10.17.18 Recap

Good Morning Sisters,

EXCITING NEWS!!! Our Website is LIVE!!! All of our devotions, recaps, Jesus stories and testimonials will be on the site. We also have a calendar to keep you updated as to events coming up. Please share with family and friends.

"A Night of Celebration" is only 8 days away!  Please join us on Friday, October 26th as we celebrate the launch of our website and celebrate ALL that JESUS is doing through our ministry. Please remember to RSVP. Desserts and coffee will be served.

Last night our cups were filled and our minds renewed! The grace of God was flowing like a waterfall! We were so blessed to have a beautiful new girl with us. Kiley is a student at NC State double majoring in Criminology and Psychology. She is also the Middle School Volleyball Coach at GRACE. Kiley has such a beautiful heart to serve and has been such a blessing to the young girls at our school. For those of you who could not be with us we covered you with an abundance of love and prayer.

We began our night with prayer and devotions. This week’s study entitled “Stand Still” is just what we needed. What is the hardest thing to do when faced with a trial? To stand still and trust God. The Lord knows that the battle is always in our surrender. Life on this earth will never be problem free. The good news is that we can enjoy it anyway. You can have rest and peace smack dab in the middle of the biggest crisis of your life. God’s grace and favor are bigger than your trial. Apostle Paul pleaded with God in II Corinthians 12:8-9 to take away the thorn in his side but Jesus told him that God’s grace was sufficient to see him through. It’s the through part that expands our faith. It’s the through part that spiritually matures us and empowers us for that next challenge. It’s the through part that elevates us higher than we ever thought possible. Each time you face a bigger challenge face it knowing that God will give you more grace. (James 4:6).

Are you in a position of worry or a position of rest? Are you holding on to our problems or giving them to God?

The people of the world scream “DO something!” When they stand still nothing happens. But when believers stand still the Lord fights their battles.

When you stand still, you are actively putting your faith in His love for you and allowing Him to fight for your battles. Standing still is about letting go and letting God! Allowing His abundant supply to flow. Worrying is putting your faith in the enemy and not God. The Bible says that worrying cannot add one cubit to your stature but trusting God can result in miracles. In the midst of your trials STAND STILL inwardly and look to Jesus to fight for you.

Stand still and see Jesus. Fix your eyes on Him and not your problems. Let your mind focus on His goodness and faithfulness. The areas you are worried about are the areas His grace cannot flow. When you are worried you are saying “I got this. I don’t need your help Lord.”

How do you stand still in the middle of the storm? Listen to sermons that unveil Jesus. Listen to them day and night. Some of my favorite grace pastors are Joseph Prince, Steven Furtick, Christine Caine and Len and Cathy Mink. God tells us in Matthew 17:5 “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. HEAR HIM!” Our faith grows by HEARING the word of grace. Just by “beholding” you will come out of your Egypt. What happened when the children of Israel stood still? The pillar of cloud that had led them in the wilderness moved behind them and stood between them and the Egyptian army. The enemies of Israel could not come near them at all that night. God did not just hold back their enemies he opened up the Red Sea for them. Miraculously, the Israelites walked “into the midst of the sea on dry ground” (Ex. 14:22) and Pharoah’s army was destroyed. How does this story give you hope? Are you in a situation right now in which you feel trapped and feel there is no way out? Please know my beloved sister that no matter how difficult the situation, it is not over. God can and will turn things around for you, just like he did for the children of Israel.

Does God provide for our practical needs?

YES!!! God didn’t provide gold and precious stones in the desert for the Israelites. He provided manna and water as they were hungry and thirsty.

If you are trusting Him for better clientele or for more business leads, He can supernaturally cause doors of opportunity to open for you. If a certain revenue stream has dried up for you or perhaps you need a creative idea for a particular project he can cause what you need to gush forth from unexpected sources. Put your trust in Him to provide. Ephesians 3:20 promises that “He will provide exceedingly, abundantly above all that you can ask or think.”

There was a reason God instructed the priests of the Old Testament not to gird themselves with anything that causes “sweat.” The root of the Hebrew word “sweat” means “to tremble, quiver, quake, to be in terror,” or “to agitate with fear”, or “vex.”  Sweat involves agitation and being vexed. God is telling us NOT TO WORRY. He feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field. He will take care of YOU! Stop allowing anxiety to dictate how you live your life. The next time the enemy whispers in your ear…”what are you going to do about it?”  you say out loud...”I am not going to worry about this. My Lord is going to handle it.”

The moment the sweat of the Son of God mingled with His blood in the Garden of Gethsemane God redeemed you and I from the curse of our wrong thinking. Jesus sweating great drops of blood from His brow means that we are redeemed from stress and anxiety and every oppressive thought. We are redeemed from all of the crippling lies that torments our minds and keeps us from restful sleep at night. We can work outwardly and rest inwardly. You can now labor without stress and anxiety and enjoy your life.

What are you trusting God for? What prayer are you waiting for God to answer? What can you do today to see your breakthrough come to pass?

STAND STILL and keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus. Don’t wait until you see the manifestation of your promise to rejoice and thank Him. Rest and rejoice in His finished work, even when you still see that negative report, even when you still have that symptom in your body, even when you are still struggling in your finances, even when your situation seems hopeless. Break forth into singing and praising God even when you have not seen your desired results yet. Then get ready for your miracle! God is about to part your Red Sea! He is about to bring rivers in the desert for you! He will make a way when there seems to be no way! He is a supernatural God and He delights in blessing you in supernatural ways!

After our study we took communion, held hands and prayed. The fellowship and prayer at the end of the night is so special. You just can’t capture in words what we experience. Each Wednesday I always think…”it just can’t get better” and each week it does.  He always gives above and beyond what we can think, ask or imagine.

Next week we will plunge into Chapter 14 entitled “Becoming a Person of Rest”. If you have been pushing yourself to the limit, running yourself ragged this chapter is for YOU! God has a higher way and He has paid the price for you to walk in it. Please read the chapter and answer the questions in the study guide.  

THANK YOU sisters for your continued love and support of this ministry. The Lord is using each of you to build His kingdom. You are a gift and I am so grateful for you!

God Bless You!  Enjoy your weekend!  

Love,

Sherry :-)

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