TheGraceThatSaves...TheGTS

Oh Heavenly Father, thank You so much for leading me with Your gentle and loving hand. Today I choose to press past all my circumstances and press on into You. Oh Lord. give me the strength and hope to move forward into the life of victory and blessings You have prepared for me! In Jesus Name. ~ Amen!

Me: God can I ask You a question?
God: Sure

Me: Promise You won't get mad
God: I promise

Me: Why did You let so much stuff happen to me today?
God: What do you mean?

Me: Well, I woke up late,
God: Yes

Me: My car took forever to start,
God: Okay

Me: At lunch they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait,
God: Huummmm......

Me: On the way home, my phone went DEAD, just as I picked up a call.....
God: All right

Me: And on top of it all off, when I got home ~ I just want to soak my feet in my new foot massager and relax. But it wouldn't work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did You do that?

God: Let me see, the Death Angel was at your bed this morning & I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that

Me: (humbled) OH

GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road.

Me: (ashamed).........

God: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work.

Me: (embarrasses) Ok

God: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered.

Me: (softly) I see God

God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortage that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.

Me: I'm sorry God

God: Don't be sorry, just learn to trust Me.....in all things, the good and the bad.

Me: I will trust You

God: And don't doubt that My plan for your day is always better than your plan.

Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, thank You for everything today.

God: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I love looking after you (my children)......

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord." (Isaiah 55:8 NIV)

 THANK GOD FOR THAT!

The Key Is In Not Spending Time, But In Investing It...

So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days... Ephesians 5:15-16

Time is the most valuable commodity in life that we have. It's more valuable than money. You can make more money, but you can't make more time. When you woke up this morning, God gave you a present called "today." And with that gift comes a responsibility. The Scripture tells us to redeem the time, to make the most of every opportunity. That simply means don't let it go to waste. Don't live this day unfocused, unhappy, negative, or defeated. Make the most of every day. God has entrusted you with His life. He has breathed His very breath into you. He has put gifts and talents on the inside of you. You have seeds of greatness deposited in you. You're a person with a God given destiny, you have an assignment and a purpose to fulfill.

I encourage you today to evaluate how you are spending your time. Refocus your life. Let go of any distractions. Shake off any self-pity, any discouragement, and any disappointments of the past and run your race with purpose. Be careful how you live and redeem the time so that you can fulfill the destiny He has prepared for you.

Father in heaven, thank You for the gift of today. I dedicate this day to You. I dedicate my mind, will, and emotions to You. Use me this day for Your purposes and keep me on the path You have for me. In Jesus Name ~ Amen.

Source: SELAH

All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. ~ T.E. Lawrence

And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by. For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day. ~ Habakkuk 2:2-3

... Write the vision and make it plain...

There's an interesting picture in Amos '... "A shepherd who tries to rescue a sheep from a lion's mouth will recover only two legs or a piece of an ear. So it will be... ' (Amos 3:12NLT). Picture Satan as that lion, you as that lamb, Jesus as that shepherd coming to pick up what's left of you, of your dream, and I want you to see how God can bring victory out of defeat...

Has life torn your dream to pieces?

With God, you only need two things for a comeback:

1) An Ear To Hear.... Stop listening to voices that discourage you; it's not over until God says it's over! God told Ezekiel to prophesy to a valley full of dead, dry bones (Ezekiel 37:4): 'So I prophesied... and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army.'(Ezekiel 37:10).

Your hopes may be dead and your soul dry, but if you listen to what God is saying your dream will live again.

2) A Leg To Stand On... The God who gave Job twice as much at the end of his trouble as he started with before it, isn't finished with you yet. Read what He's promised and stand on His Word....

Achan was stoned to death in the Valley of Achor for stealing the spoils after the battle of Jericho. End of story? No, later, God in His mercy said, 'I will give... the Valley of Achor as a door of hope... ' (Hosea 2:15). You may be living with your consequences, but by God's grace you can still live to see your dream fulfilled.

Father In Heaven; I may be down, I may be in a hard place... But I STILL SEE the Plans You have for me.. To Bless me, To Help Me, To Encourage me, To Use Me for Your Glory... I am down but NOT OUT! I still believe in the Vision, in the dream! It shall come to BE.. In Jesus Name.. ~ Amen.

SOURCE: SELAH FROM NEW LIFE CT

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]. ~ Philippians 4:13

Winners are just Ex-Losers Who Got Mad!

It's all About Choices & Attitudes....

You can Choose Today to be Whiner or a Winner...

Tell Yourself.. (Try this in Private, with a Mirror, not at work!)

Congratulations! (insert name) You're a winner today. The good things you expect, will come to you. The actions you take, will bring results. The opportunity you look for, will appear.

The people you serve, will give you their support. The effort you put forth, will bring rich rewards. The value you create, will add to your wealth.

The love you give, will bring you joy. The burdens you shoulder, will make you strong. The problems you solve, will make you wise.

The moments you fill with purpose and care, will bring fulfillment. You're a winner today. The good things you do will come back to you.

Father in Heaven, I Claim & Stand on Your Word Today! .... "amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. Romans 8:37" In Jesus Name. ~ Amen.

The Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted: He has sent me to bind up and heal the broken- hearted, to proclaim liberty to the physical and spiritual captives......To grant consolation and joy to those who morn......to give them an ornament of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of morning, the garment of praise instead of a heavy burden, and failing spirit.. ~ Isaiah 61:1-3

== Too many people today spend their days looking in the rearview mirror of their lives.

== You don't have to deny that painful things have happened to you. If you have lost a job, been mistreated, or had a loved one die, those are real hurts.

== But always remember this: Destruction precedes Renewal!

== If you don't pierce an abscess with a knife, how can it heal and how can you regain health? When a tailor cuts up the cloth piece by piece, does anyone question, why would you cut up that silk? No because we know the garment that will be produced will be something beautiful because of the cuts.

== Learn to count all your troubles as joy! If you don't submit wheat to the grinding millstone, how will bread ever end up on your table? Don't worry. Count all your Yesterday pains as joy, and make a new garment of Praise with them. It will be the best garment you ever wore and by far the most beautiful.

== What I am saying is that you need to leave those things in the past and move on.

== If you carry those disappointments around with you, you are going to start each day telling yourself, "God couldn't possibly have anything good for me today because of what happened yesterday."

== You have to let go of any shattered dreams, quit dwelling on any disappointments, and be willing to forgive the people who have hurt you.

== Those Who Created The Pain Of Yesterday Do Not Control The Pleasure Of Tomorrow.

== Release all that bitterness - And God promises to give you a new beginning!

== Father in Heaven, I am ready to trade the ashes of the past for the beauty in my future. There are painful things in my past, hurts that I have been hanging on to, but its joy that I want instead. I embrace Your promise for a fresh future! In Jesus Name ~ Amen.

Source: SELAH

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.

...imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. ~Hebrews 6:12

It's soooooooooo hard to WAIT!!!

Why is Nothing Happening? Where is "The Change"? Where is God? Where is the Promise of His help? Where is my SELAH? ..........

Did you know that in the Bible, David was 17 years old when he was anointed to be king, but yet he did not take the throne until he was 30?

I'm sure during those 13 years there were plenty of times that David was tempted to think it wasn't going to happen. I'm sure he was tempted to get frustrated or even feel like a failure, thinking "God, did I hear You? I thought You said You were going to do something great with my life, but nothing is going my way." Here he was being faithful, but all those years he saw no sign of the promise coming to pass.

I'm sure David had to fight the same negative thoughts that we do; thoughts that were telling him "It's not going to happen. David, you didn't hear from God. Just accept it." The battle was taking place in his mind just like our battles take place in our minds. During those times when it seems like you aren't getting any closer to seeing your dream come to pass, remember, the scripture tells us that through faith and patience we inherit the promises of God.

Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience...

Father in Heaven, I humbly come to You, believing that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf. I trust that Your Word is true and believe that through faith and patience, I will see Your promises come to pass in my life. In Jesus Name. ~ Amen

When those dark clouds are over your head and you feel like life is kind of depressing, kind of gloomy, always remember right above those dark clouds the sun is shining. You may not be able to see the sun in your life right now, but that doesn´t mean it's not up there.

The good news is that those clouds are just temporary. The sun is going to shine in your life once again. In the meantime, keep your joy. Be glad hearted continually! Don´t let a few clouds sour your life. On the other side of every difficulty, the sun is shining! Make the decision to be glad always, and you´ll move forward in the victory God has in store for you!

Sheltered from what? you ask.

1) From Mistakes! If you don't learn to spend more time on your knees, get used to spending it flat on your face. Examine your mistakes; either you didn't pray about them or you didn't stay in God's presence long enough to hear what He had to say. (James 1:2-8)

2) From Defeat! You can't stop the enemy from attacking you, but you can keep him from defeating you. His attack just proves your value to God! When you're in the secret place, you're not only beyond his reach, you're actually being strengthened to come out and win the next battle (Luke 4:13-14).

3) From Broken Focus! We get so busy that we forget what's really important.

E. S. Jones said, 'If I throw out a boat hook, catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me or do I pull myself to the shore? Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but aligning myself with His.' David wrote, You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek... ~Psalm 27:8

Listen to your heart today and get back to 'the shelter'

The above info was taken from one of my daily SELAH

"Father In heaven; I will NOT Give Up; I will NOT Give In; Today my Victory starts! This is MY MONDAY! THIS IS MY WEEK! This is My HOUR! .... I will not be Discouraged or Disillusioned.. or Distracted from the Prize.. Victory will be mine through Prayer, perseverance & Persistence! In Jesus name! ~ Amen"