God desires that we use and invest our abilities in the advancement of His Kingdom.  The servant who hid the money or talents did so because of a distorted understanding of God’s glory.  It’s so important that our concept of God be consistent with His Word.  Then we are able to risk much because we love much.  “Seek to invest your life in things that matter to the Father.”

To succeed in life, whether or not you're called to the ministry, you can't quit doing what God has put in your heart to do. You can't obey God for a little while and then quit when the circumstances don't look too good or when your faith is being tested and tried. You've got yo be faithful to carry out God's plan for your life.

What is your passion?  What do you dream about most of the time?  We have a young man who recently became part of the COTH family. He has a heart to do all that God wants for him.  He wants to walk in his God-called destiny.  He realizes that Satan tried to steal his future, and he opened his heart to believe that there is a better life for him.  He now passionately longs to be a musician in our church.  My counsel to him is to passionately seek your dream and watch God prepare you for destiny.  The key to a successful life in Christ is CONSISTENCY!

The Passion Question is:   Does my dream compel me to follow it?   Steve Jobs said that if you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed.  The vision pulls you.

Have you ever gone to a carnival and seen one of the machines called the passion meter?  It is supposed to be able to measure how romantic you are.   It usually has a panel of flashing lights and a metal handle that you squeeze while a mild electrical current flows through it.  The longer and stronger you can squeeze the handle, the better your score.

Wouldn't it be nice if the passion for our dreams could be as easily measured?  However, real life isn't like that.  The Passion Question can be a difficult one to answer.  How can you know whether your passion will be enough to carry you through to the realization of your dream?  Passion is the starting point of all achievement.

 When Jesus told us to ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, he put action on our desires.   The road to any dream is cluttered with detours, problems and disappointments. Many people have so much difficulty on that road that their dreams die there.  That's why passion is so important.  It keeps the dream alive.  It takes us from asking to finding in the Kingdom of God!  Passion pulls us up and enables us to overcome adversity.  

Do we all face adversity?   Absolutely!   No one is promised a life filled with joy, happiness, peace, tranquility, perfect health, etc.   We are promised that our Lord will be with us through it all.   When we are faced with adversity, we will not lose our focus nor passion as long as we know who is with us and never leaves us!  My heart is full of thanksgiving for our Lord  who has brought us through challenges that I never dreamed we would walk through successfully.   Anytime you try to accomplish something of value, you will face adversity.  PASSION can help you get through it!

We all go through adversities in life. You might be reading this and your marriage or relationship is in trouble.You are struggling financial or your health is bad. What do you say about the situation you are in? You can predict your own destruction or you can predict that you are an over-comer that you will live and not die. You can declare that health is yours. Prosperity is yours. Joy is yours. You can speak into existence that your marriage will work. You will get that job. You will get whatever God has in store for you. God said it…  so declare it. Your victory is in your mouth. We become what we think.

 I have truly grasped an understanding of God’s love for me. He said it so I absolutely DON’T doubt it. I’m not afraid, I just walk and do. Once I realized that I needed to stop trying to change everyone else, it was me who had to change. I had to get away from the “Stinking Thinking” I had to separate myself  from Negative People. Start today , not tomorrow, not next week, but  TODAY. Right now think of something positive,  something beautiful. You have to crawl before you can run. As you renew your mind with wonderful thoughts, you will get stronger and stronger and watch beautiful things happen in your life.  I am no different than anyone else reading this I just made the choice I would not be a victim.  I am in control of my destination and I choose to believe every promise that the Lord has for my life WILL live and I WILL walk out.  I believe in you and Love you.

Blessings,

Kimberly

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape …
but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape…

A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything …
but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear…

A strong woman won’t let anyone get the best of her …
but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone…

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future…
a woman of strength realizes life’s mistakes can also be God’s blessings and capitalizes on them…

A strong woman walks sure footedly …
but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls…

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face …
but a woman of strength wears grace…

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey …
but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong…

You are a part of His body and you fit in a specific place. In you resides the power of God and you have all the fruit of His Spirit as well. The Lord has equipped you to be more than a conqueror so, just let His light and love flow from you! Let everything He has placed in you draw the lost to Him! He needs you to be His ambassador and representative in a world that needs Him desperately! So, many are called, but not many follow. Your obedience will set you apart! Rejoice and give Him all the Glory!

Be prepared in 2012 to hear His Voice as He instructs you for your calling!   You are called specifically for a purpose!  That purpose is doing His Will!  Psalm 139 lets you know that He never took time to make a "Nobody!"  Everyone is specifically designed to fit His pattern in doing His Will!  

Look up today and open your eyes to the present!  Don't look back and bank on past circumstances!  Invest in your future and know that He is in control of your life!  Remember that in your darkest times, He (our Lord and Savior) is the light that shows us the way to go!  Choose life in 2012!

POWER - As a born-again child of God, that's something you have plenty of. You have the divine right to ask for what you desire and receive it from the hand of God.  You have the faith to blow away every obstacle that stands between you and success. You've been made "more than a conqueror" through Him who loves you.  How come it seems like I just go from "failure to failure?" you may ask.   So who cut off the power?

Jesus said in Mark 11:23-26 that we could say to the mountain  to be removed and be cast into the sea, and if we do not doubt but believe, we shall have what we say.  Of course in the same text, Jesus lets us know that we must forgive as our Father in heaven forgives.  So faith, power and forgiveness are all linked together by Jesus!

Really, spiritual power requires harmony!   In Matthew 18:19, we see that if any two of us agree or harmonize on earth as touching anything we ask, it shall be given to us.  That's why it's urgent that we get the discord out of our lives.   Disharmony blocks spiritual power.  In fact, James 3:16 says, "Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." Paul even told Timothy in II Timothy 2:26 to stay out of strife and to pray for those involved in it because Satan takes them captive at his will.

We're dealing with spiritual power here.   Explosive, supernatural power.   When it works, it blows mountains out of the sea.  When it's blocked, you become the devil's patsy.  I'm telling you.  It is really serious!  Here are the steps I want you to consider for 2012:

1. Confess the sin of unforgiveness (I John 1:9).
2. Forgive, as an act of your will (Matthew 6:14).
3. Believe you receive your forgiveness (Matthew 6:14).
4. Begin to praise and thank God.
   

Have a powerful 2012!

“Call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall honor and glorify Me”
(Psalm 50:15, AMP).

Are you facing trouble in any area of your life today? God is standing ready to deliver you. He promises in His Word that He is near to all those who call upon His name. No matter what you may be going through, have confidence knowing that God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. He promises to deliver you!

Notice that today’s verse tells us that our part is to honor and glorify Him. In other words, you don’t have to wait until everything is perfect to give Him praise. You can give Him honor and glory right now. You can thank Him for all He’s done in your life so far and what He will do in your future.

Call on Him today and focus on having an attitude of faith and expectancy. Speak His Word and declare His promises over your life. Trust in Him because He will take you places you’ve never dreamed. As you praise Him, He’ll deliver you and take you higher and higher into the good life He has prepared for you!

Be the whole person God called you to be.  Don't settle for anything less...Don't look back..... Look forward and decide today to take steps toward His plan for your life.  Remember I Thessalonians 5:24 ..."The One who called you is completely dependable.  If He said it, He'll do it..'He who called you faithful.'

I believe Jesus' desire for us is to live with an unrelenting, selfless devotion to Him.  The Bible calls us to good deeds and holy living, but these are to be acts of worship and obedience, not orchestrated acts for self-glorification.  Apostle Paul endorsed this whole-life faithfulness when he pleaded with us to make our bodies "living sacrificies."  May our private and public moments speak of our devotion and wholehearted commitment to You, Lord!

God wants us for Himself.   He desires communion with us.  His purpose in prayer is not to make us sit up and beg.  He wants us to know Him.  Prayer is His method to accomplish that.

Sometimes, when we pray, we concentrate on the gifts in God's hand and ignore the hand of God Himself.  We pray fervently for the new job or for the return of health.  when we gain the prize, we are delighted.  Then we have little more to do with God.  God's hand serves only as a way to pay the rent, heal the sickness or get through the crisis.  After the need has been met, the hand itself means little to us.

While God, in His grace, does give good gifts to His children, He offers us more than that.  He offers us Himself.  Those who are merely satisfied with the trinkets in the Father's hand miss the best reward of prayer -- the reward of communicating and communing with the God of the universe.

God has made Himself known through His Son, Jesus, who died on the cross and rose again to pay penalty for our sin.  When you accept Jesus' salvation, you'll begin that all important communication with God, which is as essential to your spiritual well-being as breathing is to your physical life.

When we are desperately seeking God for a healing or deliverance, it's important to not only believe in God but BELIEVE GOD!  He is our source, our strength, our deliverer!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!