By Kathy Smith
You are an extraordinary person, made in the very image and likeness of God. You are His special treasure, hidden in an earthen vessel. He has given unto you all the power and authority over all the power of the enemy. You, dear child of God, have a wealthy Daddy. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He spoke and the whole universe was established! He exhaled and the stars slipped into place. What an awesome God we serve. Beside Him there is no other!
In light of these facts, does it not seem incredible that many in the body of Christ are weak, sick and poor? Why you might ask? Knowledge is power, but not knowing who you are can make you weak. You could have untold wealth and power, but if you did not know you had it, nor knew how to access it, it would be worthless to you. Having a million dollars in the bank in your name would be worthless to you if you did not know you had it. Many in the body of Christ are living on less than God’s best. Why? They simply have no idea who they are or the power they have in the name of Jesus. I call it a spiritual identity crisis.
We are extraordinary people. We were made in the very image and likeness of God himself. We are extraordinary, not because of who we are, or what we have done, but because of who we are in Him. Christ in us is the hope of glory.
Who are you?
If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior you are:
A member of the blood-bought Church, saved and sanctified.
It is God’s promise to fill you with the Holy Ghost!
You are kings and priests.
You are members of a royal priesthood.
You are heirs... joint heirs with Christ.
You are seated in heavenly places with Him.
You are overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony.
You are the head and not the tail.
You are above and not beneath.
You are victors and not victims.
You are blessed and not cursed.
You are well and not sick.
You are rich and not poor.
You are the children of God, made in his very image and likeness.
YOU Are Extraordinary!
Hope Floats
By Kathy Smith
“Lay hold of your hope, it keeps you afloat, in the midst of life’s storms.”
The poorest person on the face of the earth is the one who has no hope. The person who has no hope, also has no dream. What is hope? Is it not the earnest expectation of our dreams and desires?
The Message Bible says, “ I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out — plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else,” Jeremiah 29:11-13.
Even before God knit you together in your mother’s womb, He knew you. Embedded in the fibers of your being is the hope of God for you in the form of dreams and desires. It is your spiritual DNA. He knows the plans He has for you; He created you for a purpose. You are no accident. God does not have accidents, and He makes no mistakes. You are special, you are extraordinary, and you are unique. The dreams and desires stirring in your spirit are the hope of God for your future.
We all have days, and sometimes even months, when it seems like nothing is going right, when it seems that everything and anything that could go wrong has gone wrong. Nothing you put your hand to turns out right. Where do you turn?
Have you ever tried to mix oil and water? They simply don’t mix. So it is with hope and adversity... they don’t mix; oil will always float to the top. And so it is with hope, in the midst of the storms and in the midst of the trials, hope always floats. It’s like a life preserver that keeps you from sinking. Just remember to lay hold of your hope and hang on.
Hebrews 6:18-19 says, " That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast..."
What is hope? It is our built-in homing beacon which motivates and propels us toward our expected end, the purpose that God Himself formed and created us to fulfill. If we will pursue our hopes and dreams, we will discover the purpose of God for our life.
Dreams and desires give birth to hope, but it is faith that gives hope substance. Hebrews 11:1 tell us, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
So if it is faith that gives our hopes and dreams substance, then it is love that acts as a catalyst to our faith to make it manifest. Our hopes and dreams are given substance by faith, and activated by love. If faith were the flour in bread dough, then love is the yeast that makes it rise.
"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love," Galatians 5:6.
If I were to ask you what is a cake made of, you might say flour, sugar, and eggs. Just as cake is not a cake until you put all the ingredients together and allow it to bake...
So a dream is
NOT a reality
Until it is conceived in hope,
Given substance by faith,
And birthed by love.
“Lay hold of your hope, it keeps you afloat, in the midst of life’s storms.”
The poorest person on the face of the earth is the one who has no hope. The person who has no hope, also has no dream. What is hope? Is it not the earnest expectation of our dreams and desires?
The Message Bible says, “ I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out — plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else,” Jeremiah 29:11-13.
Even before God knit you together in your mother’s womb, He knew you. Embedded in the fibers of your being is the hope of God for you in the form of dreams and desires. It is your spiritual DNA. He knows the plans He has for you; He created you for a purpose. You are no accident. God does not have accidents, and He makes no mistakes. You are special, you are extraordinary, and you are unique. The dreams and desires stirring in your spirit are the hope of God for your future.
We all have days, and sometimes even months, when it seems like nothing is going right, when it seems that everything and anything that could go wrong has gone wrong. Nothing you put your hand to turns out right. Where do you turn?
Have you ever tried to mix oil and water? They simply don’t mix. So it is with hope and adversity... they don’t mix; oil will always float to the top. And so it is with hope, in the midst of the storms and in the midst of the trials, hope always floats. It’s like a life preserver that keeps you from sinking. Just remember to lay hold of your hope and hang on.
Hebrews 6:18-19 says, " That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast..."
What is hope? It is our built-in homing beacon which motivates and propels us toward our expected end, the purpose that God Himself formed and created us to fulfill. If we will pursue our hopes and dreams, we will discover the purpose of God for our life.
Dreams and desires give birth to hope, but it is faith that gives hope substance. Hebrews 11:1 tell us, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
So if it is faith that gives our hopes and dreams substance, then it is love that acts as a catalyst to our faith to make it manifest. Our hopes and dreams are given substance by faith, and activated by love. If faith were the flour in bread dough, then love is the yeast that makes it rise.
"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love," Galatians 5:6.
If I were to ask you what is a cake made of, you might say flour, sugar, and eggs. Just as cake is not a cake until you put all the ingredients together and allow it to bake...
So a dream is
NOT a reality
Until it is conceived in hope,
Given substance by faith,
And birthed by love.
The Cost of Following Him
By Judy Cheetham
There is indeed a great cost for choosing to follow our Messiah, Jesus Christ; however, when we first chose to follow Him, did we really know what that price would be?
I can personally say I did not know. I remember hearing the gospel over sixteen years ago. Never once did anyone tell me that the decision to follow Him would cost me nearly everything that I held dear.
No one rushed to point out what Jesus said in Mathew 10:22:
I am not sure one really considers the sacrifices that they will need to make or the persecution it will bring them when they hand their life over to the Savior. However, as our journey in Christ deepens, we begin to realize how heavy the cross is that we are required to carry.
The weight of this cross meant I would suffer rejection from family members and friends. I no longer receive phone calls from siblings just to chat, nor is my home a place where frequent stops are made by family and friends as it once was. Most of them say, “You’re in over your head” and that I have become fanatical about Jesus.
Well, they are right; I am fanatical about my Savior, but are we not supposed to be this way? Should not our love for Him be this great?
I do not agree that I am “in over my head,” because I so desperately long to go deeper still in this relationship with Him. Jesus said in Luke 14:26:
Therefore, instead of just acting fanatical about my Savior, I am actually being obedient unto my Lord and putting Him first in my life over all things, including family, friends and the desires of my flesh.
This transformation did not happen to me overnight. In fact, I sadly admit it took many years for me to reach this point in my life. It was not until I was filled with the Holy Spirit that I began to slowly die to myself. The more I removed the things of this world out of my life, the more room there was for Jesus to take over. The more He took over, the deeper my love for him grew. However, the more I grow in Him, the greater the persecution I face from family and friends. A famous hymn states exactly how I feel about this transformation in my life:
When we examine ourselves, we should be able to see the radical changes that have taken place in our lives. We should be experiencing persecution and rejection from our family and friends.
However, if we have not experienced either of these and if our life has not been significantly changed from what it was previously, then we must ask ourselves, “Have I truly made Him the focus of my life?”
It is when we allow Him to sit in the driver’s seat of our lives that we experience the cost. As followers of our precious Savior, let us be set apart from this world and make Jesus the priority of our life. If we will be obedient, put our hand to the plow and never look back, making it all about Him and not about us, then we can be filled with His perfect peace and unspeakable joy.
I have learned that the more I empty this vessel of mine and allow Him to fill the empty space, the more I will be able to stand the testing for His name’s sake. I do not consider any of the things I have left behind to be a sacrifice, because I have gained so much in return. I am not less than I was before, but rather more than I was before. Every breath I take I strive to make for Him and with Him. When we give ourselves over wholly to our Lord, we are giving Him the honor and glory He truly deserves. Therefore, let us be fanatical about Jesus; let us become obsessed with our King. In return, the reward will greatly exceed the cost of following Him.
In His Love,
Judy Cheetham
There is indeed a great cost for choosing to follow our Messiah, Jesus Christ; however, when we first chose to follow Him, did we really know what that price would be?
I can personally say I did not know. I remember hearing the gospel over sixteen years ago. Never once did anyone tell me that the decision to follow Him would cost me nearly everything that I held dear.
No one rushed to point out what Jesus said in Mathew 10:22:
“You will be hated by all for My name’s sake,” (NKJV)or in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 12:51-52 when He also said:
“Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three” (NKJV).
I am not sure one really considers the sacrifices that they will need to make or the persecution it will bring them when they hand their life over to the Savior. However, as our journey in Christ deepens, we begin to realize how heavy the cross is that we are required to carry.
The weight of this cross meant I would suffer rejection from family members and friends. I no longer receive phone calls from siblings just to chat, nor is my home a place where frequent stops are made by family and friends as it once was. Most of them say, “You’re in over your head” and that I have become fanatical about Jesus.
Well, they are right; I am fanatical about my Savior, but are we not supposed to be this way? Should not our love for Him be this great?
I do not agree that I am “in over my head,” because I so desperately long to go deeper still in this relationship with Him. Jesus said in Luke 14:26:
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”The word “hate” in this passage does not mean to literally hate these people or yourself. Its translation comes from the Greek word miseo, which means “to love less” (Carroll Roberson, The Christ, His Miracles, His Ministry, His Mission, 2005.)
Therefore, instead of just acting fanatical about my Savior, I am actually being obedient unto my Lord and putting Him first in my life over all things, including family, friends and the desires of my flesh.
This transformation did not happen to me overnight. In fact, I sadly admit it took many years for me to reach this point in my life. It was not until I was filled with the Holy Spirit that I began to slowly die to myself. The more I removed the things of this world out of my life, the more room there was for Jesus to take over. The more He took over, the deeper my love for him grew. However, the more I grow in Him, the greater the persecution I face from family and friends. A famous hymn states exactly how I feel about this transformation in my life:
Turn your eyes upon JesusDoes this hymn reflect the transformation you have also experienced?
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
in the light of his Glory and Grace
(Helen H. Lemmel, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” 1922. Retrieved from library.timlesstruth.org).
When we examine ourselves, we should be able to see the radical changes that have taken place in our lives. We should be experiencing persecution and rejection from our family and friends.
However, if we have not experienced either of these and if our life has not been significantly changed from what it was previously, then we must ask ourselves, “Have I truly made Him the focus of my life?”
It is when we allow Him to sit in the driver’s seat of our lives that we experience the cost. As followers of our precious Savior, let us be set apart from this world and make Jesus the priority of our life. If we will be obedient, put our hand to the plow and never look back, making it all about Him and not about us, then we can be filled with His perfect peace and unspeakable joy.
I have learned that the more I empty this vessel of mine and allow Him to fill the empty space, the more I will be able to stand the testing for His name’s sake. I do not consider any of the things I have left behind to be a sacrifice, because I have gained so much in return. I am not less than I was before, but rather more than I was before. Every breath I take I strive to make for Him and with Him. When we give ourselves over wholly to our Lord, we are giving Him the honor and glory He truly deserves. Therefore, let us be fanatical about Jesus; let us become obsessed with our King. In return, the reward will greatly exceed the cost of following Him.
In His Love,
Judy Cheetham
Help! I’m a Woman in Ministry!
By Karen Jones
This is not a devotional about women pastors/ministers, but women in ministry. I believe that if you are a woman that is a Christ-follower, then you are a woman in ministry.
I am not called to preach, but I am called to speak into the lives of people. I am a wife to a pastor/minister... BUT I am not a “two for one” special; unfortunately, this is the only job it seems people try to make a requirement! :) I am a woman in ministry!
Four Priorities I Live By:
God First
My relationship with Him is first. I cannot depend on my spouse’s relationship with God. That’s not his responsibility to me; it’s mine!
Spouse Second
My “hunka-hunka-burnin’ love.” He is my most important human relationship! No one else should be able to make him feel loved like I can.
Kids Third
My/Our most important and utmost responsibility besides honoring God and each other is our kids! We must let them see and experience what it means to have a daily walk with God and what marriage should look like and be like. Whether you like it or not, you are training your children about these two things, good or bad.
Career/Ministry Fourth
Yep, it’s the last on the list and it has to stay there. This doesn’t mean I don’t care; it just means I care more about the other three priorities above it. If I will keep the other three in order, this fourth one will just fall into place.
If you don’t believe in this set of priorities, you must understand that they are biblical. God himself set it up this way. If you don’t believe me, take it up with Him!
This is not a devotional about women pastors/ministers, but women in ministry. I believe that if you are a woman that is a Christ-follower, then you are a woman in ministry.
I am not called to preach, but I am called to speak into the lives of people. I am a wife to a pastor/minister... BUT I am not a “two for one” special; unfortunately, this is the only job it seems people try to make a requirement! :) I am a woman in ministry!
Four Priorities I Live By:
God First
My relationship with Him is first. I cannot depend on my spouse’s relationship with God. That’s not his responsibility to me; it’s mine!
Spouse Second
My “hunka-hunka-burnin’ love.” He is my most important human relationship! No one else should be able to make him feel loved like I can.
Kids Third
My/Our most important and utmost responsibility besides honoring God and each other is our kids! We must let them see and experience what it means to have a daily walk with God and what marriage should look like and be like. Whether you like it or not, you are training your children about these two things, good or bad.
Career/Ministry Fourth
Yep, it’s the last on the list and it has to stay there. This doesn’t mean I don’t care; it just means I care more about the other three priorities above it. If I will keep the other three in order, this fourth one will just fall into place.
If you don’t believe in this set of priorities, you must understand that they are biblical. God himself set it up this way. If you don’t believe me, take it up with Him!
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