As a youngster it did not take very much to provoke me into a fight. I fought with my ugly words first, and if the foe did not back down, there were two powerful fists waiting for some action! As I grew in life and in God I did my very best to stop fighting. The physical part came easy, but it took a while to tame this tongue of mine. Truth be told, I'm still working on it, but it is nothing whatsoever like it once was. And I truly believe that when I do maintain control of this tongue, God is pleased with the way I fight.
Some get confused when I talk about fighting and God being pleased in the same sentence. There was a time when I was also confused on this point. I thought being a Christian meant not fighting anymore. I metaphorically laid down and allowed, people, life, and the enemy to just beat up on me. I hid the fighter inside of me, and allowed this timid person (that I still don't know) to come over me. I did that until I got tired of being sad, hurt, and feeling all alone. At that point, the woman that I was created to be stood up on the inside of me and said, "NOT ANOTHER DAY"!!!
I refused to be mishandled, misused, and mistreated. I refused to lay down...I absolutely would not do it...not for another second!!! I began to fight with the God given gift that I have been ordained to use.... MY PRAISE! Praise in a weapon of warfare, it is a weapon of mass destruction! It is the catch all end all in spiritual battles! Every battle must first be won in the spirit realm before you can win in the natural. Now, when opposition comes I go immediately to my weapon! There are different levels of praise that fit each battle. I just choose the level needed to win the battle. I have heard too many Christians say, "he(the enemy) may have won the battle, but he didn't win the war".. NO, FORGET THAT!!! THAT JOKER GETS NOTHING!!!! He gets no victory over my life! ALL I DO IS WIN, WIN, WIN no matter what!!! When sad thoughts come, I praise! When someone says or does something to try to hurt me, I praise! When it looks like all hope is lost, I praise...because I know the outcome...I WIN! My future is bright! I fight with my weapon of praise and the situation turns around faster than I ever thought it would!
If you don't believe me, try it! Really try it....try God for yourself! Use your gift of praise when it seems all hell has broken loose in your life. Watch carefully and see what God does on your behalf! Its time out for scared timid Saints... its time to fight like your life depends on it because guess what? It does!!!!
If the bible tells us that the angels do battle in the heavens, what do you think they are battling over? When the messenger angel was going to deliver the message to Daniel, he got held up in battle and Michael (an angel of war) had to go to his aid. If you have been praying about something and have not seen your answer....ask God to dispatch more angels on your behalf and while you are waiting.....FIGHT!
Open your mouth and shout unto God with the voice of triumph (Psalm 47:1)! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance (Psalm 150:4)! The only way you lose any battle is if you never fight.
Its time to sop fighting dirty, and start fighting with the weapons given to us by the Almighty! I am a living witness, when you take EVERYTHING to Him, He perfects EVERYTHING concerning you! I have witnessed what an active prayer life combined with an active PRAISE LIFE will produce! If you aren't sure whether or not you fight dirty, please see definition below.
Love you all,
Otescia
Dirty Fighting = Using physical violence or mean, hateful, hurtful, degrading, and discouraging words to willfully and intentionally make your point or obtain the object of your desire at the emotional or physical expense of your opponent
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Watch YOUR Mouth!!!
2
Timothy 2:22-26
The Message (MSG)
22-26 Run away from infantile indulgence. Run after mature
righteousness—faith, love, peace—joining those who are in honest and serious
prayer before God. Refuse to get involved in inane discussions; they always end
up in fights. God’s servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener
and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who
refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a
change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil’s
trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands.
When I went through my divorce I decided being divorced
meant I never had to argue again. I
refused to go into another marriage filled with those types of emotions. Even though I said those things to myself, it
took the Lord stepping in and speaking directly to me for me to really get
it! He first brought the most gentle,
supportive, and loving soul into my life…my husband. When the Lord revealed to
me that Lyndell was my husband He gave me some very specific instructions. One of which was, “You must get control of
your mouth. He will not tolerate you speaking
to him any kind of way, he hates arguing”.
Its one thing for a person to demand your respect, it’s another when the
Lord tells you to give it! Because let’s
face it, speaking to each other properly is a form of respect. I must confess this has been an easier area
for me to watch my mouth because my husband ALWAYS speaks to me out of love and
respect.
(Side Note: the saying, “make-up sex is the best sex” is dysfunctional!!!!! What makes this more enjoyable is the raw passion the two parties share. In the interest of saving you both a lot of frustration and/or painful words, I urge you to find
a better, healthier way to express your passion and keep the spice in your marriage!)
The hard part for me has been learning to speak to others
with respect even when they do not do so with me. The scripture did not say only refrain from arguments when the other person is nice to you! We must always conduct ourselves according to this passage no matter how rude or unpolite the other person is. I will be the first person to confess I don’t always pass the test, but I continue
trying and with God's help I getting much better.
When the Lord spoke to me about
Lyndell I had no idea the above scripture even existed. When I came across the scripture one day in
my personal study time, I realized this not arguing thing went well beyond my
marriage. It’s His will for us to be “a
gentle listener and a teacher that keeps our cool”! That means even though you may be right,
there is still a correct way to present what you are trying to teach the other
person. Who listens when they are being
belittled, yelled at, or ridiculed?
Instead of listening to what you are saying (teaching), they go on the
defense and now neither of you are listening!
Another thing to remember is, you are a living witness! Everything you say and do reflects your walk
with Christ. Arguing with people affects
your witness. Will they hear you when
you try to share the love of God if you just cussed them out yesterday? Will
the unbelieving spouse come to Jesus if you are constantly yelling and fussing?
Can you pass the test of not being argumentative? Is it more important for you to express your
emotions, or for you to show Jesus to a dying world?!?!
We have to become better at showing His presence on the inside of us. We are His ambassadors here in the earth. When people see us, they have to see the love of Jesus. If we are arguing, Jesus is not being seen in us. Together, we can change this world! We can make a difference in the lives of those that are lost, but it starts with watching what we say and how we say it!
Love you all,
Otescia
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
It Gets Even Better!
A couple of weeks ago, my (very profound and awesome) Pastor was teaching during bible study and he mentioned a scripture that really stuck out to me. It was not a scripture that I had never heard before, but in that moment it became alive for me in a way that felt brand new!
Haggai 2:1-9 (Message)
On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Word of God came through the prophet Haggai: “Tell Governor Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and all the people: ‘Is there anyone here who saw the Temple the way it used to be, all glorious? And what do you see now? Not much, right?
4-5 “‘So get to work, Zerubbabel!’—God is speaking.
“‘Get to work, Joshua son of Jehozadak—high priest!’
“‘Get to work, all you people!’—God is speaking.
“‘Yes, get to work! For I am with you.’ The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is speaking! ‘Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. I’m living and breathing among you right now. Don’t be timid. Don’t hold back.’
6-7 “This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: ‘Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields. And I’ll shake down all the godless nations. They’ll bring bushels of wealth and I will fill this Temple with splendor.’ God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.
The 9th verse in the KJV is the well known scripture I mentioned, "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts."
For anyone that has ever had to start your life over, experienced what seemed to be a major setback, or an extremely painful loss, I want you to read these next few lines VERY CAREFULLY!
Think back to what you feel was the best time of your life. Go ahead..... you have permission to really think on it. Remember how happy you felt? Remember how well you were doing? Relish that good feeling for just a moment.
Now look at today. Are you in a "not very much" stage? Do you wonder why God would bless you so, and then allow you to lose it...especially through no fault of your own? Seems unfair, huh? I know...I've been there. I wondered how God could allow my marriage to fail when I worshipped Him so completely and did everything in my power to please Him and Him alone. I'm not claiming I was perfect, but I had a heart that loved God, so I did the very best I could to walk uprightly before Him. Yet, I lived through a long and HARD "not very much" season.
Now, its VERY easy to get depressed when going through a "not very much season", BUT if you continue reading, God assures us that this season is but for a moment! (re-read verses 4-9)
IT IS TIME TO GET TO WORK! GOD IS SPEAKING! PUT INTO ACTION THE PROMISES HE WHISPERED TO YOU WHEN HE DELIVERED YOU OUT OF YOUR MISERABLE PLACE!!!
Before you know it, God will shake up your surroundings! He will give you wealth! He already owns it all anyway! That good place you thought about a moment ago will not be able to compare to glory of the place you are about to walk into! After all He has already done for you, think about how much greater He is going to have to do to top what He has already done! You shall have a glorious ending and God will grant you wholeness and holiness!!!
I don't know about anyone else, but I get excited everytime I think on this! God has done some miraculous things for me in the past, but the best miracles are in front of me! My longing for former glory is over, today I press towards tomorrow's glory, and tomorrow I will press towards the following day's glory! Everyday is a new opportunity to move closer to my glorious destiny! Make today the last day you long for the old (house, man/woman, job, car, etc...)! Your future holds more promise than your past ever could! Stop dreaming of what could have been, and start expecting what is to come! You can't drive forward looking at what's behind you! Likewise, you can't expect to LIVE in your future glory while yearning for what was only meant to be for a season!
Otescia R. Johnson
Haggai 2:1-9 (Message)
On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Word of God came through the prophet Haggai: “Tell Governor Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and all the people: ‘Is there anyone here who saw the Temple the way it used to be, all glorious? And what do you see now? Not much, right?
4-5 “‘So get to work, Zerubbabel!’—God is speaking.
“‘Get to work, Joshua son of Jehozadak—high priest!’
“‘Get to work, all you people!’—God is speaking.
“‘Yes, get to work! For I am with you.’ The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is speaking! ‘Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. I’m living and breathing among you right now. Don’t be timid. Don’t hold back.’
6-7 “This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: ‘Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields. And I’ll shake down all the godless nations. They’ll bring bushels of wealth and I will fill this Temple with splendor.’ God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.
8 ‘I own the silver,
I own the gold.’
Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
I own the gold.’
Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
9 “‘This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.’ Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.”
The 9th verse in the KJV is the well known scripture I mentioned, "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts."
For anyone that has ever had to start your life over, experienced what seemed to be a major setback, or an extremely painful loss, I want you to read these next few lines VERY CAREFULLY!
Think back to what you feel was the best time of your life. Go ahead..... you have permission to really think on it. Remember how happy you felt? Remember how well you were doing? Relish that good feeling for just a moment.
Now look at today. Are you in a "not very much" stage? Do you wonder why God would bless you so, and then allow you to lose it...especially through no fault of your own? Seems unfair, huh? I know...I've been there. I wondered how God could allow my marriage to fail when I worshipped Him so completely and did everything in my power to please Him and Him alone. I'm not claiming I was perfect, but I had a heart that loved God, so I did the very best I could to walk uprightly before Him. Yet, I lived through a long and HARD "not very much" season.
Now, its VERY easy to get depressed when going through a "not very much season", BUT if you continue reading, God assures us that this season is but for a moment! (re-read verses 4-9)
IT IS TIME TO GET TO WORK! GOD IS SPEAKING! PUT INTO ACTION THE PROMISES HE WHISPERED TO YOU WHEN HE DELIVERED YOU OUT OF YOUR MISERABLE PLACE!!!
Before you know it, God will shake up your surroundings! He will give you wealth! He already owns it all anyway! That good place you thought about a moment ago will not be able to compare to glory of the place you are about to walk into! After all He has already done for you, think about how much greater He is going to have to do to top what He has already done! You shall have a glorious ending and God will grant you wholeness and holiness!!!
I don't know about anyone else, but I get excited everytime I think on this! God has done some miraculous things for me in the past, but the best miracles are in front of me! My longing for former glory is over, today I press towards tomorrow's glory, and tomorrow I will press towards the following day's glory! Everyday is a new opportunity to move closer to my glorious destiny! Make today the last day you long for the old (house, man/woman, job, car, etc...)! Your future holds more promise than your past ever could! Stop dreaming of what could have been, and start expecting what is to come! You can't drive forward looking at what's behind you! Likewise, you can't expect to LIVE in your future glory while yearning for what was only meant to be for a season!
Otescia R. Johnson
Thursday, August 9, 2012
He's Looking For Me!
2 Chronicles 16:9
"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him..."
This scripture has been dear to my heart since the very first time I read it. I pull on it often, especially when I am in need of a particular thing. For so long I heard people preach about how the enemy is looking to devour someone, but I NEVER heard anyone preach GOD is looking too! God is looking for those of us who are committed to Him because He wants to flex (show Himself strong)on our behalf!
Now, I can't speak for anyone else, but I find much more power in knowing GOD is looking for me!
If you read the entire chapter, you will see that Asa king of Judah was facing Baasha king of Israel. Baasha started an attack against Asa by fortifying Ramah so that Asa could not leave or enter. In other words....Baasha backed Asa into a corner. Asa, determined not to be defeated turned to another king for assistance. Ben-Hadad king of Aram came to Asa's aid and Baasha stopped fortifying Ramah. Seems like a win right?..... WRONG!
What did Asa do wrong? He sought the help of man and not God! Because Asa went to the king of Aram for help, he now owed a debt to that king. By this line of reasoning Asa would have had to return that favor (debt). This was not God's plan for Asa! Previously God delivered both the Ethiopians and the Lubims into Asa's hands. Why? Because Asa trusted and relied on God alone! God wanted to bless Asa again in the same manner, but Asa messed it up b relying on Ben-Hadad instead of God!
Fast forward to present day....How many times have we turned to other people for help instead of relying solely on God? How many times have we allowed fear and panic to interfere with our trust relationship with God? When backed into a corner, do we call on God for help or a friend?
God desires to show Himself strong on our behalf!!! He's only waiting to be invited into the situation! He will not impose Himself into your life! You must invite Him in to help you! He's search the whole earth looking for someone to bless. Why not be the person He finds!!!! Keep your heart pure and your hands clean before Him, invite Him into your situation and watch how He shows out!!!
If you read the rest of the chapter you'll see that God was displeased with Asa's choice to rely on a man instead of Him. How many times have we displeased God in this manner?
The choice is clear! Chose to rely fully on God! He's looking for those whose hearts are committed to Him! Be that person! Allow Him to find you and show Himself strong on your behalf! When you are faced with your next difficult situation, pull on this scripture! Remind Him of His word! He already knows it, but remember you have to invite Him into your situation! Refrain from calling friends and family members! Next, time call Him and allow Him to prove Himself to you!!!
He's looking for you! Position yourself so that you may be found!!!
God bless you all. I pray you are strengthened and encouraged by reading this blog!
Otescia R. Johnson
"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him..."
This scripture has been dear to my heart since the very first time I read it. I pull on it often, especially when I am in need of a particular thing. For so long I heard people preach about how the enemy is looking to devour someone, but I NEVER heard anyone preach GOD is looking too! God is looking for those of us who are committed to Him because He wants to flex (show Himself strong)on our behalf!
Now, I can't speak for anyone else, but I find much more power in knowing GOD is looking for me!
If you read the entire chapter, you will see that Asa king of Judah was facing Baasha king of Israel. Baasha started an attack against Asa by fortifying Ramah so that Asa could not leave or enter. In other words....Baasha backed Asa into a corner. Asa, determined not to be defeated turned to another king for assistance. Ben-Hadad king of Aram came to Asa's aid and Baasha stopped fortifying Ramah. Seems like a win right?..... WRONG!
What did Asa do wrong? He sought the help of man and not God! Because Asa went to the king of Aram for help, he now owed a debt to that king. By this line of reasoning Asa would have had to return that favor (debt). This was not God's plan for Asa! Previously God delivered both the Ethiopians and the Lubims into Asa's hands. Why? Because Asa trusted and relied on God alone! God wanted to bless Asa again in the same manner, but Asa messed it up b relying on Ben-Hadad instead of God!
Fast forward to present day....How many times have we turned to other people for help instead of relying solely on God? How many times have we allowed fear and panic to interfere with our trust relationship with God? When backed into a corner, do we call on God for help or a friend?
God desires to show Himself strong on our behalf!!! He's only waiting to be invited into the situation! He will not impose Himself into your life! You must invite Him in to help you! He's search the whole earth looking for someone to bless. Why not be the person He finds!!!! Keep your heart pure and your hands clean before Him, invite Him into your situation and watch how He shows out!!!
If you read the rest of the chapter you'll see that God was displeased with Asa's choice to rely on a man instead of Him. How many times have we displeased God in this manner?
The choice is clear! Chose to rely fully on God! He's looking for those whose hearts are committed to Him! Be that person! Allow Him to find you and show Himself strong on your behalf! When you are faced with your next difficult situation, pull on this scripture! Remind Him of His word! He already knows it, but remember you have to invite Him into your situation! Refrain from calling friends and family members! Next, time call Him and allow Him to prove Himself to you!!!
He's looking for you! Position yourself so that you may be found!!!
God bless you all. I pray you are strengthened and encouraged by reading this blog!
Otescia R. Johnson
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Your Testimony is Under Attack!
Ever wonder why it seems that when you take one step towards your destiny you get pushed two steps back? Have so-called friends turned their backs on you and said hurtful things to or about you? Have you been hit with disappointing news? Do you wonder if you're really called to the destiny you see for yourself?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions this post is for you!
We all know we have a common enemy. One who sets out to discourage us from reaching our full potential in Christ. 1 Peter 5:7-9 states: "Be sober, be vigilant; because our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour". I believe there are many reasons why the enemy would like to devour mankind, but the one I'd like to focus on today is YOUR TESTIMONY!
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death"- Revelation 12:11
Your testimony is three fold.
1. It strengthens your faith in God. From the moment God delivers you from one thing you will always be able to go back and say, "God I remember when You...."
2. It strengthens others whose faith is not quite as strong in a given area. The first time I needed a major healing I did not have a "remember when" to pull from, so I pulled on someone else's. I thought to myself.... "If God delivered so and so, I know He'll deliver me!" Thinking on His past works whether they are in your life or someone else's will strengthen your faith!
3. It helps to defeat the enemy. Revelations say they overcame him by the word of their testimony! Any and every weapon that can help defeat the enemy is powerful!
With the power that your testimony holds, you better know the enemy desires to destroy it.
Thankfully, we already know that He is a defeated foe with no power except what we give him! Regardless of what is thrown at you, if you stay connected to God, His perfect plan will manifest in your life. There are situations that arise to strengthen you. Its important to recognize those will never overtake you! When something comes before me, I have learned to ask God..."What is the purpose of this? What are You trying to teach me?" Once He reveals those answers my prayer changes to one of gratitude. "Thank you Lord for teaching me....., please help this lesson to always remain at the forefront of my thought process." Now that lesson becomes a part of my testimony!
Don't immediately get discouraged when rough patches come. Storms are always allowed to make you stronger and to strengthen your testimony!!!
This is why your testimony is under attack. The enemy does not want you to have a testimony. He wants you to become discouraged and throw in the towel. He wants you to basically "curse God and die". Do not allow a defeated foe to steal what God is giving you.... a powerful testimony to be used for His glory! Fight the good fight of faith! Stand tall in the victory Jesus gave us all when He died on the cross! Never give up... push on until your destiny is fulfilled, and then push some more after that! Its not over until you are standing before the Lord!
Guard your TESTIMONY! Its a weapon... KEEP IT LOCKED AND LOADED!
If you answered yes to any of the above questions this post is for you!
We all know we have a common enemy. One who sets out to discourage us from reaching our full potential in Christ. 1 Peter 5:7-9 states: "Be sober, be vigilant; because our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour". I believe there are many reasons why the enemy would like to devour mankind, but the one I'd like to focus on today is YOUR TESTIMONY!
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death"- Revelation 12:11
Your testimony is three fold.
1. It strengthens your faith in God. From the moment God delivers you from one thing you will always be able to go back and say, "God I remember when You...."
2. It strengthens others whose faith is not quite as strong in a given area. The first time I needed a major healing I did not have a "remember when" to pull from, so I pulled on someone else's. I thought to myself.... "If God delivered so and so, I know He'll deliver me!" Thinking on His past works whether they are in your life or someone else's will strengthen your faith!
3. It helps to defeat the enemy. Revelations say they overcame him by the word of their testimony! Any and every weapon that can help defeat the enemy is powerful!
With the power that your testimony holds, you better know the enemy desires to destroy it.
Thankfully, we already know that He is a defeated foe with no power except what we give him! Regardless of what is thrown at you, if you stay connected to God, His perfect plan will manifest in your life. There are situations that arise to strengthen you. Its important to recognize those will never overtake you! When something comes before me, I have learned to ask God..."What is the purpose of this? What are You trying to teach me?" Once He reveals those answers my prayer changes to one of gratitude. "Thank you Lord for teaching me....., please help this lesson to always remain at the forefront of my thought process." Now that lesson becomes a part of my testimony!
Don't immediately get discouraged when rough patches come. Storms are always allowed to make you stronger and to strengthen your testimony!!!
This is why your testimony is under attack. The enemy does not want you to have a testimony. He wants you to become discouraged and throw in the towel. He wants you to basically "curse God and die". Do not allow a defeated foe to steal what God is giving you.... a powerful testimony to be used for His glory! Fight the good fight of faith! Stand tall in the victory Jesus gave us all when He died on the cross! Never give up... push on until your destiny is fulfilled, and then push some more after that! Its not over until you are standing before the Lord!
Guard your TESTIMONY! Its a weapon... KEEP IT LOCKED AND LOADED!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Is Your Baby Fully Developed?
While sitting in bible study last night the Lord laid something on my heart that I know needs to be shared, so here goes.....
When a woman is impregnated, before the baby can be born it must go through many different stages of growth and development. At the point of conception the egg becomes a zygote. Its barely more than a single cell, but within days it grows into many cells and becomes a morula. A morula grows into a blastocyst. The blastocyst then becomes and embryo. The embryo grows until about 8 weeks when it becomes a fetus. A fetus grows through out the remainder of the pregnancy until birth when it is born as a newborn infant. According to most states, the fetus has to be born breathing, meaning taking at least one breath outside of the womb before it is legally recognized as a baby. What is the relevance of this science lesson?
GOD GROWS OUR SPIRITUAL FETUS THE SAME WAY!
IF YOUR SPIRITUAL "BABY" HAS NOT GROWN IT IS NOT READY TO BE BORN!
It can be so difficult to wait to birth the baby God plants on the inside of us, but as with a natural baby, if your baby is born out of season (prematurely) the chances for survival are greatly diminished in fact, it may not live at all!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 says: "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born and a time to die..."
So while waiting may be difficult and you may be anxious to get out there and help all those God has called you to help, if you try to begin outside of your season you may prematurely expose your baby to a world it is not ready for! The "lungs" may need a little more time to develop. The "stomach" may not be ready to accept food! As with your natural baby, your spiritual baby is precious and fragile! It needs the full gestation period to grow inside of you! Nurture your baby on the inside of you with the correct food (The Word)! Exercise while you are carrying your baby (focus on things that keep you close to God) so that after the baby is born you are not carrying around extra "weight". Drink plenty of water to keep your system cleansed (keep your hands clean and your heart pure). Taking these steps during the gestation (waiting period) will ensure your baby has the best chance of survival after birth!
Well you may be thinking, I've been waiting for a long time. When will I give birth? When is God going to open the door so that I can walk out what He has placed inside of me? Or the realest, most frightening thought of all, "What if I am not called to do what I desire to do?"
Isaiah 66:9 (NIV)
"Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the Lord. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God.
God will NEVER plant a pure desire inside of you and NOT bring it to pass! He will not plant something inside of you that He does not intend to birth! The thoughts of "what if I'm wrong" or "what if it never happens" are tricks of the enemy designed to get you to abort your baby because abortion is the only way to stop a God implanted baby from being born. Abortion in the spiritual sense includes all things that separate you from God. Thankfully, God makes allowances for our mistakes... that's why He sent Jesus. So I don't want anyone to read this and think, "I sinned yesterday so I aborted my baby". No, that's not what I am saying. To be very clear, You abort when you walk away from God, when you turn your heart away from Him. Even then, God is so forgiving that if you ever come back to Him, He will forgive you and re-implant you with that same seed! Of course, you will have to "carry" the baby again, but in the end no matter what you've done in your past, if your heart is pure and your hands are clean God will "break your water" and cause your baby to take it's first breath!
No matter what, remember your baby has to grow! Rarely does God show us the entire picture the first time He speaks to us concerning our purpose. He gives us glimpses according to what we are able to handle at that point. As we grow and mature in Him, the spiritual "fetus" grows inside of us and He reveals more of what the "baby" will look like at birth! We must wait patiently for God to "break our water"! We know once a woman's water breaks in the natural birth is imminent! The same is true in the spirit! Wait for God to give you the FULL YES! Wait for Him to say, PUSH! Give your destiny the gestation it deserves! If you are getting tired of waiting (as every natural mother does toward the end of the pregnancy) remind yourself that your baby needs the FULL gestation period! A baby born at the beginning of the third trimester has a 90% survival rate. 90% is pretty good, but don't you want you baby's guaranteed success?!?! Wait until your season has fully come!
Love you all,
Otescia R Johnson
~As always, thanks for reading and I pray you are encouraged and strengthened after reading this blog! Please leave your thoughts/comments and share this blog with anyone you know that may benefit from reading it!
When a woman is impregnated, before the baby can be born it must go through many different stages of growth and development. At the point of conception the egg becomes a zygote. Its barely more than a single cell, but within days it grows into many cells and becomes a morula. A morula grows into a blastocyst. The blastocyst then becomes and embryo. The embryo grows until about 8 weeks when it becomes a fetus. A fetus grows through out the remainder of the pregnancy until birth when it is born as a newborn infant. According to most states, the fetus has to be born breathing, meaning taking at least one breath outside of the womb before it is legally recognized as a baby. What is the relevance of this science lesson?
GOD GROWS OUR SPIRITUAL FETUS THE SAME WAY!
IF YOUR SPIRITUAL "BABY" HAS NOT GROWN IT IS NOT READY TO BE BORN!
It can be so difficult to wait to birth the baby God plants on the inside of us, but as with a natural baby, if your baby is born out of season (prematurely) the chances for survival are greatly diminished in fact, it may not live at all!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 says: "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born and a time to die..."
So while waiting may be difficult and you may be anxious to get out there and help all those God has called you to help, if you try to begin outside of your season you may prematurely expose your baby to a world it is not ready for! The "lungs" may need a little more time to develop. The "stomach" may not be ready to accept food! As with your natural baby, your spiritual baby is precious and fragile! It needs the full gestation period to grow inside of you! Nurture your baby on the inside of you with the correct food (The Word)! Exercise while you are carrying your baby (focus on things that keep you close to God) so that after the baby is born you are not carrying around extra "weight". Drink plenty of water to keep your system cleansed (keep your hands clean and your heart pure). Taking these steps during the gestation (waiting period) will ensure your baby has the best chance of survival after birth!
Well you may be thinking, I've been waiting for a long time. When will I give birth? When is God going to open the door so that I can walk out what He has placed inside of me? Or the realest, most frightening thought of all, "What if I am not called to do what I desire to do?"
Isaiah 66:9 (NIV)
"Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the Lord. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God.
God will NEVER plant a pure desire inside of you and NOT bring it to pass! He will not plant something inside of you that He does not intend to birth! The thoughts of "what if I'm wrong" or "what if it never happens" are tricks of the enemy designed to get you to abort your baby because abortion is the only way to stop a God implanted baby from being born. Abortion in the spiritual sense includes all things that separate you from God. Thankfully, God makes allowances for our mistakes... that's why He sent Jesus. So I don't want anyone to read this and think, "I sinned yesterday so I aborted my baby". No, that's not what I am saying. To be very clear, You abort when you walk away from God, when you turn your heart away from Him. Even then, God is so forgiving that if you ever come back to Him, He will forgive you and re-implant you with that same seed! Of course, you will have to "carry" the baby again, but in the end no matter what you've done in your past, if your heart is pure and your hands are clean God will "break your water" and cause your baby to take it's first breath!
No matter what, remember your baby has to grow! Rarely does God show us the entire picture the first time He speaks to us concerning our purpose. He gives us glimpses according to what we are able to handle at that point. As we grow and mature in Him, the spiritual "fetus" grows inside of us and He reveals more of what the "baby" will look like at birth! We must wait patiently for God to "break our water"! We know once a woman's water breaks in the natural birth is imminent! The same is true in the spirit! Wait for God to give you the FULL YES! Wait for Him to say, PUSH! Give your destiny the gestation it deserves! If you are getting tired of waiting (as every natural mother does toward the end of the pregnancy) remind yourself that your baby needs the FULL gestation period! A baby born at the beginning of the third trimester has a 90% survival rate. 90% is pretty good, but don't you want you baby's guaranteed success?!?! Wait until your season has fully come!
Love you all,
Otescia R Johnson
~As always, thanks for reading and I pray you are encouraged and strengthened after reading this blog! Please leave your thoughts/comments and share this blog with anyone you know that may benefit from reading it!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Just Jump!
Have you ever had the feeling that you just suddenly "woke up"? Not from actually sleeping in the natural, but in your spirit. If not, keep living its bound to happen. Some people call them "aha moments" or light bulbs turning on. Call it what you like, but to me it feels like I just "woke up". Like an area of my mind and spirit have been resting waiting for this very moment. The point of this blog post is actually not about waking up, rather what I woke up to.
Its like I opened my eyes and I was standing on the edge of a cliff. A huge mountainous cliff, and as I tilted my head forward to see what was beneath me there was utter darkness. Nothing but darkness all the way down to depths unknown. In front of me there is another cliff, but the gap is too wide for me to safely jump. I can see the sun shining on the other side, and there is a storm behind me so I can't turn around and go back. In that moment panic began to rise in my chest, but just as quickly as it rose, I felt the peace of God and heard Him whisper, "Its okay, jump". The natural response is "Heck, no. I'm not jumping off of a cliff!" But when God is saying jump fear has a way of taking a back seat... IF YOU TRUST HIM!
At that point I began to realize what God was showing me. I'm on the edge of the next phase of my life and I have absolutely no foresight as to how I will get from where I am now over to the next chapter. Its not as simple as turning the page when there is darkness between you and the next step. Its not easy to just step out on faith when it looks like there is only darkness beneath you. What I have to remember and what you have to remember is when we are obedient to God and jump, He will not simply steady your feet or extend the Earth for you to walk on, HE WILL GIVE YOU WINGS TO FLY!!!
Before entering a new chapter in my life I have always gone through a trust exercise with God. He's nudged and I've honestly been a little hesitant each time. I've gone back to Him and asked, "God are you sure?" As if He would ever speak something to me that didn't already exist. (smile) What has always caused me to fall in love with Him all over again is how He gently reminds me of the previous times when He's told me to jump.
It started out with little baby steps, like a baby learning to walk from the sofa to the coffee table, but as I've grown over the years the surface between the steps has gotten less and less sturdy, and the distance has grown wider and wider. Yet through it all, He's always there and I've NEVER fallen when stepping out on faith.
As believers we are constantly challenged to trust God more. Today's trust level will not suffice next year, for some not even next week. You're going to have to get to the point that you jump every time He says jump! The more risky the step of faith, the bigger the reward on the other side! I may have only seen darkness beneath me, but my concern should not been the darkness. My focus should have been on His words. HE said jump. He is my ultimate saviour. I have absolutely nothing to fear when He is with me and He is always with me, even unto the ends of the Earth! I am never alone! God is always there encouraging, supporting, pushing, and propelling me to the next chapter! Therefore, no matter what the surroundings suggest, IT IS ALWAYS SAFE TO JUMP!!!!!
Its like I opened my eyes and I was standing on the edge of a cliff. A huge mountainous cliff, and as I tilted my head forward to see what was beneath me there was utter darkness. Nothing but darkness all the way down to depths unknown. In front of me there is another cliff, but the gap is too wide for me to safely jump. I can see the sun shining on the other side, and there is a storm behind me so I can't turn around and go back. In that moment panic began to rise in my chest, but just as quickly as it rose, I felt the peace of God and heard Him whisper, "Its okay, jump". The natural response is "Heck, no. I'm not jumping off of a cliff!" But when God is saying jump fear has a way of taking a back seat... IF YOU TRUST HIM!
At that point I began to realize what God was showing me. I'm on the edge of the next phase of my life and I have absolutely no foresight as to how I will get from where I am now over to the next chapter. Its not as simple as turning the page when there is darkness between you and the next step. Its not easy to just step out on faith when it looks like there is only darkness beneath you. What I have to remember and what you have to remember is when we are obedient to God and jump, He will not simply steady your feet or extend the Earth for you to walk on, HE WILL GIVE YOU WINGS TO FLY!!!
Before entering a new chapter in my life I have always gone through a trust exercise with God. He's nudged and I've honestly been a little hesitant each time. I've gone back to Him and asked, "God are you sure?" As if He would ever speak something to me that didn't already exist. (smile) What has always caused me to fall in love with Him all over again is how He gently reminds me of the previous times when He's told me to jump.
It started out with little baby steps, like a baby learning to walk from the sofa to the coffee table, but as I've grown over the years the surface between the steps has gotten less and less sturdy, and the distance has grown wider and wider. Yet through it all, He's always there and I've NEVER fallen when stepping out on faith.
As believers we are constantly challenged to trust God more. Today's trust level will not suffice next year, for some not even next week. You're going to have to get to the point that you jump every time He says jump! The more risky the step of faith, the bigger the reward on the other side! I may have only seen darkness beneath me, but my concern should not been the darkness. My focus should have been on His words. HE said jump. He is my ultimate saviour. I have absolutely nothing to fear when He is with me and He is always with me, even unto the ends of the Earth! I am never alone! God is always there encouraging, supporting, pushing, and propelling me to the next chapter! Therefore, no matter what the surroundings suggest, IT IS ALWAYS SAFE TO JUMP!!!!!
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