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How to Manage Your Christianity

Once you are reborn, or become saved, you come under the leadership of God, the Father. You become part of His family… and an heir. You now qualify for all that is His. According to Jesus, no one can legitimately enter, except through Him (Jesus).

He is the only way in… but, there are many who will try to call you out. They will try to get you to leave the family of God and you get you back into the world. Whether they’re friends of yours or not, Jesus calls them “strangers” (John 10:5).

There are also thieves who will try to “steal” you from the family of God.

Maybe you had those times when someone presented something that enticed you to “go for it.” It looked and sounded good, it may have even appeared to be from God, but turned out to be a disaster in the end. Maybe the messenger spoke beautifully and seemed honest.

Remember how beautifully Satan spoke to Eve in the garden? He’s no different now than he was then. Satan is of the world, and he’s out to destroy you and everything that is God’s. As long as you’re in this world, which is his (2 Corinthians 4:4), he will not leave you alone until the day you finally enter heaven.

Jesus said, “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” (John 10:10 KJV). The word “might” in that Scripture is the deciding factor, and it’s your responsibility.

Accepting Jesus and becoming a part of the family of God is not a cure all to end all. It’s a decision to enter another realm of living, and it must be managed.

We need to manage our Christian walk by eliminating distraction. That’s really tough to do when we live in satan’s world. That’s why praying, reading the Bible, and attending church regularly is so important. We need fellowship with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Unfortunately, these days are becoming increasingly difficult to be around other believers. So many are enticed by the world and have become hypocritical. We need to have compassion for these struggling people, not harshness or hatred. Otherwise, we will be no different.

Again, once you are born again, or become saved, you become God’s. You become part of His family. You now qualify for all that is His. But, in order to access His abundance, you must manage your walk. 1 Corinthians 2:10 tells us to “Let the Holy Spirit lead you into the deep things of God.”

Daniel N. Brown is a teacher of biblical success principles! Get his Free Special Report, “Christian Prosperity Secrets” when you subscribe to his Free “Prosperous Christian” e-Letter…
http://www.SecretPlaceOnline.com

Youth Ministries All Around The World Have A Tough Job To Do, But It’s Far From Impossible

Youth Ministries All Around the World Have a Tough Job to Do, But It’s Far From Impossible

I wrote this article to help all youth leaders to run effective youth ministries to the honor and glory of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Are you ready to get into it?

Grab a pen and paper quick and let’s get into it shall we?

1. Keeping and Maintaining interest
You don’t have to talk very long to a Sunday school teacher to discover that many young people nowadays have what many people call a short attention span. I however have seen it, and it’s not that there’s a short attention span with our youth today, but its that young people, are just that- young. And they do not want to have the Gospel preached to them in the old way.

If you really want to reach a young person then you’ve got to speak to them frankly, and openly. They’ve got to understand that being a Christian isn’t all peaches and cream all the time, but it is the most rewarding and joyful experience than anything thing in this world. And to truly do this, the life of the youth pastor or youth teacher must be in agreement with the Word of God.

There can be no two-faces about it. If someone shows up to class sick, and you’re saying and “By His stripes we were healed” in the readings for that day, you need to go and demonstrate the Word of God. Be a doer of the Word. Transform the meeting environment, into a place where young people are built up to not only being hearers of the Word but also doers of the Word. And when you do launch out in faith and lay hands on the sick, they will recover.

2. Assisting in School
Particularly with teenagers and young adults, you as the youth leader are going to need to get involved in the school affairs of those you are speaking to. Why? Because it’s important. Not only because it’s school, but because of the many outside influences that youth at school face.

Let me give you an example. So there you are trying to get through to a young person about forgiveness when that young person says, “Not me. I ain’t going to forgive her!” You look at that young person baffled, wondering where you went wrong after all of these years of them being in the youth club and Sunday school. This is where you’re going to have to take a look at the school environment and ask yourself, “Is the school that this young person is in one that excercises Christian values and beliefs?” And if your answer turns up to be no, then don’t sit down idle feeling as though you can’t do anything about it.

Get up and begin to make a difference. Go in and speak to the youth at the school maybe during morning assemblies or devotions. Rally behind teachers and principals at the school to see how you can help to change the environment at the school. Teach the school choir a new song that speaks to them of God’s love and forgiveness. It doesn’t have to be something outlandish, but it does have to be effective.
And in addition to those outreaches at the schools, take some time to speak to the youth group themselves. Speak to them about peer pressure and knowing who they are in Jesus Christ. You’ll find that this will help so much, because then they’d begin to see the relevance of their faith in the world about them, and respect you for revealing that to them.

3. Helping them overcome peer-pressure
It’s not going to be easy, but it is not impossible. You see, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. As a youth leader, you’ve got to be able to help the young people in your group overcome peer-pressure. As mentioned in the previous bullet, it is not the most comforting thing to see those whom you have taught and fellowshipped with go the other way. But don’t let that phase you.

I find that with situations like these, prayer is a powerful and dynamic tool against the attacks of the enemy. Make it a top-priority to pray. Pray before meetings, pray during meetings, pray between breaks, pray after the meetings, encourage prayer at home, and you pray as well when you arrive at home. It is a missing element in our ministries today, but when it returns, we will see a major and drastic transformation in our youth, for they will then become a generation that will advance the cause of the Kingdom of God in all the earth.

So what I’m saying is what Paul encourages us to do and that’s “Pray without ceasing.”

4. Building Trust and Respect at Home
Your work as a youth leader is hardly done when the meeting is over. In fact it is only then that it really begins. As a youth leader, you need to be in close communication with parents at home, providing a prayer covering for the home, as well as encouraging parents to be a part of their children’s Spiritual development. It’s so important that the scriptural lessons taught during youth group meetings are enforced at home.

Your part in this is to ask parents for their support so that Faith, Hope and Love may abide in the home, thus building, trust and respect among each and every member of the home circle.

5. Equipping Them To Walk In Their God-given Destinies
You’ll find that daily as young people grow Spiritually, that they’ll be able to discern the voice of God in their lives. And when God speaks to them about their destinies in Christ, it is often a maze-like situation where the answers and support are hardly ever existent for them

Don’t let that be the case with your youth group. As a youth leader, it is important that you seek the Lord for answers with regards to each member of the group’s calling. Ask the Lord to give you the scriptures that will help that young person who comes to you for help in making career decisions and the like.

And in all your getting get wisdom and understanding so that you’ll know how and when to guide them in the path that they should go; the path that the Lord has set out for them through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Quinson Thomas is the Founder and President of Quinson Thomas Minisries. With The heart of a Youth Ministry the ministry seeks to empower this generation to fulfill their individual calls and walk in the fullness of who God call them to be. Visit, http://www.quinsonthomas.com

The Danger of Being Self-Sufficient

Trying to be independent and self-sufficient seems to be the standard mode of operation for a large portion of humanity. As a group, we tend to admire those who can fend for themselves. Their strength to provide for their own needs and rise in the ranks of society, science, or commerce gives them a place of prominence in our collective consciousness. We, after all, love a winner.

However, there is a danger in being such an individual. Though they have been blessed with temporal strength they still suffer from the pangs of original sin just like the rest of us. They do have a substantial amount of common grace, but this is no indication that God’s redemptive work has freed them from the power of sin and Satan. Without that, there is not really much good to the fact that they can be self sufficient in terms of temporal things.

In fact, Jesus clearly mentions the difficulty that those blessed with material and social status face in Matthew 19:24 when he says, “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Apparently, God does not judge men the same way that we do. He looks to the heart, judging its thoughts and intentions (Hebrews 4:12). This reasoning chose the boy David over the tall, handsome and self-sufficient Saul. David became king because he knew that he needed God.

The scriptures are clear; man is in desperate need of God. The epistle to the church at Ephesus written by the apostle Paul makes this clear. He writes that we are dead in our sin and he uses this analogy very purposefully. He wants his readers to ponder the question, “What can a dead person do?” The answer is obviously nothing. He is completely incapable of any action. In fact, the only thing that he appears to be doing (i.e decomposing) is not really his action but a byproduct of his death.

The only hope for a dead man to no longer be dead is to become alive again. This again is completely outside his power because he is dead! But this is where the Paul shows us just how much we need God. He writes in Ephesians 2:4-5 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.”

God is the only person who can give us real, lasting, and eternal life. We need God, and more specifically the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, very badly.

When man rejects his need for God, he is acting as though God is not the way that he is. This dishonors God and he acts on our behalf to teach us our need for him. One of the ways that he does this is by letting mankind feel the effects of their rebellion. Romans 1 teaches us that when we reject the righteousness of God we are given over to the sins that we commit and they eat away at us. It seems as though God does this that we might recognize our plight, repent, and sin no longer (1 Timothy 1:20).

God will also bring judgment upon those who do not do so. Habakkuk 1:11 teaches that, “… they will be held guilty, they whose strength is their god.” When we abandon Christ as our means of life and rest upon our own strength in this life and for the next it is crystal clear what will happen to us - we will still be as dead as the day we were born.

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Fight For Love

Cupid raised his arrow, aimed and love hit the hearts of two people. A love so exciting that it exploded into possibilities. A family, a home and a life that can be shared. Anything is possible when two people are in love.

Romeo and Juliet loved. There love was so deep they could not live without the other. A love that pitted them against rival families who were filled with hatred. Families that would never accept their love.

William Shakespeare wrote this epic tail showing how love can be defeated by the quarreling surrounding families. Love can be devoured by hate to the point that the only hope of two people to hold unto their love is by going to their graves.

Today over fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. Husbands and wives end their marriages stating:”Irreconcilable Differences” as the reason for there demise. But I tell you that it has nothing to do with their incompatibility, it has everything to do with our present day world.

We are a society separated by differences from skin color to ethnic backgrounds. We live in a world where everything, from our religion to our country, chooses whom we can love.

We have also become a society of workaholics. We are so burdened by our desire for things that we are chained to our work. When our spouse needs us, we can’t give except in material things. So love that once united becomes cold and every day trials become disasters.

Love and affection takes work. It takes spending time together. It takes making love often and forgetting the work we must accomplish in our life. Paul realized the need for strong committed relationship when he wrote these words in the Bible’s renown ‘love chapter’.

1 Corinthians 13: 1- 3, “I may be able to speak the languages of men and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. I may have the gift of inspired preaching: I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains-but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned-but if I have no love, this does me no good.”

We live in a very complex world that fights against all forms of love. We are at war and couples are the favorite target of the unseen spiritual forces of evil. Because Satan is the god of this world, he roams the earth devouring love and turning cupids arrows of love into hate by turning couples against each other through fights and quarrels.

God is love and the destruction of love puts a stop to good in the world and allows the fallen angels of hell to inflict punishment on those who are not under the protection of God. Satan knows if he can destroy marriages he can stop healthy families from forming strong unions bound together with love.

Families who understand the fight and stay together no matter what they face in life. Couples who love even when it is hard to love. Wives and husbands that refuse to keep a record of everything their mate has done wrong.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, “Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up: and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.”

Satan’s influence destroys couples by using their emotions as a weapon to lash out. He keeps them in the clutches of jealousy and selfishness by reminding them how much time there mate spends with other people, instead of them.

But under the influence of the Spirit of God we are given another message. Truth teaches us to let go of each others faults, not to keep records of wrongs, and to allow forgiveness to heal our problems. The Spirit of God helps us to have patience and gives us hope that things will get better in future.

We live in a corrupt and evil world that demands that we serve it. In order to set up a house, we must work! The same must happen within the makeup of a marriage. We must constantly forgive and love and talk out our relationship problems so Satan doesn’t get a foothold into our lives and corrupt us through evil thoughts.

The only way we can do this is by holding tightly to the love we have for our husband or wife. We must recognize Satan’s influence in our thinking and fight for love.

We need to understand that Love is God and only through God can we stand firm and be unaffected by lives ups and downs. Because God is everlasting and eternal.

1Corinthians 13:8&9, “Love is eternal. There are inspired messages, but they are temporary; there are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease; there is knowledge, but it will pass. For our gifts of knowledge and of inspired messages are only partial; but when what is perfect comes, then what is partial will disappear.”

Love helps us to face all forms of tragedies from the loss of a child to facing a disease or disability. Love helps us to dig our way out of financial crisis from job loss or company reorganization.

By facing this world, within the establishment of a strong relationship, we have strength. Jesus said when two or more pray together, He answers their prayers.

As people of faith we must pray for our relationships and hold tight when tragedies rear their ugly head. Together, couples can achieve miracles through faith in God, but when couples fight without God, they fail.

1Corthinthians 13: 11-13, “When I was a child, my speech, feelings, and thinking were all those of a child; now that I am a man, I have no more use for childish ways. What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face. What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete-as complete as God’s knowledge of me.
Meanwhile these three remain; faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.”

We must put aside childish emotions that allow jealousy, evil, and all forms of strive to enter into our marriages and think like adults. We must learn to overcome adversity with love.

Love is not a Shakespearean tragedy that results in both parties dying. Love is a force that stands up against all opposition and wins. Love produces hope and faith that nothing is impossible when God is the head of our household.

Cupid’s arrows hit strong fortresses of love. Couples who would Fight For Love!

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. lovinghandsministry.com

A Valentine Lost And Then Found

I riffled through the draw and unexpectedly my eyes caught a glimpse of a worn and tattered envelope. Inside the folds of the letter lay a dried rose. At once I gathered the tiny rose into my hand and began to read.

Tears filled my eyes as the words poured forth in perfect harmony, thoughts of love. It seemed like a dream, yet the feelings surrounded my being and penetrated my thoughts. So many years had past and yet each word brought memories so clear of the love I felt for my soul mate.

I love you with all my heart. I long for the times that we spend together. Each day I think of you with so much love that I feel like I am overflowing with joy. I praise God all the time just thinking of how wonderful you are and how you are so perfect for me. You are my ultimate valentine!

I looked at these words of love I once felt and I remembered. It was as if a dove flew in with the most wonderful gift for a certain amount of time and then departed. It’s hard to understand how the love I felt for my valentine had so many feelings, but now they had lost their passion for love.

This is not what God intended for love. God’s desire is for us to hold tightly to love and fight to keep it alive. God tells us that He is love.

1John 4:7&8, “Dear Friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

Too many people today think that sexual lust for another person is love. They don’t understand how important true love is to a couple. They don’t understand that they must have a secure foundation in God in order to maintain love.

In order to understand love we must have faith in God. God is the protector of love. We live in a world where people have been given the freewill to decide how they will believe and who they will believe in.

We are constantly being tested because we are evolving through the situations we face in life. Tests that open our eyes up to what kind of love is good and what kind of love is sin and an instrument of Satan.

Our feelings for each other make us determined to go forward in a relationship or stop us in our tracks. But the right kind of Love propels us towards life experiences that change the way we think about our world.

When we love deeply, then it gives us a determination to stay together no matter what. We are strong and we are not afraid of what others may think of our love. Love gives us the ability to be an unbreakable force, because the right kind of love represents God.

1 John 4:17&18, “Love is made perfect in us in order that we may have courage on the Judgment Day; and we will have it because our life in this world is the same as Christ’s. There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment.”

Love makes God’s children perfect. Love takes away our fear of the “what ifs” of life. Love is not afraid of punishment or suffering because love drives away all kinds of fear.

This is the reason why couples who rely on God can face the death of a child and remain together. This is the reason why when a natural disaster occurs and takes a families home, the couples who have love, remain strong and conquer the disaster with faith.

Because God is manifested in love, strong relationships grow stronger through the hardships they face in this world. While those who don’t have God, suffer and faint because of fear of being abandoned by their spouse when the times of testings come.

1John5:3-5, “For our love for God means that we obey his commands. And his commands are not too hard for us, because every child of God is able to defeat the world. And we win the victory over the world by means of our faith. Who can defeat the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

I took this new found knowledge of love and began to look at how to rekindle the feelings I once felt for my spouse. Through prayer I sought God’s help to heal the distance that had developed from us not expressing the love we felt unconditionally for each other.

I prayed that God would forgive me for taking my marriage for granted. I asked the creator of love to reignite the passion once lost. I pleaded that God would give me the words to express my love.

The words had barely left my lips when a dove of love came floating in with God’s compassionate reply:

Dear Children, You are my Valentine. Your love for each other creates stars that shine forth in love igniting the Universe with light. Love between two people are like bright shiny rays of light reflecting my heart for man. Love fulfills your destiny and inspires those who are lost to seek the light of understanding given them by Me. My love for you is never ending and always available to all those who are destined to find Me. Seek love, long for love, and your journey in this world will be proven to be of the purest gold. Gold refined by the fire of life. Love inspired through never giving up or giving into evil. I Love You, God has spoken.

My heart jumped for joy and the love that had once grown dormant shone brightly for my love. Suddenly everything about our life made since again. My Valentine that once was lost, has now been found!

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. lovinghandsministry.com

The Creator Of The Heavenly Lights

A sparkling white dove floated down leaving a trail of sunbeams in it’s flight. It’s wings were spread out and it’s eyes showed a determination to bring a urgent message of love from Jesus Christ.

The dove transcended the dimensions of the earthly realm and ignited into tiny lights. Lights of knowledge for all of God’s children. Understanding they would not have found without the whisper of God’s voice.

James 1:17&18, “Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning. By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures.”

People wonder why our world is filled with so many people suffering from incurable diseases like cancer, aids or ALS. They believe that if there is a God why would He allow such evil to hurt people’s lives?

They don’t understand that our world is imperfect because Satan has been given dominion over the earth. Satan has the power to hurt people. He is the anti-Christ, whose only goal is to destroy faith from ever taking root in a person’s life.

That is the reason why Jesus came as a man of flesh and blood. He came to destroy the devils work by placing the Holy Spirit into His children’s lives. A Spirit that is a voice of good. A Spirit that directs people to understand that the troubles they are facing is Satan and not God.

1 John: 11&12, “The message you heard from the very beginning is this: we must love one another. We must not be like Cain; he belonged to the Evil One and murdered his own brother Abel. Why did Cain murder him? Because the things he himself did were wrong, and the things his brother did were right.”

When you live in a corrupt and evil world, naturally evil things will happen to good people. That is the reason we must get a grip on why there is suffering and death.

Cain illustrates how temptation can pull you in and make you an instrument of Satan’s will. When Satan is in control of a person’s life then that person becomes an opponent for everyone who does God’s will.

This is the reason why our world is filled with jails and prisons full to capacity. Evil people under the influence of Satan will commit mass murder, rape, steal, lie, and deceive people who are trying to live a godly life.

These people give themselves to Satan and love the world and everything it gives them. They are arrogant, selfish and full of lust. These are people who betray friends, brothers, and anyone who gets in the way of their pleasures.

This is also the very reason why sickness and all kinds of diseases are released into the world. For every sin that is committed a punishment comes down from the Spirit world to bring judgment for this sin.

Earthquakes and floods are direct repercussions of how evil can take a perfect world and demolish it. How we treat people to how we live our lives, spur on huge tidal waves, hurricanes, and tornadoes full of destruction. These are natural disasters that reflect the punishment that comes on all men, good and bad alike.

This is the very reason why Christians must be aware of why bad things happen to good people in this world. We live in an evil and corrupt world that preys on good in order to persuade all people to do evil.

1 John 3: 4-6, “Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God’s law, because sin is a breaking of the law. You know that Christ appeared in order to take away sins, and that there is no sin in him. So everyone who lives in union with Christ does not continue to sin: but whoever continues to sin has never seen him or known him.”

The only way that good people can walk away from the pain and suffering they face in life is by understanding that ignorance of God’s laws brings condemnation on all people. We must keep close to God so we will not be pulled into the sin that others commit so easily.

We must run to our Savior when we have been pulled into sin and Christ will forgive us if we have a humble heart towards Him. We must understand the purpose behind grace and rise above this world so we can become instruments of God and not Satan.

1 John 3:7&8, “Let no one deceive you, my children! Whoever does what is right is righteous just as Christ is righteous. Whoever continues to sin belongs to the Devil, because the Devil has sinned from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for this very reason, to destroy what the Devil had done.”

Belief in Jesus Christ gives us the ability to stand up to temptation and say no! Just like Jesus came to destroy the Devils evil work, Christians everywhere have been sent out throughout the world to do the same.

Suffering for evil brings judgment and death. Suffering for good brings reward and success in all things of this life. Suffering because we are Christians defeats the evil plans of Satan.

To know the truth about our world is to walk freely into a new light of understanding. With knowledge of how the game of life works we are able to defeat the plans Satan has to overthrow our lives.

With wisdom we can overcome the pain of having cancer and all forms of diseases. With the knowledge that I am on the side of the Lord, I can rise above all forms of natural disasters no matter what Satan might do to bring me to my knees.

The beams of light opened my mind to revelations. Ideas and dreams that were meant to inspire me and give me strength to stand my ground no matter what I face.

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. lovinghandsministry.com

Why You Should Be Your Own Best Friend

What do you think about yourself? How do you view the real you? When you look into the mirror, what are you thinking? Do you think things like, “You’re a winner, I’m proud of you, I love you, and I believe in you?” Or, are you thinking things like, “You’re a failure, You’re stupid, or You’re ugly?” What things do you say to yourself on a regular basis?

Self-talk is vital! We spend more time with ourselves than anyone else in the world. That’s why we have to be our own best friend. We live in a fallen world and there’s already too much in life that is against us anyway. We don’t need to be beating up on ourselves too.

You may find it easy to speak garbage to yourself because maybe that’s all you’ve heard all your life. Those tapes in your brain just keep playing over and over. You may feel completely worthless because of all that. But, you are NOT worthless! God created you in His image, and with a purpose. God is perfect in all His ways and does not make junk.

We tend to kick ourselves when we do something stupid because we feel like a failure. But, a friend never kicks a friend when he’s down. Why should you kick yourself? There is never an excuse to put yourself down! Besides, failure is an event, not a person!

Let it be known that there is an enemy who is like a roaring lion that roams around seeking whom he may devour (John 10:10). He doesn’t need any help.

A lot of us haven’t heard positive things from our parents, family, or those we’ve spent a lot of time around. So, what we weren’t able to get from them, we have to give to ourselves.

Look in the mirror. Tell yourself that you really and truly love yourself and that you really and truly forgive yourself for all of your shortcomings. Give yourself permission to make mistakes. After all, you are only human. Tell yourself that you believe in yourself. You’re gonna make it and God is on your side, and if God is for you, who can be against you (Romans 8:31)?

It will feel really awkward for a while until you get used to hearing and seeing yourself speak to yourself this way, but it works. Your self-esteem will improve dramatically!

Most people don’t realize that a lot of the reason why we feel the way we feel is because of the way we think. Our thoughts produce our feelings. You will obviously perform much better when you feel good about yourself than if you keep thinking you’re a failure.

If we’re ever going to have abundance and prosperity in our lives we must love ourselves. We must feel deserving of success in order to have it and enjoy it. We must be our own best friend and love ourselves before we can love anyone else (Mark 12:31). Besides, God loves you, why shouldn’t you?

Daniel N. Brown is a teacher of biblical success principles. Get his FREE report Christian Prosperity Secrets when you sign up for his FREE weekly newsletter…
http://www.http://www.SecretPlaceOnline.com

Who Is My Hero

Bombs exploded across the night sky lighting up the world with hot fiery bursts of red. A loud sonic boom awakened the sleeping people to the reality of war.

Fear perpetrated the hearts of those who were not prepared. Horror lined the faces of those who survived the first attack. Terror overwhelmed their thoughts because it was only a matter of time and their lives would soon be over.

The Lord God Almighty looked down upon the ragging firestorm and took flight into the night air abandoning the perfection of Heaven to fight for the children He loved. God strapped on His sword of righteousness and waged a great battle against the evil serpent of the world.

The Devil incited evil people with a plan to destroy goodness from the world. Their bombs pelted every good country destroying those who fought for justice. Burning up lands and kingdoms for the sake of conquest.

The people cried out in one voice, pleads for a Savior to defeat the Devil’s rampage on the earth. They shouted all in unison, the question, “Who Is My Hero? Who can save us from the anti-Christ?”

Isaiah 59: 14&15a, “Justice is driven away, and right cannot come near. Truth stumbles in the public square, and honesty finds no place there. There is so little honesty that anyone who stops doing evil finds himself the victim of crime.”

The bombs threaten extinction of all human life. The murderous threats of evil explode igniting fighting on every single shore. No one is safe, cry the people. No one is able to defend his house from the ravages of war.

The people cry out all in unison, “Who Is My Hero? Who will save us from the Anti-Christ?”

Isaiah 59: 15a-18, “The Lord has seen this, and he is displeased that there is no justice. He is astonished to see that there is no one to help the oppressed. So he will use his own power to rescue them and to win the victory. He will wear justice like a coat of armor and saving power like a helmet. He will clothe himself with the strong desire to set things right and to punish and avenge the wrongs that people suffer. He will punish his enemies according to what they have done, even those who live in distant lands.”

Every house was abandoned. Every church was destroyed. Every person in all the nations of the world, left to flee and find cover in caves found high in the mountains and hills.

All trembled at the sounds of battle that ragged around the countries destroying all earthly good from the world. School buses were exploding and schools were crumbling as the fighting grew more and more fierce.

All justice was ended. All courthhouses destroyed. All governments demolished from the unending bombs that threatened to fatten the world.

The people trembled and they all cried out in unison, “Who is my Hero? Who will save us from the evil serpent of this world?”

Isaiah 63: 1-5, “‘Who is this coming from the city of Bozrah in Edom? Who is this so splendidly dressed in red, marching along in power and strength?’
It is the Lord, powerful to save, coming to announce his victory.
‘Why is his clothing so red, like that of a man who tramples grapes to make wine?’
The Lord answers, ‘I have trampled the nations like grapes, and no one came to help me. I trampled them in my anger, and their blood has stained all my clothing. I decided that the time to save my people had come; it was time to punish their enemies. I was amazed when I looked and saw that there was no one to help me. But my anger made me strong, and I won the victory myself.’”

The people rejoiced as the bombs ended and the earth took on a more glories form. The Lord most High had come down from Heaven to save them from the evil serpents power.

God’s Magnificent strength filled the lands of the world once again with justice, truth and hope. Jesus ruled the countries with love. He reached down to every single person and wiped away their tears.

Families once again flourished in peace and safety. Godly children with moral convictions arise bringing joy to their parents. People lived long lives unafraid of sickness and disease.

All weapons of war were stock-piled and burned. All bombs defused. All forms of hate ended.

The people rejoiced and sang praises. All children of the earth celebrated the triumph of the Lord’s mighty battle on the earth.

They all shouted in unison, “The Lord God Almighty Is My Hero!”

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. lovinghandsministry.com

How to Hear From God

Most people tend to live on the shallow surface where our physical senses, thoughts, feelings, desires, and emotions are constantly being stimulated by worldly, carnal, fleshly ways. Because of this, we are not able to hear from God and be led by His Spirit, leaving ourselves wide open to fall for the many deceptions of the devil.

We want to hear from God so that we may be led to pursue the right things. Unfortunately, there are always four voices in every ones head at any given time; God’s voice, the devil’s voice, other people’s voices, and the voice of our own flesh. So, how are we to be sure to hear from God with all the noise going on?

It really is very simple. If we want to hear from God, we need to shut up the other three. So, how do we do that? The first step is to distinguish each voice so that we know what we are up against.

1. The most obvious voice is our own and it speaks to us in a variety of ways. It is always telling us what we want, what we think, and what we feel. The Bible refers to our mind, will, and emotions as our “flesh nature.”

2. Another voice that clamors for our attention is the voice of other people. They are usually telling us what they want, what they think, and what they feel.

3.The third voice is the voice of the devil. He is very subtle and speaks to us through worldly ideas and viewpoints that he has injected into other people.

4. The fourth voice is the voice of God and He speaks to us in our spirits. He does not speak to us in our minds. Unfortunately, that’s where most of us spend most of our thought life. Again, the Bible refers to this as “the mind of the flesh” (Romans 8:7, AMP).

These are the four voices that we constantly hear and which voice we obey is based on our ability to discern. Obviously, we want to obey the voice of God if we are going to enjoy a successful life because the Bible tells us that we must be led by the Holy Spirit.

So, how do we hear from God and be led by His Spirit? Again, by quieting the other three loud voices screaming for our attention.

When we can find some peace and quiet we will be able to hear that one still, small voice, which is the Holy Spirit of God, wanting to lead us in the way we should go.

How then do we quiet these other voices and find some peace and quiet?

First of all, the devil is easy to shut up. Psalm 22:3 says, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Satan will have to flee when we begin praising God because the Lord inhabits the praises of His people. The devil is not gonna stick around while you shout “Hallelujah” to the Lord.

Just shout out your praise to God. Praise Him for who He is, praise Him for what He has done, praise Him for His promises, and praise Him because He deserves it. As you are praising God, you will not hear from the devil.

Other people’s voices are also easy to shut up. All we have to do is get away from them. I realize their tapes continue to play in our heads, but if we can get alone somewhere and just focus on God, those tapes will stop, at least temporarily.

Our flesh is the more difficult to control because it never can get enough and is never satisfied. It is also the most difficult to control because it is extremely self-centered. Even still, Jesus said, “Deny yourself and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

Your flesh doesn’t want to follow Jesus. That would mean having to give up many things. It doesn’t matter. We are to crucify the flesh (Galatians 2:20). It’s just a decision.

When you quiet the evil triplets, the devil, other people’s flesh, and your own flesh, it will be much easier to hear from God. Now, that does not mean you will hear an audible voice, although you may, but not likely.

God speaks in many different ways. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice and they follow me” (John 10:27).

Clearly, before we can know God’s voice, we must be like sheep. What are sheep? Only the dumbest animals on the face of the earth. We must become like dumb animals, knowing nothing (in and of ourselves), being completely dependant upon God. This goes back to crucifying the flesh.

When we hear from God it can be something from His written Word (logos), or it could be His audible voice (rhema). We can also get His rhema Word spoken through a friend. Or, it can be nature, convictions, open and shut doors of opportunity, and the most likely, internal peace.

One way you will not hear from God is through your emotions. Emotions are dangerous ground because they are never consistent. They’re up one minute and down the next. You can’t make important decisions based on something so erratic.

Many times, you will not get a definite answer on something specific. The Bible tells us that we are to live our lives by faith. We are to step out and try things that we feel God is leading us to do. Maybe this will work, maybe that will work. We just have to step out see. “In the morning sow your seed; For you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good” (Ecc 6:11).

One thing is for sure, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord” (Psalm 37:23).

Trust God for direction as you take steps of faith toward what you feel He is calling you to. It won’t be long until you know for sure whether it was really Him or not.

Daniel N. Brown is a teacher of biblical success principles. Get his FREE report Christian Prosperity Secrets when you sign up for his FREE weekly newsletter…
http://www.http://www.SecretPlaceOnline.com

Why Did My Child Die

As the sun rose over the ocean a gentle breeze blew awakening my senses to the peace of my surroundings. My thoughts quieted for a moment as my mind took in the beauty of the tiny island I was vacationing on.

I wished that every day could begin like this day. A beginning when everyone around was not occupied with work or the tragedy of life. A day where simple faith in God was all that was required in order to make it through the day.

Whenever I look back at life I gain wisdom. I see the truth of why a particular test came my way. I allow the truth over my life to teach me to look at my world as a challenge and not as a punishment.

Too many people are suffering in the world today. They are sick and afflicted from all kinds of incurable diseases. They are crying all of the time and they have stopped seeing the reason why they are feeling so much despair.

1 Thessalonians 3: 3&4, “so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.”

This is the reason why we need God for we are destined to go through trials. God gives us hope when there seems there can be no hope. He allows us to take our own human limitations and believe that with His help we can overcome the complications we face in our present day lives.

Our trust in God gives us the ability to reach higher than those who have no God at all. With faith nothing we face is an obstacle because we believe in Miracles.

We believe that even though we cannot do it, God can give us the strength to climb the treacherous mountains and cross the rough seas of life and win the victory.

A mother clasps the hands of a dying child and her prayers reach the heavens above with pleads for help. God’s angels are sent to perform miracles in that mothers life. If the child is destined to die then the angel gives the mother the strength she will need to endure the pain of loss. If the child is to live then the angel gives the mother a celebration over the miracle of life.

Our trials are a result of God’s purpose for our being. A destiny that is meant to elevate us and change us into more loving and compassionate people who will fight for God.

When we are on the side of God and love, the loss of a loved one positions us strategically against the unseen spiritual forces of evil. Forces that can only be defeated through people who will stand up to Satan and see the good that can come even from death.

As people who believe in Jesus Christ, we must cling to how His suffering and death gave us hope that all our pain will be rewarded in eternity. This knowledge helps us to handle death even when it is our own precious child and helps us to understand that our pain is temporary. But our fight for God lasts through our life time.

Running to God when we are enduring the worst kind of pain gives us strength. Once time has passed and our time of grief is less we can comfort those who are suffering like we suffered. And our example can inspire that person to hold onto God and save them from giving into how the world handles death.

The world wants us to grieve to the point that we need therapy in order to save us from dying. Placing our trust in God lifts us up and makes us an example of faith in the sight of suffering. It gives others hope that if we can do this then they can do it too.

Philippians 2: 12b-15, “Keep on working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation, because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be innocent and pure as God’s perfect children, who live in a world of corrupt and sinful people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky,”

Everything we go through is planned by God. He wants us to grow through the trials and become beacons of how love can help us overcome the evil found in this world.

Lights that shine forth, showing this corrupt world that nothing can conquer and defeat us because we place our faith in God. We know with certainty that our trials are for our betterment.

This is the reason why so many good people suffer. From verbal persecutions to physical affliction; God’s soldiers fight against every evil of this corrupt and sinful world in order to defeat Satan and his followers.

Good must prevail and as a result children being raised in godly households suffer through illnesses. Good children die in order to show that their purpose is to help their parents fight for causes that they would never have been involved with if they had not suffered the loss of a child.

Jessica’s Law to the founding of America’s Most Wanted became a reality from crimes committed against children. Parents took their grief over their loses and turned them into organizations geared to fight crimes.

Every battle that Satan wages is fought by good people who turn the evil tides of battle into victory for the side of God. They win this prize by standing firm in their faith.

They choose to fight for God because they love Jesus and want to share in His death. They want to become righteous just as Jesus so they will gain the reward of Heaven.

Philippians 3:10-11, “All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.”

So every child of God endures the evils of this world in order that their lives will reflect the wisdom of God. A revelation that can only be gained through fighting against everything that has been corrupted by Satan.

Philippians 3:12-14, “I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. Of course, my brothers, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above.”

We must stand our ground and lean on our faith that God is always in control. With God’s help we can endure loss. With the strength of God we will stand because God is able to make us stand.

The breeze brought a coolness that calmed the heat from the bright Island sun. God surrounded my thoughts and gave me strength to walk refreshed and ready for the next battle that was certain to come my way. I would stay on the path and fight for God in my game of life.

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. lovinghandsministry.com

Trust And Obey Part I

Joshua looked out at the Jordan River. It was harvest time and the river was flooding. His prayers immediately flowed towards Heaven asking God to help the Israelites to safely cross the water.

Joshua was the servant of Moses. He was his understudy and now he was the prophet’s successor. All Israel looked to his guidance and wondered if he could carry on where Moses left off and get the people to the Promised Land securely.

The task was huge and the man full of the Spirit of God knew that the only way he could succeed was if the miracles that Moses performed were passed onto him. He fell on his knees before the tent containing the ark of the covenant of God. His prayers for strength were heard and then God Spoke.

Joshua 1:5&6, “Joshua, no one will be able to defeat you as long as you live. I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will always be with you; I will never abandon you. Be determined and confident, for you will be the leader of these people as they occupy this land which I promised their ancestors.”

Joshua stood before the Israelite people and commanded the priests to take the ark of the covenant into the Jordan river. As soon as the priests stepped into the river, the water stopped flowing upstream and piled up, and the flow down stream was completely cut off.

The people crossed the Jordan river on dry ground. God had exalted Joshua in the sight of the Israelites. This sign from God gave them confidence that Joshua would be a strong and miraculous leader just like Moses. A leader they could depend on to fight the wars that they were about to face.

All of this took place because Joshua trusted God and obeyed his words. He was a man just like us. As a human being he had no power to perform miracles, but with the supernatural workings of God, he could do anything.

Too many people today limit God. They look at the world for what it is and believe no further. They pray but they really don’t believe that God can perform miracles in their life.

I grew up in a small rural Kansas town. Everyone thought they knew every one’s secrets. I married young, had three children and was very involved in church. I was highly respected, but everything changed when I fell in love with a woman.

I divorced and tried to live in my home town, but the people would not accept my life change. They followed me around, denied me service in the stores and wrote letters to the court service officer stating that I was gay and I shouldn’t be allowed to be my children’s custodial parent

Up until this time I was like everyone else reaching for the American Dream and desiring to raise my children to be good, law abiding, Christian people. But everything changed when I was persecuted and everything changed when God began to reach out and single me out for a miracle.

God supernaturally began typing me messages. He stated that if He didn’t make Himself real to me that I would never be able to make it. At the time I didn’t understand what this meant, but later after looking back at everything I suffered I began to understand.

I was raised to be a very strong Christian. I knew the difference between love and hate. I prayed and loved God, but I had never gone through anything other than the difficulties of raising three children.

It wasn’t until I was injured by my ex-husband, abandoned by my parents, and stalked by members of my ex-church that I finally understood faith. The test of loosing everyone I loved demanded for me to believe beyond what I had once been taught to believe.

God’s messages taught me to see the war surrounding our world. A spiritual existence that is not visible by the naked eye. An unseen world where powerful spirits interact in the minds of individuals. Every message I received was ended with these words, “Pray for protection from Satan, I love you, God has Spoken.”

The war that surrounded my life caused me to depend on these messages from God. I read every word, applied them to my life in full obedience and trusted that all the pain I was going through would not last forever.

I trusted and obeyed God because I had no one else except for Tori. I had to let go of what I had been taught in order to interpret and follow the messages God wrote to me.

Joshua 1:9, “Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go.”

I became like Joshua at the Jordan river. I was determined to hold onto Tori and to learn why the church hated gay people so much. I held onto my Bible praying for protection from Satan and obeying God’s messages to me.

Each message helped me to gain strength as I faced each and every court battle until my children were finally taken away from me and given to their dad. The messages made me stand up to the injustices of our legal system. The messages helped me to defy the court order to turn over my children and run with my kids.

Joshua stood at the Jordan river and wondered if God would really use him to lead the great people of Israel into the Promised Land. His human weaknesses doubted his ability to do it, but his belief in the miracle working power of God made him Trust and Obey.

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. lovinghandsministry.com

Trust And Obey PartII

Joshua left the tent of the presence of the Lord dumbfounded by the Lord’s command. The Israelite army was to march around the heavily fortified city of Jericho seven times and shout on the final pass. Determined to show no apprehension for God’s request, Joshua walked back towards the encampment and was met by a man.

Joshua 5: 13-15, “While Joshua was near Jericho, he suddenly saw a man standing in front of him, holding a sword. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you one of our soldiers, or an enemy?’
‘Neither,’ the man answered. ‘I am here as the commander of the Lord’s army.’
Joshua threw himself on the ground in worship and said, ‘I am your servant, sir. What do you want me to do?’
And the commander of the Lord’s army told him, ‘Take your sandals off; you are standing on holy ground.’ And Joshua did as he was told.”

Joshua had to see the Spirit world that is hidden from the people of the world. He had to understand how the unseen world and our world co-exist for the purpose of helping human beings who were on the side of God. This knowledge would give him the ability to be strong and determined so he could trust and obey God as he began the awesome task of conquering the Promised Land.

An explosion sounded in a tremendous thunder scattering the rock walls of the city into tiny bits. It devastated every armory position, every watch tower, and the heavy gates that once protected Jericho. In one quick attack the army ran towards the city. They destroyed every living, breathing, thing and ignited the city in fire.

Every idol and image of their idols had to be destroyed. Every part of Jericho had to be annihilated so that the Israelites would not be tempted and pulled into their evil lifestyle.

God had to separate the Israelites from evil so they could be a living example to all nations of how to be good in an evil world where Satan is king. The Israelites needed to be the messengers for the foundation of the Laws of Moses that would begin in Israel and spread throughout the entire world.

The surrounding nations needed their illustration so they would turn away from their former practices and follow the powerfully, miracle working God of Israel. A God who was a God of order. A God who would bring in a government of justice. A God who would use any means necessary to grab people from evil and instruct them in truth.

God revealed His greatness when He took the sinful nation of Israel and turned them into Law abiding, obedient servants who would even die in order to get God’s message out. People who would face the evil of this world and conquer it by the knowledge given to them by God.

Joshua was given a vision of the supernatural world of spirits so he could see the commander of the unseen army of God. Seeing this world brought him to his knees in fear. Suddenly he realized that there was more to this world. An unseen world of spirits that co-exist along side of man.

Ephesians 6: 11-13, “Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil’s evil tricks. For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age. So put on God’s armor now! Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy’s attacks; and after fighting to the end, you will still hold your ground.”

Joshua realized that he was not fighting against human beings, he was fighting against the wicked spiritual forces of the unseen world. Spirits who could influence the mind of men for good or evil. A heavenly world of rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers who wanted to destroy the lives of men.

The hardest thing I ever did was to completely commit my ways to the supernatural messages God typed to me. His messages became my thoughts and opened up my mind to think and act differently towards the conflicts that surrounded the lives of men.

My trials over the custody of my three children put each message into an illustration of how God uses people to fight against the wicked spiritual forces of the unseen world. Forces that use the word of God for evil. Spirits that influence even church people to fight against the very nature of God.

1John 3:10, “Here is the clear difference between God’s children and the Devil’s children: anyone who does not do what is right or does not love his brother is not God’s child.”

An unseen spiritual world of good was beckoning me to see my world in an entirely different perspective. A world where we are chosen to do battle against evil in our human form. A plan set forth by the living God to rally the human troops against the wicked spiritual forces of evil for the side of love.

A world where we are God’s heroes battling forces of evil that can’t be seen, but are present in the very heart of men. Men who listen to evil and are determined to fight against anyone who is on the side of love.

The courtroom was filled with members of my ex-church. I walked in on crutches determined to fight against the persecutions they were waging against me for loving Tori. Two weeks before my former church pastor and a deacon watched as my ex-husband slammed a car door into my leg over and over again and did nothing to stop him.

God sent me a message telling me to let the people who were not members of this church know just exactly what kind of leadership was teaching their kids. I obeyed and anonymously sent letters off to every parent whose kids were in the Wednesday children’s program.

The crowd of Southern Baptist members were there to show there support to Eric and their pastor. They wanted to intimidate me and make me see that my being gay gave them the right to do anything they wanted against me.

That morning I had received another message from God telling me to not go forward in court. He stated that they were only going to make it about me being gay and it could lead to them trying to hurt me even more. He said we had made our point when we sent letters to the parents.

When my lawyer arrived, he looked at the crowd in the courthouse room in bewilderment. He agreed with me that we should let go of the protective order. He looked at Tori and I and understood that this was not about abuse it was about love.

1John 4: 7&8, “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

It was years later before I began to understand why these things happened to me. I was part of a bigger plan! My life would be an example for anyone who was willing to see that we are more than human beings trying to live the American Dream. We are players in an unseen Spiritual Game. A game of love fighting against evil.

Joshua went forward to conquer the heavily fortified city of Jericho because he trusted God and he wanted a more just and loving world for his children. God gave him the victory because he obeyed.

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. lovinghandsministry.com

How to Heal Yourself

Approximately two thirds of physical illness can be traced to a psychological cause. Millions of Americans, addicted to antidepressants and other drugs, are seeking relief.

The problem is that relief never comes. Drugs only treat the symptoms. They aren’t the cure. They don’t provide healing.

Psychological causes often include a lack of forgiveness or refusing to grieve a loss. By holding onto past hurts, we’re only putting ourselves in bondage.

Forgiveness and grief are never easy. I should know; I carried around unnecessary baggage for years. The problem is when we refuse to forgive, we are creating baggage in our lives, and we will carry this baggage as long as we refuse to let go of it.

This “baggage” can become so burdensome we miss out on what’s really important in life. It leads to anger and resentment, and this anger and resentment poisons our lives, affects our health, and keeps us from having everything we were meant to have in life.

Nelson Mandela once said, “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies”.

Holding onto unnecessary anger, resentment, and hatred only leads to more pain, more baggage, and no opportunity to live a life of meaning and purpose.

Don’t believe me? Take a good look at the Middle East.

There is a solution though. By learning to grieve our pasts, and then forgivine, we can break our bonds and find the happy, meaningful, and abundant life we all deserve.

The first step is to understand grief.

Regardless of the loss you’ve suffered, whether it’s a relationship, a job, a family member, or anything else, you need to grieve. Grief helps you accept your loss. By accepting your loss, you can let go of the pain.

Often your loss will be associated with other people, and often your loss is the result of hurt inflicted on you by another person. Sometimes we are responsible for the hurt and allowed it to happen; other times, in the case of a crime, it’s simply something we have no control over. Without forgiveness, we can never be free, and that’s the next step.

Once you understand the grief process, it’s time to move through the stages. By moving through the stages of grief, then you can begin to heal.

When two of my grandchildren died in the course of five weeks, I was angry at God, at the world, at all the unappreciative parents who got to keep their children, at all the bad people who seemed to have it easy. After all, I’m a good person. My family is full of good people. My daughters are wonderful people and shouldn’t have had to suffer such a terrible tragedy.

The Bible says it rains on the just and unjust. Bad things happen to good people. That’s life. Whatever God’s purpose in the whole situtation, He wasn’t being arbitrary. He wasn’t picking on me or my family. He has a reason. Like Job, I just didn’t know what it was. I will probably never know. I can live with that now.

I don’t know why this happened. It doesn’t matter now. What matters is what I chose to do with the situation. I chose to grieve. I chose to let go. I chose to believe that for whatever reason what happened could be turned for good.

What I thought wasn’t rational. I know that. Grief does strange things to people, and any time we experience any kind of major change, we have a grieving process to go through. I grieved. I made peace.

The process isn’t over after grieving.

The next step is to understand what forgiveness is and isn’t, and why it’s so crucial that we do it.

Forgiveness isn’t about saying the other person is right or what the person did is OK. It isn’t. Forgiveness is about recognizing the other person’s wrong and deciding to let go of this wrong so you can move on with your life.

I forgave the one person I had never forgiven before: ME.

I finally woke up one day and realized the reason I couldn’t forgive was I blamed myself for what happened to my daughters. Because I was powerless over their choices, I thought maybe there was something I didn’t teach them, or something I should have done to help them avoid the situation altogether.

That’s the hardest part about forgiveness: wondering what we did to make the situation happen in the first place.

It’s always easier to forgive others than to forgive ourselves. Being perfect is tough. Actually, it’s impossible.

Learning to love ourselves as we are is the first step in learning to love others. Jesus told us to love our neighbor AS ourselves. By loving others, then we can love God. By loving, we can learn to forgive. By forgiving, we can leave the wreckage of the past behind and step forward into the life of our dreams.

Jinger Jarrett wants to give you over $4,570 in free resources and tools to help you change your life. These tools help you understand the universal human truths that transcend religion and will change your life. Get yours at Science of Getting Rich for Christians.

How To Use The Conquering Power Of Love

How can you transform your life today? How can you make this a special day, as holy as Christmas or Id or Diwali? Holy days happen only once or twice a year, but you can make each day sacred all year long. It is an attitude of joviality, unconditional love, and humanitarian interest. Furthermore, do it without expectation of reward.

You can use this day to create love in your heart. This is a way of being that emulates the vision of an avatar, like Krishna, Buddha, or Christ. Their entire vision was to teach people unconditional love.

In this unhappy world, your shift in attitude will raise the sea for all of humankind. All it takes is for you to change the way your own consciousness views humanity.

What would happen if from this day on you took to heart the Kantian imperative and acted as if your example influenced everyone? Imagine if from this day on you acted only in the name of the highest good.

Is an attitude of goodwill really that difficult?

Seek God First In Everything You Do

What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God? How do you do it? There is much to this, but the following goes into one aspect of it. Here is the verse for reference.

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, With what shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
(Mat 6:31-33)

These verses say that your needs can be met if you seek first the kingdom of God. What does this really mean? Many people put this into practice by reading the bible and praying first thing in the morning. Many even get up earlier so they have time to do this.

For many people, though, it ends there. They go about the rest of the day and do not even think about God. Also, with this schedule, what happens when they get up late? What usually gets cut? It’s their bible reading and prayer time.

Instead of only doing morning devotions, you should seek God first in everything you do, all day long. How do you do that? Acknowledge Him, talk to Him, praise Him, and ask Him for help and guidance. As you are getting ready for work, thank God for all that He has given you. Thank Him for everything going smoothly and for good traffic so you make it to work on time and being calm and peaceful when you get there.

At work, thank Him for your job. It may not be the perfect job, but thank Him for it anyway and do your best job. If you run into a problem, instead of complaining and worrying, say “God, you have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Help me Lord to know what to do in this situation.”

God is always talking to us, but we are not always listening. When we do listen, many times we do not do what He says. So, we need to listen and obey, all day long.

Seeking God first should also include the plans and goals for your life, your relationships and even your recreation. God has a plan for your life. When followed, that plan will have the best possible outcome. You need to know that God is Love and anything that He has for you is for your best interest. The problem is that many people come up with their own plans and then want God to bless it. Well, folks, it doesn’t work that way. You need to seek God first in your plan making, find out what God wants you to do and then go do it.

In conclusion, do not make God part of a list that you do first thing in the morning and then check it off and then go about the rest of your day without Him. Include Him in everything you do.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
(Pro 3:6)

Sam Crowley is a best-selling co-author and motivational speaker.
You can see Sam’s home business at
www.DefendYourDream.com. Sam’s mission is to create ten millionaires in the next five years

Guiding Principles For Growing Your Christian Church

Are you a church leader that is struggling to maintain numbers? Or have you sensed the call of God to build your church and have hit a brick wall?

Perhaps you have been led to start a small group and have trouble finding the right people to contribute within the group.

If so, you’re not alone. There are many Christian men and women who are asking themselves, “How am I supposed to do this?”

The short answer that they receive from their friends and colleagues is “trust God” and “let Him show you the way.”

While this is theologically correct and we should rely totally on God’s strength, we need to be prepared to spend all our own efforts to see the vision come to pass.

Sadly, most pastors and church leaders get disappointed when no-one can answer their questions, and their eager desire to fulfil the call of God results in termination of the project.

Ultimately they move on. Or worse, they stay with the congregation bearing the shame of this unresolved project knowing that they are being looked down upon.

Is there hope to take up the call that you’ve heard from the Lord? Here are seven basic principles of Christian church growth:

Seven Steps to a Healthy Church

1. What is your call?
Most pastors and church leaders don’t have a firm conviction or idea about what they are to do. Ironically their congregations are looking for them for direction and spiritual input, but they lack the vision and wisdom to know what to do.

2. What are your convictions?
Once you clarify your call, are you prepared to see it through? You will need to be very clear about what is acceptable, and what is not acceptable. Know what you will be fighting to achieve, and what is best left. That is, avoid distractions.

3. Who shares your vision?
Are you the only person with this call and conviction? If so, you will need to seek out other pastors and ministers who can verify whether the call and conviction are from God. The community of believers will be able to testify with you and provide you extra direction if you need it. Use them.

If there are already people in your congregation that share your vision and convictions, set aside time for prayer and direction and get them actively involved with the project. Listen to them.

This will help you avoid the pitfalls of the “lone ranger” mentality.

4. Prepare your plan
Plans alone won’t bring about the call. You will need to rely and trust God for the power to accomplish the task that He has given you. However this is a practical step concerned with implementation.

Here is an exercise to do with those that share the call with you. It is best that you pray and ask God for ideas prior to this exercise so that He can reveal more about the project whilst you work.

Draw a mind map. Start with your call as the main topic in a large sheet of paper and draw a circle around it. From there, let your ideas become major topics spreading out from the main topic, and draw circles around them too. This will form the basis of your major concerns or activities about the project.

Further, you will need to draw more lines from these major topics that provide extra details. These deal with:

a) Is this a problem?
b) What can be done about it?
c) Is there a historical precedent set?
d) Will this impact other churches?
e) What can be done about it?
f) What funds are required?
etc.

5. Pray
Yes, pray. This is fundamental to the whole process. Leave your plans on the table for a week or so, and ask God to speak more clearly about the project. Rely on him to show you the things that you need to change, remove or reconsider.

More-so, you will need to learn how to listen to God. Most people have never learnt the art of silence and meditation. When you quiet your spirit you are able to hear God more clearly, above the noise of everyday life. Read the Bible and ask God, “Is there anything else You can tell me?”

6. An Outward Focus
Most projects fail because the people involved become self-focused. All of a sudden it’s no longer God’s project, but a project that is going to bring glory to some man or woman in a church. As a result, the project typically splits churches, and damages relationships.

The most successful projects are those that have the support of the entire congregation and all share the mission to make the call successful. The leaders are the biggest servants to lead and motivate.

When we aim to help others and look beyond our own circumstances, there is energy and motivation that is created that supersedes the focus that exists when we focus inwardly. That is, on ourselves. The first step to church decline is focusing on “maintaining our numbers”.

As a leader, you will need to ensure that everyone maintains an outward focus to achieve the project.

7. Launch
After careful planning, prayer, support and focusing on the task at hand, you need to ask God, “Is this the right time?”

You will sense that the time is right when there is a strong and level headed sense of direction among the group. Does the launch have support systems in place to care for those doing the work? How many people will be doing the work? What will you do when things go wrong? Have you got funds in place to cover expenses?

Since every call is different you will need to ensure that the planning phase covers most of the work that you intend to do.

It is better to delay launch until the problems you identified are resolved, rather than to launch early.

One of the major de-motivating factors occurs when people launch a project in anticipation of the results, and then the results never eventuate. This is careless planning, and should be avoided.

Be careful with the call you have been given. You may only get one real chance to do it properly.

Now you have the seven steps to assist you to build your church. Remember that you can’t do it alone. You must work 100% with God’s direction using 100% of your effort to bring this about.

Sam Crowley is a best-selling co-author and motivational speaker.
You can see Sam’s home business at
www.DefendYourDream.com. Sam’s mission is to create ten millionaires in the next five years

36 Tips To Hearing God’s Voice, The Voice For Love Within You: Tip #2 - The Evolution Of Truth

What is the evolution of truth? It sounds like a strange concept because Truth is eternal. It’s changeless. It’s formless. It’s the essence of pure being that we are and that God is. Truth is the Reality of God, so how can there be an evolution of Truth?

When we experience truth in the world, in many ways, it is an evolutionary experience. We are constantly deepening our experience of Truth, our experience of Oneness, our experience of Love, understanding, compassion, and what’s important are those “qualities.” Those are the qualities that the Voice for God within us teaches us about. God’s Voice, by whatever name you call this Presence of Love and Peace within you, teaches us about love, compassion, understanding, acceptance, and truth. God can only speak to us “where we are,” what we’re capable of learning right here, right now. God could give the same truth to each and every one of us, and yet we are each going to take in exactly what we’re capable of taking in right now that makes sense to us, that feels real, accurate, and valid.

This is an important concept in hearing God’s Voice within you because it will help you stop comparing WHAT you hear and HOW you hear to anyone else, because we each need to hear what we need to hear in order to awaken. If twenty people were to ask God the same exact question, they would all hear something different. Each person has different life experience, different history, different belief systems, different culture, different background, and different language. Our minds are very unique, and when God speaks to us, He speaks to us through our particular mind, life experience, history, belief system, and vocabulary.

If you are a five-year old child, you’re going to hear something completely different when you ask God a question about a particular situation than if you are possibly an atheist, a Buddhist, a scientist, someone living in Mongolia, or someone who comes from a very wealthy family. Because we’re so unique in these ways, God is going to speak to each of us exactly where we are. What is it that we need to hear right here, right now in order to deepen our experience of Truth, Love and Peace? God will say something different to each of us, and that’s the power of hearing God’s Voice within you because you’re not taking a concept of Truth that you read in a book or that someone else says to you and somehow figure out how to apply that Truth to your life. God will speak to you exactly where you are on a particular topic-right here, right now. That is powerful! That helps us each to deepen our understanding of Truth in our own way and at our own time. It’s not taking an abstract concept and figuring out how to apply that concept or teaching to your life or somehow make it real. It gets made real right here and right now by hearing this Voice for Truth within you.

When we understand that there is no generic form that God’s Voice expresses in, we can allow everybody to hear whatever they hear, even if it seems contradictory to what we hear. It’s what that person needs to hear to awaken. You need to hear something different, and I need to hear something different. Sure there’s going to be some commonality, and we may even hear exactly the same thing, but the point is, we each hear what we need to hear in this moment. When we can give that to our self and have that be okay, we are able to extend that to others and allow what they hear to be ok. What you hear doesn’t need to match what this teacher, author, or minister says God’s truth is.

I hope the messages we hear and share from God’s Voice are helpful to people, and yet, you might hear something different. You will hear something unique to you, and that’s what’s important! It doesn’t mean that someone is hearing God’s Voice and someone isn’t just because they hear different things. It’s that each one heard God’s Voice within them, and each heard what they needed to hear and how they needed to hear it.

When you give this to yourself, you’ll stop comparing what you hear with what another person hears and you will be able to recognize God speaking to people in all kinds of ways, all over the world, non-stop. And it won’t matter what it sounds like. You’ll be able to see the Truth in it, and understand that each person gets what they need for their awakening and growth. This is what we call, “The evolution of Truth,” hearing as much Truth as we are possibly able to receive in this moment, in exactly this form, on this topic, and that is perfect. We could ask the same question tomorrow and get a different answer or the same answer. We might ask the same question next year or ten years from now and get the same answer or a different answer. There are no rules. This moment is this moment. That’s it. We will hear whatever we need to hear in whatever form we need to awaken.

Over the next few days, as you practice this concept, ask God’s Voice, the Voice for Peace and Love within you, for guidance and allow yourself to receive whatever you receive and know that it doesn’t have to sound like, mimic, or be anything like what you’ve ever heard before. If it is exactly what you’ve heard before, that is perfect as well. That is just what you need to hear.

For example, if you are a student of A Course in Miracles and your mind is formed with that vocabulary and that understanding, then what you hear will probably be very similar to that body of work. If you have a mindset of a Catholic priest, you’re going to hear in that form. If you’re a Buddhist, you’re going to hear with that vocabulary and that belief system, and that is perfect. If you’ve never studied any practice or belief, then you’re going to hear however you do and that’s perfect. That’s how hearing God’s Voice works! Hear however you do and know that is perfect for you. Over the next few days, begin to recognize how other people hear and that what they hear is perfect for them. This will truly change the way you experience God’s Voice within you and outside of you. Blessings to you.

DavidPaul and Candace Doyle teach people how to hear God’s Voice, the Voice for Peace and Love within them. If you desire to receive ongoing Inner Guidance and Direction to fulfill your life’s purpose, visit The Voice for God to receive their 30-day FREE audio series on how to hear God’s Voice within you. Visit The Voice for Love to learn more about their work.

36 Tips To Hearing God’s Voice, The Voice For Love Within You: Tip #1 - Thoughts On Hearing God

Even though I could remember talking to God as a kid, when I was an adult and thought about talking to God, what came to my mind was: “Who are you to think that you can talk to God?” But the truth is, who am I not to? Who are YOU not to? When we think, “Who am I to talk to God?” we deny ourselves our Oneness with our Source. So even though the thought might arise, “who am I to think that I can talk to God?” it is just a thought. It’s just something that arises when you entertain the thought of connecting with Source.

There are lots of thoughts that arise just like that: “Talking to God is impossible. Talking to God is something that only Holy people do. Talking to God is something that takes years and years of meditation, dedication, and isolation. One has to be in a monastery or be a priest or Pope to be able to talk to God.” All of these thoughts are just distractions in the moment to keep you from connecting with your Source.

When you begin to think about talking to God and hearing His Voice, by whatever name you use, be it God’s Voice, Holy Spirit, Voice for Love or Peace, Higher Self, True Self, Inner Wisdom, small still voice within, become aware of what thoughts arise. Notice what happens when you do that. If you become afraid at the thought of talking to God, that just means that a thought has arisen that caused you to become fearful. A fear thought could be as simple as, “I’ll never be able to do that.” It could be a thought that says, “I’m not worthy of talking to God. God would never talk to me.” It could be, “Look at all the things that I have said and done. Why would God bother with me?”

When you notice what emotion arises when you think about talking to God, you can know that a thought, which we call emotion, has attached itself to that thought, and just allow yourself to become aware of what it is that arose in your mind that was this momentary distraction, because that’s all it is. It’s just the idea of “look over here,” instead of going to God. Notice this instead of going to God. Solve this instead of going to God. But that thought is only a tiny, meaningless distraction. It’s like a little flea that’s nibbling away at you here and there, and all you have to do is see it for what it is. If you want to scratch the bites, that’s fine, but don’t let that become the focus of your reality. It’s just a little bite. Scratch it and move on. That’s all these thoughts are, just a little momentary distraction. Notice them for what they are and move on.

In your meditation practice, in your communication with God and God’s Voice, allow yourself to become aware of what arises in your mind as you go within. Do your best to notice those thoughts, emotions, or beliefs as lovingly and kindly as you can. They are just thoughts that arise. They don’t mean anything. They are not a reflection of you. They’re just thoughts that arise, these little flea bites that distract you for a moment. When you notice them for what they really are and respond to them with truth, love, and kindness, you are free to continue to focus on your connection with God.

Let’s say, for example, that you have the thought: “Who am I to think that I can talk to God?” You can then remember: “Oh yeah, who am I NOT to? It’s my job to be connected with Source. That’s my job. That’s all God would ask of me. Who am I not to?”
Or you have the thought: “Why would God want to talk to me?” You can respond, “Because God created me and God only sees my perfection. God wants nothing more than to talk with me.”

“I’m not worthy. I’ve done these things, said these things, or thought these things. I’m not worthy to talk to God,” and you remind yourself, “God doesn’t care. God just loves. God does not judge, God just loves.”

Whatever thoughts arise, allow yourself to respond to them with Truth. You know the truth in your heart. You know that God only loves. So when you have the thought: “Oh, I’ve done these things or said these things. God will judge me,” you can remember, “Actually, God doesn’t judge. I am the only one judging me,” and continue to move past that thought or move on from that bug bite. Allow yourself to continue to move in the direction of connecting with Source. It’s as if you are maneuvering your way around these little distractions or obstacles, the little thoughts that arise, but you respond lovingly to them and remain on the pathway to Source.

There is nothing that can stop you from getting to God. There is nothing that can keep you from your Creator. Even if you’re not sure how to respond with the truth to a thought that arises, just remind yourself, “Nothing can keep me from my Creator,” and continue to move along on that path.

Since it is only a thought that can keep you from God, let yourself notice what thoughts have arisen in the past few minutes. Make note of the thoughts that sound familiar or the thoughts that have come to your mind and allow yourself in the next few days to continue to become more and more aware of what thoughts come up when you think about talking with God. Really look at each thought and allow a truthful response to each one to come to you so that you know no matter what thought arises, there is nothing that can keep you from your Source. Focus on this in the next few days and find out how much more connected you feel to God in doing so.

DavidPaul and Candace Doyle teach people how to hear God’s Voice, the Voice for Peace and Love within them. If you desire to receive ongoing Inner Guidance and Direction to fulfill your life’s purpose, visit The Voice for God to receive their 30-day FREE audio series on how to hear God’s Voice within you. Visit The Voice for Love to learn more about their work.

Be Who You Are Inside

It is enough for you to be who you are. That is all you need to do to enjoy a great life.

It is our inauthenticity to what is real that causes us grief.

Our conditioning is not our friend. It is our enemy. It keeps us locked in unhappy postures, playing roles that diminish our grandeur.

Who you are, naturally, without artifice and pretence is enough. It is beauty and power.

The human race is programmed for misery. Our problem-solving minds find problems. Solutions lie in creativity, but creativity comes from another place, where a fresh perspective is possible, where hope is rampant, where you, in your essence, really reside.

This world is but a dream, but because we are unhappy, we have turned it into a production of nightmares.

At any moment, at any time, it is possible to transform, to renew, to gain energy and move forward in a richer, higher, more fulfilling direction. But we seldom appreciate the originality of either ourselves or our unique situation in the world because we are conditioned to observe limited patterns and orbit around limited experiences.

We hurry through our days, savoring nothing, our heads bent with troubles; and when one heartache ceases, another rushes in to take it’s place.

No one is happy, and the world is a troubled place.

We designed it to be this way. Since birth, we have been taught to betray ourselves and to conform to meaningless rituals and patterns of limitations.

People moan the fact that they will die and even the world itself may die, because the collective forces of chaos seem never to cease, but how few have ever lived in the first place and did we not band together to damage the world with our collective angst?

Today the sun may have shone on you and the rain may have touched your skin, birds may have flown in the air above, and the flowers may have opened up as you walked by them, but did you notice any of it?

Why do you not see the extraordinary in the ordinary?

It is because you are not where you are, you are somewhere else, regretting the past or fearing the future.

You are never anywhere but here and there never is a time other than now and you are never anybody else except who you are inside.

When you glimpse for just a moment the magnitude of your own presence, then life will have begun for you.

Saleem Rana would love to share his inspiring ideas His book Never Ever Give Up tells you how. It is offered at no cost as a way to help YOU succeed. The Empowered Soul

Hearing The Holy Spirit

Even though I could remember talking to the Holy Spirit as a kid, when I was an adult and thought about talking to God, what came to my mind was: “Who are you to think that you can talk to God?” But the truth is, who am I not to? Who are YOU not to? When we think, “Who am I to talk to God?” we deny ourselves a relationship with God and the Holy Spirit. So even though the thought might arise, “who am I to think that I can talk to the Holy Spirit?” it is important to remember that it is just a thought. It’s just something that arises within your mind when you entertain the thought of connecting with God’s Voice.

There are lots of thoughts that arise just like that: “Talking to the Holy Spirit is impossible. Talking to the Holy Spirit is something that only very Holy people can do. Talking to the Holy Spirit is something that takes years and years of devotion and dedication.” All of these thoughts are untrue and keep you from connecting with the Holy Spirit in your life.

When you begin to think about talking to God and hearing His Voice, become aware of what thoughts arise. If you become afraid at the thought of talking to God, that just means that a thought has arisen within your mind that caused you to become fearful. A fear thought could be as simple as, “I’ll never be able to hear the Holy Spirit.” It could be a thought that says, “I’m not worthy of talking to God. God would never talk to me.” It could be, “Look at all the things that I have said and done. Why would God bother with me?”

Allow yourself to become aware of the thoughts that arise when you think about joining with God in the Holy Spirit in dialogue. Do your best to notice those thoughts, emotions, or beliefs as lovingly and kindly as you can. They are just thoughts that arise. They are not the truth. They are not a reflection of you. They’re just thoughts that arise, these little flea bites that distract you for a moment. When you notice them for what they really are and respond to them with truth, love, and kindness, you are free to continue to focus on your connection with God.

Let’s say, for example, that you have the thought: “Who am I to think that I can talk to God?” You can then remember: “Oh yeah, who am I NOT to? It’s my job to be connected with God in the Holy Spirit. That’s my job. That’s all God and the Holy Spirit would ask of me. Who am I not to?”
Or you have the thought: “Why would God want to talk to me?” You can respond, “Because God created me and God only sees my perfection. God wants nothing more than to talk with me through the Holy Spirit.”

“I’m not worthy. I’ve done these things, said these things, or thought these things. I’m not worthy to talk to God,” and you remind yourself, “God just loves. God wants to be in communication with me.”

Whatever thoughts arise, allow yourself to respond to them with Love and Truth. You know the truth in your heart. You know that God only loves you and wants to be in communication with you. So when you have the thought: “Oh, I’ve done these things or said these things. God does not want to communicate with me” you can remember, “Actually, God only loves me,” and continue to move past that thought or move on from that bug bite. Allow yourself to continue to move in the direction of connecting with God in the Holy Spirit. It’s as if you are maneuvering your way around these little distractions or obstacles, the little thoughts that arise, but you respond lovingly to them and remain on the pathway to God.

There is nothing that can stop you from getting to God. There is nothing that can keep you from your Father. Even if you’re not sure how to respond with the truth to a thought that arises, just remind yourself, “Nothing can keep me from my Creator,” and continue to move along on that path.

Since it is only a thought that can keep you from hearing God’s Voice, let yourself notice what thoughts have arisen in the past few minutes. Make note of the thoughts that sound familiar or the thoughts that have come to your mind and allow yourself in the next few days to continue to become more and more aware of what thoughts come up when you think about talking with God in the Holy Spirit. Really look at each thought and allow a truthful response to each one to come to you so that you know no matter what thought arises, there is nothing that can keep you from having a relationship with God and God’s Voice in your life. Focus on this in the next few days and find out how much more connected you feel to God in the Holy Spirit in doing so.

DavidPaul and Candace Doyle teach people how to hear the Holy Spirit within them. If you desire to receive ongoing guidance and direction from God to fulfill your life’s purpose, visit The Voice for God to receive their 30-day FREE audio series on how to hear God’s Voice in your life. Visit The Voice for Love to learn more about their work.

Opportunities To Open Our Minds To Hearing God’s Voice

Though we do not always recognize His Voice, we are always hearing God’s Voice in one form or another in our life. Part of what keeps us from recognizing the Voice of God as often as we could is that we are frequently locked on or attached to certain ways of seeing things that are unhealthy. We’re not able to go into our Right-Mind where the Holy Spirit is and see things clearly. We might be attached to a certain belief or perspective, or we may be unwilling to let go of a particular judgment or feeling. When we are attached to these unhealthy thoughts within our mind, we keep ourselves from flowing freely into our Right-Mind where we can access the Voice of God.

There are many ways to loosen up our unhealthy thinking. One great way to free our attachments and help us connect with God is taking a vacation. Vacations are so powerful because they get us out of our normal routine. They take us away from the things we’re attached to in our daily life. Doing anything out of the ordinary, whether it’s driving a different way to work, listening to a different radio station, swimming in a cold pool, or going out on a rainy day to take a walk, can accomplish the same result. The trick is getting out of our normal routine. When we do this, regardless of what it looks like, it opens the mind to possibility. It opens the mind to seeing things the way God does.

When we break these patterns, we open ourselves up to hearing the Holy Spirit in our life. When we break out of our routine, we free ourselves from the habitual way we think about things and open up to seeing things with the vision of Christ.

Now, I’m not talking about your daily prayer routine, which is specifically intended to connect you with God. I’m talking about the routine of life that keeps us thinking the way we do, that keeps our energy bottled up into only one way of seeing our brothers and sisters.

When we break up the routines in our life that keep us separate from God, whether it’s taking a walk at lunchtime when we usually never do, going to lunch with someone new, taking an unexpected day off work, or going somewhere we’ve never been, we open our minds to the possibilities that God would give us. We free ourselves from whatever we’re attached to, comfortable with, or used to, and we give ourselves the possibility of hearing and following the Voice of God in our life.

Over the next few days, observe the patterns or routines that are constricting or unconscious in your life. These may be the routines that keep you from hearing God’s Voice in your life. What routines keep you from seeing things in new light?

As you notice these innocent and often times unconscious patterns and routines, do something intentionally to break them and then notice what happens within your heart and mind when you do. Does it give you time to reflect? Does it give you a new experience in your life? Does it give you time to breathe and slow down? What do you feel as a result? How has your relationship with God changed?

Breaking up your routine does not need to be a major ordeal. It could be as simple as using a different bathroom than the one you normally use, or walking the other way around the block. It’s the intention you put behind these small gestures that opens your mind and helps you to connect with God more frequently in your life. Using these tiny opportunities each day to join with God and thus see things differently through His Loving Vision holds the possibility for creating miracles in our lives.

Enjoy the possibilities.

DavidPaul and Candace Doyle teach people how to hear God’s Voice in their daily life. If you desire to receive ongoing guidance and direction from God so you can fulfill your life’s purpose, visit The Voice for God and receive 30 FREE audio messages on how to hear God’s Voice with clarity and certainty. Visit The Voice for Love to learn more about their work.

The Evolution Of God

What is the evolution of God? It sounds like a strange concept because God is eternal. God is changeless. He is the essence of pure being, the one True Reality. So how can there be an evolution of God?

When we experience God in the world, in many ways it is an evolutionary experience. We are constantly deepening our experience of God, our experience of Oneness, our experience of Love, understanding, and compassion. These qualities are important because they are the qualities of God. These are also the qualities that the Holy Spirit, the Voice for God, teaches us about.

God can only speak to us “where we are,” what we’re capable of learning right here, right now. God could give the same Truth to each and every one of us, and yet we are each going to take in exactly what we’re capable of learning right now that makes sense to us, that feels real, accurate, and valid.

This is an important concept to understand in hearing God’s Voice in your life because it will help you to stop comparing WHAT you hear and HOW you hear to anyone else, because we each need to hear God and the messages of Truth that He has for us right where we are in order to awaken to His Love, Compassion, and Understanding.

If twenty people were to ask God the same exact question, they would all hear something different. Each person has different life experience, history, belief systems, culture, background, and language. Our minds are very unique, and when God speaks to us, He speaks to us thr