Category: faith

Expect the Unexpected!

Posted on by Evangeline

I recently received an email from a reader of my book, A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility. She gave me a bit of exciting news.

She’s pregnant! YEA!!!

What Should I Expect?

I’ve been sharing my thoughts through this blog for 3 years and I’m still surprised when I get a note like hers.

But why am I surprised? Shouldn’t I EXPECT to receive news like that on a regular basis? If I’m praying that someone receive the gift of a child from God, shouldn’t I expect that it will happen? Should I anticipate and look for it to happen?

According to 2 Corinthians 5:21, I should.

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV

God’s answers to His promises are a  resounding “YES” in Christ because Jesus has done absolutely everything for us to be able to receive the promise. He has made us righteous so we can stand before the Father with no shame and no self-condemnation, having only an expectation of good. He took every punishment that was meant to come our way so that we could take every blessing that was meant to come His way. He did it all because He valued us above His own life.

Jesus did everything it takes for us to experience and enjoy every promise the Father made. That’s why we can confidently expect good gifts and perfect gifts to come our way as we put our faith in His promises.

 

What are you praying for today? If it’s based on the promises of God, are you EXPECTING it to happen?

 

 

Image courtesy of vectorgirl-fotolia.com

March Madness 2014

Posted on by Evangeline

March Madness 2014Have you gotten caught up in the Madness? Did you do a bracket hoping to win the $1,000,000,000 contest?

There are only 16 teams left to play for the college basketball championship so I thought I’d share this previous March Madness post with you.

 

I enjoy watching basketball games. It was especially fun to watch when my 2 sons played at the YMCA and later for their high school teams. Whenever the college basketball tournament, known as March Madness, rolls around, I get excited. At the very beginning of the 3-week tournament, I print out the bracket sheet that shows all the team match-ups. I like to use it to predict (more like guess!) who’ll be the winner of each game and the overall champion at the end. It’s fun, especially when my husband and children develop their own bracket sheet to predict winners because we can compare who made the best guesses as the tournament progresses. Of course, whatever we predict at the beginning does not have to necessarily come to pass by the end of the tournament.

This is slightly similar to how God does things. He declares the end of things from the very beginning, except of course, what He says ALWAYS comes to pass, it is not a guess. Isaiah 46:9, 10 states, “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me; declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.'”

I’m grateful we can count on God’s ability to always perform what He has promised. His words are power-filled and He has spoken so that we can experience his best. His faithfulness is truly a blessing for which to be thankful because He has made a way, through Jesus, for every believer to be a champion in life by maintaining confidence in His promises and predictions.

What promises of God do you declare and count on Him to perform on your behalf?

 

The Overwhelming Truth

Posted on by Evangeline

Sunset CloudsIt may seem like a contradiction to say that you believe that your womb is fertile even in the face of experiencing long-term infertility. But when you say the things that God has said, like “none shall be barren” (Deuteronomy 7:14), you are putting yourself in agreement with the Creator of the universe. Remember, with Him, nothing is impossible!

So keep saying and believing the Truth (what God has said in the Bible), rather than the facts of your reality. You’ll see the Truth is powerful enough to overwhelm the facts and make the Truth your new reality!

 

These 3

Posted on by Evangeline

I came across this collection of stories on Facebook. I thought I’d share the stories today to encourage  you.

For more encouragement, feel free to connect with me on Facebook through my Page.

 

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4 Ways to Thrive Like a Tree

Posted on by Evangeline
Photo courtesy of Microsoft Images

Hidden in the passage of Jeremiah 17:7, 8 are four ways to thrive like a tree. This scripture declares,

“Blessed [is] the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

The four ways this tree thrives are:

  1. It is planted in fertile soil because it is near the water.
  2. It has developed a strong root system as it stretches, sometimes even through solid rock, to reach out to the water to be nourished.
  3. It has strong branches and green leaves that do not wither even under drought conditions because it has grown strong by continual nourishment from the nearby waters.
  4. It is always fruitful.

Similarly, the four ways we can thrive like this tree planted by the waters are:

  1. Be firmly established in the soil of God’s love. Trust in Him, no matter what our current circumstances may be.
  2. Seek spiritual nourishment from His Word, growing in the knowledge of what Jesus has already accomplished on our behalf. Speak His promises, trusting they are true for our situation.
  3. Receive Jesus’ ever-forgiving love as it supplies nourishment for every “branch” of our lives [spirit, soul (mind, will, and emotions), body, finances, and relationships]. The “green leaves” of our lives indicate good health, a by-product of continual nourishment from God’s Word (see Proverbs 4:20-22).
  4. Manifest fruitfulness in our lives by having a laser focus on Jesus, the One Who initiates and matures our faith through His Word. This fruitfulness, according to Strong’s Concordance, also includes “offspring, children, progeny (of the womb).”

Thriving like THIS tree is a good thing! Don’t you agree?

Faith Speaks

Posted on by Evangeline

Faith Speaks

Faith speaks. What does it speak? It speaks the words that God has said. Speaking His Word is a demonstration of believing and being in agreement with His Word. This is made clear in 2 Corinthians 4:13 [NASB], “But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore we also speak.” This is a reference to what the psalmist had said in Psalm 116:10. He expressed his belief in God’s love for him as he cried out to God in his affliction.

We see this same principle of believing and speaking in Romans 10:4-10. In fact, the very blessing of salvation is based on believing and speaking (Romans 10:9,10). If the greatest gift that God has given us comes through believing and speaking, surely any other blessings are accessible in the same way. God wants us to rest in His love and receive His blessings through simply believing what He has said us. He has given us the position as a joint heir with Jesus and wants us to speak what He has said in His Word about our circumstances.

Be encouraged as you relax in knowing that Father God loves you immensely. He has already made a way out of  life’s difficult circumstances by sending Jesus to meet all our needs. Find what He has promised you in the Bible, have faith in that Word as you believe and speak it, and, with confident expectation, continue to do so until you see His promise manifested.

Remember, faith speaks!

 

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Images

Balance

Posted on by Evangeline

A few questions for you as you begin your week:

How do you SEE yourself today? Is your life well-balanced?

How do you desire to see yourself?

What is your current “self-talk”? In other words, what do you SAY about yourself?

Does what you say about yourself agree with what God says about you in His Word, the Bible?

What we SAY influences what we SEE in our lives. God’s Word brings balance and “good” success to our lives [Joshua 1:8]. “Good” success supports a balanced life. I encourage you to have faith in the Word and speak the Word about your circumstances in order to see the good you desire in your life.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Posted on by Evangeline

When I feel exasperated by my circumstances, and find myself not knowing what to do next, it’s typically because I haven’t asked God for guidance on that specific thing. When will I learn to always ask Him first? It makes life so much simpler and joy-filled!

David, in 1 Samuel 30:8, inquired of God about his next step, setting a good example for us to follow:

“So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

Asking God for our life’s game plan is always the best thing to do when considering our “next steps”. It’s best to do it though BEFORE exasperation sets in from going on our own plan that has no input or influence from God.

Embrace Your Inner King/Queen

Posted on by Evangeline

Jesus died to enable us to reign in life. Do you feel like royalty? Or do you simply feel like you carry the royal title of “Christian” but you’re not exercising nor experiencing the ruling power that’s supposed to come along with it?

There is a king/queen in you if you are a believer in the work of Jesus on the cross on your behalf. Maybe you need to tap into the knowledge that through Jesus, God transferred you from the devil’s kingdom of darkness and oppression into the His kingdom of light, life and power [Col. 1:13]. If you need a boost in believing your life should be more of a demonstration of the power to reign in life, I encourage you to read these scriptures and thoughtfully consider their application in your life.

There IS a King in you if believe in Jesus as Savior. How will you more fully embrace your inner king/queen and reign in life?

“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” ~~ Romans 5:17 NIV

“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” ~~Revelation 1:6

Enjoy hearing Donald Lawrence & Company sing There Is A King In You.

Focus Friday

Posted on by Evangeline

Focus on the following promise throughout the day. God said it and it’s what He desires. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day and expect God to do what He has said!

“And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.”  ~~Isaiah 10:27

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Words (Photo credit: sirwiseowl)