SOLDIER OF THE LORD, DO YOU HAVE YOUR WAR CLOTHES ON?

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.  Above all, taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all  the fiery darts of the wicked.   And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the Word of God.  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel." Ephesians 6:10-20 KJV

When a young man or woman joins the U.S.A. military forces they are trained to be a soldier.  They are also trained to be a warrior because our Country is in a state of war.When a person gives their heart and life into the service of Jesus Christ, they become a soldier in His Army.

A soldier in God's army is in a constant state of war, because satan, who is the deceiver of our minds is constantly at war to take our lives back from serving Jesus Christ. A warrior for God can never take off their armour, because without it, satan can so easily attack us and he can defeat us, if we do not make a constant effort to keep our bodies  "suited up" with the whole armour of God.

You may wake up in the middle of the night and be filled with fear because satan has put a horrible thought of doom into your mind.  If you have on your armour you can defeat him the way that Jesus defeated him when satan came to him in the desert after Jesus had fasted 40 days and nights. After this time of fasting Jesus was in a weakened state his body was weak, hungry and tired.  Satan wanted Jesus to worship him  Jesus had on his armour and he defeated satan with the Word.  Three times the Bible tells us that he tried Jesus. Jesus quoted satan the Word each time. The Bible says that after the third attempt satan left Jesus for a season.  (Read Luke 4:1-13)

Remember, satan will only leave you for a season, then he will come sneaking back putting ungodly thoughts in your mind of horror, disappointment and try to tell you that you have failed God and are not fit to be a God Warrior.but  the Word says, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (lawyer) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.". 1 John 2:1,2, KJV.   When we have on the whole armour of God, we can quote scripture, and tell satan, "to get behind me," and the Word says he will have to leave.

My Precious readers always remember that anything that satan tells you is a LIE. He is unable to tell the truth because the Word calls him a liar the father of lies.  "Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own;  for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44 JKV

The way to be a successful God Warrior is to keep on  the whole armour of God always, talk with God many, many times during the day, if you wake up at night talk to Him until you go back to sleep. Read the Word of God every day, meditate on it, keep a journal of thoughts that the Holy Spirit puts into your mind to think on and look up scriptures to go along with the thoughts.  Keeping a prayer journal is so helpful for your prayer life.

Jesus is coming soon for His people, the ones that let His Precious Blood wash away their sins, and are looking for His coming, we must be looking for Him to come at any instant, the Bible says, "in the twinkling of an eye, when ye think not."  It  might be today.  If so, I''ll see you on the way up.

Love Gloria

Copyright 2011 Gloria B. Powell. All rights reserved.

A GODLY MOTHER IN LAW IS AN AMAZING BLESSING

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.  The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.  she will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.  she looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." Proverbs 31: 10,11,12,27,28 KJV

Just as certain as I believe that God picked out Willis C. Powell, Sr. to be my husband.  I am just as certain that God had him conceived by Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Powell into her womb so that they would be my Father and Mother in law.

Last Sunday was Mother's Day and I blogged a tribute to my mother.  All week I have been thinking and praying  because a good and Godly mother is such a blessing, but oh, what a blessing is a good and Godly mother in law.  The verses above can never do this loving and gentle woman complete justice.  but they are from God's Word so they surely apply to my mother in law.  Annie Lois Conrad Powell.

From the first time I saw her,  (Shug, as he will be call from now on in this post), invited me to a Christmas party at his church.  After the party he took me by to met Mr. and Mrs. Powell.  I thought, "what am I going to  talk about, I don't even know them."  We went into their house, and I sat down by Mrs. Powell.  Shug said not a word of introduction, just went to get a drink of water.  For about one second I felt like a deer caught in the headlights.  Then Glory to God Mr. and Mrs. Powell begin talking to me non-stop.  I felt as if I had known them all my life.  I loved them instantly.  (I learned later that Mr. Powell chastised Shug for not introducing me to them.)

Mrs. Powell was basically a quiet person in public, but in her own home, she was just amazing.  She could come up with some of the funniest stories. Not only could she tell the stories, but she could do the funny expressions and faces that made the story even more hilarious.   Her complete faith in Jesus Christ was always very evident and she was always a shining light for Him.  Every time she gave a testimony in church she always thanked God for her "happy home".

Mr. and Mrs. Powell's children grew up with such a rich heritage of love and blessing made possible by their parent's  genuine love, devotion and respect for each other.  I have never before or since met a husband and wife more in love or more in complete harmony of heart and mind.  What one wanted the other wanted the same thing, no arguing to reach a compromise or agreement on an issue, just what one wanted, the other wanted and vice-versa.

At dinner, (most people now call it lunch, but at 11:30 am. it was dinner at the Powell home.)  Mrs. Powell never knew from day to day how many would be sitting down at her table to eat, but no problem, there was always enough to go around and plenty left over for late stragglers who just happened to drop by and Mrs. Powell always insisted on them getting just a bite of vittles before they left.

Mr. and Mrs. Powell, and their oldest child, Pearl who lived with them always called me Glory instead of Gloria, I loved it.  All three are now with Jesus in heaven and I long to hear them call me Glory again, but fortunately, Shug's sister Levon still calls me Glory, so it is still music to my ears.

Mrs. Powell taught me how to cook the way that Shug liked to eat, because I did not know how to cook.  I worked and would go by a fast food place for supper, so there was no need to learn to cook.  But I spent many hours in Mrs. Powell's kitchen  learning to use a pinch of this, a dab of that and just a smidge of the other.

My daughter April was four years old when Shug and I married, Mrs. Powell immediately bought a girl head charm to go on her grandmother pin, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.  I knew so many women that had entered into marriage already with a child, and that child was always "her" child, not a child of the new family.  This was never the case with April, in fact when Shug asked me to marry him, which was 16 days after we met, part of his proposal of marriage was that I would let him adopt  April, so he could be her daddy. (That's always been my Shug, so full of love.)   The whole family, brothers and sisters loved April from day one and that has always been such a blessing to me. April loved Mr. and Mrs. Powell with an unexplainable, unfathomable love, and to her Aunt Pearl was just an extension of Mrs. Powell.  She loved them with all her heart.

Mrs. Powell had her own vocabulary that she used, just a certain way she would pronounce words, made perfect sense to us and so most of the time we used the same words she did, especially when we were talking with her, we would tease her and I can still see the impish grin on her face, one of her daughters, Mary Lou has that same grin and I see her mother in her in so many ways and mannerisms.
April and I speak to each other on the phone almost every day and not a conversation goes by that we don't have some Grandmother Powell vocabulary in the conversation.

Not only did she love April unconditionally, but she also loved me as a true daughter, and I knew from day one that is how it would be because there was no pretense in Mrs. Powell at all, she loved me and oh, how I loved her.  She had a massive brain hemmorage on January 29, 1991, and early in the morning on January 30, 1991 she went to be with the Lord.  Mr. Powell was still alive, but I believe that his heart died with her.  Less than nine months later he joined her in heaven.  Even though we grieved for him, there was a blessed peace because he was finally at peace for the first time since she had died.  Pearl went to meet them in 2005, and it gives me such a sense of peace to know they are waiting for the rest of the family to join them one day.  Jesus is coming soon and I am glad we can be together again, I hope she can make me some tomato gravy and cat head biscuits.

Mrs. Powell gave me such a beautiful and Godly legacy of love and acceptance and how to be another mother instead of (in law). I hope that I can follow in her footsteps as a good and Godly mother to my son's wives.

Mr. and Mrs. Powell, Pearl and Joe Edward (who died in 1973),  I still miss you every day.  Shug, April, Willis and John Coy and I talk about ya'll every time we sit down and have a grand old time of nostalgia and reminiscing.

Copyright 2011 Gloria B. Powell. All rights reserved.

TO MY MOTHER

"Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come." Proverbs 31:25 KJV

Dear Mama:

First of all I want to thank God that He picked you to be my mother.   When I was a child I never realized what your daily life was all about.  I only knew that I was the oldest of six children, and I used to get so weary of hearing you say, "Now Gloria you have to be a big girl and help mama with the other children, and with the housework." Mama I am so sorry that as a child I did not understand, how much you needed and depended on me.

I was the oldest of six children, the child born 2 years after me was another healthy baby girl, until she was eight months old, and then she became deathly ill.  She was in the hospital for over three weeks, her temp was so elevated that it did not register on the thermometer, that was in 1945 and there were no antibiotics then, when the fever finally left, she was completely devastated in her mind and her body, she suffered continuous seizures, at least two or three a day. She screamed night and day from pain in her head and body.  Though mama and daddy carried her to every doctor they heard of, the damage was done.  So we had to center our home and lives around trying to make her comfortable.

Soon following came four more children, and sometimes I would hear my mama pray, "Oh, God, how am I going to get through this day?'

Back then, people in their ignorance and superstition would tell mama and daddy, "well it must have been some sin in your life that you have this crazy child." You can imagine the terrible guilt that mama and daddy lived under, all the time thinking, "Lord, what did I do that you would punish my child so?"  I am so thankful that people have come to the realization that they are not the reason for children with disabilities, it is just LIFE and normal healthy children are a blessing, BUT children with severe disabilities are a blessing also.  No their pain and suffering are not a blessing, but the love that you have for them is so special that you can never define or even explain it.  I know that someday my sister Delores will be in heaven with mama and daddy, and she will be well and whole, and for that I am eternally grateful.

I realize that there must have been some days that mama would just think, how can I stand this another moment, I just wish I could walk away.  But thank you mama you never did. You were always there.    My mama was a perfectionist when it came to house cleaning.  Of course, being the "big girl" and "mama's helper", I had to do a lot of the housework while mama cared for my sister and the other babies. To this day I do not like to rake yards, mop floors,vacuum the floors dust and pledge the furniture, the smell of O Cedar Red Furniture polish still makes me gag, straighten up everything and put it in order, and hanging out clothes and folding and putting them away. But my mama taught me how even though I did not appreciate it at the time.  Thank you mama for at least training me how to keep a spotless clean house.

All of the stress that mama lived through in her younger life while her children were growing up, left its mark on her health and well being.  Her last 20 years of life were spent as years of sickness and pain, but she always told us how she loved us.

When mama's health got so bad that she could not stay at home, (at this time my daddy had already gone home to be with Jesus.)  There came a time three months before she also went home  to be with Jesus that she was almost constantly in the hospital. My baby brother would stay with her during the day while I worked, and I would stay with her at night.  We had so many wonderful talks about when I was growing up and mama would always remind me how I hated house and yard work, and I would say, "well mama you always prophesied that I would be a slovenly housekeeper," And she would always laugh and say, "well, I was right,"

The day that mama went home to be with the lord , the doctor spoke plainly to me and my baby sister and asked if we wanted mama on life support, now that is a question that no one ever wants to be asked especially if the one making the decision does not know the definite answer..   Mama would never talk about the matter with me or the other children, she just said ya'll make the decision. I asked the doctor in view of everything he had just explained about her state of health at that time was she already dying, and he looked at me with tears in his eyes and nodded yes. Her body is shutting down she will probably be gone by late tonight or early in the morning. I looked at my sister and she nodded to me, and I said, "It seems that Jesus has already taken the decision out of our hands, if she is in the process of dying, let her go peacefully."

About 2:00 am Sunday morning, I suddenly woke up, I was laying with my head on her bed, she always wanted me to have my hand on her as she slept.  Three nurses came into the room, I stood up and looked at mama, so peaceful, so serene, and I kissed her and said,"I love you my precious mama." Two breaths later she entered into HIS Kingdom.  All of a sudden I laughed, and said, "Mama you have seen Jesus, and daddy and all the ones you have been missing." I felt like an idiot for laughing, but the Joy of the Lord just filled me when I realized, she was at last free to soar and be completely without care, I was just so happy for her, the nurses told me not to be sorry that I had laughed, because what better time to be joyous than to know that someone you love is in the Holy Presence of God.

So, on this Mother's Day, have a happy mother's day mama. I love you and I will be coming to join  you and daddy soon, because I think that Gabriel has the trumpet up to his lips just waiting for the nod from God, to Blow Gabriel and call my children home.

I did not have a newer picture of mama, this one is about 17-20 years old, but represents three generations, Mama, Me and April

Precious readers if your mama is still living give her a call and tell her how much you love and appreciate her.

Copyright 2011 Gloria B. Powell. All rights reserved.

REMEMBER, IT WAS JESUS ALONE, THAT MAKES IT "GOOD FRIDAY"

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3:16 KJV

Today is "Good Friday", but when we consider the sacrifice's of God's Son, Jesus Christ, and what he suffered: A night filled with mock trials, where no evidence could be found against him, shame, humiliation, beatings, scourging, ridicule from his own people, rejection and the ultimate horror of dying a criminals death on the cross, the Bible tells us that he was as a lamb led to the slaughter, in other words, a sinless spotless lamb.  He suffered all these things and more for us. 

How can today be called "Good Friday"? 

Jesus came into this world knowing that he would be given as a spotless lamb for the sin, disease, shame and degradation of the whole world and that he would die as a criminal on the cross. Only could he, spotless and sinless, the very Son of God, pay the debt for every sin and evil in the world. 

The night He was arrested he went with His disciple's into the garden of Gethsemane to pray.  He said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here and watch with me." Matthew 25:36 KJV.  "And he went  a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt." Matthew 26:39

I believe that the reason that Jesus dreaded the cross was that he knew that for the very first time in all eternity, all beginning and the Word says that God has no beginning and no end.  He always has been, always will be.  For the very first time, Jesus would be separated from His Father. For the very first time from beginning until that time on the cross there would be no communion, no fellowship between Jesus and His Father, I believe this is what Jesus dreaded, more than all he would have to suffer.  Because on the cross Jesus would bear in his own body all the sin, disease, evil, degradation, crimes  that ever had or would ever be committed, on his own  sinless body. Jesus literally suffered the weight of every evil and ugly thing on His body as he died on the cross.  Because it is impossible for God the Father to look on sin, He would have to turn His face away from His Son as he suffered death on the cross.  I am so glad that he said, "nevertheless, not my will but thine, to His Father." He shed every drop of his precious blood in his sufferings and that Blood is what covers our sins and makes us whole and clean.

Dear reader, Jesus did this for me and for you and for everyone that will just ask Him into their heart and repent of their wrongs and ask Him to become their Savior, from that instant on, live each moment trusting Him to lead and guide us through this life.  Once we have accepted Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for our sins and shortcomings, the Holy Spirit will come and dwell in us to lead us in the ways of God.

If you have never given consideration that you need a "Savior", even if you have never prayed before, just right now ask God to show you that you need  to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and life to forgive you of  EVERY wrong doing, I don't care what they are, Jesus will forgive you of EVERY wrong doing in your life.  Please just try, just pray, "Oh, God, I believe that I am a sinner,I now repent of all my sin, and I want to ask your Son Jesus Christ into my life, to apply His precious Blood over every sin in my life, make me new and clean with my sins washed away.  Lord from this moment on, I am going to live for you and I will tell people that I meet, that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.  Amen."

If you just prayed the prayer, tell someone what has happened to you.  Find a Bible, and begin to read, starting with the New Testament, read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John first.  Make Bible reading a part of every day.  This Sunday which is Easter Sunday, in memory of His Resurrection Day.  That's correct Jesus is not dead today.  On the third day after he was killed, very early in the morning the Spirit of God resurrected Him from the dead, he was seen by many before he ascended back to His Father in heaven.  Jesus now sits at the right hand of The Father, constantly making intercession (praying) to God for his children, the ones that have made him their Savior.

AND THAT DEAR READER IS WHY WE  CAN CALL TODAY "GOOD FRIDAY"

Copyright 2011 Gloria B. Powell. All rights reserved.

GOING HIGHER WITH GOD, BE SURE YOU ARE LISTENING TO THE CORRECT VOICE

Matthew 7:24-27 (KJV) "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock.  And everyone that heareth these sayngs of mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain desended, and the floods came and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." 

We all want to "go higher" in God. Over the years in an earnest zeal for God I am ashamed to confess that I have not always prayed and fasted enough to be sure the voice I listened to was God, or the accusing voice of satan saying,  "You never do anything for God, everyone will get credit but not you you are faithless."

Satan will prompt Christians to "go higher", to do some wondrous thing, just throw caution to the wind, surely you have enough faith.  Don't take the time to fast and pray.  Quit being a wimp, just do it.  God does not bless wimpy Christians." Does this sound familiar?  No one wants to be a hindrance to the Kingdom of God.  Remember anything that satan asks you to do for God is for your FAILURE, the thing that you do will be as the man that built his house on the sand, the rains will come and wash it away, there is no foundation built  in God.

So we throw caution to the wind thinking we are doing something for God, because being praised and being exalted feels so good so it must be for God right? WRONG! God has gotten NO glory, only you.  Suddenly there you are exalted high up, holding tight to a precipice, no where to stand, just hanging there, no foundation under your feet, a slippery crumbling slope.  High up so you can be seen, yes, but there is no Glory for God, only you with shame in your face that you let satan fool you, well let's not give him all the credit our pride got in the way and sadly we listened. 

But where is God, oh, did I forget to bring Him with me up here?  Surely he knew to follow me here.  Then I realize God does not FOLLOW,  He LEADS.

When we listen to what satan has to say he is playing on our greatest fear, and that is the fear of failing God.  Remember the fear of failing God IS NOT FROM GOD. 2Timothy 1:7, KJV "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind." 

Oh God, help me get down from this place forgive me for letting myself be deceived by the voice of satan.  Forgive me that I did not take the time to fast and pray to be sure that the voice I heard was Yours.  When God asks us to do something for Him, he will lead us into a time of prayer and reading His WORD for guidance and for assurance.

God, help me get down from this place where I let satan lead me, please put my feet back on Your  Foundation, on solid ground which is the Rock Christ Jesus.

Yes, God's WORD does encourage us go "go higher", but that comes as we spend time getting instruction from God in His WORD.  Spending time on our knees, letting His Holy Spirit lead, guide and instruct us.

"Going higher" in God does not promise us fame or wealth in this present world.  Our heart's focus is to see souls come to  accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of their lives because of His death on the cross for our and their sins.  We pray for them, help disciple them in the WORD and help them grow in God and in their faith.  We encourage them to live lives that will be pleasing to God, so when the trumpet sounds they will hear it and be caught up with Jesus in the air, and forever live with him in the new heaven and new earth that is now being prepared for those that love Him.

When we "go higher" in God we seek to exalt only His Holy Name, never our own.  God sees and knows our efforts to glorify Him.  The world may never hear us intercede for souls at the midnight hour when we have been awakened by The Holy Spirit.  Will never know the hours we have spent studying His WORD.  May never know when we have given an uplifting word or phone call to someone that desperately needed to be reminded of God's love for them at that exact time.

Precious reader, we all want to do our very best for our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.  We must always remember it is not just the "famous" or "great" men and women of God that will have crowns to lay at Jesus feet, but also we who are just "worker bees" in His Kingdom will also have crowns to lay at His precious nail scared feet.  he will look at us with His eyes of pure love and he will  say to us, "Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Matthew 25:11 KJV 

And so shall we always eternally be with Him.



Copyright 2011 Gloria B. Powell. All rights reserved.

JESUS, HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE ME?

Jesus, how much do you love me, I asked. "This much," He replied and He stretched out his out His arms and died.

I do not know where I read this quote or who wrote it.  The first time I read it I remember I literally held my breath for an instant as the power and true meaning of these words hit my mind and heart like a thunder bolt. 

Oh LORD Jesus you DID willing stretch out your bruised and bleeding arms on a wooden cross and died for me.  It became so personal and clear to me as I once again realized how much God loves not only me, but everyone that has ever been born into this world. John 3:16 tells us, "that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."KJV

Rembember, it was not the nails in Jesus hands and feet that held Him to the cross.  What was it then?  It was His love for me and for you that He willing left his home in glory, where He had always been with His Father God, to come to earth, to be born in a stable, live as a poor carpenter and then be betrayed and die on a cross to shed His precious blood for our sins, our healing and so we can have the peace that passes all understand in any situation.  Dear reader this was no accident. This was planned by God before the foundation of the world.  Jesus knew when he came to earth that this was His mission and he saw it fulfilled.    No man has ever before or since Jesus, suffered as He suffered for us at the hands of cruel men. His will  and purpose was to please His Father, and to provide for us a way to be forever with God  when  we die or if we live until He comes for us in the clouds. If we just ask Him to be our Savior, He will apply the blood that He shed for all mankind to us, cover our past, and make us like new.  Just think we become a new creature in Jesus Christ.

Not only did He die but he shed every precious drop of His blood, the stripes on His back are for our healing and He was chastised so that we might have the peace of God that passes ALL understanding.  Then He was buried in a borrowed tomb.

There may be weeping for the night, but JOY cometh in the morning. 

The Bible says that early on the third day which was Sunday morning, Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdeline and some others came to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with spices.  They wondered among themselves, "how will we be able to roll away the heavy stone that the soldiers put in front of the grave."  But when the ladies got to the tomb they saw that it was open.  They saw an angel they were frightened.  The angel said unto them,"I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here: for he is risen as He said.  Come see the place where the Lord  lay. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and behold, He goeth before you into Galilee, there ye shall see Him: lo, I have told you." Matthew 28:L5-7

Dear Reader, that is why we celebrate Easter, it the day to commerate and praise Jesus Christ our Savior for being willing to be beaten, burised, scorned and  to hang on the old rugged cross until He shed every drop of His precious blood for who? FOR ME AND FOR YOU,  please get this into your mind and heart FOR YOU, no matter what your life is like now: that can and will change in an instant the moment you asked Jesus to be your Savior and to apply His blood to cover your sins and forgive you.  Please say this prayer with me: Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner, I have not lived according to your Word the Holy Bible.  Lord I am tired of fighting all by myself.  I need you, truly need you to be Lord of my life.  Please forgive me of every sin that I have ever commited and take away all the bad habits that control my life.  Lord I give all my sins and everything not like you, to you to cover them with your blood.  The Bible says that you will never remember them anymore.  From this moment on I am a new creation in You.  Lord I will tell someone what you have done for me and I pledge to make the rest of my life as an example of what you have done for me and will do for anyone that asks you.

Please find a good Bible believing church and get up in the morning and attend, if you do not have a Bible I am sure that someone in the church will be most happy to give you one.  God will never turn anyone away if we come to Him with a repentent heart.  God bless you as you begin your journey in this most wonderful path of life with Him.,  Love Gloria

Copyright 2011 Gloria B. Powell. All rights reserved.

ARE YOU SPIRITUALLY EXHAUSTED?

Isaiah 40:31 says, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles.  They shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.

Thank you for being one of my precious blog followers.


Spiritual exhaustion comes thru service, always giving out, never replenishing our spirit with His Word, prayer, and communion with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, "feed my sheep', this means that we must have to be nourishment for other souls until they learn to feed on God for themselves.  There is always something to do in the church, whether it is a class to teach, or some other job to do.  Our first response is if no one else will do it then I will have to do the job, no matter how busy I already am.  Soon, those around us can see that there is no joy in our service, no spiritual activity within us because we have become spiritually drained.

Satan does not care how busy we are working for the church, because the more we do, the more depleted we become emotionally, physically and saddest of all spiritually.  This is when he can so easily get our minds off the important things of God and  we begin to slip into a spiritual valley.

Yes there is much to do in the work of God, we must all be committed to doing our part, but the most important thing to remember is that the Holy Spirit will put a burning desire into us when He desires for us to take on or continue doing something for Him.  Instead of thinking we know more than God and volunteer to do a specific thing because no one else at the moment will volunteer, is not God's will for us.  If the job in the church really is of God, he will speak to someone about doing it.  Maybe not in an instant, but the world will not come to an end if we wait upon the Lord and let Him speak to the person that He has in mind for that work. 

You can only drive a vehicle as long as there is fuel in the tank.  When the fuel is depleted, the vehicle will stop and will have to be pushed.  The same thing applies to our work for the Lord, we can only work and be effective for the Kingdom of God IF we keep our spiritual self full of His Word, prayer, and communion with His Spirit.  If we have to study to teach 3 or 4 classes, or prepare to chair 3 or 4 committees in the church, when are we going to find the time to get alone with God to refresh our spiritual man?  The Bible states that Jesus had to get alone with God to stay on course to do His Father's Will that He had been born in to this world to accomplish.

The night that Jesus was arrested he was in the garden of Gethsemane.  He told His disciples to tarry while we went a little piece away to pray  alone because, "His soul was exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death."
If we do not stay in a spirit of prayer and communion with the Holy Spirit our souls can become exceedingly sorrowful with the cares of this world.

Remember satan is as a roaring lion going about seeking whom he may devour.  Life can become so full of troubles that we forget that all we can do is to turn them over to God.  When we let God handle our problems and questions and ask for wisdom, the Bible says that He will give it to us and he will not rebuke us for asking.  If we seek the Holy Spirit with all our heart, mind and strength, He will give us that peace that passes ALL understanding.

Again, thank you my precious friend for reading this blog,
Love, Gloria Powell



Copyright 2011 Gloria B. Powell. All rights reserved.