A positive reminder

Today while I was sitting in church I heard the youth talking about their verse. The verse the ministry was built on and I became curious to find out what that verse was. As I read the verse I felt led to keep reading and 2 verses down I found a positive reminder.

1 Timothy 4:14,

"Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy

when the body of elders laid their hands on you."

Not only have I seen God's plan for my life in a vision. But on two separate accounts it has been confirmed. Once it was literally spoken onto my life as the body of youth had their hands laid on by elders to prophecy over their life. And second it was confirmed by a total stranger in church who when asked to turn to her neighbor and pray, felt she had to tell me the presence of this gift she felt on me.

Even throughout all of this every day is a struggle to keep the faith that God will use me. Especially for the purpose he's called me to. It's so tempting to buy into the lie that I am not smart enough for this gift. But God, who knows all said in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that, "he would not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when we are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it". Something we discussed church tonight is that in the book of Joshua, God told Joshua to lead the Israelites into the land that God promised Moses. The only problem is that the land already had inhabitants, the Hittites, who were very large in stature and strength. Throughout every step God told Joshua, "Be strong and courageous". Joshua 1:9 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go".

Every day God will be with you. He will never leave you. Don't let discouragement from the enemy who hates you distract you from the gifts that the God who loves you has given you. Especially if he has confirmed those gifts on multiple occasions. After confirmation occurs it's our job to keep our hearts full of faith in knowing that he who promised is faithful, just as it states in Hebrews 10:23.

Hebrews 10:23,

"Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."

I hope this testimony inspired you. God is so good to fill each day with fresh revelation if we're open to receive it. I love you, God bless!

Mind-binding spirits

I'm reading a book called "Battlefield of the Mind For Teens" by Joyce Meyer and I came to a part where it explained something called "mind-binding spirits". Spirits that the enemy uses to place thoughts into your head that bring upon doubt, unbelief, and cynicism.

When you're given a dream. At first it feels so real. So vivid. There's not a doubt in your mind that it can't happen. But after a while that dream starts to fade a little. And as time progresses so does the perfect image of the dream until you get to a point where it almost seems unreal. Why does this happen? Because of those mind-binding spirits from the enemy! They seep in slowly saying things like,"Well that looks cool but you'll never be able to do it", or later on, "If you haven't done it by now you'll never do it". They bring upon thoughts that build and build and build until that dream almost slips away and the doubt has washed away any hope you had of accomplishing that dream. I know because I am personally experiencing this right now. God gave me such a great vision for my life but as time goes on I get distracted by life and the lies of the enemy and I feel like everything he spoke to me was a myth. Something I made up. THAT IS NOT TRUE!!

When God gives you a dream or a vision you do everything in your power to keep that vision alive. A good suggestion, (this just popped in my head), would be to write it down and put it somewhere where you'll see it everyday. And instead of just having that vision include with it scriptures that remind you that the vision is accomplish able. Thoughts of hope for when the enemy tries to persuade you otherwise. The enemy is good at working to kill those dreams but God is stronger and through him so are you. He gave you those dreams and visions for a reason and the enemy will not have the best of you! God will see those dreams and visions come to pass because he is not a man that he should lie. If there's any person in this life you can trust it's God. When God gives you a promise you better believe that he will see you through. Here are some good scriptures to encourage you:

"Numbers 23:19,

God is not a man, so he does not lie.

He is not human, so he does not change his mind.

Has he ever spoken and failed to act?

Has he ever promised and not carried it through?"

-New living translation

"Isaiah 55:11,

So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth:

It shall not return to me void [without producing any effect, useless],

But it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

-Amplified Bible

"Acts 2:17,

'In the last days', God says.

'I will pour out my spirit upon all people,

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

Your young men will see visions,

and your old men will dream dreams'."

-New Living Translation

"1 John 5:14-15,

This is the confidence we have in approaching God:

That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us- whatever we ask- we know

That we have what we asked of him."

-Today's New International Version

Another important thing that the book mentioned is, is that believing (in reference to these visions and dreams), is not an emotion. It's a choice. Everyday when the enemy tries to come up against you with doubts about your visions remember, Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he". You are everything God's called you to be you just have to believe it.

Hey It's Maria, and this is my first official post. I hope you like it!

I don't even remember where it began, this pattern of comparison. It was a pattern of looking at other people and their talents and then looking back at myself in disappointment. As a child I remember trying so hard to be good at things. And there were things that I can say I was naturally good at. But I tried too hard to excel in everything and it set me out with a permanent mindset of always trying to be the best. When I found out one day that I would never be, I lost hope. I didn't stop using my talents but I still had the negative mindset that nothing I did would ever be good enough and I might as well be content with it. The "I'm good but I'll never be great" attitude. This attitude is the surest way to run yourself into the ground. It got so bad that one day I just decided to tell myself that I might as well not try because there were already enough talented people in the world and my talents didn't matter. I let myself get consumed by the lies of the enemy. What's funny is that I was raised in church my whole life and everywhere I went I heard messages of hope but I let the negative voice become the stronger presence in my life. I found too much comfort in the zone of not trying because not trying meant that I wouldn't have to fail or feel bad when some one with a better ability came around. It all hit me how full of dirt my head was one day in Bible School. It's like the bubble of comfort I lived in for so long was revealed to me for the first time. I realized that the root of all this negativity came from the fact that I was trying to impress people and not God. When all is said and done and you've blown people away with what you can do, one day they're going to forget about you. That's the harsh truth. But God, ( I love these two words), created you and he gave you these talents for his glory. So that you could show the world what God's given you to reveal the magnificence of his craftiness; how detailed he is in forming us with a mind that no one else in the world can have. You have been given a life and whether you know it or not God has equipped you with talents and abilities that yes, other people possess too, but they can't perform them in the way that you do. That's the beauty of you. Bringing out the individuality of a talent that many others possess. But for the benefit of God.

Some people come from the other side of the scale with more confidence. It's such a precious quality to have. You have the ability to use to boldness in your voice to reach out to people in your loud way. But you can't ever get caught up in the greatness of the gift. The gift is great but it's not as great as the giver of the gift. The enemy will use anything he can to bring you down and pride is one of the nastiest internal diseases he will use to tear a person apart. There's pride that says, "I'm so good", and there's pride that says, "I'll never be good but I'm comfortable with it". Both are equally dangerous to your spirit. If you feel like you are wrapped up in either of these voices then pray to God asking him to release your mind of these things. There are three voices in your mind. God, the devil, and your own. And you are not the third party in your mind.
2nd Corinthians 10:5 says, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Through prayer you have the power to tell any negative thought to leave your mind. Philippians 4:13, " I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me." Don't ever let the enemy fool you into believing you have no say in what goes on in your mind. 

I know I probably wrote too much but I have a lot to say. I'm going to reiterate what I've stated so far:
1) Your talents were not given to you to impress people, but to share what God can do through you. And what he can do through others. Try to think of it as having an audience of one. The only person watching is God.
2) Don't ever get discouraged because people who have the same talent as you seem to do it in a better way, to God there is no "better" because you are already his "best" creation. So show him your talents in only the way that you can do it.
3) Don't ever let pride of any sort take hold of your mind.
4) You have the power through Jesus Christ to ward off any negative thought in your mind.

I hope my blog inspires you and I know that God is going to use you for something great! I love you, but never more than Jesus does!