More Pot Pourri Notes – [Part II]

  1. Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will! Sometimes you just have to jump out of the boat if you’re going to walk on the water. Being undecided is what the Bible calls wavering. And wavering doesn’t get you the answer. [James 1:5-8] Remember Jesus is made unto us wisdom so all we need to do is to seek His wisdom for the answer. [I Corinthians 1:30]

Failure isn’t the end. It just means you have found a way that it doesn’t work!

  • Raise your words, not your voice. It’s rain that grows flowers, not thunder! Now this is a good one. If you have to shout to make your point, how many people are really listening to you? God says that a soft answer turns away wrath. [Proverbs 15:1]
  • Here’s a good one. Life is like a camera:

You focus on what’s important –

Capture the good ones –

Develop from the negative –

And if things don’t work out –

Take another shot!

— Pamela

A Little of this and a Little of that – Pot Pourri Notes – Part I

1-Faith is the access road to the promises of God. Without faith it’s impossible to please God as we read in Hebrews 11:6. Why is that? Because God is a faith God and everything He does, He does by faith. Since we are made in His image, we too are to do everything by faith in God and His Word.

Faith appropriates what God has already freely given to us. Many, if not most people, spend their prayer time begging God to do what He’s already done. How in the world can He even answer that kind of prayer? If we’re going to walk by faith and not by sight [II Corinthians 5:7], we’re going to have to believe and trust what God has said in His Word. That’s when we really start to see the supernatural operate in our lives.

2-The high cost of sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay. Oh how true this is! Anything contrary to the Word of God is sin.

Think of the high cost of strife. It will not only wreak havoc in your relationships, but it will have an adverse effect on you: spirit, soul, and body. It can even cause you to have evil thoughts that you would never have even considered before! This is the work of the enemy to get you off the Word of God and looking only at the natural, physical realm.

  • The secret to getting ahead is getting started. Too many times we procrastinate doing what we know we should do because we’ve waited too long – like daily Bible reading. We know we should do it but where do we start and where do we go from there? The point is, if you never start, you’ll never get anywhere. Pray and ask the Lord where to start and He is more than willing to help you

Stay on track — Pamela

The Worst Addiction! [This might surprise you!]

If I were to ask you which addiction do you think is the worst one, I’d probably get answers like: drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. But those are not the worst addiction because they can be dealt with by getting deliverance, getting into the Word of God, and exercising self-control. I’m not minimizing that they’re very challenging but they are able to be overcome.

The worst addiction is worry! Why? Because when you worry you negate your faith and without faith, you have nowhere to turn except the world and we know how that works. Without faith you can’t please God and you can’t get Him on your side to help you. That’s why worry is so evil.

Worry is a form of fear and fear is the opposite of faith. Worry is fearing what might or might not happen. It’s actually the opposite of trusting God and God won’t answer fearful prayers, just like He doesn’t answer begging prayers, which are fearful prayers. And if you do pray a prayer in faith, getting back into worry will cancel your prayer and you have to start all over. That’s not a good place to be because it opens the door to the devil to come right in and beat you up!

When you worry, not only do you open the door for the devil, but you open the door for discouragement because you won’t get your prayers answered and you’ll be tempted to give up and quit.

How many ways can I say that worry is deadly? Even mothers think it’s their God-given right to worry about their children. But that’s one of the worst things you can do for your children because it opens the door for the very things you’re worried about to come right in. Worry draws to you the very thing you don’t want. It’s like waving a red flag for the devil! And he will definitely charge you!

So what do we do about worry and how do we stay free and in faith? Good question. First of all, you absolutely need to get into God’s Word and find out what He says about your situation. His Word always works but if you don’t know it, you can’t really stand on it and believe for it to operate in your life and situation.

Remember, you can’t have faith beyond your knowledge of God’s Word. Right there I think I lost some people because most Christians don’t value the Word of God as their very life.

The next thing is to rebuke the devil and the evil worry thoughts he perpetrates against you because God’s Word trumps anything the devil throws at you. You’ll have to stick with resisting the worry because you probably have perfected it to a science and it will want to hold you in bondage. [I Pet. 5:8; James 4:7]

Worry will even speak to you when you take a stand against it. It will tell you that you’re not a good parent or friend because you’re not worrying about the situation. But as we know, the devil is a liar and we should never believe a liar! [John 8:44]

So, let me leave you with this thought: if you want God to answer your prayers, you must, and I say must, resist worry as if your life depended on it and it actually does! Get into God’s Word and fill up with His promises and His way of doing things and watch how your prayers will begin to work for you and not against you.

Colossians 3:15 (KJV) 15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Philippians 4:6 (AMP) 6  Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) 7  Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

You can do it — Pamela

Don’t Judge God by Your Results!

This might sound like a peculiar title but let me explain. Too many times I have personally witnessed this exact thing happening in the lives of family and friends and even those I really didn’t personally know.

It seems that when we start out as newborn babes in Christ, we are so loving and everything is right with the world. But just wait. Life will kick in and the life that seemed so wonderful and ethereal, has now awakened and the reality of living on planet earth amidst all the chaos of doubt and unbelief has now set in. But—

God’s Word and Who He is hasn’t changed. It’s only our perspective that has changed. Our results don’t prove or disprove God’s faithfulness. God is faithful no matter what we see happening around us. His faithfulness and integrity is not based on what happens in the world. I’m so thankful for that! Jesus is still the same today as He was yesterday and as He will be tomorrow and He will never leave us nor forsake us. [Heb. 13:5, 8]

What we believe or what others believe doesn’t change God. It changes us and how we perceive the Lord, Who is always on our side ready to help whenever we invite Him to do so.

I can give you examples of people I know who walked with the Lord but have turned their back on Him because they prayed and didn’t get their desired results! Well, welcome to the real world of planet earth!

What these people haven’t realized is that in everything, there’s a God- part and a man-part. God always does His part. That’s His integrity. But we are also responsible to do our part if we want the results we desire.

So, a logical question at this time is how do we know what our part is. Glad you asked and you probably know what I’m about to say – it’s all in the Word of God – the Bible! God couldn’t have made it any easier than to give us the Manual for Life. Our part is to read, hear, learn, and do! That’s it in a nutshell. Unfortunately, most people are too lazy or just not interested enough to do that. And it’s their loss.

Here’s the really bad thing: if you cut yourself off from God because you don’t like the outcome of your prayers, then you cut yourself off from the very One Who can actually help you. Then where are you? Left to yourself and the world’s way of doing things. And we all know how that works!

Brothers and sisters, God is absolutely good in every sense of the word and He cares for us more than we could ever care for ourselves. Let’s repent of misjudging God and get back on track and live the victorious life He has for us!

Jeremiah 31:3b (KJV) 3  …  Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee

Psalm 145:9 (KJV) 9  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
Psalm 143:8 (KJV) 8  Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Be the overcomer God said you are- Pamela

Do You Really Know What Mustard Seed Faith is?

Matthew 17:20 (KJV) 20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Luke 17:5-6 (KJV) 5  And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
6  And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

At first glance, it appears that Jesus is saying tht all you need is a tiny bit of faith to get the job done. And technically that’s true. But there’s more to what Jesus is saying if we look closer.

The disciples wanted Jesus to increase their faith but Jesus said that all they needed was a mustard seed-size faith and it would work, but – He goes on to say what that means.

He tells the disciples how to use that small seed of faith to produce results and that means SAYING. Jesus told them if they had faith as small as a mustard seed, they would SAY to the mountain to remove itself and it would obey them. But they are the ones who had to do the saying. They weren’t to leave it up to God. He didn’t say it would obey God but would obey them! That’s huge!

Yes it’s God’s power but we have to activate it by our speaking and commanding. Too many people just stop at the fact that they don’t need much faith to do the job but they totally ignore the fact that they are the ones in control – the ones who have to do the saying if they want results. And, brothers and sisters, they have to speak in faith! That too is huge!

Now, here’s some more insight into mustard seed faith. The mustard seed is the only seed that can’t be hybridized. It can only produce mustard seeds. It can’t be mixed with any other seed and produce something different. That means that the mustard seed faith can’t be mixed with anything else and still be effective. It can’t be mixed with fear, doubt, and unbelief and still produce the desired results.

That small faith MUST be pure and uncontaminated in order to work. And that, my friends, is where most Christians miss it. They think they can pray and then say any ol’ thing and their prayers will still work. No they won’t. You can’t pray one thing and then continue to confess negative things of doubt and unbelief. That’s not faith and it won’t work no matter how much you cry and beg God.

I know this might sound strong but if you really want to grow in faith, you have to learn some things that might be ouchies. And this is probably one of them.

Stay in God’s Word until it becomes the explosive power of God in you — Pamela

Does Social Media & the News Come Before the Word of God?

This is a no-brainer, or at least it should be. But, dear brothers and sisters, I sense that many people will answer yes to this question. In fact, there are probably a lot of things that come before the Word of God in most people’s daily routine. This is unacceptable and needs to be changed.

Now, don’t turn off just because of a loving rebuke. If we never got corrected, we’d keep doing that same wrong things over and over and getting nowhere! So hang on, it will get better.

I have observed over the years that many Christians appear to be doing the right thing, but then things happen and it throws them for a loop. Why is that? Most likely because they weren’t really doing what they needed to do but instead they were doing what everyone else in their circle was doing and it didn’t work in a crisis.

For those of you who read my blogs, you have noticed how much I emphasize getting into God’s Word and studying it to get it into your heart so that it’s there when you need it to come out. If it’s not in your heart, then what really is in your heart will come out and it probably won’t be enough to solve the problem.

Brothers and sisters, we live in dangerous times and we need to be ready for anything and everything that the enemy tries to throw at us. The time to build a boat is not in the middle of the storm! We have to build a firm foundation on the Word of God so that we’re rock-solid when the storms of life hit.

My suggestions is to have a daily New Testament Bible reading schedule that you stick with. Just open the New Testament and start anywhere. I suggest starting with the Gospel of John and go from there and then circle back to the other gospels. The New Testament is where I believe you should focus because that’s where we live today and that’s where we get our instructions for daily living. I also suggest reading one chapter daily from Proverbs in the Old Testament as they correspond with the day of the month and do this each month. There’s so much wisdom in Proverbs that you can glean and it will definitely be worthwhile.

Remember, we always have time for the things we really want to do so get your “want to” revved up and get into God’s Word and become faith giants!

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) 15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Job 23:12b (KJV) 12  … I have esteemed the words of his mouth [God] more than my necessary food.
Psalm 119:11 (KJV) 11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 119:89 (KJV) 89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
Psalm 119:105 (KJV) 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:11 (KJV) 11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Go for it — Pamela

Time – Do We Ever have Enough of it? [Part II]

Continuing along the line of spending time with the Lord, let’s continue our study.

As you know, we are made up of three parts: spirit, soul, and body. Now brace yourself for the next part: each part of us has to be fed! Yes, that’s right. We need to feed our spirit, soul, and body if we want to function properly.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV)
23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As you know, natural food is the way we feed our bodies. If we don’t, we’ll become weaker and weaker and then…

Our soul – mind, will, emotions –  needs food also and that involves intellectual food.

And then there is our spirit which must be fed also or it will become weaker and weaker and not preform the way we want. That spiritual food is the Word of God: spirit food for the spirit.

If you’ve ever slacked off on reading and studying God’s Word, you probably noticed that things weren’t quite right, even though you might not have been able to put your finger on it. That’s because your spirit was starving!

So here’s the solution: get back to reading, studying, and spending time with the Lord of Heaven and earth and you’ll get back on track. Reading good teaching books regarding the Word of God is an excellent way to help you develop in your Christian walk. I suggest the following:

 Andrew Wommack, Charles Capps, Kenneth Hagin, Sr., Keith Moore.

You can watch their teaching videos on the GoVictory channel, on YouTube, or on their websites.

Hope these two posts have been helpful. I love you and want God’s very best for you and so I’m giving you my very best!

Happy studying – Pamela

Time – Do We Ever have Enough of it? [Part I]

With all the new technology and “toys” we have, you’d think that Americans would have so much leisure time to enjoy life. But – no, that’s not how it is. It seems that the more efficient we are, the quicker the empty time slot gets filled!

So, where am I going with all this talk about time? And here it is: in talking with Christians, I have learned that many of them just don’t find the time to get into God’s Word and feed their spirits the way they really should. And the reason is that they are so preoccupied with the busyness of life that at the end of the day, they’re so tired that all they can do is plop in front of the TV and veg.

But I want to look at another side of this issue. What if God said the same thing to you when you went to Him with a problem to solve? What if He said He was just too busy today but maybe next week He’ll have more time? After all, there’s no one who’s busier than God Who’s answering requests and petitions 24/7 and even on holidays!

Brothers and sisters, time is not our problem for the most part. Granted, there are days we’re busier than others, but in the long run, we really do have time to spend with the Lord on a daily basis. The real issue here is, “Do you WANT to spend time with the Lord?”

Remember, everything with God is a heart/faith issue. He knows your schedule and He knows whether you’re really too busy or just too lazy. Neither one of those things is good. If we’re too busy to spend time with the Creator of the universe, the One Who has made every provision for us to live victoriously on planet earth, then, brothers and sisters, we’re just too busy!

Since we’re starting a new year, now is a good time to revamp some of our old habits and make new ones like spending quality time with the Lord each day and getting into His Word so that we can develop our faith and be the men and women of faith and power He has called us to be. We’re His hands and feet on this earth and if we don’t do what He has called us to do, it won’t get done!

Philippians 3:13-14 (KJV) 13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Pamela

If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix it!

I know this is bad English but that’s the way the saying goes. But I’m going to take a little different route on this one.

Today we have so many “versions” of the Bible which they call translations but some are really just paraphrases, not translations. My question to you is: which ones are correct? I’m going to discuss this from a different point view, not dissect each version of the Bible.

When we read the Bible, we need to recognize what we are reading – the Word of Almighty God to us! How many people really think about this when reading the Word?  

God’s Word is so pure and holy and accurate as to what He really is saying to us. We need to acknowledge this when we read and study. But how many actually do?

To many Christians, the Bible is just another book to make you feel good. [And most don’t let it get in the way of what they believe!] But that’s not all it is. It’s the life and faith of Almighty God poured into the pages between the covers. It’s His Word to us to show us how to be victorious in every area of our lives!

God’s Word is jam-packed with His DNA – His faith – and it’s just as powerful today as it was when He first spoke it. Now the Good News is that His Word is just as powerful and filled with faith when we speak it out of our mouths in faith. Wow – that’s a mouthful!

Which brings me to the next point having to do with the title of this blog: God’s Word works so DON’T change it! Unfortunately that’s what many of the newer translations have done. They’ve not only changed the Word but they have even omitted some of the verses for who knows why!

God’s Word doesn’t need changing. It’s perfect the way it is. Now I understand that by reading other translations, we can get a clearer picture of what He’s saying since the KJV is sometimes elusive due to the language. However, if you just stick with it, you’ll begin to enjoy the KJV because you can see the real intent of what is being said.

Not only that, how are you going to do a word study using other translations when the Strong’s and Young’s Concordances are based on the KJV?

And another advantage of the KJV is that it’s easier to memorize. I really had a hard time memorizing scriptures when I first got saved because I was reading a different version but when I switched to the KJV, I seemed to be able to memorize scriptures simply by reading and with hardly any effort!

In conclusion, let me say that no matter which version you read, you still need the Holy Spirit to interpret it to you and He’s the Best interpreter. Just keep reading and learning the Word so you can apply it to your life!

I use the Amplified Bible along with my KJV when I study and it really helps.

Hebrews 4:12 (KJV) 12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Psalm 119:105 (KJV) 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Happy studying – Pamela

Who are You? [Part II]

6- You are complete in Jesus.

 Colossians 2:10 (KJV) 10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Complete means to make replete, cram. We’re crammed full of the Lord Jesus by His Spirit. We’re wall to wall Holy Ghost!

7-You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people, and called out of darkness into the light of God.

1 Peter 2:9 (KJV) 9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
 

The word peculiar means purchased. Although, we could probably apply peculiar to some of us!

8-We are kings and priests unto our God. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. Who do you think these kings and lords are? They’re us!

Revelation 1:6 (KJV) 6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

9 – You’re the blood bought redeemed of the Lord!

Acts 20:28 (KJV) 28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Hebrews 9:14 (KJV)
14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
1 Peter 1:18-19 (KJV) 18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1 John 1:7 (KJV) 7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

10-We have the wisdom of God in us. But we have to draw it out by our faith.

1 Corinthians 1:30 (KJV) 30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1 Corinthians 2:16 (KJV) 16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
John 16:13 (KJV) 13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

1 John 2:20 (KJV) 20  But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

 An unction is an anointing. You know all things in your re-born spirit, not your mind. You have to renew your mind.

Take heed to what you have in the Lord — Pamela