The Beatitudes

Hey yall. I know I've been MIA for a while. My health has not been good, but God has brought me a long way from where I was! I'm so grateful for that. I'm praying to be well enough to make more youtube videos soon. Go ahead and watch some you haven't seen yet from earlier this year: youtube.com/rachelmarieministrie . I have kept up with my instagram the most Go follow me over there: RachelMarieMinistries). I plan to start blogging more again starting with this series and I will also share some updates on my health when I am able. Typing is often a challenge because of the RSD pain in my hands. If you wanna know more about my recent health struggles, look under #RachelMariesStory on IG.

So I feel like the Lord is leading me to share The Beatitudes with yall from Jesus' sermon on the mount. With each post, I will share one verse of it along with a few thoughts to expand on the meaning. So the first one in this series is this:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

- Matthew 5:3 NIV

So what does "poor in spirit" really mean anyway? According to my study, "poor" speaks of a financial state as well as an humble attitude. After my study, I think the New Living Translation most accuratelty portrays the meaning of this verse: “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs."  Lack of money is definitely something that makes one look to God. However, I believe it goes even deeper than that. To be "poor in spirit" is a condition of the heart. It is a heart surrendered to the ways of God, full of humility, recognizing that without Him we are nothing and can do nothing. On the flip side, we know that with Christ, we are co-heirs and that we can do all things through Him. May we be truly surrendered to these truths today and every day.

Rachel Marie

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

Relentless Pursuit

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

- Jeremiah 29:13 NIV

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”

- Matthew 22:37-38 NIV

Our relationship with Jesus should be a relentless pursuit, a passionate pursuit. Jesus should be the love of your life. The song lyrics below perfectly capture what God wants our relationship with Him to look like. If you don't feel this way about your relationship with Jesus, move closer until you do. Walk with Jesus daily in prayer and in the Word, even when you don't "feel" like it. Ask God to give you spiritual tastebuds for His Word and for prayer. As you make this investment with God's help and self-discipline, in time you will feel like you can't function without your time alone with God each day. You will look forward to it. And before you know it, you will be passionately, relentlessly pursuing Jesus.

- Rachel Marie

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It's a relentless pursuit, relentless pursuit

I will not stop chasing after you

It's a relentless pursuit, a passion in pursuit

I will not stop chasing after you

I won't hold anything from you

Every part of me I've surrendered to you

And I am not afraid to run after you, oh

To run with all my strength, run into you

It's a relentless pursuit, relentless pursuit

I will not stop chasing after you

It's a relentless pursuit, a passion in pursuit

I will not stop chasing after you the love of my life

Oh you the love of my life

Oh it's you, you, you, you, you

Of my life

I can't take my eyes off of you

I can't take my mind off of you

I'm hopelessly crazy in love with you, you, you, you

You've taken the keys and you've opened up all of me

And now I'm running, I'm running after you

The love of my life 

Oh you the love of my life

- Kim Walker-Smith, "Relentless Pursuit"

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Dear Heavenly Father, I pray for each person who reads this. I pray they would pursue you passionately. I pray their hearts would leap for joy at the sound of Your Name. I pray their time with you each day will be their favorite time. I pray they would grow closer to You each day. Speak to them through Your Word and let Your ears be attentive to their every prayer. I pray any who aren't saved are released this day from the bondage of sin and released to run after You. I pray each one would be a doer of Your Word, not a hearer only (James 1:22). I pray they would deny themselves, take up their cross daily to follow You (Luke 9:23). I pray they will fall madly in love with you every single day. I pray they seek nothing more than Your Presence and to please you rather than people (Gal. 1:10).

In Jesus' Name.

Amen

May God bless you and your daily effort to relentlessly pursue Jesus with me.

Rachel Marie

A Prayer for the New Year 2016

Just to give you a little background for today's post, in Ezekiel 34, God is calling out the shepherds of Israel for not doing what He called them to do. In verse 4, He says, "The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them (NKJV)". In Israel, the Church was not doing its job. 

As disciples of Christ, we all have an important role to play, whether or not you are specifically called to pulpit ministry. That part is spelled out in Ezekiel 34. How can we do this?

• We can strengthen the weak by encouraging them.
• We can heal the sick by laying hands on them in prayer, taking Jesus at His Word in Mark 16:18,"They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover". Who is "they"? Not just ministers... Jesus said believers (See Mark 16:17-18).
• We can "bind up"or "bandage" the brokenhearted by comforting them and praying for them.
• We "bring back what was driven away" or "bring back the strays (NIV)" by doing what Jesus instructs in Luke 15:3-7. We need to go after those who have walked away from the Lord until we find them and joyfully bring them back into His Presence.
• We need to seek the lost, as Jesus did, for that is the purpose He came for (Luke 19:10). We can do this by sharing the Gospel with them individually, or bringing them to church with us.

God promises in verse 16, "I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice (NIV)". The Amplified Bible explains that the ones He will destroy are those "who have become hardhearted and perverse".

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for your heart of compassion. We repent for the opportunities we have failed to use to search for the lost, bring back those who have strayed,  heal the brokenhearted, and strengthen the weak. Take out our hearts of stone and give us a heart of flesh. Give us hearts filled to overflowing with compassion. Let us make the most of every opportunity you give us to minister to the lost and the hurting. Point out people who need our help, people we can bring your salvation and healing to. Let Ezekiel 34:16 be our description of ministry. Bring this Scripture to life in each of Your willing vessels. May each of us do our part also, to provide food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, and clothes for those who need them. Bless each ministry that does this. Bless each person who contributes to this type of ministry. Help us minister to widows and orphans in their distress and keep ourselves from being polluted by the world, for this is religion you accept as pure and faultless (James 1:27). In 2016, may each member of the Body of Christ fulfill these commandments. May we passionately, relentlessly pursue Jesus every single day of our lives. May we be like Jesus to the least of these.

Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from your relatives who need your help.

- Isaiah 58:7 NLT

Now, take action. Begin to fulfill the Scriptures we discussed in your daily lives in 2016. 

A few thoughts on ways you can help those in need according to Isaiah 58:7:

• Make a monthly donation to a local food ministry in your area and/or volunteer your time to help
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen
• Donate clothes to ministries who provide for those in need
• Start a homeless shelter in your area
• Keep blessing bags in your car with basic necessities in them; hand them out when you see someone in need

Happy New Year! I pray you all have a wonderful year filled with blessings, health, provisions, and spiritual growth :)

You Can Be Fashionable & Modest: the Proof is in the Pics!

I had someone comment on my "Modesty Matters" video and ask if I would be willing to show examples of how I dress modestly. I love dressing modestly AND fashionable, so I would love to show some examples. The keys are: cover-ups, tank tops, and cami secrets. With these tricks, you can make ALMOST any top modest (unless it's too tight or see through). Obviously, cover ups are for anything strapless or spaghetti straps and tank tops/cami secrets are to wear under anything too low cut.

Some of these are not full length, keep in mind that I didn't originally take these photos for this purpose. These are just a few random photos from my 2.5 year ongoing modesty journey :)

High/low skirts are my absolute favorite!! They are modest, stylish, and fun. This shirt is a valuable piece for making other pieces modest or a standalone. You will see it better in the next pic. It blends beautifully under a dress or a shirt that needs adjustments to be modest :)

This dress has spaghetti straps, so I added this beautiful top (ok, for some reason you still can't tell, but there's black jewels all along the top of it). It serves 3 modesty purposes: it covers the back, makes up for the straps that are thin in the dress itself, and covers  he front where the dress was too low... And just for fun: adds a little extra glam :) 

Spaghetti strap high/low dress with cover up

Aztec shirt that was made super short, but added a tank under it and pair it with high/low skirt.

Sequin cami under this dress :)

Added a cami & cami secret to cover the top better with high/low skirt

Sweater cover up: you can use to winterize a summer shirt or one that's not modest by itself. Oh, and meet my Maltese: Barbie :)

Finally found a picture where you can see the details of the shirt in the first 2 pictures. I wore it under this shirtsleeve shirt because the neckline was way too low.

My favorite modesty guidelines are from purefashion.com:

To me, the main rules of thumb from above are that necklines should be no lower than 4 fingers below collarbone, skirts/dresses/shorts should not be shorter than 4 fingers above the kneecap, nothing see through, and a cover up for tanks & halters.

And if you don't know what cami secrets are, they are wonderful when you don't want to add a whole extra layer to be modest in the summer, you simply attach to undergarment and voila, looks like you have on an entire cami! They have these in all different colors (more than what's shown above) and some in animal print. You can buy them online.

I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

1 Timothy 2:9-10 NIV

Note: I don't believe this verse literally means you can't wear jewelry. It just means your beauty should come from your relationship with Christ and the fruit of it.

So.. There you have it. I hope you will all join me in dressing modestly! To find out more about WHY you should dress modestly according to the Bible, watch my video, here: http://youtu.be/z3dM6DiDliI

Jesus Intercedes for God's Children

Photo credit: Sid Roth

El Roi, the God who Sees, never abandons His children. Especially when we feel overwhelmed, overlooked, undervalued, unappreciated, and without hope. He not only sees us but also finds us and intercedes and provides for us.

- Excerpt from First 5

To me, one of the most amazing things about our relationship with the Lord is that we have Jesus AND the Holy Spirit both interceding for us, pleading on our behalf before the Father as we pray (See Romans 8:26, Romans 8:34). That's 2 of the 3 in the Holy Trinity and we already know that as children of God, God is on our side, because He gave up His only Son for us (Romans 8:31, John 3:16).

So, when you get overwhelmed, picture this: Jesus, in all His glory --at the right hand of God, pleading for YOU. :)

More than a Conqueror in Christ,

Rachel Marie

Autumn Leaves

Don't you just love the color of the leaves changing in the fall?

As I sat outside one morning, praying, enjoying the cool breeze, admiring the paints God had chosen for the leaves, He brought my mind back to a quote I read the night before. It read, "It's funny how beautiful autumn is when everything is dying".

Allow the green leaves represent the unsaved and the autumn leaves represent the saved. 

As Christians, we are to die to ourselves and live for Him. Just as the leaves are most beautiful as they are dying, we are the most beautiful to God when we die to ourselves.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

- Galatians 2:20 NIV

What's one way you can die to yourself today?

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To read more Bible Verses on dying to self, living for Him, hover over the below Scripture references:

Ephesians 4:22-24

Luke 9:23

John 3:10

Photo credit: Memogram, instawrite

He's Waiting for You

God devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from Him.

- 2 Samuel 14:14d NLT 

How amazing is this? When we are separated from God because of sin, He is in Heaven making plans to bring you back to Him. I mean, seriously, think about that. When you've messed up, while you're beating yourself up, thinking about how you missed it (when you need to just repent, turn from it, and RETURN TO HIM)... God is considering how He can win you back. It may be with that still small voice He uses to speak to you. It may be a song, a sermon, a friend or family member that brings you back to Him. How beautiful it is that He relentlessly pursues us because He is crazy in love with us.

So.. If you've walked away from God, willfully or ignorantly, run back into His Presence right now. Repent. Then let the rays of His glorious presence make you whole. What are you waiting for? He's waiting for you....

Rachel Marie

God is Calling You to Himself

Faithful is He who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].
- 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (AMP)

Wow. Just let that sink in for a moment. God is calling YOU to Himself.

Maybe you've turned your back on God. Maybe you have never come to Him at all. Maybe you think you have messed up too bad, done too much wrong. Maybe you've been rejected and abandoned by so many people, you can't imagine why a holy, flawless God would want you.

But He does. God did not create one single person He did not want a personal relationship with. Let me reiterate: Faithful is He Who is calling you to Himself. Yes, you!

Maybe you're thinking.. "What if I'm addicted to drugs? Porn? Gambling?.... What if I've committed adultery? Been divorced? Had sex outside of marriage? Practiced homosexuality? Prostitution?"

Allow me to let you in on a little secret: No matter what you've done, if you come to God, He will make you whiter than snow. Yes, all of the above are sins. The wages of sin is death (hell- see Romans 6:23). BUT GOD.. sent His son Jesus.. to condemn sin in the flesh... to pay the price once and for all for your sins so that YOU might be saved. You can come to Him, repent, and turn from your sin today and start a new life. You don't have to clean your life up BEFORE you come to Jesus. Come to Jesus as you are and He will help you clean your life up. Without sin, we wouldn't be in need of a Savior. Fact is, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Without Jesus, every single one of us would be headed straight to hell, myself included. Jesus has the power to set you free from any and all of the sins listed above, and any of the ones I failed to mention.

"Come now, let's settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool."
-- Isaiah 1:18 (NLT)

Jesus was questioned by the "religious people" of His day for hanging out with the drunks, the tax collectors, the "especially wicked sinners (AMP)". His reply was that, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" (Matt. 9:12). Jesus came for people exactly like this to bring salvation.

Guess who anointed Jesus with her alabaster box? A sinful woman. Because of her repentance, her many sins were forgiven. She had such a beautiful, unbridled worship of our Lord Jesus, as she washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. I imagine that out of gratefulness, she lived a life filled with dedication to Jesus, after this encounter. Jesus said, "Whoever is forgiven little loves little (Luke 7:37b)". We know that this woman was forgiven much and loved much.

Jesus deliberately went through Samaria In John 4 to meet the woman at the well. Her background? Previously, she had 5 husbands and at the time of her encounter with Jesus, she was shacking up. He sought out this woman to save her and set her free. Through her testimony, many others came to hear Him and were saved.

Paul killed Christians prior to His encounter with Jesus. He ended up leading many to Christ, as well as writing 13 books of the Bible. Clayton Jennings puts it like this: "I serve the same God who turned a killer into an Apostle". This same God is calling on you today.

Jesus already paid the price for your salvation. The only question is: Are you willing to accept it?

10) And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and [especially wicked] sinners came and sat (reclined) with Him and His disciples. 

11) And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and those [preeminently] sinful? 

12) But when Jesus heard it, He replied, Those who are strong and well (healthy) have no need of a physician, but those who are weak and sick. 

13) Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy [that is, readiness to help those in trouble] and not sacrifice and sacrificial victims. For I came not to call and invite [to repentance] the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), but sinners (the erring ones and all those not free from sin).

- Matthew 9:10-13 (AMP)

Find Your Identity in Christ

Have you ever been called names? I know I have. Maybe no one's been criticizing you lately. Maybe YOU have been the one putting your own self down.

In Daniel 1, when the Jews are deported to Babylon, one of the first things they do is change the names of Daniel and his friends. Identity theft is a common scam today, but in Daniel's case, they desired to steal their identity and faith in God. They were determined to force them to serve pagan gods.

In a She Reads Truth devotion, I saw this chart that depicts the original name and meaning of their names, as well as what their names were changed to. Below is an excerpt from Raechel Myers on it.

Each of the four Jewish exiles were given names by their fathers which relate with the one, true God. But, as a part of their acculturation—in order to make them forget the God of their fathers—the chief official gave them new names that reject their upbringing and instead savor the idolatry of false gods.

Of course translations of the names will vary slightly from commentary to commentary, but look at the wildly intentional similarities! Matthew Henry says the name changes were intended to “wean them from the [religion of their fathers] and instill [that of their conquerors] into them.”

- Raechel Myers in Daniel via She Reads Truth

Your identity is not based on financial status, your career, your education, your race, your height, your weight, or anything else. Just like we see vividly in Daniel, it is not about what people call you. It's not even about who you call yourself. It is about who you are in Christ.

In Christ, you are forgiven, loved, treasured. You are a child of the King. You are whiter than snow (Is. 1:18, Ps. 51:7). You are healed and made whole (1 Pt. 2:24, Is. 53:5). You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14). You are more than a conqueror in Christ (Rom. 8:37).

In Daniel, it is clear that their name changes did not affect their character or their devotion to God. Their minds are made up that they are going to serve God no matter what the cost. Have you?

Thought for the Day: Decide today to focus on who the King of kings says you are, not the opinions of mere human beings made of dust. 

More than a Conquer in Christ,
Rachel Marie

Father, I thank You that You have heard Me

41) “So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42) I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43) When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44) The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.””

- John 11:41-44 (NIV)

While Lazarus was STILL dead, Jesus thanked God for hearing Him. After praying for something we know is Scripturally promised to us, like salvation, healing, deliverance, etc., we can say in faith BEFORE we see the answer, "Father, I thank You that You have heard me", as Jesus did. So we can certainly thank God for hearing us before we feel delivered, before we feel healed, before we see the answer, for we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

Look Like Love

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. 

- John 3:30 (NLT)

When Jesus becomes greater in us, we begin to look like love.

As He becomes greater inside of us, we aim to please Him and not ourselves. We seek His will and not our own. We develop in the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 

- Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

A couple months ago, my mom saw this on facebook and shared it witih me. It gave me a totally different perspective on this Scripture. We are all familiar with the "Love Chapter" in the Bible, frequently read at weddings. But this perspective challenged me:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
- 1 Cor. 13:4-6 (NIV)

We should consider this Scripture daily and keep it in the front of our minds. This is a mirror to show us what we look like spiritually-- we can easily see what areas are our strengths and what areas we need to work on. Think on this Scripture each morning and ask God to help you “look like love”

My purpose of sharing this is to challenge you to become more like Jesus. When you subsittue your own name, you can easily see what areas you need to work on (Oh yeah, I was convicted when I inserted mine!) It is also good to insert the name of the person you're in a relationship with. This can be very eye opening to the character of others, as well as our own character. Don't get overwhelmed by this list. Joyce Meyer simplifies our walk with God and all that it entails by "walking in love".

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

- Ephesians 5:2 (ESV)

As the definition of love is evident in our lives, our light will shine brightly for Jesus. We will be humble, not arrogant. We will be servants, not demanding to be served. Jesus Christ humbled Himself before God. He came down from Heaven… if the Son of God left His comfort zone, how much more does He desire that we leave ours? He calls us to committed, not comfortable. Jesus left Heaven, where He was constantly praised and acknowledge to be despised, rejected, beaten, humiliated, and hung on a cross. He came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). I love the way Kimberly Jones-Pothier puts it, Jesus got off His throne and went to the cross. Jesus humbled Himself before God in doing this. Then, God exalted Him when He was resurrected. 

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

- Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)

I pray we have the humble attitude of the tax collector, not the Pharisee.


In humility, Jesus calls us to take up our cross, deny ourselves and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). We die to ourselves and our own desires to live for Him. Yes, Psalm 37:4 says He will give us the desires of our hearts if we delight ourselves in Him. However, as we grow closer to Him, His desires become our desires. As we die to ourselves, we make room for more of Him. We have to put off the old self & put on the new self: 

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires: to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 

- Ephesians 4:22-24

Put off impatience, rudeness, envy, boasting, arrogance, rudeness, selfishness, and unforgiveness to stay afloat on the ship to the place God is taking us. 
As we draw near to Jesus, there will be no room for jealousy, boasting, pride, and self-centered ways.

P. S. - Yes, I got the title for this message from Britt Nicole's song, "Look Like Love". 

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Facebook.com/RachelMarieMinistries

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Are you putting God in a box?

They spoke against God; 
they said, "Can God really spread a table in the wilderness? 
True, he struck the rock, and water gushed out, 
streams flowed abundantly, but can he also give us bread?
Can he supply meat for his people?"
- Psalm 78:19-20 (NIV)

They even spoke against God himself, saying,
"God can't give us food in the wilderness.
Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out,
but he can't give his people bread and meat."
- Psalm 78:19 (NLT)

It's easy to read this Scripture and think WHAT?? The Israelites have seen God do many signs and wonders to deliver them from Egypt, part the Red Sea, guide them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire by night, split open rocks in the wilderness to give them water as abundant as the seas, and fed them with the bread of angels (see Psalm 78). Even after seeing all this, they still limit God? They still doubt His ability? They still doubt that He cares for them? Seriously?? The Israelites trust in God was limited. As many do today, they put God in a box saying, "This is what God can do; this is what He cannot do".

How often do we do this? Not necessarily with our words but with our attitudes and actions. When we take a step back, it's easy to see that we are not so different from the Israelites today. In Philippians 4:19, God promises to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus. Not only is it a promise in His Word (which should be reason enough to believe it!), but you have seen Him supply your needs 1,000 times (okay, if you're honest, more times than you could count), yet you still worry that somehow this time will be different-- that somehow God will fail you, that He won't come through this time. You believe God has saved you but you don't believe He will heal you. You believe God has redeemed you from eternal damnation, but you don't believe He desires for you to have a more abundantly life, that His plans are to prosper you and not to harm you. God has healed your body, but you struggle to believe He will heal your broken heart. You believe God created you, but you don't believe you're beautiful. God has brought you through things time and time again, but you just don't believe He will do it one more time. You believe God is bigger than your problems but you insist on carrying the burden yourself-- burdens you were never meant to carry. 

Why do we limit God? Why do we tend to have this "God can do this, not that" mindset? We have to cast down imaginations and every lofty thing that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and take captive EVERY THOUGHT and make it obedient to Christ (See 2 Cor. 5:10).

We learn from Mark 11:24 that we have to believe BEFORE we receive. 1) Ask. 2) Believe. 3) Receive. We have to believe not just that He can, but that He will. We have to build our faith by hearing the Word (See Romans 10:17). Stay in His Word daily. Listen to Bible-based preaching often! Build yourself up in the Word to keep the faith!

So as you face your current "impossible" situation, take time to reflect on what He's already done for you. Won't He do it again? His mercies? New every morning.

Trust God. Stop limiting what God wants to do in your life with your lack of belief.. Let God out of the box in your mind and see the power He will unleash in your life.


Scripture Reading:

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

- Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

...for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me? 

- Hebrews 13:5-6 (AMP)

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

- 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. 

- Isaiah 53:4-5 (AMP)

This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.” 

- Matthew 8:17 (NLT)

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

- John 10:10 (KJV)

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

- Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 

- Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

- Psalm 147:3 (NIV)

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

- Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

- Psalm 68:19 (AMP)

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

- Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)

Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).

- Psalm 55:22 (AMP)

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

- John 14:27 (AMP)

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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.

- 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

- 2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV)

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Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

- Mark 11:24 (NIV)

God is Faithful,

Rachel Marie

Begin Again

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

- 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

No matter who you are or what you've done, if you repent, turn from your sin and make CHRIST your Savior, you will become new! Spiritually, you're an entirely new person! You are reconciled to God! The blood of Christ wipes away all the mistakes of your past! GOD LOVES EVERYONE! GOD IS LOVE, but He is also just. If you don't repent and turn from sin and begin a relationship with Jesus, hell is your eternal destination. Being a "good person" doesn't get you into Heaven. God judges you based on HIS STANDARDS not yours! The Bible says ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD! The wages of sin is death (hell). But you can Begin Again & start a relationship with Christ. Right now, wherever you are you can pray something like this, "God, I confess that I'm a sinner. I repent of my sins. I believe that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die for my sins and that You raised Him from the dead. Teach me Your ways so I can live a life that pleases You. In Jesus' Name. Amen." Begin to seek God daily in His Word (a good place to start is in the book of John) & in prayer. Find out what His Word says & LIVE BY IT! 

GO AND SIN NO MORE

In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. 

- Romans 1:27-32 (NIV)

Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God wants those who are practicing homosexuality to come to Him, repent, and turn from their sin. He loves them and wants them to come to them just like the woman who was caught in the act of adultery in John 8 and would say to them "GO AND SIN NO MORE (John 8:11)".

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 

- 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NLT)

** If you are living the kind of life listed above, Heaven is not your eternal destination, hell is because the Bible says the wages sin is death (hell) but if you come to Jesus and turn from your sin, you can be cleansed as verse 11 explains:

Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 

- 1 Corinthians 6:11 (NLT)

THE TRUTH ABOUT PAUL'S THORN

Many people use “Paul’s Thorn” to use against healing. Let's see what the Bible says about it:

 

2 Corinthians 12:7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

*The Bible tells us exactly what Paul’s Thorn was. It was a messenger of Satan, not a sickness.

 

In “Christ the Healer” by F. F. Bosworth, he states, “The expression thorn in the flesh is not once used in either the Old or New Testament EXCEPT as an illustration. The figure of the thorn in the flesh is not in one single instance used in the Bible as a figure of sickness. Every time, the expression was used in the entire Bible, it is specifically stated what the thorn in the flesh was.” Bosworth continues by pointing this out in Numbers 33:55 and Joshua 23:13, as well.

Numbers 33:55 (KJV) But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which yet let remain of them shall be PRICKS IN YOUR EYES, and THORNS IN YOUR sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

Bosworth points out: “The pricks in the eyes” and “thorns in the sides” of the Israelites were inhabitants of Canaan, not eye trouble or sickness. God was only using an illustration. Again, in Joshua 23:13, the Lord says of the Canaanites, “they shall be… scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes”. Again, the scourges in their eyes and thorns in their sides are the Canaanites.

 

Looking back at 2nd Corinthians 12:7, Paul specifically says that his thorn was a messenger of Satan, sent to buffet him. Bosworth concludes this portion of his sermon on Paul’s Thorn by saying, “Since Paul specifically says that his “thorn”was a messenger of Satan, sent to buffet him and make trouble for him wherever he went, why should we say it was something else?”

For the rest of Bosworth's sermon, read the 14th chapter of Christ the Healer (this book can be found on amazon). Jesus healed me when I read this book. For more on healing, check out the follow videos on my YouTube: MY HEALING TESTIMONY, JESUS HEALS, & JESUS STILL HEALS EVERY SICKNESS & EVERY DISEASE. My YouTube channel is "Rachel Marie Ministries", or click the above tab "My YouTube". Most importantly, if you need healing, read through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John in the Bible). All through the Gospels, Jesus was moved with compassion for the sick & He healed them. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God revealed His will through the life of Jesus, so the best way to find out God's will is to read what Jesus did in His life on earth! He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposes in Christ (Ephesians 1:9).