Karen Rowe of Hope in Today Ministries is filling in for Pastor Dewey today.
Good day to you! This is Karen Rowe; and Praise God and thanks be to Jesus together with FGGAM and Hope in Today Ministries, I offer this fresh Cup of the Lord to you …1st to the Lord; and for your pleasure and joy. I pray this is a blessing from the Lord within the writings of DDC to you! Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:2).
2John1:2 for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:
3Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
I have been quietly praying for you –the DDC readers for some time; especially for this Cup today and what you needed to hear from the Lord to say. My heart always strives to give you a fresh cup! Today the Lord has revealed to me to talk about control.
Our human nature wants control. But the Lord reminds us that we are not in control –HE IS! So, at this time of the year especially, expectations begin to be formed. Think about that!
We, in our human nature try –and try to get things just right! For ourselves –and at this time of the year also for others! After all, the world has assigned expectations to us all –whether we admit it or not; we are human; and the world affects us on some level emotionally to get our mind under its control.
Let us pray
Dear Father, Help me do your work through me at my expense. Father, thank you for this day! Help us to see that you simply desire for us to rejoice and be glad in Today –not broken by yesterday and not drained by tomorrow, but simply resting in our assurance of hope that is found in your Grace by our faith. Help us rest in our assurance of Peace with the JOY in Jesus to know that we only have to meet our assignments from you and to rest in your love –trusting you dear Father and following your precious Son! Thank you for powerfully transforming us by your grace that is found in your dear Holy Spirit! Help me deliver your message and help us hear your words; not mine. Bring understanding to our hearts and forgiveness to our souls. Pour your love internally into the heart and soul and mind of each reader right now to rest in the certainty of your anointed love! We are made to be your ambassadors, who choose to walk in the power of your love –help us learn; deliver us from evil and lead us not into temptation for Thine is the power and the glory and the KINGDOM Forever and ever –under your Control, Father God. Amen.
If you are reading this then you have survived Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and are on route to New Year’s Day, but all that matters to the heart of your day –really is Today!
Think about the notions of control that the world has assigned to each day! Now, who can measure up? Perhaps you did this year, but what happens when things change? Will change(s) in tradition affect your day?
This year for me was more like when I was a child, than any year since that year when my dad had me looking out the window in awe of Creation! I looked at God’s Creation with a child’s innocent and believing eyes that knew God’s Creation was made with a built in respect to honor our God! I looked out the window believing that Creation would eventually bow to honor our Savior and Lord! I marveled at God’s Creation believing that God is in Control of all things!
I stood in awe and wonder pondering the amazing wonder and power of God! In anticipation of hoping to see even Creation honoring our Savior by bowing in honor of the King!
This humbling internal beauty flooded my soul this year as we entertained a stranger for four hours on Christmas Eve.
The night was different than I had planned or prepared for –but not a surprise to the Lord!
At the end of the night –spiritually, more had happened than I can know! More was accomplished that didn’t need me; and the Spirit of Christ was in full bloom! But in my human eyes –I wondered why? What just happened? What was the Lord’s message to our family this Christmas?
Robert, my husband said, “Karen, I think God was showing us that we are not in control.”
This was a powerful statement to me!
I have wrestled with traditions for years –hit and miss with worldly success; and all that stuff that “us humans” come to expect “as the world defines”! Peace and Joy (JESUS) has taught to me not to be conformed to the world; but to be transformed by the image of Christ, by “renewing my mind”!
I have learned the powerful transforming beauty of letting go of the Control by trusting God and trusting also in Jesus! This is why I write to you today –Perhaps this will be a light in the darkness of the captivity that is in the addiction(S) of trying to Control.
Remain in Jesus (PEACE) (LOVE) (JOY), …patience with perseverance, which is God in you, you in God and God in all things!
Be alert and open to surrendering all control to God –KNOWING that the Lord will TEST our MIND and look into our heart to see IF HIS LOVE really is alive in our thoughts. The fruit of God’s Holy Spirit should be reflective in our actions daily. God’s fruit should become our guide to see who is in control of our spirit.
The Lord is fine tuning our mind about control and trust in God alone!
There is a beauty reflected from Christ alive in our heart to the world who is seeking. However, you don’t have to look too far to see the suffering that is inflicted when a Christian’s good heart begins to entertain emotional thoughts. A person operations under emotional control or spiritual control -and there are two spirits of control: Good and Evil.
Be aware that there are Temptations that will come to us from the evil one and through this world.
James Chapter 3 defines and the Holy Spirit brings understanding to us … we need to pray for each other for understanding in love:
Two Kinds of Wisdom
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.18Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
Surrendering to God’s Glory is a Kingdom (Spiritual) rest.
Remembering / Knowing that God IS in Control (in, and through all things –with a purpose that is good) IS also an opportunity to use our faith!
God will test our mind –to prove to us (for us to see –for our benefit) who is in control of our mind?
We can TRUST GOD is a powerful knowledge! However, do we always have understanding through the storm?
Proverbs 4:7
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Emotions will control us –if we don’t seek spiritual Control from the Holy Spirit to allow God to be the center of control! We think and we feel, but understanding God is love is the root of seeing the fruit of the Spirit that brings such a peaceful assurance and Wisdom to us!
Surrendering that emotional control over to God begins with the sacrifice of our mind’s “want to” control emotional human nature over to trusting that “God is God” and only wanting God in control over our mind, heart, behavior and actions.
This is seriously powerful! Our words and actions affect 1st our own peace, but perhaps even more important to remember is that our words and actions affect others around us.
That is all the Lord has given me to say today. I pray the Lord delivers someone from the torment of evil’s approaches that is loosed in this world to mark our minds. Don’t give away or trade your peace –Instead give your mind to God and meditate on HIS Word that is written for you on this day the Lord has called TODAY.
I will leave you with Psalm 145! Please read Verses 1-21 added to the Cup Today for your convenience!
God bless you more and more … Lord set our minds on Verse 5 and lead us in Spirit though Your Word that is written to us for our benefit. Thank you Father for this opportunity to write for you, I pray this is a blessing in the good news of Jesus, who is the Christ, our Savior and Lord the Son of the Living God! Amen.
Psalm 145:5
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
Love in Christ,
Karen Rowe
Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.
karen@hopeintoday.com write me if you feel led.
Psalm 145 English Standard Version (ESV)
Great Is the Lord
A Song of Praise. Of David.
145 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
The Word of God!
Amen.
Love and Prayers, Karen
