What About 2012?

September 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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What About 2012?

 

Prophecy delivered by Kenneth Copeland
on November 10, 2011
Washington, DC Victory Campaign

“What about 2012? What does it hold? What’s in store? What’s in store for the nations? What’s in store for Israel and what’s in store for the Church? I have a great storehouse. Much more has been stored up in the storehouse of riches beyond your wildest dream that I laid up for you before the foundation of the world. Much more is stored up there than what the Church has ever called for. I never have held back on the Church,” saith The LORD and the God of plenty. “I’ve made it available to you. I put it in My WORD. I gave you a promise and stood behind it with the blood, precious blood of your Savior. But there has been a backwardness in My people about laying hold of the things that I have provided for you. But I will say this: There is a people in the land. There is a people around the world. There is a people strong and mighty, growing much stronger and much mightier and more bold to lay hold and put their claim of faith on the things that I have laid up for you and it thrills Me,” saith The LORD, “because it’s been yours all the time.

“Ah, but what about 2012? 2012 is a year full of surprises. Some surprises are going to shake people up. Some surprises are going to shake people down. But for those who are listening to My voice, those who have made themselves available to My Spirit and to My WORD, you’ll have surprises. Oh, not like the world and not like a lot of carnal-minded Christians. Your surprises will come as suddenlies. Like in My WORD when it said, ‘And suddenly there came upon them.’ And you’ll stand up with a big smile on your face and say ‘I just got a suddenly, didn’t I? Oh! Yes.’ But it’ll not take you by surprise because I said in My WORD I’d show you things to come. I said in My WORD what I speak the Holy Ghost will hear and He will speak it to you. And there are those of you who are seeking My voice and seeking My WORD and seeking My Name and looking at Me in My face while I’m looking at you in your face. And together we’ll walk in this and together we’ll walk through this and there’ll come a time when you’ll just smile at Me and I’ll just smile at you and you’ll say, ‘Ha. Ha. Ha. I knew that all the time. Praise God. My Father showed me that was coming and I was all prepared and it didn’t come on me as a suddenly. But this other surprise that came on me. Oh, what joy. Oh, what thrill. Oh, what goodness. I wonder what else my Father has in store for me. Hallelujah. Praise God.’

“2012? I’ll tell you about 2012. It’s going to be a year of great joy for those who know joy. It’ll be a time of marvelous breakthroughs. This is a time of victory. It’s a time when people begin to realize that My WORD is a living WORD, that My Spirit is the living Spirit, and that you are My voice in the earth. And your voice is the voice of victory. So rejoice and shout and understand that the breakthroughs that you’ve sought and watched over, prayed over, stood in faith for, ah, don’t turn loose now. Don’t turn loose now because they’re at hand. They’re right at hand. They’re right on top of you right now. Praise God. Hey!

“Have no worry. Do not be in fear about the United States of America. Don’t be in fear over the failure of this republic. This is not the time for this nation to fail. I’m not done with it yet. And it may come as a surprise to many; this nation is not done with Me yet,” saith The LORD. Hallelujah.

“We have a job to do. And this year will be like none other where this nation is concerned. And many will say, ‘Oh, woe is us! Oh, woe is us!’ And you know what? Oh, woe will be them.

“And there are others who’ll say, ‘Oh, we can’t win! We can’t win!’ And to them they can’t win.

“Ah, but to those of them who say, ‘Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. This is a time of greatness! America again! Oh, and it’s my nation and it’s God’s nation and we’re right where we’re supposed to be. He has us right where He wants us, and our future is bright because God is still LORD over the United States of America.’

“So rejoice and give forth a glad sound because The LORD of glory is still on the throne and prayer changes things and together we’re going on to greater victory.

“Oh yes! 2012 is a time of greatness Miracles that seemed as if they would not come but they’re here. There is an atmosphere conducive to miracles that’s been growing and growing and will manifest greatly in the first quarter of 2012 and continue throughout the year and on into 2013. I’ve been looking forward to 2012,” saith The LORD. “I know how it’s going to turn out. I’ve already dealt with it in My WORD. Your future is looking better all the time. But of course you’ll need to look at it through My eyes,” saith the Spirit of grace. “So as I said before, rejoice, for your time has come.”

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Finding Your Passion – How to Get Motivated in Life

September 26, 2011 by 25 Comments
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Finding Your Passion – How to Get Motivated in Life

by Olga Hermans

 

 

Everyone today seems to be busy. Ask just about anyone how they are and they will respond, “Busy.” And it’s no wonder. Roughly 78 percent of women with children aged between six and seventeen work outside the home. Many people spend their lives trying to climb the ladder of success only to find when they reach the top; their ladder was leaned against the wrong building all the time.

In other words, people are passionate, but passionate about the wrong things. God never told us to be busy. He told us to be fruitful. We are making a big mistake if we associate being busy with being successful. Many marriages have been destroyed because one or both partners are too busy to spend time with each other.

Many people lose their health because they are addicted to life in the fast lane. They don’t rest properly and eventually their body breaks down under the strain of nonstop activity. I have believed that lie at one time. I thought the busier I was, the less time I had to even hear from God concerning what His will was for me. I had a plan and I was working my plan. I was diligent and passionate, but my passion was in the wrong place.

Just being busy doesn’t mean anything; it definitely doesn’t mean that you are successful. It means that you are busy, that’s it!! Have you heard this little story about the woodcutter? He was very strong and asked for a job with a timber merchant and got it. The pay was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason the woodcutter was determined to do his best. He wanted to be a success on his new job.

His boss gave him an ax and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. The first day the woodcutter brought 18 trees back. “Congratulations,” the boss said. “Go on that way!” Very motivated by the boss’ words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he could only bring back 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only brought back 10 trees. Day after day, no matter how hard he tried, he was bringing back fewer trees.

I must be losing my strength, the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying he could not understand what was going on. “When was the last time you sharpened your ax?” the boss asked. “Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my ax. I have been very busy trying to cut trees.”

You might have heard this story before, but it is a very good reminder for us to not make the mistake of being too busy to do the things we need to do in order to be a genuine success. This is also a good place to check our motives again. You see, we cannot impress God with how much we do or with what we do. He is interested in our motives; why we have done it and it must be very good, Godly reasons.

We shouldn’t do things to impress people and to be admired. These are not good motives. Doing things just to please people is not always the right thing either. We are told to strive to please others, but not to live to please others. Rom. 15:2-3 That’s a big difference!

Let me tell you this: If you don’t learn to follow your heart and the spirit of God, you will always live under pressure. I just wrote an eBook on prayer where I describe how that works. I think it is one of the most important things that we have to learn, to follow the Holy Spirit in our lives. That is the very reason why God sent him to us. John 16:13

If God says “no”, then you must say “no,” no matter how much you are pressured by others to say “yes.” Likewise, if God is saying “yes,” then we must say “yes,” even if the world is saying “no!” The devil is a thief and a liar and one of the things he thoroughly enjoys is stealing our time. Time is a precious resource God has given us. Each of us have a certain amount of time allotted to us, and once we have used up any portion of it, we can never get it back.

Do you find yourself complaining a lot about everything you have to do? If so, you should inspect the fruit of each thing you are putting your time into. I can guarantee you will find a lot of your activities are not helping you fulfill your destiny.

The devil can make you feel guilty about not doing something you have been asked to do. The should’s and ought’s in life can be very domineering. Everybody wants you to do their thing. They have plans and want you to to help them fulfill them, but they are probably not concerned about whether or not you are fulfilling your purpose. Make a decision today about whether you are going to live for people or for God.

The next time you feel really tired, ask yourself what is the cause. If you’re tired from putting forth effort that is helping you fulfill your God-ordained purpose, then be happy. If you are tired from running around in circles being busy, but going nowhere, then repent and make some changes in your schedule so you don’t keep repeating the same wasteful cycle. You make your schedule and you are the only one who can change it.

People are frustrated when they are not fulfilling their purpose. If you are not able to focus your passion, you will have no energy; it will drain you. We all can get caught up in an emotional hype that has absolutely nothing to do with our purpose in life. Don’t make the mistake of wasting your life and having nothing but regrets to look back on.

Tell us how and where do you find your passion? How do you know you are on the right track?

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Your Heart Needs Attention

September 22, 2011 by 18 Comments
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Your Heart Needs Attention

by Olga Hermans

 

Today there are more than half of our young people in the world living in single-parent households during their childhood. This creates a sense of abandonment and rejection in their lives. Yet God desires for each and every one of us to be whole and fully restored to how He created us to be.

One of the signs of an abandoned heart is that people refuse to look at personal problems and personal responsibility. When was the last time you looked at the attitudes and conditions of your heart? Whether you realize it or not, many of these were established by your childhood environment and carried into adulthood.

Your life experiences affect your heart. They definitely have an effect on how you make choices for your life.  And you probably will find it difficult to make decisions, because it is difficult for you to look ahead and see your future. When you are able to spend time with a good family and a great church family as well, your heart has time to recover. But hurts, bitterness, and lies will produce problems in your heart.

As you renew your mind to God’s Word, your heart will open up again to the good things of life. When you start making the necessary adjustments in your life, the problems in your heart will fade and you will begin to experience positive results.

When you know that your life is on target with God, you only need to make some small changes to keep going and continue to grow, increase, improve and prosper.

Let’s say for instance, you are driving from Vancouver to Dallas. You know, it is all the way south, but you need to make some changes to stay on course, like changing roads now and then. But you know, that you just have to keep on going to get there and not to stop and not give up, because that is the way to get there right?

If you have made some really bad decisions and wrong choices in your life; you better stop your car and change direction, and find the road that will take you to God’s best for your life. Most people have made some bad decisions, but that doesn’t mean we should stay there. No! There is always a new start waiting for us.

Sometimes you have to make more than small adjustments, you may have to do a U-Turn and get serious about life changes. I want you to know, it is never too late. It is never too late to turn around and set your life on the right foundation. Stop sabotaging your life and stop tolerating that your life is running on an almost empty tank.

The “roots” of your heart produce positive and negative results.

…looking diligently [becoming aware, plugging in, learning] lest anyone fall short of the grace of [or live below God’s will, His grace, His blessing]; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. Hebrews 12:15

Bitterness means “a bitter root…producing a bitter fruit.” Springing comes from the Greek work phuo meaning “to puff or blow” or “to swell up.” Defile means “…to taint” or “contaminate.” A bitter root from negative circumstances in life swells up and contaminates our hearts. Take this motto: “Don’t get bitter; Get Better”!

You gotta watch those roots

How is it possible that a married couple still divorces after being together for many years? It is because a root springs up. Why do people get in debt and poverty when they know that God wants them to prosper? That specific root came up.

Why do we accept to be depressed and discouraged when we are full of the Spirit of God and know the joy of the Lord belongs to us and the peace of the Lord is ours? A root defiles our hearts. It keeps us from God’s best.

Roots grow below the surface. We are able to see the trunk, leaves, and branches on the conscious, surface level. When you renew the spirit of your mind to God’s best for your life, you are willing to dig up the negative roots and move toward a healed, whole heart.

The roots of your life, all those issues in your life; they predict your future. It will never work when you keep covering them up, ignoring and denying them. There will be a moment in your life, where you will have a big garbage dump of issues that you knew you had but never wanted to deal with.

Have you ever seen those acreages where truckload after truckload has been dumped “until it is full”. Then they decide to cover it up with beautiful grass and everybody sees “a beautiful park”. It looks so nice on the surface.

But then after some years, people in the neighbourhood begin to experience some ails and physical problems. After some research, methane gas is found and it came rising up through the grass. So, a complicated system of piping needs to be built to deal with the problem. The gases are gathered and burned off so the gas will not escape into the atmosphere. Why? Because they didn’t want to deal with the garbage issues from the beginning.

Your Life Needs to be Detoxified

Sure, you can cover the garbage of your past, but it will never be able to heal your heart. When you go places or go to church on Sunday, you may look nice, but gases are rising from the surface below and you know it. There are personality disorders. You love the Lord, you are on your way to heaven, but you still cannot get your relationships right. You trust God, you believe in God, you work hard, but you still struggle financially.

Maybe you believe the bible and you quote Scripture, but you cannot serve others or get close to them. You feel lonely, isolated, and separated. You call yourself a Christian, but you do not have time for your children, you talk disrespectfully about your husband, and you gossip to your neighbors.

We can look good on the outside, but the hurts, pains, and problems of our past are bringing up gases. There is a tendency to blame others and point the finger. We want to say, “It’s that spouse who left me,” “It’s that guy who raped me,” “It’s that parent who rejected me.”

Certainly they had a part to play, but you have to decide right now if you want a whole, healthy, healed heart.

Let Your Spiritual Roots Spring Up

God has always been there for you; He always gives you opportunities to be healed and to deal with the issues in your heart; those roots in your heart. Wake up and become aware of what is going on, on the inside of you. Make that choice not to hide what you cannot hide anyway.

We all have seen those roots that grow through the cement and sometimes can even tear a road to pieces; that is how powerful they are. No matter what you put on top of them, they will spring up at any given time. They have a way of coming up when you least expect them. Make a choice to determine not to ignore them or even deny them.

Our habits and attitudes are linked to a root system in our lives. In the natural, sometimes you can pull up one root and realize it has gone way over to the other side of the yard. It is not so easy to get rid of.

Likewise, in the spirit realm, we must begin to look below the surface of our lives.

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Prayer: The Breakfast of Champions

September 19, 2011 by 23 Comments
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Prayer: The Breakfast of Champions

By: Olga Hermans

 

“If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day.
I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.”
~ Martin Luther

Prayer is the backbone of a successful life and many successful people know that very well. They take their time to be still and envision their day together with the Lord. Effective prayer will cause you to soar like an eagle in God’s plans for you.

I know people who are successful who will give credit to God, because they know that their success came from the time they spent early in the morning with their maker.

Let’s look at these points once stated by my late Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty. Why Early Morning Prayer would you say?

1.   Jesus did it

Jesus set the example for us in prayer. He got up early in the morning and found a place where He could be alone to start His day with prayer. So, if Jesus started his day with prayer, how much more do we need to start out with prayer? He taught us to go in our prayer closet; wherever your place is, is not important, as long as you can settle your heart in front of the Lord and receive from Him for the day that is ahead of you.

2.   The way you start something has a great effect on the way it ends up

If you start out communing with the Lord, there is a big chance that you will be in communion with Him throughout your day. The way you start out can have a definite effect on the way things will look in the end. When a sailboat starts out, the way the sails are set determines the direction the boat will go. The way you set your sails at the start of your day determines the course you will follow during the day.

3.   When you pray early in your day, you will get an attitude adjustment!

It has been said many times that attitude determines altitude. The pitch of an airplane determines how high it will fly. The nose needs to be turned upward to fly higher, right? It’s the same with or lives. If we haven’t set our lives in the right direction, we will continue to fly on a straight course and never gain any altitude. But when we start out by setting our affection on God, something happens and we begin to climb higher and higher.

4.   It is important to start your day with prayer because many interruptions come in the middle of the day.

You can pray through your schedule each day. Pray though each thing that you know is going to happen. Ask the Lord for direction and prioritize your activities. Many people jump out of bed, run for breakfast, go to work and sometime in the middle of the day, they might think about God. But then they might not, because their schedule is so demanding.

5.   When you are hungry for fellowship with God, you will take time for early Morning Prayer.

Some people work night shifts, which makes it difficult for them to start early in the morning. The key, however, is to set a time, preferably at the start of your day whatever that timeslot might be for you. Families are wonderful and your spouse might be the best thing for you, but there is just something about having a quiet time with the Lord. If you spend time with Him, you will be on top.

6.   Just as you would fill your gas tank before you start out on a trip, you need to fill your mind with God’s Word and prayer before you start your day.

Then you are prepared for the reversals, emotional situations and bad attitudes that you may encounter during the day. All the frustrations and hassles we face could be because we haven’t won the battle in prayer before we started the day. Problems arise and demands come up, and sometimes there is more demand than there is of you! You need to fuel up on the Word and prayer before you start your day!

7.   In Exodus 16, the Lord told the children of Israel to get their manna before the sun got hot on the ground.

Manna is Living Bread and that is Jesus. That means to get a fresh word from heaven from the Word of God before you start your day. There is just something about getting up early to gather your manna at the start of the day.  People who don’t set their sails on God early in the day many times forget about Him during the day, and they go in the power of their own flesh.

8.   When you start your time of prayer with praise to the Lord, you will receive revelation, instruction, inspiration, strength, peace, deliverance from temptation, refreshing and restoration.

People faint and become weary when they do not wait upon the Lord in a time dedicated to prayer. When people talk about how weary they are and how difficult their spiritual life is, they actually say that their prayerlife has ebbed away. Isaiah 40:28-31 tells us clearly that those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will exchange their weakness for the strength of God.

9.   Giving God the first part of your day is part of the spiritual law of giving the first fruits. If you give God the first part of your day, He will multiply time back to you.

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Pro 3:5-6

God will guide the path you take if you pray over it. But if you don’t acknowledge God and ask for His wisdom, He could be standing right in front of you with the answer to every problem you are facing, but you are too busy trying to solve your own problems and trying to make things happen in the flesh.

God wants to speak to you in early Morning Prayer. If you take time to listen, you will hear God speak.

When the gate of your day is guarded with prayer, the devil won’t be able to gain entrance into your life because you will be alert to his tactics. Without early morning prayer, however, people’s minds and spirits aren’t that alert to the voice of God.

But when you get up early in the morning and God speaks to you at the start of your day, it will carry you, guard you and keep you on course. I, myself, have experienced both; there were times in my life that I skipped my time with the Lord early in the morning and there is that time that I love to go in front of the Lord and open up my heart to receive from Him and leave all my cares of the day with Him. The latter is the best of course.

God will never condemn you; He loves you no matter what you have done; He is always there for you. For me; I live each day with the understanding that if it were not for God’s unconditional love and grace, I would not be where I am today.

Let us know and share with our readers how you set your time with God. Be an encouragement to others, because that is what we need. Thank you so much for doing that.

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Step Up To The Plate, It’s Your Destiny to Hit a Homerun

September 8, 2011 by 20 Comments
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Step Up To The Plate, It’s Your Destiny to Hit a Homerun

by Olga Hermans

 

Do you know what it takes to make a homerun? One thing is sure, you need to be in good physical condition. Winners will lift weights and work out to be at their best for the regular season games. This kind of physical conditioning is a part of spring training, but it continues throughout the rest of the year. Even during the off season, a ball player must continue physical conditioning for top performance.

We all know what most people do in off season; the pressure is off and temptation hits us. We even might get into some bad habits like getting lazy, eating too much junk food and things like that. Christians have off seasons too; the seasons that come after great victories. Maybe you finally got out of debt or your business rose to that level that you have been waiting for.

The thing is though that we cannot stop training in off seasons, because we cannot afford to be out of shape when a curve ball comes blasting our way. The most devastating injuries occur when we become complacent about the things of God because the pressures of life are off for awhile.

When we experience sickness in our bodies, we can end up on the sidelines and if the devil has his way, he will do his best to put us out of the game completely. When we are critically sick we can use the scriptures and release our faith of course and that is all good. But if your life is going in the wrong direction, without a life change you will be sick again.

God has put within us an immune system to fight off enemy particles in our bodies. This system is designed to destroy destructive germs and negative cells, such as those that cause cancer. The immune system sends out chemicals and positive cells to fight and destroy bad ones. When the immune system is worn down, diseases (enhanced through anger, strife, fear, unforgiveness, bitterness, depression, loneliness and similar negative emotions) gain access into the body. Taken from “The 7 Pillars of Health” by Dr. Don Colbert

So, here are several life changes you can make to bring your spirit, soul and body back into alignment in order to step up to the plate to hit that homerun again!

1.   Reset Your Priorities

You can make a decision to have your priorities right. The Bible says clearly that we shouldn’t lean on our own understanding but acknowledge God and He will direct our path! Prov.3:5-6 Let’s face it: God is much smarter than us 🙂

2.   Adjust Your Schedule

You can decide, “The Kingdom of God is going to be first in my life”. Start the day with giving God your very first moments of the new day. When you do that, you prayers are so much more effective and they will cause you to soar like an eagle in God’s plans for you.

3.   Relax in Faith

We are told to cast all our care upon Him, for He cares for us 1Peter 5:7. The God of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps, why then should we stay awake all night worrying? Psalm 121:3-4. Cast your cares upon the Lord and relax in faith. Once you have given something to Him, do not take it back again. He is well able to handle anything that comes your way.

4.   Rest in the Lord

Some people are so uptight they make coffee nervous! You can decide, “Lord, I will rest in You and lean on Your everlasting arms.” Hebr.4:9-10. We shouldn’t overlook the need for natural rest. God made our bodies that way. A good night’s sleep can go a long way toward relieving stress, increasing mental alertness and giving you physical stamina for all the tasks of your day.

5.   Laugh

Many people are standing up on the outside, but they are lying down on the inside. Depression will cause you to lie down on the inside and it will hinder the proper functioning of your immune system. Learn to laugh at your own mistakes and do not be afraid to share the humor with others in a light-hearted way.

6.   Eat the right foods

Replace fried foods (those heavy in fat and high in cholesterol) with fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Drink plenty of water and ease up on sugary soft drinks. We cannot make a “god” out of eating. It is all right to enjoy food, but we ought to have enough sense to eat things that will not cause health problems.

7.   Exercise

In Bible days, Jesus and his disciples did not hop in a chariot when they wanted to go somewhere. They walked everywhere they went. What we call exercise today was their normal way of life. Find exercises you like and stay with them. Schedule them into your day just like you would an appointment.

8.   Forgive

This is a biggie; many people think it is hard to forgive their abusers or their enemies, but the truth is that it is much harder on you NOT to forgive. You are binding yourself up to the enjoyment and fulfillment of your life. Unforgiveness will block the power of God from working in you. It is time to repent and get all that negative stuff totally out of your spirit, soul and body.

When you make a choice to do what is necessary to get into a good physical condition and staying that way even in off-seasons, you will be prepared at any time to step up to the plate and hit a home run. You will be alert, ready, and strong enough for the circumstances.

My Question to you is: Are you willing to take these steps serious? Tell me and the other readers what you are going to do about it and which step is it that you have under your belt already? Thank you for doing so.

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Pressing Into New Depths of Prayer

September 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Pressing Into New Depths of Prayer

 

The following excerpt is taken from Tongues: Beyond the Upper Room by Kenneth E. Hagin

There is a moving out beyond time and beyond space into the realm of the Spirit that is beyond my ability to describe. Some have walked out into that realm of prayer only far enough to get their feet wet. Like children wading in the water, they talk about what they experienced, saying, “That was so wonderful! It was the ultimate in praying in the Spirit!” but in reality, their experience is prayer was barely the beginning!

These people have only touched the realm of the Spirit. They need to wade on out into the deep waters of the Spirit until it isn’t only knee deep or loin deep, but so deep they can’t possibly touch the ocean bottom! They can swim on out and enjoy the fullness of what God has for them in prayer (see Ezekiel 47).

However, it is important to understand that these things will not always come easy. For one thing, the flesh will do everything possible to hold us back. That’s the reason the Word of God teaches us to crucify the flesh. The mind will also hold us back, trying to make us focus on the realm of the physical senses and what can be seen. That’s one reason God tells us to get our minds renewed with His Word (Rom. 12:1-2). Once our minds are renewed, we’ll be able to move further into the realm of His Spirit through prayer.

But as more and more of us respond to God’s call to pray, there will begin to be greater and greater manifestations of His power and glory on this earth. The manifestation and demonstration of God’s Spirit will become as common and as real as everyday natural things are to us. This is what our hearts have longed for and what intercessors have prayed for so many years.

…God wants us to move out further in the Spirit and learn how to maneuver in that greater realm of prayer. AS we are faithful to obey His call to pray, the day will come when we move beyond the edge of space – further on into the Spirit – and reach the fullness of God’s glory!

I’ll tell you this much: Jesus is coming. There is no use splitting hairs about that truth, because it will happen, whether you believe it or not! SO let us commit ourselves to praying in the Spirit so a great harvest of souls can be reaped in these last days. People are dying, and the end is coming. The end of all things is at hand, and what we do, we must do quickly.

If you would like to purchase this book, you can do so by clicking here!

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You Can Live the Satisfied Life

September 5, 2011 by 13 Comments
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Living the Satisfied Life

by Olga Hermans

 

Have you ever thought about what it is that brings true satisfaction and fulfillment in life? How you can find that contentment that will last longer this time? We clutter our life with so much meaningless work and activities that it is easy to lose sight of the way that God has meant your existence to be. He designed us and it is up to us to discover the life we were born to live.

Life is meant to be enjoyable, fulfilling, and satisfying; there is so much more to it than just existing or struggling or even surviving. I just have been watching a teaching from Dr. Don Colbert and he said that things/material possessions only produce 10% happiness. Personality makes up about 50% and 40% comes from how we think, our actions and reactions. I thought that was very interesting, because we think, in our way of living, that things bring us the satisfaction that we desire so much.

Truly happy people have found that fulfillment finds its source deep within and is largely unaffected by external surroundings or material possessions. The world however thinks totally different; the world is always pulling us to buy this and do that and most of the times, we fall into that trap.

Several years ago, a U.S. news magazine conducted a survey, questioning people in various income categories. People with an annual income of $25,000 were asked how much money it would take for them to live “the American Dream.” The average answer was $54,000 annually. The same question was asked of people making $100,000 annually; their average answer was $192,000.

What do the results of this survey tell us? Until we come to the understanding that living satisfied comes from our heart and the way we think; our mindset, we will always think that we need more things in our way of living to reach our goal in life. A very rich man once answered the question of how much it takes to be rich with “just a little more”. That is what most people think “just a little more.”

Benjamin Franklin said it his way, “To be content makes a poor man rich and discontent makes a rich man poor.” To really enjoy a life of fulfilment on a daily basis, we need to have our eyes on the right source.

To enjoy this kind of fulfilled life on a daily basis, it is important for us to look to the right source. People around us and even our best family and friends cannot give us what we truly crave. People will always disappoint us, because we humans are fickle. We should never seek approval of others, material possessions or status because they are not meant to be in our days to give us that kind of lasting satisfaction that we think we so desperately need.

Oh yes, there is that superficial sense of satisfaction that can come from all kinds of sources, but that is not the kind of satisfaction that you are looking for, because they are always unpredictable and short-lived.

To be “satisfied” can be defined as the sense of having enough or doing enough; to be content; or to experience fulfillment and gratification. The problem is though that the average person never thinks or feels like has really reached that point of having done enough. That is why we need to have a close look at our perspective in life and to get a grip on the source of real fulfillment and lasting satisfaction.

Can you imagine how fulfilled your life with Jesus can be? His love and joy and abundance are living on the inside of us. Jesus isn’t fickle or inconsistent; He is always the same. He is the only person that you really can depend on. When we put Him 1st place in our life and we center our lives in Him, we become happier and stronger and on top of that we become much healthier in all areas of our way of living.

We have a better outlook on our way of living and because we feel so much better and feel fulfilled, our relationships flourish. Everything gets better, because our focus is not on other people but on Jesus who always causes us to triumph in every situation.

That is the key, that for a lasting satisfied life of fulfillment we need to become deeply connected with an intimate relationship with God. The person who created us to love us no matter what; the person that has experienced that is truly satisfied in the Lord because he understands that God is the only reliable source in his way of living. The only source that of true fulfillment, abundant provision, and lasting security.

This is how The Apostle said it:way of living

    …For I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. Phil. 4:11-13

Paul tells us that we need to learn to be satisfied and that it is an attitude that we need to practice. You know, look at the children; they are never content on their own. They always want something new. Marketers know this for a fact; they place the goodies for the children on a lower eye level just for them. We as mommies have to tell them that they cannot get everything they want, right? Children aren’t satisfied with what they have; they want what they don’t have.

Sadly enough many people are still the same when they grow up. Teenagers almost always give in on peer pressure; they want to have the latest thing in the store because “everyone has it.” Far too often, that same childish behaviour carries on into marriages. Some people will always live with that constant feeling of dissatisfaction because of the things they don’t have.

There are far too many people who want to “keep up with the Joneses” and want to have the latest fashion and the latest gadgets or the newest car even. This dissatisfaction robs people’s joy and clouds their lives with discontentment.

Paul talks about attitude of contentment in First Timothy 6:6 (AMP):

“[And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.” Paul describes contentment as a sense of inward sufficiency. It is to be our source of immense profit.

Read again what Paul says in Philippians 4:11: “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” This same idea is also found in Hebrews 13:5: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

A satisfied life comes forth when we live from the inside out; when we can see it on the inside it will automatically show up on the outside.

When we center ourselves in Him, we discover the depth of Jesus’ love for us, and this brings the fulfillment we long for. It is from this point that we discover the power and security of living a contented way of living. As you become clearer about how you want your life to look like and about who you are in Christ, you will watch it come to pass in your own life and that is the true satisfied life.

The moment we are content and at peace with God, we can be at peace with ourselves. His peace brings confidence, no matter who we’re with or how intimidating someone may seem.

Question: What are the things in your life that keep you back from living your life with contentment and satisfaction? Please share with us and the other readers.

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How To Soar Into Your Dreams Like The Eagles

September 1, 2011 by 24 Comments
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How To Soar Into Your Dreams Like The Eagles

by Olga Hermans

One of the things that all of us know about an eagle is, that they are always up in the air or sitting somewhere on the top of a tree in the mountains. But we never have to stop our car for an eagle, because it wants to cross the road. Eagles are born to fly; they force themselves to soar to great heights and glide on currents of wind; this is placed within them by their Creator.

You know, in a way, we are like that. When God created us; He planted a dream on the inside of us or a goal that would push us to go to heights of achievement. But for many, that dream remains just that, a dream. That soaring vision seems utterly out of reach.

Some people dream of having a business or a witty idea; a new invention. Others dream of raising a great family or great relationships. It doesn’t really matter what kind of a vision you have for your life. One thing is for sure, that God didn’t place that dream there to frustrate you. He had put it there for you to fulfill it and to live right in the middle of it.

We can learn many things from the eagle. Nature shows us that God exists and it shows us His character. Romans 1:19-20. The Amplified tells us:

“For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiwork). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defence or justification].”

The Bible uses the eagle frequently. Deuteronomy 32:11-12 is a metaphor for explaining the ways of God.

Let’s see what we can learn from the eagle.

Eagles are very fascinating, isn’t it? They have symbolized majesty, strength and power; the Bald Eagle is the national symbol of the United States. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks revered the eagle. The eagle was the primary symbol of the Roman Empire, as well. In fact, every Roman soldier had an eagle inscribed on his shield.

Ok, we are talking about your dream and mine . When the Bible talks about an eagle, it refers to the Golden Eagle. They mate for life, and when the time comes to build a nest, they typically do that high up in a mountain cliff. They start with large pieces of wood and branches of sometimes 8-9 feet long. These large branches are usually placed upon a sturdy rock ledge or in a cleft in the rock.

This reminds us of what Jesus told us that those that hear His words and act upon them are like a man who builds his house upon a rock (Matthew 7:24). And God hid Moses in a cleft of a rock in order to protect Him from the awesome power of God’s glory (Exodus 33:22).

The most important key to the fulfillment of your dream is to make sure that your life is built on the right foundation and that is Jesus. Nothing else will ever matter or be right until you surrender everything that you are and have to Him.
When the gathering of the large branches out of the valley is done, the eagle pair will look for smaller sticks and bring those to the nest-under-construction. When that is done the branches will be covered with leaves to make it soft.

When the nest is done and the couple is finished, the nest weighs between one and two tons and will be able to withstand frequent winds up to 100 miles per hour.

This is the moment to start the family. You will see that the way the male eagles deal with the baby eagles shows us a lot about how God deals with us.

The female eagle lays one or two eggs in the spring and after a few weeks the baby chicks come out. That is the moment that the male turns into a very skilled provider; he does whatever it takes to provide for all the needs of the family.

This is exactly what God does for us when we get born-again. All our needs get met, Phil. 4:19
The father eagle does much more than just provide the basic necessities, however. He literally showers his young ones with gifts.

Scientists still don’t know why, but the male eagle brings “gifts” before the baby eagles arrive; gifts that have no meaning and above and beyond the necessities of life. Things like an old shoe or some tin can and things like that. And then something funny happens; the mother eagle inspects everything and throws most of it out. 😉

This is something that shows us how much God cares for us. The bible tells us that He wants to do so much more for us than just filling our needs. It says that He wants to “bless” and “prosper” us. He “crowns” us with loving-kindness and good things. God enjoys it to bring good things into our life, just because we are His children and He loves us.

We can compare Baby Eagles w/ Baby Christians

When the baby eagle arrives, mom and dad do everything they can to please and support the baby eagle. All the baby eagles need to do is to sit in their nice comfy nest and wait for the food. Isn’t that what we do as a baby Christians? I remember the first months that I was born again; it seemed that all my prayers got answered right away. I saw many miracles happening in my life right and left.

But we all know those days don’t last forever. In the first season God makes a lot of grace available to us because we lack so much knowledge and there is absolutely no maturity.

But then slowly God is going to hold us responsible for the truth that we have heard and we have to start using our faith to get our needs met.

These eaglets have to do the same thing. The day comes that the mother eagle comes back to the nest not to provide comfort and provision as she always did before. No, she begins to flap her wings and walk around in the nest for the eaglets to get up and start moving. The mother makes the nest as uncomfortable as possible by even taking the leaves out which leaves the eaglets no choice than to get up and walk around. They are forced to strengthen their weak and unstable legs. Do you remember the verse in Deut.32:11?

We truly can get too comfortable as Christians, and there is a danger in being too comfortable for too long. That way you will never grow or develop the strength to achieve your dreams if God keeps giving you everything that you want the moment you ask for it.

Do you want to know what happens next? The mother eagle moves her babies to the very edge of the nest, which is 10,000 foot high above the ground. Whatever these eaglets are thinking or feeling at that moment is nothing compared what is coming up next.

The parent is going to do something that we would find shocking in our natural mind, because the momma eagle pushes her young out of the nest at that time. The eaglet has seen the parents fly and tries to imitate them by flapping his wings frantically with not much success.

And then, just before the eaglet touches the ground, the father comes to rescue and catches him and carries him back to safety. Wow! This is repeated over and over again; this is how the young eagle gets more and more confident and then after a while it flies with the same majesty of its parents.

Do you remember the post on procrastination where we talked about the fact that people keep waiting on God instead of taking some action? They don’t want to leave the nest. They cling tenaciously to the security and comfort of the familiar and the safe. As a result, they never step out into the realm of faith. And it is only in stepping out in faith that they can ever soar on eagle’s wings into their dreams.

Just as God has placed in every eaglet the desire to fly, He’s placed in every believer a vision or dream. A dream that is tightly connected to God’s high calling for your life. A desire to reach toward the lofty things He’s called you to do. So, when will you stop tolerating your unfulifilled life a start to discover the life you were born to live?

Far too few people ever take flight in those dreams because they’re afraid to leave the nest. They’re afraid to risk rejection. Afraid to fail.

Once you get a general idea of what that dream is, you need to let God refine it for you. Then, the only thing that stands between you and the realization of that dream is the comfort of your nest.

If you’re seeking God with all your heart, He’ll not let you fall to your destruction, even if you make a mistake. Psalm 91:11,12 says: “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

There is no other way; when you want to live your dreams, you have to step out in faith. Never be afraid to dream. People who don’t dream, never will develop the motivation to step out of the nest.

Spend time with your God and let Him show you the dreams that He has for you.Then, when He’s refined that dream, step out of the nest with the confidence that comes from knowing He’s there to catch you if you fall.

Just remember, the only thing that limits God in this earth is how big you’re willing to dream and how willing you are to step out of the nest.

Do these things and you’ll ultimately find yourself soaring into your dreams.

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Question: Are you willing to get out of your comfy nest and go for your God-given dreams? Please share and start a discussion; every reader will like you for it 😉

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The Seven ‘C’s’ Of A Great Marriage

August 29, 2011 by 16 Comments
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The Seven ‘C’s’ Of A Great Marriage

By Olga Hermans

Good communication involves talking, listening, understanding and taking action. Communication breakdown is the number one problem in marriage. It’s the number one cause of separation and divorce. A lot of people don’t realize it, because they relate their problems to some other area. But if your communication is proper and you have the ability to share openly, you can solve financial problems, and children problems.

If you want to live the life you were born to live; you have to be able to communicate especially with your spouse. It takes an effort on your part to communicate effectively with God and with the people who are around you. If you get your communication right with God, you can have the right communication with the people around you; communication is a process. Having a successful scriptural marriage isn’t an instant, or easy, task. But it can be done.; you just have to make a choice.

Not just by reading a book or this article, but by choosing to put the principles that God has given us to work day by day, moment by moment for the rest of your life.

Here are the seven “C’s” that probably will help you if you put them to work; you can use them over and over again

1. Communicate

Communication is listening and understanding what the other person is trying to express and you do your very best to understand the other person. Communication is also opening up and sharing yourself with another person, even if it means becoming vulnerable. Communication is the basis of any successful relationship.

2. Cover One Another

If you truly love your spouse, you won’t expose, humiliate, or condemn them whenever they make a mistake; you will cover them. 1Peter 4:8.

Wives, you won’t point your finger at your husband and tell on how often he fails to pray or how carnal he is much of the time. And husbands, you won’t point your finger at your wife and tell on how much she nags. No. You’ll cover each other’s weaknesses. Cover each other with love.

3. Cherish One Another

The word cherish there literally means, “To feel or show affection.” Ephesians 5:29 Showing affection can be done by showing gentle and caring emotion with one another. It is the number one need of a wife, but it is also very important for the men.

You know, affection will always give you that emotional thrust that you need when things get rough; you are able to act in love. It is the glue that will bond you together in good times and bad.

4. Comfort One Another

Comfort is a vitally important element that enables us to stand successfully against the devil in every area of our lives. It makes it easier for us to be patient. 2 Cor. 1:3

God wants you to be your spouse’s greatest source of comfort. There is nobody else that can bring him tenderness when they’re hurt. A word of hope when they are discouraged

You’re the one to bring them kind-heartedness when they’re hurt, words of trust when they’re downcast, and friendship when it seems the whole world has forsaken them. If you’ll do it, you will go a long way in giving your spouse the courage to move forward.

5. Compel One Another

Again, just as you’re to be the greatest source of comfort to your spouse, you’re also to be the one God primarily uses to compel them toward love and good works. You are the one who should encourage your spouse to do better in everything; to inspire each other so you won’t grow weary in doing the right things. Gal.6:9

6. Consult With One Another

Agreement is a foundational principle of relationship succes, Amos 3:3. It is impossible to walk together if there is no agreement. When you break that principle; there will be strife and your marriage might eventually fail. So check with each other to see if you can agree.

Your spouse is a gift from God; so don’t misuse it. Your spouse is your balance and the person that enables you to grow and develop in the person you have to become.

7. Cleave One to Another

Never lose sight of the need you have for each other. Gen. 2:24 Always remember that your spouse complements you in a way no one else can. No friend, no child, no parent, and no pet – as wonderful as they may be – can do more for you than your spouse.

So cleave to that one alone. Pursue the marriage relationship with a singular determination that will eventually make you one flesh – not just in concept, but in fact. That only can be done by thorough communication.

There are many jokes about how much women can talk and talk and talk, but it is based on facts I think. Yes, I as a woman have a real need of sharing conversation, not just the chatter that this joke always talks about. This is not a joke; otherwise the need of men for sex is also a joke.

There are different levels of communication; from a cliché level where you only talk about the weather. Then we can have this conversation where we only talk about the facts that we went through that day. Men have a tendency to think in terms of the headlines, while women think more in terms of fine print. We want all the details 🙂

But real communication has a total openness and transparency level; where we experience trust and are able to share completely and freely about anything and everything. This is a level where we don’t hide and cover up, no areas where you are limited or where you feel there’s a touchy subject you can’t talk about.

You need to set aside a time when you can open up and communicate with your mate on a regular basis, whether it’s over coffee in the morning, at breakfast or lunch, in the evening on the back porch or whenever. Identify some place where you can open up and share together freely.

You have to make a choice to decide, because there is much power of agreement in communication. Will you do it? Let us know in the comment section what stood out the most to you and what things do you want to change? Thank you for doing that!

This article was inspired by a book from my former pastor Billy Joe Daugherty “Building Stronger Marriages and Families”

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You Can Start Over!

August 25, 2011 by 22 Comments
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You Can Start Over!      

by Olga Hermans

 

 

 

God Originated the “Starting Over” Principle

Has there ever been a time in your life that you wanted to start all over again? Well, I would say “join the club”. Of course you have and you have many chances to do that. There are many moments in our life that we don’t know what to do and feel like we should do something and then later on regret what we did.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all human beings were born with “manufacturer’s instructions” tied to their wrists, explaining who they are and how they work? (Of course, even if we did, most of us would probably skip the instructions and try to figure out life as we went along!)

So, there are times in our life that we really miss the mark so to speak. But God has put the principle of a “new start” in the entire universe. Everybody that reads the Bible knows that He worked for six days in Genesis chapter one, and then on the seventh day He rested. The week starts all over again on Sunday.

We thank God and worship Him as we go to church on Sundays, at least most of us do. Sunday is resurrection day; it is the day that Jesus arose from the dead. The early church began to worship on the first day of the week.

Look at how we celebrate a new day every day, because the earth rotates every twenty-four hours. It doesn’t matter how dark it gets during the night, morning will always be there on time. A new moon appears faithfully every month.

Every year, we experience a new beginning because the earth rotates around the sun during the 12 months of the year and then it starts all over again.

Then there are the seasons; after summer comes fall, then winter and the spring. God said. “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease” Gen. 8:22.

God is the one who has put the principle of “starting over” in the earth. The time that we were farmers in Alberta and had a bad crop in a particular year, we were looking forward to the time that we could start all over and plant a new crop for the next year! I remember that time so well and that each year brought a new harvest.

The Bible is filled with stories of people beginning again. God made a beautiful, perfect Garden and put Adam and Eve in it. In spite of its perfectness, they fell. The moment they fell, God initiated a new beginning. He said, “the seed of women is going to crush your head, devil. It’s going to destroy your power and take away what you’ve done” Gen. 3:15

When Jesus came to the earth; we started all over again with a new calendar. It changed from B.C. to A.D. It was a very significant moment when Jesus arrived in the earth; time started all over again and it was not a coincidence or an accident. No! Life begins not when you were born or when you turn 50, but with the moment that you receive Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior.

That is the new start in our life where we can make a choice to forget all those things of the past; the things which are behind. What are you waiting for? When you want to discover the life you were born to live and really, really want to pursue your destiny you have to leave everything from the past behind you.

When you want to feel in control and have faith for the things that you can’t control, you have to arise from your slumber. You know, as soon as you know what you want your life to look like; you are able to make important decisions and all your focus and everything else gets real clear.

The life you were born to live is one without regrets, one where you can learn from your mistakes and where you feel you are in control. See what Paul told us; read it very carefully:

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. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:13-14

Are there some things in your past that you’d like to forget? I do! We need the grace of God to forget. Grace is the power of God that enables us to do that. It is not something that we are able to do by ourselves, but it is by His gift of grace that we are able to leave the past behind and to let go of all the things that have happened.

We need to know that because Jesus shed His blood on the cross, the past is wiped out. God does not want to remind us of our past and He does not want to be reminded by us of our past. Such a good God.

People want to hold on to the past for more than one reason. They don’t realize that God originated the “Starting Over” Principle.

There are people who have had some great things happen to them in the past; they are very nostalgic, they love to experience it again and again in their mind. Then there are people who hold on to the past because it was so bad. These people are bitter and hold on through regret and sorrow, they like to go over it time after time.

Today is the day to choose to start all over again and to forget all those things of the past and lay those things “which are behind” aside. They keep you from moving forward; your future is much better than your past. There are so many things that you can look forward to.

Do you like salmon? The salmon is known as a fish with a fighting spirit. You might have seen a video of salmons where they fight the current because they want to go upstream and lay their eggs before they die.

Fighting to go upstream is not the only thing that they do; there are also bears on both sides of the stream that try to stop them from their most important accomplishment. It is amazing seeing how they challenge the rapids, rocks, and bears to reach their destiny.

Salmon have a remarkable sense of direction as some of them travel as far as 2,000 miles to find the exact stream in which they were born. Somehow, they know the exact destination they must go to lay their eggs. They must go up that particular stream to fulfill their destiny.

Their purpose – to lay eggs and fertilize them – will multiply their impact on the next generation. The bears would like to eat salmon and end their journey prematurely. The bears actually want the eggs the salmon are carrying. Many times they will rip open the fish, eat the eggs, and leave the carcass.

Do not be afraid to go upstream. God has an exact destiny or stream that you should go up to lay your eggs. Satan is not exactly just trying to stop you; he wants to get the eggs you are carrying. Satan knows that if you reach your destination and finish your course, you will lay some eggs that will bring multiplied blessing to your generation.

This might be a moment for you to make a choice to start all over again, to fight and go upstream. If that is what it takes, then just go and do it by all means. God is on your side; He watches over you all the time and you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you.
Please share with us you have been in that place where you started all over again or maybe you are in it right now. Thank you so much for doing that!

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