Leading from Your Strengths Certified
Leading from Your Strength Certified

Who is the Master of Your Fate?

Woman with raised fist and "Focus" on back of hand

WHAT defines you? WHO defines you?

This shut down of much of our country and the world can be challenging to say the least. Who IS the master of your fate? Is it the United States Government? Is it a foreign power? Is it just “chance”? Is it God? Is it satan? These scary times can bring loss, fear, and a sense of betrayal. Some of you come to the table with challenging questions, trials, and decisions that must be made quickly. It is more than “Should I wear a face mask or not?” It is big and it is serious!

Quotes from my past

I grew up in the 50s and 60s. It was definitely the years of great confusion, fear, and rebellion against government who was leading us into fearful situations. We called it the LOVE generation. The songs were about war and love. And we claimed we knew the answer. Our expressions of love would fix the world. But it was really rebellion against all authority. I can still personally remember my generations struggles to understand, which caused us to rebel against what we did not understand. We see a lot of that with the youth of today, too. Has it always been that way with each generation? I can only speak from my own experience.

We would say with firm sarcasm: “Who died and left you in charge?” And then there was the: “You’re not the boss of me!” (FYI neither of those worked well with my father.) My Dad was most definitely IN CHARGE. He was also the most loving person I can remember in my whole life. He was not huggy feeley, but I absolutely knew I was loved unconditionally by him.

Does rebellion make you into a master of your own fate?

My Mom was ill much of my life and she died when I was 12 going on 13. That is a bad time for a girl to lose her mother. I must have had a dozen crushes on guys. I know because I wrote their names on my notebook. Thankfully, there was little time to pursue my crushes. I missed much of the rebellion of that season because I had to go home, do my homework, and start dinner every day after school. And do the ironing. Those were the days when we ironed EVERYTHING…even the bed sheets. We used cloth handkerchiefs, so even they had to be ironed, too. (No such things a disposable tissues…at least WE didnt have them in my family home.)

The Master of My Fate poem

I remember learning a poem in high school about being the master of my fate. The poem has stuck with me throughout my life. For many years, it confused me because I subconsciously thought, “If I truly am the master of my fate, why cant I make my life work right?” And even though I didn’t rebel much on the outside, the poem affected my attitude on the inside. For many years. It was very bad theology!

A Bible teacher shared a story

Many years later, I began to question what I had carried with me in that poem. I knew something was “off”. I began a search for God. (I wrote about that in an article “Maybe I’ll Try Church.” I had tried everything and nothing worked. So, at a Bible study taught by a former rebellious youth, now matured in the faith, he shared a story that thankfully now overrides the poems instruction that encouraged rebellion.

The illustration

Its all about where your focus is placed. Maybe you have heard the story he shared that night so many years ago: It is as though there are two “dogs” inside of each of us. A black dog and a white dog. And whichever one we feed the most, will be the strongest.

Of course, the black dog illustrates our sin nature and the white dog illustrates life after surrender to Jesus Christ the Lord. And the feeding is our focus and all the conscious choices we make that can cause us to either be better or bitter.

Haven Ministries devotional

A few years ago, a devotion published by Haven Ministries started me thinking about “fate” and “masters” again.

Heres what it said:

“Society teaches us constantly that we are the masters of our destiny, that we are what we make of ourselves, that we write the script. Knowing Jesus Christ as our Savior, however, shows us otherwise. Christianity is not about me and what I make of myself; its about Christ and what He has done for me. He is the author of my faith;…all my days were ordained in His Book before a single one of them came to be.”

It goes on to say: “Those lessons come to us over time when our best-laid plans fail and we are forced down other paths. Instead of feeling that we write the story of our lives, we see that every day is a journal page – a record of all the Lord has done for us. He is the author of our lives! With our eyes fixed on Him (not ourselves), He carries us through and writes us into the wondrous plan of His Kingdom.”

Jeremiah 10:23 states:

“I know, O LORD, that a mans life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.”

Coming to terms with the truth

So, have you come to terms with who truly is the master of your fate and the author of your life story? Maybe its time to do what I finally did: surrender all of the questions and doubts and rebellion to Creator God and trust that “Father knows best.” Because He truly does! 🙂

Your whole life will take a turn for the better as peace and joy show up in your life on a routine basis because you realize that Gods “got your back”. Amen? Amen! So be it! Come Lord Jesus!

Questions? Id love to talk to you about this!

God bless you bunches!

Let's Connect!Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Spiritual Life — Tags: — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Is This The Removal of a Nation’s Hedge of Protection?

Castle Surrounded by Hedge
What do you do in the midst of a world-wide pandemic? How does one cope? Should we hope or despair? Is it more than just an illness or is this a message? What could that message be? And why?

The 7:14 Challenge

I accepted a challenge to set the timer on my phone for 7:14 as an encouragement to pray the 2 Chronicles 7:14 Scripture over our nation. Our leaders need wisdom. And the citizens need peace and wisdom. Will you join me in the challenge? Every day. Either once or twice/day.

Exactly what is that Scripture telling us to think and do?

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

II Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

  • First, it is conditional. IF we do our part.
  • Who will God hear? It is an exhortation from God to His people. Not to everyone. Just those called by His Name.
  • We are to humble ourselves. To ask God to show us about what we are doing or saying that is displeasing to Him.
  • THEN we are to pray for the purpose of seeking His face. To truly seek HIM. Because we love Him. Not stuff or blessings. But Him.
  • AND we are to be specific what we are doing that is against His will. “Wicked ways” are those that are Unholy. Ungodly. Selfish. Immoral.
  • THEN, and only then does God promise to hear from Heaven and forgive our sins..the “wicked ways” we have confessed and turned away from.
  • THEN, and only then will He heal our land…when His people follow the plan.
  • And then, and only then will He forgive the collective sin of that nation.

And then we are in the position to receive our assignment: we are to share everywhere…the Gospel message.There is forgiveness for sin. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. The GOOD NEWS! Jesus is ALIVE! And coming again!

“He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that REPENTANCE and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’”

Luke 24:47

Have we been taking God’s protective hedge for granted?

I hear the 2 Chronicles 7:14 scripture quoted often. And often, the phrase “And turn from their wicked ways”is  left out. (That is selective praying.)

“You can’t solve a problem by dealing with the symptoms…its manifestations. You have to deal with the cause behind it.”
– Jonathan Cahn

Let’s now take a bit of a different direction…

Extraordinary! Stunning! Mind Blowing!

Those are words on the cover of the New York Times Best Seller
The Harbinger (My copy says: Over 1,000,000 copies sold … and that was 7 years ago). WOW!

“EVERY POLITICIAN, EVERY LEADER, AND EVERY PERSON IN THE UNITED STATES should not only read this book but also understand the divine implications it contains. Jonathan Cahn’s book, The Harbinger, is far more than a prophetic warning to the United States; it is an unveiling of the ways of God. Cahn carefully unfolds how God renders His judgment of a nation in perfect balance with His mercy. Those who read it will be captivated by the narrative, convicted by how blind we are to God’s ways and in awe of how thorough God is in His warnings.

John Paul Jackson

Jonathan Cahn says

“Ten years after removing prayer and Scripture from its public schools, the nation legalized the killing of its unborn. The blood of the innocent now stained its collective hands. Israel had sacrificed thousands on the altars of Baal and Molech. But by the dawn of the twenty-first century, America had sacrificed millions. For its thousands, judgment came upon Israel. What then of America?”
– p. 22

Nine Harbingers

“Each was a sign for ancient Israel. Each was a warning of judgment…of their end…the Nine Harbingers of judgment…Each one containing a prophetic message.” – p. 23

What application can we make about God’s warnings and blessings concerning what we are experiencing?

The Breach

“America was the most blessed nation on earth, its blessings shielded by a powerful hedge of national protection. As its founders had foretold, if the nation followed the ways of God, it would be blessed not only with prosperity and power but also with peace and security. But if America turned away from God, its protection would be removed!” – p. 29

God desires to bless us, BUT there is the pesky word “if” which speaks of OUR responsibility if we want to REMAIN in the place of His blessings. WE are the ones that moved away from what God intends.

Think 9/11

“On September 11, 2001, the walls of America’s national security were breached…The most powerful nation on earth and the most sophisticated defense system ever built by man…The wall of defense…breached.” … “Then came the mistake. Then came the repeating of the ancient mistake. America responded to the calamity as if it were only a matter of security and defense…and nothing more. It would strengthen its national defenses and fortify its walls of protection. There was no pausing to ponder whether there could be anything of deeper significance behind it, no asking if something could be wrong, no searching of its ways.” – p.30

We all ran to our churches and prayed out of fear and that continued for a short season, but we didn’t turn from our wicked ways. We fell back into going our own way. We became even more lukewarm as a nation than we were before 9/11. And we didn’t stop murdering innocent babies in the womb and we didn’t stop trafficking our children and women. Sadly…we walked OUT of the blessing God intended for us as a nation. We forgot the “if” … and expected to benefit from the “then God will…”

Can God turn it for good purposes?

What could we possibly call good about 9/11? He was trying to get our attention. To wake us out of complacency. “The sounding of an alarm to wake up a sleeping nation, to change its course, to save it from judgment.” – pg 30

Could it possibly be that God is again sounding the alarm with the China Virus? The Coronavirus.

Enough of quoting from the book

I am hoping to inspire you to purchase the book and read it. Or take it off the shelves and read it again, as I have been doing. See if you agree that it is applicable to what we are now experiencing in our nation and around the world, in fact.

God has not forgotten us.

He still has the same plan: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” — Acts 3:19 (KJV)

Know that I am praying for you.

And I’m here to encourage and to help you through this, if you’d like. Just click the button to send me an email if you want someone to talk to, to pray with, or vent about whatever is on your mind and heart. Each of us has our own unique circumstance we are working through during these uncertain times. TOGETHER with GOD, we shall overcome…

God bless you bunches!

Let's Connect!Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Spiritual Life — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

It Is Finished: Easter

The Empty Tomb
I am currently watching Matthew with Bruce Marchiano portraying Jesus in the video series. Here’s a link to an article describing his journey as God prepared him for that role. Has God ever asked you to do something so outrageous as this? To PORTRAY JESUS to the world? In a much different day-to-day way, isn’t that exactly WHAT is God asking YOU and ME to do?

Easter is often called Resurrection Day. We are reminded that the Lord has done what needed to be done, bridging the gap that Adam and Eve left behind. There are no works you can do to bridge that gap yourself. He lived. He died. He arose from the dead, leaving an empty tomb. And He is coming again for His own. O what a glorious day that will be! Have YOU responded to His call to be His child, so you will be able to hear when He asks you to do something outrageous?

There is ONLY ONE WAY to the Savior

What if you are NOT His own? There is only ONE WAY to Heaven. ONE WAY to salvation. JESUS is that ONE WAY. He offers you salvation through believing and receiving that He is the One way for you to be His Child.

  • Receive the GIFT offered
  • Receive the GIFT of salvation
  • Receive the GIFT of eternal life

ACCEPT that the price has already been paid

  • ACCEPT that you cannot earn it
  • TRUST that it is finished
  • BELIEVE that nothing more is required

How did we get in this mess?

It is because Adam and Eve did not trust God but believed satan instead. Adam and Eve messed up the Paradise God had created for them. That is why Jesus BECAME the sacrificial Lamb to make atonement for the sin nature which resides in all of us. God says in Romans that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. You fall short. I fall short. Adam and Eve fell short. Only One person did NOT fall short…JESUS!

Jesus already did it all

His ultimate sacrifice on the Cross made a way where there was no other way.

The work is done.

PLEASE believe and receive the GIFT of eternal life that is offered to you. Don’t delay. This is serious! Especially in these perilous times during the Corona Virus Worldwide Epidemic, you never know what a day can bring. And to you who already have surrendered your life to Him, live each day as if it were your last. As if you will be seeing Him face-to-face TODAY. Because that could happen.

Don’t waste your sorrows. What would your life be like if you thought of any suffering you or your loved ones are experiencing, as the privilege of participating in Christ’s suffering. They are lessons to guide you to a deeper walk with Him. A closer relationship. Live each day with an active expectation of the second coming. Glory!

“Lord, we grieve over the suffering of our brothers and sisters…and we pray for continued steadfastness in the faith.”

March 2020 Encounter With God Devotional

To summarize:

  • Believe
  • Receive
  • Embrace the GIFT
  • Rest in Him
  • Walk out of the penalty of the shadow of death into His glorious light
  • After you CHOOSE to become His fully devoted follower, then LIVE like you believe you have been saved, and are saved for eternity
  • Each day, let your heart’s attitude be one of gratitude to the Lord for ALL His benefits

And now we wait.

With all the hysteria today about the Virus that has descended upon the world, we wait in hope for the Lord’s return.

Free E-Book for Easter

When you sign up for Pamela Taylor's email list, you'll receive her 7-day Names of God Easter devotional book FREE.

Names of God: 7-Day Easter Devotional

If you would like someone to talk to…

Let's Connect!Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching — Tags: — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Virus Survival Ideas: Let’s Get Practical

Cross in front of a parking lot

Our world is in a mess

And yet, I am encouraged. Odd? Let’s look at what is going on. Everywhere we look, things are changing. Like the picture here, even church parking lots are empty. Life is confusing and a bit difficult to navigate. All things are different than they were even just a couple months ago. We pray. We order supplies. We try to encourage those around us. We have to find new ways to do everything that needs doing. And all while practicing “Social Distancing”.

It can be easy to get distracted

“Faith feels. But feelings can never produce faith…Faith knows God truly but not fully.” (Anchor Devotional March 2020). We cannot know what God knows in the way that God knows it. We do what we can do and we leave to God what only God can do. We put our faith in what Jesus has already done; and we put our HOPE in Him.

The feet of faith is HOPE

Yes. When we feel fearful, we remember we put our faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and ONLY in Jesus Christ. In times like these, when it is a bit scary, we remember. It’s a journey. One step at a time. HOPE is what makes us long for His return. It is like watching out a window for a loved one to return. We wait.

What an amazing time to be alive

It is all so hard, and yet, when we look below the surface, Philippians reminds us that God truly is working all things for good… but, we are also reminded that that working for good is conditional. That promise is for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. This is a great time to re-evaluate our relationship with God.

We are coming up on the Palm Sunday/Easter weeks in the United States. Such a special season for the Followers of the Way.

The issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in.
– R. C. Sproul

What do we do while we wait?

O that Christians would learn to live with one eye on Christ crucified and the other on His coming Glory. –Richard Baxter

The Easter season. Passover. Remember I said in the first sentence that I am encouraged? Here’s how and why:  As followers of Christ, we are victors; and part of being a victor is making well-thought out choices. So…

As we sit in our homes and model the faith for our children and try not to worry during this “Pandemic”, we can make some important and lasting choices…

Let’s get practical. Here’s some things I’ve been doing & you can too:

  • Anoint the doorposts with olive oil (Praying for the protection of our homes by the Blood of Jesus Christ. Remembering Passover.)
  • Memorize Psalm 100 (Such a joyous psalm.) And speaking it out loud often.
  • Create acronyms of Names/Attributes of God ( A – Z) You can even make a game of it. Or a poster. Together.
  • I made posters for each room of my apartment. I wrote: S M I L E and a big happy face under the word (I was forgetting to smile).
  • Tired of singing the 20 second happy birthday song, I learned an alternative from mcleanbible.org . (To be sure I washed my hands long enough to get rid of the germs. AND to keep my focus on God.) I put it on an index card that I placed where I wash my hands.

Here’s what it says:

(Jesus said) “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
– Matthew 28:18b-20 (NAS)

I’m praying for you as I am typing this.
Keep looking UP, brave warrior. The Lord is on your side!

Let me know how you are doing. I really want to know.

Let's Connect!Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching — Tags: , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am