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“Where Two or Three Are Gathered”

“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

What encouraging verses! Full of promise…

The wonderful blessing about the Bible is that there is always the opportunity to get fresh insights and learn new principles. That happened to me just this last week.

For many years when praying with others–whether with seasoned saints, or in a group setting–inevitably there will be someone asking that we “agree with them” in prayer. I would wonder: Is there more power if someone AGREES with us in prayer?

They would pray something like: “Lord, you promise:  if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them; …Thank You that You promise wherever two or three have gathered in Your name, You are there.”

The implication has been that if He is here, listening to our prayers, then naturally, He will say YES to whatever we are praying. (IF there are two or three of us agreeing, that is.) It felt kinda like a good luck charm. A genie in a bottle type of magic prayer. A name it, claim it and bag it kinda prayer.

It has made me uneasy for years, but I didn’t know why. I never bothered to look up the verse in context while someone was praying (Or even afterwards, either). These were seasoned saints. Mature Christians. It was a given. No questions asked. But it still felt off to me somehow. Yet, I just shrugged it off and went on with my life. Until I couldn’t anymore.

Mystery Revealed

I have learned that if I wait long enough, God will reveal what has previously been a mystery. I LOVE when that happens.This last week, my Encounter with God daily devotional lesson was God’s instrument to enlighten me. God loves to surprise us like that!

Wonder of wonders! By reading verse 20 in context. (Matthew 18:15-20 NAS) as part of my assignment that day I discovered the TRUTH. And I finally understood my uneasiness. That verse was being taken out of context in those prayer meetings. It is a great verse, but it is not for the purpose of answering just any prayer we might pray. It is addressing a specific issue. It is actually part of a teaching of reconciliation in a Christian setting, where one person has gone astray and the TWO or THREE are those attempting to restore the ONE. The TWO or THREE are to be witnesses to the conversations about the offense or sin. Like in a court of law.

It is FIRST to be handled privately. If unsuccessful, then two or three witnesses go with the one. If that is unsuccessful, then it is taken before the church/group. And when done according to Scripture, the Lord will add His blessing, by being there with you through it all. He will never leave us or forsake us. Even if the ONE refuses to reconcile and goes their separate way.

It is a beautiful plan. But sadly, it doesn’t seem to be practiced much. The plan is hard work. It is focused work. Focused on the outcome of reconciliation for the ONE going astray. The enemy of our souls knows that it is much easier to get us distracted from the context of the verse, which is ultimately for the good of all.
(It is much “easier” to ask someone to agree with you in prayer, rather than doing the “grunt” work of restoration.)

Application

“Care and a loving attitude should go hand in hand with such discipline…This is all very challenging, but Jesus promises His blessing on action properly taken to try to reconcile believers to one another.”

–Encounter with God (November 2022)

Discipline, Prayer, Reconciliation (Let’s recap it all … in Biblical context)

“Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that ON THE]TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY MATTER MAY BE CONFIRMED. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

Matthew 18: 15-20 NAS

Discover Living From Your Strengths (LFYS) Life Changing Mentor Coaching.

Do you have questions? Through the Ministry Insights assessment, you will Discover your strengths. And then, through mentor coaching, you will learn how to daily Embrace and Live out your strengths. You can contact me by clicking on the blue button beside the signature line. Or leave me a private message on Facebook.

Leading from Your Strengths

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Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

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

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

Life’s Constantly Moving Targets. Setting Priorities.

Woman looking at camera

Here we go again.

It is that time of year to begin taking stock of you life. Setting goals. Are there changes you need to make? What do you like/want to keep? What do you want to work on? What do you need help with?

January is just around the corner.

And leading up to January is typically the time for evaluating last year; and for setting fresh priorities for the new year.

Reprioritize your focus.

Setting priorities in the middle of life’s constantly moving targets should probably be done in sound bites rather than all at once. Take time to do it deliberately and with mindfulness. It is just too easy to get discouraged in that “not yet” state of being…So, take it slow and deliberately. Examine family, work, church, play obligations. What goes? What stays?

Ask yourself: most important priority?

The Apostle John teaches (see John 3:1-21) you MUST be born again. It is not an option. It is by God’s design. You can be assured that out of this flows all the power of God to help you accomplish all He has for you. It is not an option. We are each created by His design. Our God knows what is best for each of us individually. For our eternity. This is the starting place and is non-negotiable if you want TRUE success.

What is evidence you are born again?

You become a follower of Jesus. You get to know Him through His Word…the Bible. It is not the words you speak. Or any act you do. It is WHO are you following? WHO is your role model?

What is evidence you are a follower of Jesus?

You long for and have a relationship with Jesus. You look forward to time reading and studying His Word. Memorizing it. The sword of the Spirit. The weapon you can pull out to fight the devil’s discouragement and roadblocks along the paths of life.

You begin to talk with Him about what you read. Learning to trust Him more with each passing day. You can’t see the wind, but you can observe its power. You can’t see the Spirit but you can feel it each day as He encourages and guides you as you spend time with Him. He desires to disciple you. And that takes time. This is: Priority #1.

What is evidence you have a relationship with Jesus?

You are steadily becoming more like Him in thought, word, and deed. It doesn’t happen overnight. It is a gradual process. Just like the parent/child relationship. The child has to learn the various aspects of growing up. So does the child of God. You start with milk and you graduate to meat. You begin to show evidence you are: The follower of Jesus. The disciple of Jesus. YOU! 😉

In a nutshell.

Re-prioritize your focus. Your #1 focus is your relationship with Jesus as a follower of Christ. God will take care of the rest. You will be amazed how things fall into place when you turn to Him for guidance about everything.

Separation Anxiety.

When you first make that step, there can be a separation anxiety. Things may feel strange. And even periodically along the way, it is common to lose focus and suffer from separation anxiety. But do what you did at first and peace will return.

The solution?

Always: Come “Home” to Jesus.

“Father, I easily drown in a sea of priorities. Give me grace to accept that my relationship with You should be the most important goal of my life.”

Scripture Union’s Encounter with God. November 17, 2016.

I’d love to talk with you about your goals and priorities. Click the blue button and let’s get started!

God bless you bunches!

Discover Living From Your Strengths (LFYS) Life Changing Mentor Coaching.

Do you have questions? Through the Ministry Insights assessment, you will Discover your strengths. And then, through mentor coaching, you will learn how to daily Embrace and Live out your strengths. You can contact me by clicking on the blue button beside the signature line. Or leave me a private message on Facebook.

Leading from Your Strengths

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,Living From Your Strengths,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

What Do a Billboard and a Cake Have in Common?

Socal Harvest reg Laurie Billboard

A Billboard Company & An Evangelist

A billboard company in Southern California changed their mind about running an ad “… for an evangelist – simply because he is holding a Bible. For 28 years, world-renowned evangelist Greg Laurie has been holding evangelistic crusades in Southern California, where he has led tens of thousands to Christ and encouraged millions in their faith.” – One News Now (AFR)

The pastor/evangelist had arranged for a billboard company to create and post his ad on their billboard. In the ad, a silhouette of the pastor was holding a Bible (no cross or even the word Bible on it) in his hand.

Push Back

So the ad was posted on the billboard, the sign company got some push back and asked Laurie to remove the image of the Bible from the picture. The pastor agreed. And on that very day the new image was to be installed, the sign company came back and said, “Well, we’re not going to put that up, and the other one’s coming down – and we’re not going to put up anything.” (They did refund their money.)

I first heard about this billboard spiritual battle on American Family Radio (AFR) .

A Cake Artist and the Courts

Embed from Getty Images
Another example of a spiritual battle from the news that morning was about Jack Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop. In his first legal battle, Jack was accused of discriminating against a same sex couple wanting him to bake a cake for their wedding. He is an “artist” and he expresses his artistic talent through his cake decorating. But, he could not and would not bake a cake with a message that would violate his freedom of speech by expressing a message that went against his Christian faith. He felt it would be endorsing a same-sex wedding, which he could not and would not do. There was much push back; and he suffered great losses on many fronts. But, because he felt he was treated unfairly on the basis of his religion and he knew it represented more than just cake baking, he took it all the way to the Supreme court and he won the case. The majority in the court agreed with him.

Jack is Consistent in Walking Out His Faith

“On the very day the Supreme Court decided to hear Masterpiece Cakeshop (June 26, 2017), a caller asked the bakery to make a cake with a pink inside and a blue outside, celebrating a gender transition from male to female. The shop politely declined, but Phillips believes that the same lawyer, on other occasions, requested that he create other custom cakes with messages that violate his faith — a cake celebrating Satan and a cake with Satanic symbols. The lawyer…a man identifying as a woman…” – PJMedia.com

I first heard about this 2nd spiritual battle for Jack on pjmedia.com .

Sloppy Agape or Dressed for Battle?

What do a billboard and a cake have in common? Both stories are about serious spiritual battles. This is old news, but these battles continue to this day.  What is a person to do? Pray for wisdom and favor, friends. Our country was founded on Biblical principles. The Bill of Rights was thoughtfully planned out and purposefully written as the authors realized that the each “right” was necessary. We must honor what our founding fathers intended. The battle between good and evil is intensifying. We cannot live our lives exercising sloppy agape. This is serious business. We must remain dressed for battle in our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6) and continue to keep our relationship with the Lord Jesus strong.  Always alert, because the enemy prowls around looking for someone to devour…

Loving the sinner, but not the sin

If an evangelist and a cake maker must go through such battles, then we must not think we will be immune. We must be supportive of them. And, we MUST be ALERT IN THE SPIRIT!!! We must be proactive, seeing clearly the signs of the times. Loving. Kind. Respectful. YES! AND at the same time, also realizing we are in a battle for souls! Loving the people, but hating the sin.

Setting the captives free

In the strength of the Lord, we are blessed and equipped for healing the broken-hearted and setting the captives free. Are you willing? Our battle is NOT against flesh and blood but against a spirit world that has been working to thwart God’s plans from the very beginning. We are “awaiting His shout” together. Occupying and working until Jesus comes again…

Until next time, I am…

Discover Living From Your Strengths (LFYS) Life Changing Mentor Coaching.

Do you have questions? Through the Ministry Insights assessment, you will Discover your strengths. And then, through mentor coaching, you will learn how to daily Embrace and Live out your strengths. You can contact me by clicking on the blue button beside the signature line. Or leave me a private message on Facebook.

Leading from Your Strengths

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,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Don’t Fear the Shaking. Just Think Differently.

Depressed woman looking out window

Why are we here? As Christians, why are we here?

In these confusing and often perilous times, are their any good answers? What should we do? What can we do? What should we focus on and what should be our priorities?

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren begins with this first sentence: “It’s Not About You.” I was still a relatively new Christ-follower when I read Warren’s book, but that first sentence is seared into my brain forever. It was a stunning realization. How much of my life has been about ME? God regularly brings that sentence to my mind: “It’s not about you, Pam.” So, WHAT is it about, friends?

Being about God’s business

We all know that we are to be about God’s business “saving the lost”. Perhaps using the “Four Spiritual Laws,” for instance, is a great beginning to keep you on track when you talk with someone about the need for surrender to following after Jesus. The need of dying to self-interest.

We know in our “know-er” that there is only ONE way to God and that is through Jesus Christ. But, then what? What else is there to do?

LOTS!!!! For instance…

Step 1: Leading people to Christ.

Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Mark 16:16 NIV

Step 2: Obedience, all the while knowing we are not responsible for the outcome.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

Matthew 28:17 NIV

Step 3: Discipleship of those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ, the Lord.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples  of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”{emphasis mine}

Matthew 28:18-29 NIV

Step 4: Remembering we are not alone.

”And surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:30 (NIV)

Have we helped to create this mess by skipping step 3: Discipleship? Have we neglected to keep God relevant and alive in our daily lives? Are we aware of His presence throughout the entire day and night–in our work, recreation, churches and in our family lives?

Is our neglect and lack of focus on the Lord the reasons why the carnal life is getting so much stronger than the spiritual life of our nation and yes, the world? Did we forget our purpose? Have we forgotten our assignment from Jesus: GO. And MAKE DISCIPLES. Baptize them. Teach them. EVERYTHING He commanded us.

Is that how we started losing the battle?

We got too busy. Too preoccupied. Too satisfied with our lives.

Step 5: We repent.

We bring every thought captive. We stop fearing the shaking. Rather: No matter what we are feeling, we change our thinking. We think differently. We move with Jesus. We pull the plug on deception and lies and evil thinking. Moment by moment. And in those times when we can’t shake the negativity and the depression, we dump our pride, we cry out to God for help, and we ask mature believers to pray for us when we are in the pits of despair. We stand together as one!

Step 6: We rejoice.

God is on the move. People are turning more to prayer. More are regularly reading and studying their Bibles. More people are surrendering to Jesus’ Lordship. More are beginning to see that Jesus really is the only WAY, and the only TRUTH, and the only LIFE.

Do YOU believe that?

Step 7: Watch for Him. Watch for signs that He is with you.

To God Be the Glory! Great things He has done—and is doing every day!

Until next time…

Discover Living From Your Strengths (LFYS) Life Changing Mentor Coaching.

Do you have questions? Through the Ministry Insights assessment, you will Discover your strengths. And then, through mentor coaching, you will learn how to daily Embrace and Live out your strengths. You can contact me by clicking on the blue button beside the signature line. Or leave me a private message on Facebook.

Leading from Your Strengths

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,Living From Your Strengths,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

God, Where Are You?

Homeless Man in Subway

The disciples wanted to know the answer to that question. They thought they had it all figured out.
Their Savior (from the Romans) had arrived and would conquer their enemy. But, then He died. He left them. Why? Why did He leave them? How could they ever go on without Him? How could they have been so wrong about Him? He died! And worse yet, they thought someone must have stolen His body from the tomb! They were lost. They were purposeless. Can you relate? I know I can!

And then, He appeared ALIVE in their midst

“The touching part of this story is where and how Jesus appears…He doesn’t call the disciples to the temple, or to some other place to see Him. He comes to them where they are, both literally and spiritually. He shows them that He’d kept His promises.” – Anchor devo, July 2022

I love that Jesus meets us where we are, just as we are. No pretense. In real life right where we are, spiritually and literally.

Object lessons

God is faithful to send object lessons along the way in order to solidify any lessons He is currently teaching us. Often, for me, it comes in the form of a song, a devotional, a comment from a friend, a radio Bible lesson, or a movie. And often, it comes in all of those things one after another. I guess I am a bit dense, so He has to repeat His messages to me in multiple ways. THIS week, it is about God meeting me right where I am.

Movie title

The title of this post is actually the title of a movie I watched this week: God, Where Are You? The man—the subject of the story–had been on top of the word. Famous. Rich. With lots of “friends” and admirers. And then his world totally fell apart and he was homeless, filthy, hungry, and absolutely alone.

Kindness reminders

The movie is actually a great reminder of our mission on earth. To help those God sends our way to see that God does indeed meet us right where we are. Everyone. Always. We don’t have to wait to be (almost) perfect, in order to help others (as we discussed last week in the post.) To LISTEN to their story. To feed them when they are hungry. To NOT TAKE OFFENSE when they get angry with our lame attempts to help. To be PATIENT with them in their inability to trust that we don’t have a hidden agenda in our helping them. There are so many lessons in this movie. I hope you will take the time to find it online and watch it with an open heart to what God might be teaching you through it. We all need kindness reminders that God is in our midst. Always. Sometimes the smallest act is exactly what is needed to begin a mindset shift.

A dark tunnel

One of the characters is a woman that had found her way out of the dark tunnel of homelessness. Malachi encourages each of his “customers” (as he refers to them) to keep a gratefulness journal and to write down each thing that BY CHOICE they are grateful for. This woman had learned “Being grateful for all that I have is the biggest step to get away from what I didn’t have”.

It reminded me of life coaching. Yes, it is important to look at the past because it made us what we are today, but it is important to not stay there. Rather, to look to the present and what we can be grateful for and then to look forward to what is possible. To NOT GIVE UP!

We CAN. With JESUS

So when we ask: “God, where are you?” He responds: “I am right here with you every moment. Look for Me and you will find Me!”

All things are possible…

ALL things are possible. All THINGS are possible. All things ARE possible. All things are POSSIBLE. Always! To God be the Glory! Don’t give up!

Gratefulness Journal

Those of you who know me well, know that I have kept an Ebenezer (Thus far God has led me) Journal every since I went through a very difficult crossroads. It can be like throwing a life raft to a drowning person. To choose to walk in an attitude of gratitude and keep a gratefulness journal to read when you go through dry seasons…as a reminder of what He has done and so will do again! To help those God sends our way, to see that God does indeed meet us right where we are. Everyone. Always. Whether we realize it or not. HE is faithful. We don’t have to wait to be (almost) perfect…We can start today…

Amen? So be it!

Discover Living From Your Strengths (LFYS) Life Changing Mentor Coaching.

Do you have questions? Through the Ministry Insights assessment, you will Discover your strengths. And then, through mentor coaching, you will learn how to daily Embrace and Live out your strengths. You can contact me by clicking on the blue button beside the signature line. Or leave me a private message on Facebook.

Leading from Your Strengths

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,Spiritual Life,Strengths Mentor Coach — Tags: , , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Charlie Brown and Friends

Charlie Brown and Snoopie

I’m usually the strong one.

The encourager. The listener. The coach. The mentor. I LOVE that! I LOVE listening to people’s stories! Hearing how God is challenging them and working in their lives. I love crying with them and laughing with them. I love reminding them what they are doing well. I love praying with them. All the people in my life are a blessing. Truly!

HOWEVER…

This week, I felt empty…for me it has been a week of sadness. Normally, I CHOOSE JOY. Normally, I CHOOSE CONTENTMENT in all circumstances. I have trained myself to CHOOSE GRATITUDE rather than grumbling…To TRUST GOD is the BLESSED CONTROLLER OF ALL THINGS and I can TRUST HIM.

I KNOW that in my “know-er”.

BUT…

That wasn’t working for me this week. I FELT like an orphan. I AM an orphan. I FELT like a widow. I AM a widow. I had heard of another of my friends who died. I FELT lonely and very much ALONE. And I felt inadequate…

Like Charlie Brown’s friend, Linus, I wanted my Mommy. But that is not possible. She died when I was 12. I want my Dad, but he’s gone, too. Like Linus, I want my “security blanket”. And, like Charlie Brown, I want my friends around me, but they, too, are having a week of busy-ness, challenge and/or sadness of one sort or another. The news is grim. The weather is hot and humid. I am concentrating on what I LACK. I know better than that, but I can’t seem to snap out of it on my own. I count my blessings and then I hear a SIGH escape from my mouth. What’s THAT about?

I know what to do.

And, I have been doing it! I know to CHOOSE to praise the Lord IN every circumstance. And I’ve been doing it! I know to cry out in Jesus’ Name. To read the Psalms. To pray, pray, pray. To turn on praise music. To go for a walk. And…to remind myself of all that God has already done for me.

Yet, I was still “feeling lower than a snake’s belly” (Daddy-ism). I was feeling a bit like PigPen in the Charlie Brown’s gang. There has been a dark dust cloud over my head and it has been swirling around me. My projects are on hold for various reasons, and the computer likes to confound me and it seems to have a mind of its own at times like this. I was feeling like Charlie Brown…ready to kick the football, and Lucy yanks the ball away just as I am ready to kick it!

No GOOD reason.

There has been no GOOD reason to feel this way, but I know I am not alone. Many of you say the same thing from time to time.

Each friend I tried to connect with was too busy to talk. Or in the midst of their own crisis so were just plain unavailable. Actually I needed someone to LISTEN and help me hear where my stinkin’ thinkin’ was on the wrong base. I needed someone to just LOVE me through it…

Yes, I know I have Jesus, but I desperately needed “Jesus with SKIN on”…a person…a friend…

AND THEN IT LIFTED!!! The best way ever…

God did not send me a self-righteous Lucy, or a needy Linus, or a messy PigPen.

He sent me…

My dearest friend for over 40 years. We “connected” today by phone. I told her how I felt. She listened. I could totally be honest with her without fear of being judged or criticized. She KNOWS me inside out. I am blessed. Before I knew it, I was hearing myself laugh; and the dark “PigPen” cloud lifted off me. I could think CLEARLY again. I could BREATHE again. And my head cleared so I could think.

I had been unable to sit and write my weekly blog post.
During our conversation, the example of Charlie Brown’s friend, PigPen popped into my head. And here I am…ADULT-ING again! Writing this blog post.

God allows the valleys, so a friend can join us there and lift us back up to the mountaintop again.

To God be the Glory!

God has AGAIN proven His timing is always perfect!

Discover Living From Your Strengths (LFYS) Life Changing Mentor Coaching.

Do you have questions? Through the Ministry Insights assessment, you will Discover your strengths. And then, through mentor coaching, you will learn how to daily Embrace and Live out your strengths. You can contact me by clicking on the blue button beside the signature line. Or leave me a private message on Facebook.

Leading from Your Strengths

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,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Expectation Management

Perhaps Today

Download Photo for Your Desktop

Today is the seed for tomorrow.

When we decide that we have come to the end of ourselves, and we finally surrender to the Lordship of Christ, we come to Him as broken vessels in need of repair and restoration. ONLY GOD can do that. Some come with expectations that there will be an instantaneous change. Some expect that wealth and prosperity will follow. Some will sit back and have the mental attitude that they will merely wait for Christ’s return. Some will believe that all relationships will be restored, thinking they can bypass consequences of previous decisions and actions.

Giving and getting.

Some will believe they can pay the bills and have some fun, and whatever is left over, will go to God. The only problem with that is God asks for the First Fruits, not the left-overs. He has expectations, too. He expects to be FIRST in every aspect of our lives. He instructs us to GIVE. He promises that then, it will be given to us, good measure…running over…However, the GETTING is not to be our GOAL. The GIVING is to be joyful and off the top. The BEST. FIRST. THAT is GOD’s expectation before He grants ours. He wants our hearts. Not our leftovers.

Time management.

Some will daily meet with Jesus to get their marching orders for the day. And to surrender their will for His will. To submit to God so we have the strength to resist the devil, so that he will flee from us. It is a moment-by- moment conscious decision to follow after Jesus.  Managing our time to give First Fruits of time to developing a relationship with God is essential.

THY Kingdom come.

“When you pray, pray ‘Your Kingdom come’ and ask God to rule in your life until He returns to rule the world.“
{However}…”Before we can pray ‘Thy Kingdom come’, we must be willing to pray: MY kingdom GO!!!” –Alan Redpath

“Your Kingdom come…” Is our agreement and expectation of God’s right to rule!” –David Jeremiah

God’s Kingdom is within us. He is always in our midst! Are we living our lives with that expectation? That understanding? We must choose to manage our expectations from worldly expectations to Godly other-worldly expectations.This world is not our home. We are merely passing through. And then we enter eternity.

God’s will.

God’s will and God’s rule are the same. God’s will is always done in Heaven.
It is done on earth when we submit our will to Him—as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane”
(See Luke 22:42 ) – David Jeremiah

What about you? What is an expectation, anyway?

Expectation: ”The feeling or belief that something will or should happen.”
— The Cambridge English Dictionary

Expectation: “A mental attitude. A prospect of future good or profit. The degree of probability that something will occur” — Dictionary.com

Synonyms: Expectancy, anticipation, hope, trust.

Verses about expectations

In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

Psalm 5:3

“And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.

Psalm 39:7

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

1 Peter 1:3

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

Luke 6:35

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12

What seeds are you planting, friend? What are your expectations? Do you have some re-planning and re-planting to do? Tomorrow may come sooner than you planned. What if TODAY is the day of His return? For over 30 years, I have had this quote (the graphic) on my kitchen counter. It is part of my expectation management. It helps keep me focused.

Perhaps Today

“Don’t get too comfortable here. This world is not your home.
It’s a transition place. He’s coming for me”

Discover Living From Your Strengths (LFYS) Life Changing Mentor Coaching.

Do you have questions? Through the Ministry Insights assessment, you will Discover your strengths. And then, through mentor coaching, you will learn how to daily Embrace and Live out your strengths. You can contact me by clicking on the blue button beside the signature line. Or leave me a private message on Facebook.

Leading from Your Strengths

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,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Faithful and True

Small girl holding lunch

I want to share a story I heard on the radio. I may get some of the details wrong, but I think YOU will be inspired by this story, too.

A daughter forgot to take her lunch to school. She called her Father, who was at home, taking a much needed day off. He had a lot of yard work to catch up on after weeks and weeks of rain. She asked her father to bring her lunch to her at school.

The father finished the mowing.

He then took his daughter’s lunch to school and waited for her in the lunchroom.

The daughter arrived for lunch. She was obviously angry. “Dad, you didn’t bring my lunch!”

Dad replied: “What time is your lunch break?”

“Noon”, she replied.

“What time is it?” He asked.

“Noon”, she responded. “But I wanted you to bring it right away so I wouldn’t worry.”

Do YOU ever feel that way?

— End of story —

WOW! Convicting, or what??? I have to say YES!

What about you? Do you expect God to answer according to YOUR time-table? Or do you trust that your FATHER GOD will NOT let you down? Not ever!!!

God doesn’t work on our timetable. HIS TIMING IS ALWAYS PERFECT! He loves and cares for His “children”. He will never ever forsake you. He adores you! Do you believe that? Does this little story help put things in perspective for you? Do you—like me—need to take a few minutes to confess your/my impatience at wanting to “Do it my way”???

“Seek ye the Kingdom of God an all these things {food, clothing, whatever you need} shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock.”

Luke 12:31-32

Discover Living From Your Strengths (LFYS) Life Changing Mentor Coaching.

Do you have questions? Through the Ministry Insights assessment, you will Discover your strengths. And then, through mentor coaching, you will learn how to daily Embrace and Live out your strengths. You can contact me by clicking on the blue button beside the signature line. Or leave me a private message on Facebook.

Leading from Your Strengths

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,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Legendary Super Hero.

My Dad was a legendary super hero. He was also a single parent. That’s part of what makes him a super hero. Parenting is tough. Single parenting is tougher!

He used to say, “When my ship comes in, with my luck, I’ll be at the airport!” Then he always laughed! (My Mom’s medical bills had undoubtedly taken a toll on the bank account.) In my eyes, my Dad was a rich man. Not from wealth, position, or possessions. Rather, he was rich with integrity and steady resolve.

I knew I was loved. I knew what his values were. He lived his values. He was his values. He was deeply respected in his community.

I also knew things I could count on about him.

  • He always straightened up the house before bed.
  • He’d be there waiting for me when I got home from school.
  • He showed up no matter where I was when I was with my friends. (I liked that.)
  • He cared enough to be sure I was safe. (My friends were jealous.)
  • He never forgot a holiday.

(Whether Valentines Day, birthday, or whatever holiday…there was always a card and a gift on the kitchen table waiting for me when I came down for breakfast.)

He wasn’t a hugger, and he didn’t speak his love much, but his actions spoke volumes. I felt safe, secure and loved.

I’ve been wondering something lately…

When we read and hear the dogma about what parents should be, should do, should not do, etc., do we lose something precious and important by not rather focusing on and appreciating what our Moms and Dads did well? Does our “idea” of the “ideal” bring us into a continual state of disappointment to the point of dis-honor/anger/ & distance?

What if we step back a bit and take an honest look. If this were someone else’s parent, would we be jealous…as my friends were of me because my Dad was so predictable, available, and “protective”?

“Knowing what we are called to do is a greater blessing than striking it rich.” (Turning Point devo. 8/16/12)

My Dad knew he was called to be a single Dad when my Mom died…and he did it really, really well!

Thanks, Dad! You will always be my super hero. I miss you terribly.

 

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

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Loaves & Fishes Coaching

“…Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Philippians 4:8

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7:12

“Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore, love is the fulfilling of the Law.”

Romans 13:10

After a walk by the swimming area of the lake today, I prayed for the men of our town. How difficult it must be to control their thoughts with so much FLESH visible that it leaves little to the imagination!

No matter what the foolishness of the current culture is trying to tell us, men and women are different. In all aspects. And I am praising the Lord for that. I wish I knew how to get that message out so it would truly be heard. My soul was grieving at what we are becoming as a society.

(As I was walking away from the area, today, I thanked God I am not a man. I’m not sure I would be strong enough to keep my thoughts pure. It’s not just on the beach, but also around town.)

Then I noticed some men sitting alone–some in cars–some in work vans (the names of their businesses were on the side of their vans)…They just sat…looking toward the swimming beach. I prayed for them to take their thoughts captive.

(There were plenty of parking spaces by the sea wall where they could have sat and not viewed the FLESH that leaves little to the imagination…and yet they were there…at the swimming beach area…just sitting and watching.)

I began to fear a bit for the women and the young girls. And to pray that they will be wise and thoughtful to help men to wrestle LESS with their thoughts, by choosing to reveal less. To be feminine and modest. To be prudent and wise and kindhearted.

On my way back home from my walk, I prayed some more for the men and boys of our town. That they will be strong and resist following through with the temptations that their eyes cannot resist. It’s not MY idea…

God made His message clear Throughout the Old & New Testament:  Job said in Job 31:1 (Good News translation) “I have made a solemn promise never to look with lust at a woman.” And Jesus said in Matthew 5:28 “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”  And James in James1:14, 15 taught, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed…”

May women see the need to not entice men and may men choose wisdom and strength and look away.

Lord, have mercy.  We desperately need You. We are weak but You are strong! To God be the Glory!

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

–Adapted from a post from 2015. Still very relevant today. Sadly so.

 

Personality and Jesus

Do you know who God created you to be? Have you ever stopped to think about how your personality affects the way you interact with others? Find out more in this new book by Pamela A. Taylor.

Personality and Jesus

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,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am
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