean sex to verbal communication and when that feeling of intimacy is not being met, dissatisfaction takes hold.

People don’t realise that what they’re seeking is spiritual intimacy. Unlike physical intimacy, anyone can practice spiritual intimacy with their partner, regardless of being married or not.

It’s true that only God can complete you, but its also true that spiritual ties are available to you.

For ages I’ve been wanting to rid J and I of physical ties (as with any couple, we are struggling with temptation) and it wasn’t until God sung out to me that I realised there was a more powerful option. An option that was healthy for our relationship and the building of our faith.

So how do you create one?

The most effective way is through prayer.

I love praying for J. It helps me feel so much closer to him knowing that I’m moving the spiritual realm to aid his future and life and also the rest of the world. The feeling I have when he prays for and with me is also intense. I feel more close and spiritually vulnerable. When we pray together for others and different circumstances, I can almost physically feel the power that’s moving out of us and also surrounding each other. Cloaking one another in prayer is almost tangible and one of the most amazing feelings.

And at the end of it, you don’t feel guilty at all. you know what you’ve done was right and you’re building your relationship on a solid foundation. So many people aren’t aware how praying together can build a relationship and marriage because a lot of people don’t want to take the effort. It’s true that when an effort is made, something beautiful comes from it.

Reading the Word is also another way to build a spiritual tie. Being only a Christian of a few years, it’s exciting to study the Word with J because I’m learning new things along with him and that’s something that I won’t be sharing with others. He’s the “first” in spiritual senses.

A spiritual tie also fireproofs your relationship. Think about it: two people joined in prayer and in the Word are going to be stronger then a lone person or two unequally yoked. If we’re strong in what we do spiritually, we’ll make more of difference in our lives and the lives of others.

 

I believe this is what God planned from the beginning for relationships: a spiritual soul tie. One that’s rooted in God’s word. Physicality only lasts for some time, but the Spirit lasts forever.

 

God bless!! xx

~ C

 

 

3 Ideas for Before You Date

So often people talk about finding the right partner or finding the “one”. Maybe they talk about soul mates even.

So often they ask God to send them the one. But rarely do they ask God to help them be the one.

You can’t have a “one” without being the other’s. And trust me, guys, you need to be ready for when your mate comes into your life. Yes they will be there to support you, but are you ready to support them?

So here’s some things to consider before you enter a relationship with anyone.

First you need to ask God to prepare you to be a mate. The single period is really a blessing in disguise. Not only do you have no commitments, but you can focus yourself completely on what’s concerning you. This means that as God builds you into yourself and prepares you for another, you will be able to grow and change. It’s much harder to do so in a relationship. By asking God, He’s able to show you not only what to work on, but how to work on it as well.

2.

You can also get yourself set up for the path God has for you. For some that means going to college and studying fulltime or travelling or working. No matter what it is, when it’s a mission from God, it’s bound to be time consuming. If you’re in a relationship, you have to juggle time even more difficultly. When it’s just you and God, you can go the difference! Not saying being in a relationship is bad, but it is so much more easier on your own.

3.

Set yourself up financially. Yes, money is an issue even when it’s just dating. It’s something I’m currently learning now. If you’re not self-providing before you start dating, how do you plan to provide within a relationship? It’s so important that you can look after yourself before you add another to an equation. So very important.

These are only three of many suggestions. I’d appreciate it if you dropped your own in the comments below! 

God bless xx

~ C

 

Equally Yoked = Equal Dreams

There’s no deeper tragedy then seeing a relationship fall apart after a couple realises their callings are different. I saw this happen not to long ago with a couple that everyone thought would continue on into marriage and for the rest of their lives. The devastation when they went their separate ways effected everyone.

It got me thinking about how important it is to make sure when you first embrace a relationship with someone that your goals and desires for the future are the same. Otherwise, if you ignore this and get married, you’ll have an unhappy marriage.

People think that being unequally yoked is to do with believers and nonbelievers. While that is true, it also means when two people have different callings.

Imagine this: Two oxen of equal size and of equal strength tied together and journeying down a road. They come across a fork in the road. Each road is equally important to either oxen. They will struggle and fight against each other and when one wins, the other will lose. They get dragged along the other road, but they will always feel that deep yearning and desire to go back down the other path. Even as time goes by, the losing oxen will never let the idea go because that idea was given by God. This will cause bitterness towards the other and even depression.

Long story short, unequally yoked amongst believers is deadly and poisonous and definitely a killer of relationships.

That’s why I can’t stress how important it is to work out BEFORE ENTERING A RELATIONSHIP whether your paths are going the same way. Thankfully, J and I have the same calling on our hearts, right down to the same city we want to help.

But now. Think about two equally yoked people in a partnership working towards the same dream. Imagine those Oxen, both wanting the same path, both hurrying down the same path. This is relationship building. This is helping each other to reach the goal, the end of the line. The same dream. There’s so much power in one person, but imagine in a marriage? The relationship would flourish. Both would be happy and God’s ultimate plan would be worked.

 

When you enter a relationship, make sure its with someone of the same dreams and desires. This is not only healthy for you, but also for them. God works great in one, but in a pair He is unstoppable. Why limit God’s power by being in a relationship that can’t work for His good?

 

God bless you all!!

~ C

 

 

Expectations

Relationships in society are always failing because of the expectations they put on one another.

I am blessed in this regard. Before meeting J, I was barely interested in men. I grew up in an unstable family with a father that drank all the time and yelled at my mum and us kids all the time, with a grandfather who blamed my sister for being molested and friends of my dad who would offer nothing but verbal abuse to their wives or partners.

In my eyes, as a young girl of only eight, I thought men were some of the most disgusting creatures in the universe. I didn’t want to get married, I didn’t want to date and I didn’t want a man in my life at all.

When God saved me, I started attending a Church and was awestruck about how different the men were there. They spoke to their wives and partners with respect and love, they exhorted them and they stirred something within me that I had closed off as my dad became an alcoholic and my family fell apart.

By the time I met J, I was craving a love like that. When I partnered with J and we began courting however, my expectations were still low. Everyday I am surprised with how good he treats me, but these low expectations are something I’ve grown to appreciate.

Many seem to believe that if they’re in a relationship, their life is made complete. They fail to see that sometimes, their partners are going to fall short. Fights happen, you realise you aren’t all that alike and sometimes you just want to quit. But it’s in those times when you really shouldn’t quit, but instead look to Jesus.

Jesus completes you. Jesus is there for you 24/7. Jesus loves you unconditionally and Jesus will never let you down. A human being cannot do that and by placing that expectation on our partners and even ourselves, we are dooming our relationship. We are setting ourselves up for failure.

Instead of looking to a relationship, you need to look to Jesus. When your eyes are focused on Him, you’re able to see the world in a different light. You’ll start seeing your partner as God does and that’s what fireproofs your relationship. Imagine two people who were so in love with Jesus, so involved with Jesus, that when they looked at you, they saw you through heavens eyes? The respect would increase, the fights would decrease and the relationship would grow stronger day by day.

Don’t place high expectations on people. We simply can’t meet them. But place your expectations on Jesus and your world will change.

God bless!! xx

~ C

Ten Scriptures on the Wonderful Gift of Joy

According to Galatians5:22, joy is naturally a fruit of the Spirit, just like love and many other traits of Jesus as found in scripture.

Because the Spirit falls upon all believers, joy should be one of the many fruits we bare.

Just remember though that joy doesn’t mean happiness. Joy is a peace that remains through every circumstance.

Here’s ten verses to help you understand Godly joy!

1. “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” – Romans 12:22

2. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” – James 1:2

3. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” – Romans 15:13

4. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ” – Philippians 4:4

5. “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” – John 16:24

6. “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ” – 1 Peter 1:8

7. “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. ” – Proverbs 17:22

8. “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. ” – John 16:22

9. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ” – Romans 14:17

10. “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” – Psalm 118:24

God bless!!! xx

~ C

How to Be Gentle in an Unkind World

To me it feels like every day, more destruction becomes revealed in this painful and cruel world, but with it also, I see something among people that’s even more frightening:

Passivity.

There is so much bad stuff in the world that we’ve became numb and emotionless when these things happen and that’s just not how it’s meant to be for God’s people.

It’s hard to keep a tender and gentle heart in such a painful world, but with God’s help it is possible.

Our hearts should be a reflection of God’s. They should break for what breaks His.

 

Galatians 5:22-23:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

The word “gentle” or “gentleness” isn’t mentioned a lot in the Bible, but it is a fruit of the Spirit – therefore a fruit from God. All of His fruits are so utterly important to the Christian faith and gentleness is not dis-included.

How do we stay gentle in a cruel world? The answer is we can’t, but God within us can. The Word says in God we can do all things and keeping a gentle heart is one of them. It’s necessary we have one to be able to spread the gospel.

James 3:17:

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”

Gentleness comes from wisdom – a true and Godly wisdom. This is our key to keeping a heart of gentleness. By dwelling in the Word we gain Godly wisdom. By gaining Godly wisdom we gain Godly gentleness. It’s one big chain and all links are important. But you can’t have one without the other.

Baring the fruits of the Spirit comes when we spend time with our God in His Word. That is the key to staying gentle in an unkind world.

Please remember that everything comes back to God. He is the answer to every question. How do we get to God? Through His Word. I can’t stress how important this is.

 

God bless xx

~ C