Sunday, March 29, 2009

Freedom In Christ

Galatians 5:1, It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Anyone who knows me or has read any of my blog entries knows that I have much to praise God for. He has set me free from some serious bondage. I praise Him for that; however, I have to remember that I must remain close to Christ and stay obedient so that I am not ensnared again by former strongholds. I have found that when I am not in the Word daily and sitting at His feet daily, my old person tries to come to life again. I do not want to go back to what I used to be. I have to make the choice to stand in the freedom Jesus has given me.

I love the song "In Your Freedom" by Hillsongs. Some of my favorite words to this song are as follows: "In your freedom I will live. In your freedom I will live. I offer devotion. I offer devotion. I love you, Lord. You rescued me. You are all that I want. You're all I need."

He has rescued me. He is all I need. He is all you need. If you are bound by any stronghold, He wants to rescue you. All you have to do is surrender to Him. If you are not saved, ask Him into your heart and life right now. Romans 10:9, That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:13, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

If anyone reading this blog wants prayer or someone to talk to, feel free to email me at allisonmitchell53@yahoo.com.

I have posted this song. I pray it blesses you as it has me.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

I love this song. It's called "The More I Seek You". I have found that the more I seek my God, the more I find Him. His presence becomes more real all the time. No, I do not always FEEL Him, but I know He is always there. He cares about every aspect of my life.

His presence is a necessity in my life. I can do nothing without Him, but I can do all things with Him.
Isaiah 55:6 (NLT), Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near.

1 Chronicles 16:11, Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

Psalm 27:8, My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Deuteronomy 4:29, But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Because of what my Jesus did at the cross, we can go directly to God the Father. Hebrews 4:16, Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

I Want It All Back

There is a song by Tye Tribbett called "I Want It All Back". I love this song because it is very scriptural, and it reminds me that we need to take back those things that the enemy of our soul has stolen from us.

Ephesians 6:10-18: 10. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15. and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16.In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Sometimes it's difficult to remember that our battle is not with people. Our battle is with the enemy who uses people to come against us.

Matthew 11:12, From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

Isaiah 59:19 tells us that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift a standard against him.

As you grow closer to God, the attacks against you will become more agressive. It's important that we get off the defense and get on the offense as far as the enemy is concerned. Our only offensive weapon in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) is the sword of the Spirit. What is the Sword of the Spirit? We are told plainly that it is the Word of God. We have read and study the word and apply the truth of the Word to our lives.

Matthew 16:19, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Jesus has given us power over the enemy. We can take back our joy and our peace and the other things the forces of evil have stolen from us. Note that we must keep sin out of our lives to do this. I can't have cherished sin in my heart and expect to be able to overcome the enemy.

Luke 10: 19-20, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Jesus reminds us that we have power over the enemy, but he also reminds us not to become arrogant. Remember He is the one this power comes from. The enemy can bring attacks, but it's up to you how much power you will let him have in your life.

Realize who you are in Christ and take back what the enemy has stolen from you. Jesus suffered and died and rose again so you could have that power.

Click on the following link to watch the video and listen to the song, "I Want It All Back.":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUtJgU7sdd0

Friday, March 6, 2009

Enjoying God's Presence Even In Adversity

From Jesus Calling: "Continue on this path with Me, enjoying My presence even in adversity...The One who goes ahead of you opening up the way is the same One who stays close and never lets go of your hand...I am everywhere at every time, ceaslessly working on your behalf."

I am learning to enjoy God's presence even in adversity. I have been through some adversity the last few weeks. The bank I am working for has been in the process of a merger, and I have had to work some long hours. The stress level at my job has been extremely high. I am so thankful that Jesus is with me through all of this. I am enjoying a weekend at home, and I am so looking forward to church this weekend.

I need Jesus so much. I cannot get through life without Him. He is my joy and my peace. He is so awesome. I praise Him for how He can bring peace and good things out of the worst of circumstances. He has done that over and over in my life.

Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose.

Psalm 37:3-4, Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.