Is There Anything TOO DIFFICULT for God?

A few years ago, God called me and my husband to pastor a church where there were only seven people in the congregation.   This may sound ridiculous to some and probably even sounds like a waste of time to others, even though the "church" often proudly proclaims, “Jesus would have come down here for only one!”   Now, you would not believe the Spiritual warfare that we went through just to go through those doors.    We were mocked and talked about by several of our Christian peers who said that these seven people were obviously evil and ready to devour anyone who walked in.   We found our peer’s perception to be kind of funny because God had caused us to see the seven as pitiful, poisoned and in need of being rescued.   Their church had somehow, through time, gotten involved in a strange doctrine but all of them, except their teacher, seemed to be happy and enthused about our decision to pastor them.   And even though almost no one believed that my husband and I had heard from God, our journey there and back was a complete success.

The false doctrine was completely thrown out; the teacher and all of the others were recovered and restored.  Life sprang forth as they began feeding on the true word of God.   Most of them were older and at first they rarely opened their mouth…  But it didn’t take very long until they were all laughing, loving and praising God!   Of course with the church showing all of the signs of life, the community started taking interest and little by little, two or three at a time, it began to grow.   There are so many stories that I could share with you about God’s unfailing love, mercy and grace that we experienced during our time at that church…  So many sermons about how love can conquer fear and threat…  But the thing I would like to share with you today is this:  we walked away grateful for the awesome opportunity that we had been given to see God move mightily as He proved His possibilities.

He ended up being more than who we thought He was and He ended up doing more than what we even imagined that He would do.  The lady who was once guilty of false teaching not only became our piano player for praise and worship but also our dear friend.  She died a few years later... And as my husband preached her funeral, I couldn’t help but think about her being in heaven and how thankful I was that the Holy Spirit had helped us to believe that there was nothing too difficult for God.   Today, the Holy Spirit may be sending you forth to take on a task that is very difficult and maybe even looks impossible through the eyes of man.  Remember as you step forward… that what’s impossible with man is possible with God and there is nothing too difficult for Him.  You will never really know God beyond what you are willing to experience and experiencing Him will require you taking a risk.

Loving U Like a Sister,

Regina

The JOY of the Lord

Hello friends!  It is well, or is it well with your soul?  The Word of God teaches us that "the joy of the Lord is our strength".  Oh so many days I've had to rely on the joy of my salvation to get me through a miserable situation!  So many times, I've had to understand that I was working toward something greater than the task at hand and on my way to something better and brighter. As Christians, we learn to face "spiritual" fires and floods, and travel long journeys by relying on the joy of our salvation.

Our joy in the Lord is greater than any discouragement or hardship that we face.  I have learned from past experiences that the times when I lost my joy were times when I lost sight of what really mattered.  The Holy Spirit taught me that everything in life matters, but some things matter more and some things matter most.

If it IS well with your soul today then everything else in your life has to line up under your joy.  If it IS NOT well between you and God then your career, appearance (women care about these things), bank account, relationships and even your state of health are dependant upon some other source of happiness that will shift every time the seasons change!

When salvation matters most, joy is never lost and strength for endurance is easily regained through the right perspective.  As women, we should care about every matter involving our lives, but as women of God, we should be able prioritize them.  In life's journey, our joy will always be about where we are in the Lord instead of where we are on the map.

Loving U Like a Sister,

Regina