Zephaniah 3:16-17

“Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

How many times have you tried to throw in the towel this week, much less this year? I want to encourage you to hang in there. Stop chasing those mirages that tend to lead you astray. Look for the new streams of life that the Lord is sending your way. Do you realize the Lord; your God, is living inside you?

Today we will sing of His mercies, grace, and love. We will say that He is a mighty God who is bigger than our desert places.

Today we will realize He laughs and giggles when He see’s our happiness. Our father in heaven wants good things for us.

Today we will speak to that FEAR that is trying to hold us back. We will move forward in the Lord with Love in our heart, soul, and mind.

Today we will listen for a new song. Why? Because the Lord is singing a new song over us today! Listen for the joyful song He is rejoicing over you today.

Selah

Think on This!

Matthew 22:37-39 (The Message)

37-40 Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

To Love, to Be Loved

The Message 1 John 4:17-19

17-18God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and matures in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.

19We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.

Today we will not let fear run our lives. Fear is only false evidence appearing real. Fear tries to cripple you, deform you, and keep you from moving forward.

Today we will move forward in love, we will take up permanent residence in a life of love. We will not let us being fearful; keep us from pursuing our dreams. We can accomplish all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Today we will choose to look at each other after the spirit and not the flesh. We will choose to see the positive in all situations and not focus totally on the negative.

Today we will love and be loved.

In Christ

I Say to Myself

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”

Lamentations 3:22-24

When you read the scripture above it is hard to imagine the hell the author was referring to in the previous passages.

Lamentations 3:1-19

I am the one who has seen the afflictions that come from the rod of the Lord’s anger. He has led me into darkness, shutting out all light. He has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long. He has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with anguish and distress. He has buried me in a dark place, like those long dead. He has walled me in, and I cannot escape. He has bound me in heavy chains. And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers. He has blocked my way with a high stone wall; he has made my road crooked. He has hidden like a bear or a lion, waiting to attack me. He has dragged me off the path and torn me in pieces, leaving me helpless and devastated. He has drawn his bow and made me the target for his arrows. He shot his arrows deep into my heart. My own people laugh at me. All day long they sing their mocking songs. He has filled me with bitterness and given me a bitter cup of sorrow to drink. He has made me chew on gravel. He has rolled me in the dust. Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!” The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.

Wow, have any of you ever went through anything like that? It reminds me of the desert life. He has given up, lost hope on everything. But then he makes a profound statement:

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:

What is he remembering? He is remembering that God is faithful and the faithful love of the Lord never fails. He also is remembering that everyday is a new day with the Lord. This morning His mercies are new and fresh.

Now I want you to notice something. In verse 24 he speaks to himself: I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” In these desert times you must encourage yourself in the Lord, David would speak to his soul and ask why are you cast down, rejoice in the Lord.

I truly believe you should never quite, never give up. Start speaking life to your situations. The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. Lift your hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, I will trust in you Lord and You will deliver me from the snare of the fowler. I say today that you will send streams into my desert; You will cause my desert place to flourish and be prosperous.

I will continually bless your name.

In Christ

The Desert

One of the definitions for "Desert" is any area in which few forms of life can exist because of lack of water, permanent frost, or absence of soil. Over the last few weeks the Lord has kept bringing the fact that there seems to be allot of people living in this place called the desert. They are not living there in the natural but spiritually, they have seemed to make their place in the desert, and have found themselves chasing a mirage.

The interesting thing is in some instances the spirit leads us into the desert to prepare or train us for something He has called us to accomplish in the future. The other case is you have led yourself into the desert by choices you have made in life and now you have to walk those choices out. The bottom line is we are not to make the desert our final destination. We are to look for the Lord in these trying times.

Isaiah says the wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing.The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, The excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. Isaiah 35:1-3

One thing you can do when you find yourself in the desert is to speak to the fear that tries to overtake you. Isaiah does just that in chapter 35

Tell fearful souls, "Courage! Take heart! God is here, right here, on his way to put things right and redress all wrongs. He's on his way! He'll save you!"
Blind eyes will be opened, deaf ears unstopped, Lame men and women will leap like deer, the voiceless break into song. Springs of water will burst out in the wilderness, streams flow in the desert. Hot sands will become a cool oasis, thirsty ground a splashing fountain. Even lowly jackals will have water to drink, and barren grasslands flourish richly…

I believe that those streams of water are about to start to flow into our deserts. The heat you are feeling is about to become a cool oasis, that dry cash flow is about to become a splashing fountain. We have been in the desert long enough, I see the streams flowing our way. It is going to get better.

Be Blessed

Complete

God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. Now I'm alert to God's ways; I don't take God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes. The Message 18 20-24

Today place the pieces of your life before God. He can put you back together and give you a fresh start. I believe "to get your act together" means to allow Christ to come into your life. That's it, nothing more nothing less. Believe me as I tell you today that you cant be good enough or do enough good to please God. It is only by the blood of the Christ that places us in right standing with God. So what do you say? Open the book of your heart to His eyes today and let the love of Christ fill you up and He will give you a fresh start.

Be Blessed

Sing Your Way Out

Psalm 18
For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Again I say, "sing to the Lord today".

Selah

Lift Up Your Head

Psalm 59:16 (Amplified Bible)
But I will sing of Your mighty strength and power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning; for You have been to me a defense (a fortress and a high tower) and a refuge in the day of my distress.

In times of trouble or great stress in your life, when you feel overwhelmed, its easy to start focusing on how you cant make it or how bad things are in your life. When this happens, stop focusing on the problem and start focusing on the solution, sing of Gods mighty strength and power. One word from the Lord can change any and everything in a blink of the eye. Today put your trust in His strength and power, not your own. Declare those things that are not as though they are. Get into the secret place of the most high God and relax, take a deep breath, then speak Gods word concerning you situation, He will listen, He loves you.

Sing aloud today of His mercy and loving-kindness, sing aloud blessings, sing to your soul. I know, things seem to be bad and you are saying, I do not know what to sing. I will give you something you can sing aloud, "The Word of God"!

Psalm 103

BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits--

Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;

Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

The Lord executes righteousness and justice [not for me only, but] for all who are oppressed.

He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness.

He will not always chide or be contending, neither will He keep His anger forever or hold a grudge.

He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe].

For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust.

As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

For the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place shall know it no more.

But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children's children.

To such as keep His covenant [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it] and to those who [earnestly] remember His commandments to do them [imprinting them on their hearts].

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word.

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, all you His hosts, you His ministers who do His pleasure.

Bless the Lord, all His works in all places of His dominion; bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul!

Sing with me today.

Be Blessed

Love on God Today!

However, as it is written:

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him".

1 Corinthians 2:9 (New International Version)

Hello, can you hear God screaming "I have good things in store for you TODAY". Can you believe with me that God, the all sufficient one, wants to bless you TODAY? Today I will proclaim that He is more than enough, He will meet all my needs according to His word. He has divine appointments set up for me Today, and He has something great in store for me. All things are possible to those who believe!

Selah

Pay Attention

Attention, Israel!

God, our God! God the one and only!
Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got!

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Come on, lets not give in now. Focus your energies toward Christ. Choose to seek first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all these other things will come to pass.

You have a choice "today" to help set your future. What will you choose? Life or death, blessing's or curses? Choose life! Choose Christ!

Those who don't create the future they want must endure the one they get.

In Christ