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Spiritual Forecasts for 2007
 Lenten Message – 2007
Arise my dear ones; awaken your hearts and souls!!!
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5
Lent is a period of 40 weekdays before Easter (Beginning on Ash Wednesday), observed as a season of penitence. This is also a season for renewal of spiritual growth and a time of reflection. Please use this time wisely and seek a deeper, more personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!
All parts of the body of Christ have a great purpose and significance in God’s ultimate plan for his kingdom. The most important gift you can give in service to God is to show love to each other. Actions speak louder than words, so show others that you care. There are many opportunities to serve in your church, local communities or in the world. God has given each of us special gifts in order to serve Him. The best way to discover your true gift or passion for serving Christ is to just get out there and try various types of service. When the proper time comes, the Lord will enlighten you with the proper path to choose in order to bring glory to God the Father. Have you discovered your passion for serving the Lord yet? Let me share with you my experience; it has taken me many years of experiencing and practicing various forms of service in order to discover my true gift. Finally, the Lord showed me my path; my true passion of service to the Lord is praying for the needs of others. May the Lord Jesus Christ awaken your spirit to open your hearts to listen and respond to God’s will in your lives.
Let me help to inspire you with the following message for Lent:
Learn to lean on God in all things.
Eagerly seek God’s guidance at all times.
Never lose hope – when all appears lost, only if your faith is strong can the most miraculous occur!
Trust in God’s will – you will flourish under his care!
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you! The Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace!” – Numbers 6:24-26
Love & Blessings,
Cheryl
Forecast 2007 – "A Call to Persevere"
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promise, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”- 2 Peter 1:3-11
It is imperative for all Christians to make a conscience effort to increase their spiritual knowledge and growth on a daily basis. The time has come for us to make a definitive stand on expanding our faith. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28
Our world is not in accordance with the will of God. That is why everything is out of balance. In our personal efforts to make improvements upon God’s creation, we have relied upon our own fallible knowledge, which has caused a whirlwind of circumstances that are spinning out of control – wars, natural disasters, extreme climate changes, horrible diseases, and terrible poverty are just a few examples. In addition, we often fail to appreciate and meet the needs of others and are negligent in showing true love and compassion, not just to strangers, but to our own families.
God has given us a great power in order to make extraordinary changes in our world; yet so few of us recognize it. Many of us are quick to dismiss its effectiveness. I am speaking about the power of prayer! Prayer is only truly effective and powerful when it is turned over to God’s will, such that it will bring glory to God the Father and his kingdom. It is alright to petition God with all our needs, in fact, God encourages us to do so. However, we must turn our wills over to God’s will so that God can take complete control of our lives and give us what we truly need in the long-term of things. As humans, we always are thinking of our immediate needs and expect instantaneous results. Ultimately, we expect to receive all that we ask God for in a very timely fashion. However, God is eternal and his viewpoint far exceeds our own. God chooses to answer our prayers in a way that not only is in our long-term best interests, but in order to further his glorious kingdom. “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:10
God loves us and needs us to help further his glorious kingdom. The benefits we receive from God are not only here in the earthly world, but in the heavenly realm as well. And these eternal gifts far out weigh the benefits we receive in the earthly. Broaden your minds and your spirits and accept God’s call to you. Yes, God needs you! Each of us is called to serve God in various ways; every part of the body of Christ is of equal importance to God. Some are called to serve by showing God’s love by devoting their time and talents to help others. Others are called to serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (see Ephesians 4:11-13). If God calls you to a higher calling, his expectations of you are greater. This requires a higher level of spirituality as the consequences of your actions will become much greater.
The Lord Jesus Christ is calling all Christians to grow in their faith through perseverance. What does it mean to persevere? Persevere means to persist in or remain constant to a purpose, idea, or task in the face of obstacles. Christians are soon to be facing many more obstacles in the coming years. So please strengthen your faith – do not fall short of God’s goal for you!
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:4-7
May God bless you with love, hope, peace, joy and an increasing measure of faith in this New Year!
Blessings,
Cheryl |
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