Ouch!!!

I fell off a ladder decorating for my son's 5th grade graduation party and broke my arm and wrist. Please join me in the prayer of agreement that I AM healed by Jesus stripes!

I hope to be back on here real soon.

God bless,
Angie

A Tale of Two Criminals

We probably all know someone who's walking down the wrong path at the moment, and desperately needs to know Jesus as their Savior. Perhaps that person is in your own family, or one of your closest friends. For some, this unsaved loved one has taken such wrong turns, it may seem they're too far gone for redemption. Maybe you've prayed for years, and believed God for a miracle, and yet all you've seen is heartbreak.

I was reminded this week of the story of the two thieves who hung on the cross alongside of Jesus. "One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Luke 23:39-41

It's like a tale of two criminals. We don't know the details of their crime, but here's what we do know:

• They're both guilty and deserving of punishment
• They're both watching Jesus as He's going through His horrible ordeal

Their response is completely different:

• One mocks Him and says if you're the Savior, save yourself AND us! (Still self-absorbed to the very end)
• The other realizes that Jesus is not only innocent, but has the fear of the Lord come on him - no doubt he respects the way Jesus is taking punishment for a crime He didn't commit. (Remember, people are watching how we live as well.)

Then, something happened that opened the door to faith, as this thief realized Jesus was no ordinary man. He believed that He was who He claimed to be, and with his last moments on this earth, he spoke the words that would forever change his destiny...

"Remember ME when you come into Your kingdom" Luke 23:42

Jesus heard his plea (just like He hears our prayers for lost loved ones) and He answered "Today you will be with Me in paradise." Luke 23:43

So don't give up hope – pray for their eyes to be open, the fear of the Lord will be on them, and they will ask God to REMEMBER them so they can enter into His kingdom!

Power in Agreement

I've been so busy lately I haven't had time to write about my weekend retreat I took a few weeks ago. I had the privilege of going to the Women's Aglow meeting with special guest speaker

Dr. Sandra Kennedy, with Whole Life Ministries.  If you're not familiar with her, she is a powerful teacher and she's especially anointed in the gift of healing. But the most amazing thing I found about her was her love for the Word of God. It was truly contagious! I came away wanting to read the Word, know the Word, and live the Word like I did when I first gave my heart to Jesus.

I know the Scriptures, or at least I thought I did, but she really ignited a hunger for them fresh & new, and made me realize that the blessings are really only promised to the "doers" of the Word, not just the "hearers".  It's not enough to know and believe in the Bible verses, it has to be applied knowledge. You may think this sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many of us have acted as if believing that the Word was true, was our only responsibility, and that God was going to swoop down and take care of the rest!  The truth is, Jesus already came down...and He did all He was going to do...on the cross!  Did He not say "It is finished"? Now, it's up to us to take hold of all the promises and provisions that were made on the cross.  All we have to do is line up in agreement with the Word of God on any particular issue, and it's an already done deal.

Sound too simple? It is the only time you'll hear something that "sounds too good to be true" but it really is. 

This revelation will totally change the way most of us pray. Too often we're praying, asking, begging & pleading...sometimes we even put a "if it be your will" in there somewhere.  The Bible is clear in James, if you ask and don't believe, you won't receive anything. The Bible says if WE speak to a mountain and tell it to move...not if we ask Jesus to move our mountain, it will be moved.  What mountains do we speak to? The mountains that don't line up with the will of God.

I pray that you will be blessed today by a new love for the Word of God, and that we'll all be doers and not hearers only. Don't wait for God to move for you, speak His Word out of your mouth and prophesy to your situation. See what amazing thing God will do through your agreement with His Word.