Are You Prepared For Your Journey?

We need to arise from our "slumber" and "feed" more on the Word of God, or the journey ahead will be too much for us. Without feeding on the Word of God daily, we will not have the strength to stand against temptation, to stand for Christ in these last days, to be an effective witness, or endure the trials we go through in life. Our strength, joy, and refreshment is found in our time alone with the Lord. We must diligently seek Him daily in prayer and in the Word. We make time for what is important to us. So, if your relationship with God is important to you, you will make time for Him. Remember, if you have time for social media, you have time to read your Bible.

- Rachel Marie

Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.

- 1 Kings 19:3-8 NLT

What Are You Listening To?

First, I would like to begin by saying until the last year or so, I did not realize the importance of not listening to secular music. I was very much in love with Jesus, but did not understand my music habits had to change. As I got closer to Jesus over the years, my choice in music did gradually refine over time (VERY VERY VERY SLOWLY: I am embarrassed to even think about the trashy lyrics I used to listen to. The thought literally makes me shudder!) Still, though I began to listen to cleaner genre's of music.. It still just shifts your focus way too much. I am proud to be able to say that for 1 year and 3 months now, I have been listening to worship music ONLY (with the exception of one secular concert I attended last October- 1 year ago.. This artist was much cleaner than most and had no curse words in his lyrics.. but still.. secular music shifts your focus in the wrong direction). God also had to work with me this year on changing the shows I was "obsessed" with watching each week and what my "favorite movies" were. Let me explain further:


AS LONG AS YOU HOLD ONTO YOUR MUSIC (or movies, tv shows, or books) THAT GLORIFIES SINFUL THINGS: drinking, drugs, premarital sex, revenge, etc.. YOU ARE ROBBING YOURSELF CONSTANTLY of GOING INTO A DEEPER, MORE COMFORTING, ALL-CONSUMING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.  You are holding yourself BACK from BEING FREE with every song, note, lyric, word (or movie scene) you pour into your heart that rips the seeds of Life (the Word of God) out of you. You are CONSTANTLY KEEPING GOD AT ARM'S LENGTH until you surrender every area  of your life, every part of yourself to HIM. You may be "pouring out" to God in prayer and then turning around and TURNING UP to the tunes of this world! You may have let "worldly things" become an "idol" that you turn to for comfort instead of giving it ALL to GOD.

"As he thinketh in his heart, so is he"

Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

What you choose to listen to, watch, and read has a great impact on what you think about. Tell me how your music does not make you think that drinking alcohol, smoking, and partying is the only way to have a good time. That's exactly the devil's plan: to use whatever social media, music, shows, movies, and books to make you think "sinning" is the only way to have fun. Tell me your music does not make you think you are "nothing" if you are not in love and living out your "happily ever after". Tell me your music does not make you drown in your heartache day in and day out. OR here's the big one:

Tell me your music talks about Jesus and church...... But does it not also talk about a cold beer in the same exact song??????

Yeah... try to tell me that you feel the Presence of the Holy Spirit while you listen to that? Or while you watch [this show] or [that movie] or [read that book].

This leads people to think you can "live like the world" but still love the Lord. That is not at all what the Bible teaches. Satan is teaching such thinks to deceive. Satan is the father of lies, as Jesus tells us in the Bible.

Secular music, tv, books make you think of sin as fun and/or sulk in your problems... as opposed to the awesome reality of how fun it is to have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and live in & for God... and as opposed to "delighting in God's Law" like King David... as opposed to letting God "heal your broken heart" like He wants to. Worship music turns your eyes away from your problems and onto our loving LORD and Savior: JESUS CHRIST.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 23:7 that we think in our hearts, is who we really are. So, be careful with whatever you "plant" into your mind... that is what will "grow" the thoughts that will lead to the "harvest" of who you really, truly are. So, make whatever changes you need to make to plant godly thoughts in your heart :) I made the change. The question is: Will You?

In God's Infinite, All-Consuming Love,

Rachel Marie

CHALLENGE

CHALLENGE: I would like to challenge each and every one of you to pray/read Psalm 91 aloud daily as a prayer for our Brothers and Sisters in Christ who are enduring severe persecution. Psalm 91 is the Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God and claims protections and deliverance over those of us who have made The Lord our refuge. I urge whoever will commit to doing this daily. There is immense power in praying Scripture. Let's pray this Scripture daily for our Sisters and Brothers in Christ.

You know you would want others doing this for you, if you were one of them.

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High 

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; 

My God, in Him I will trust.” 

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 

He shall cover you with His feathers, 

And under His wings you shall take refuge; 

His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, 

Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, 

Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 

A thousand may fall at your side, 

And ten thousand at your right hand; 

But it shall not come near you. 

Only with your eyes shall you look, 

And see the reward of the wicked. 

Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, 

Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 

No evil shall befall you, 

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 

For He shall give His angels charge over you, 

To keep you in all your ways.

In their hands they shall bear you up, 

Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 

You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, 

The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. 

“Because he has set his love upon Me, 

therefore I will deliver him; 

I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 

He shall call upon Me, 

and I will answer him; 

I will be with him in trouble;

 I will deliver him and honor him.

 With long life I will satisfy him, 

And show him My salvation.” 

 - Psalm 91 (NKJV)

Rachel Marie