Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Walking in your Natural F.R.E.E.D.O.M.

This past Saturday, I delivered the Women's Day Prayer Breakfast message at Galilee UMC in Laurinburg, NC.  God has placed this in my spirit and I'm walking everyday to live this!  Everything that manifest in the natural realm, begins with a conversation in the spirit realm.  So, today, I am beginning a new conversation in my spirit that you and I will learn to walk in our natural F.R.E.E.D.O.M.

Walking in your Natural F.R.E.E.D.O.M.

Face your fear & accept God's love
- The Bible talks about how perfect love casts out all fear and that there is no fear in love.  Once we accept God’s love, we’re able to move fear out of the way because we realize that as long as God loves us nothing can harm us.  Nothing will ever separate us from God’s love, so fear has no place in our minds and hearts.

Real about where you are (Be...)
- Often, we try to hide where we are spiritually.  We have gotten used to pretending. We try to make people believe that we have it altogether and that we are right where we want to ne with God.  We might be able to fool people, but we can’t fool God.  God knows exactly where we are and wants to meet us there, but He wants us to be honest.  When we come before God in honesty, it humbles and opens our spirit.

Emotions vs. Truth (learn to separate)
- One of the biggest hindrances to our walking in faith and freedom is our emotions.  Sometimes, we allow our emotions to control our actions.  While I believe that we should pay attention to our emotions, I also think that there are times when our emotions are contrary to God’s truth.  As believers who desire to walk in freedom with Christ, we have to learn how to cast down certain barriers (feelings, emotions) that desire to keep us from understanding who god is in us. And hold too high of a place in our lives.
- The Message version of 2 Corinthians 10:5 states: We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.
- One powerful God tool that exposes the truth to us is God's word. We can read the word of God and know truth and truth will set us free. Free from emotional bondage.

Expect change & accept it
- everyday things are changing around us. Small things to big things. And I've learned that many people/human beings don't do well with change.
- Reason is because they don't expect change. 
- When you remain in a place of expectancy then when things begin to happen and shift it will not come as such a big surprise. We should constantly expect God to move in us and around us. Sometimes the changes aren't what we asked for or God will answer our prayers in a totally unexpected way. That's ok. We have to roll with and keep the faith that it's all working for our good (Romans 8:28).

Ditch behaviors that keep you bound
- negative talk
- overindulging
- procrastination
- what are yours?

Own your destiny & your dreams
-I've had times in my life when I worried about how I'd make things happen.  I had doubts about how I was going to get it done
- Sometimes, we get stuck there.  We worry and we pray but we don't move. We don't respond to our faith with action. We pray but don't see answers right in front of us that will help us get what we need.
- We have to own our destiny and our dreams!  We need to allow God's power to work within US to make things happen.

Move forward in grace (mistakes and all)
- And even once we've done everything "right," there are times when we still feel like we've lost or we mess up and make mistakes.  But God is faithful to forgive and help us start again.  We can be comforted by God's grace, knowing that we are allowed a clean slate with Him to move forward!