Power Of Instead

Key Scripture:  “And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing.”  Isaiah 10:27

Power Point:

     Before I knew the Lord I had very few options in my life.  If I was sad, I generally stayed sad.  If I was angry, it was easy to express it.

If I was confused or hurt or disappointed, it seemed like those feelings, those experiences were just too heavy to bear.

     Then I met Jesus, and I learned to experience more of who God really was, and I discovered that He wasn’t at all like the God other people told me about.  Over the years I began to encounter more and more of His Holy Spirit in my life and I began to realize that one of the great gifts He had given me-was the gift of “Instead”, the gift of “Options”.

     In Psalm 103, the Holy Spirit describes some of the benefits we have in Him:

Instead of being overwhelmed by sin, we have forgiveness.

Instead of diseases, we can have healing.
Instead of destruction, we have a Rescuer who has crowned us with His passionate love and mercy and is actively providing wonderfully good things.
     The passage I most love about the options we have is Isaiah 61.  Holy Spirit outdid Himself on this one. In fact, Jesus Himself, quoted it as His own

permission from the Father and the Holy Spirit to live a life with “options”.

Instead of being powerless we are anointed with the power of God.

Instead of bad news, we have GOOD news!

Instead of broken hearts, we now have the option of whole hearts.

Instead of living our lives in prison, we can be free.

Instead of mourning, we can have His comfort.

Instead of ashes, He will create beauty.

Instead of empty words, He gives us the oil of His joy for our sadness.

Instead of a heavy spirit, He gives an ability to praise.

Instead of shame, He offers us double honor.

Instead of confusion, we will rejoice in our inheritance.

     Beloved, Jesus came to make a difference. He left us the anointing of the Holy Spirit on our lives to bring us options.  You have permission from your Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit to live an “optional” life.

Why not take them up on it?

Power Thought:

Abundance in any area is not optional with God.

Copyright © 2014, Suzanne Roberts, Unpublished Work.

Power Of Mole Hills

Key Scripture:  "Without faith it is impossible to please Him." Hebrews 11:6

                           "Nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

Power Point:

     The truth is when you start letting the devil tunnel into your life, and then you choose to focus on the tunnel, you begin to form mole hills. Those mole hills can become very large mountains. Could it be that when Jesus was sitting with His disciples chatting one day, that they were talking about some mountains in their lives that were really mole hills?

     Jesus and His disciples had had a busy few days. He had been healing people, teaching people everywhere He went, and the people LOVED Him.  He had recently made His glorious triumphal entry into Jerusalem, cursed a fig tree it wasn't what it was supposed to be.  Then He cleansed the temple because it wasn't what it was supposed to be either! Following all of this, Peter looks at the now very dead fig tree and says, "Oh my goodness Lord, that fig tree that You cursed is DEAD!" (or words to that effect).  Then something very strange happens.  Instead of going into a lot of detail and giving step by step instructions on cursing unfruitful things, Jesus turns toward them, looks them in the eye and says, "Have faith in God. Because I am assuring you that whatever thing is a mountain in your life, if you have more faith in His goodness and His mercy than in the size of your problem, you yourself will speak to fig trees or mountains of any size, and they'll die or go skipping into the sea." (Suzanne translation)

     Beloved, it's not the size of your mountain-it's the size of your God.

Is your faith in the size of that obstacle in your life, or is it in the unlimited and extravagant power of God's desire to help you?  Are you making mountains out of mole hills? You need to remember that no matter what the size of the mountain is that you are looking at, it is a mole hill in His eyes.  None of them represent a problem for His power. And the really good news?  Because of Who He is, you can come running to Him boldly, expecting to receive grace and mercy, and perfect help just when you need it.

    Jesus said, "WHATEVER you ask and believe for, you will receive." He did not qualify the size of the thing asked for. In fact in Ephesians 3:20, Paul emphasised the size of our God. "He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all that we can ask or think, according to the power that works in us."

What are your words giving power to today?  Are you continually addressing the size of your problem or the size of your God? 

Something to think about isn't it?

Power Thought:

What are YOUR Words giving power to today?  How big is your God?

Copyright (© 2014, Suzanne Roberts, Unpublished Work.

Power Of Creating

Key Scripture:  "And God said, "Let there be light, and there was light."  Genesis 1:3

Power Point:

     Each morning as I wake up and open my IPAD to begin journaling, I find a blank "piece of paper" waiting for me to open it.  It says, "Create Document".  After I decide I want to CREATE something new, I have to press BLANK Document. Finally the screen opens up beautifully clear, simply waiting for whatever information I want to write on it.

     The document is mine to create.  The words I write are my own invention.  The IPAD is blank until I fill it.  I get to choose what goes on to my blank document.

     Our lives are like that aren't they?  Each morning we have a blank space in front of us that is waiting to be filled with what we choose to put there.  Perhaps your words this morning were, "Oh man, I am SO tired!  I don't know how I will make it through this day!" Maybe that was your first thought but instead of speaking it out, you filled the blank space with "Wow Lord!  I need some help getting my engine running today. Thank You that You always strengthen me even when I haven't had enough sleep.  Thank You that I can choose to stir that up in me today."

     A few years ago, in my morning quiet time I was tired, thinking about yesterday's mistakes and wondering how I would get through the day. 

The Lord said, "Suzanne, you have fresh snow to walk  on today.  You do not have to bring in the dirty snow you made tracks in yesterday into your today." I love the picture of a fresh start in fresh snow-not just every day but every moment of every day.

     If you got up on the wrong side of the bed-congratulations!  You can jump back in and start over! Stir up the gifts that are in you.  You have the opportunity for a heavenly "do-over". You get go back to thoughts about who you are, and Whose you are, and create a whole new plan for today;  a peaceful plan, a good plan-much better than the one you created when you woke up. 

     If God spoke "Light" and created something new, so can YOU! You might just say, "Let there be Light!", and He will come.

     Those first thoughts, those first words, will create your document for living today.  They are critical to your success.  Tomorrow you will be reading what you wrote today.  Why not "choose Life", "speak Life", and "live Life" to it fullest?

His words in your heart and in your mouth will create heaven on earth for  you.

   

Power Thought:

What did you say? It's on the way!

Copyright © 2014, Suzanne Roberts, Unpublished Work.

Power Of Genius

Key Scripture:  "BUT, if the Spirit of HIM, who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you He who raised Christ from the dead will also give LIFE to YOUR body through His Spirit who dwells in you."  Romans 8:11

Power Point:

     Isaiah 61 tells us that IF we have the Spirit of God in us, He gives us the same life, the same power, the same energy and passion that He gave to Jesus. That LIFE means "spiritual POWER to arouse and invigorate." How's that working for you?  Do you need some energy to choose His life in you today?

The GOOD news is that He has taken on that job and He does it better than anyone. As Graham Cooke says, "He's a GENIUS at doing Life."  

     If you had an illness, you would probably go to the doctor.  He has more knowledge than you do, (hopefully).  If you bought a new computer and did not have a clue about it's inner workings, you would probably call in an expert, or take some classes from someone who knows more than you do, wouldn't you?

     In terms of living an abundant life there is only one resident expert that we can go to, who is a genius in your particular area.  His name is  Holy Spirit-the same Holy Spirit that was smart enough to completely fool the enemy into

crucifying Jesus. If you remember, the Enemy played right into His very capable hands.  Following His death, Jesus took back the keys of authority over the evil one and He has offered them to us along with the same power of the Holy Spirit.

     Beloved, He handles zillions of issues on a day to day basis all the time  IF you are making room for Him in your life, IF you are committed to letting Him lead, then your issue is in the hands of your resident GENIUS.

     My dad used to say, "If you have a problem give it to Suzanne, she'll figure it out."  That was true up to a point but as I grew older, the problems seem to get more complicated.  Have you discovered that?  Figuring them out became harder-without the help of my resident Genius.

     Is there an area of your life where you could use some wisdom from above? Perhaps you need a new perspective on an old problem?  Why not ask Holy Spirit to offer you one of His?  Why not settle down and let Him settle in?  I think you'll be surprised at what begins to happen, simply because of your resident Genius.

     Remember Beloved, He's there to guide you into LIFE, in exactly the same way He led Jesus.  You have the same power to overcome your issues that Jesus did.

Isn't it worth a try?

Power Thought:

If your own thoughts aren't getting you anywhere, why not try some of His?

Copyright © 2014, Suzanne Roberts, Unpublished Work