Power Of Preparation

Key Scripture:  "Prepare the way of The Lord.  Make straight paths in the desert, a highway for our God." Isaiah 40:3

Power Point:

     As a young Girl Scout, I had to learn to "Be Prepared".  That was their motto and we had to recite it at every meeting.  As the years passed, I learned that being prepared was usually a good thing.  If I had a test to study for, it was always better if I had studied what was going to be on that test.  When I became a wife, I discovered that there were areas where I was definitely not prepared!  I had to learn through experience.  When I became a mom, I had prepared space in my home and in my heart, but honestly, except for my "Dr. Spock" book on how to raise children, I think you could say that I was woefully unprepared. 

    As I've gotten older there are still areas in my life that need special preparation.  We're told to prepare the way for The Lord.  I'm learning to do that. At least, I thought I was. A few weeks ago, I was preparing for something and I heard The Lord very clearly, though quietly, say to me, "What are you prepared for?" It was interesting to me because I had spent months preparing for this particular thing.  I had prayed, and fasted, and read and re-read my inheritance words from The Lord many many times. Of course, I was prepared!  Then I heard Him say, "Are you prepared to win?  Are you prepared to succeed"?"  Oh.

     As I thought about it and turned the searchlight on my thoughts, I understood why He was questioning me. Instead of being absolutely confident about the outcome of this situation, I began to hear my thoughts as HE heard them. What if?  How will I do that?  Some of my prayers were "begging" prayers (Help me PLEASE!), and some of them were bargaining prayers. (Father, if you do this (first), then I'll do that!).  Whew!

    I know as well as you do that God always declares the beginning from the end.  I was declaring the beginning with no end in sight.  As I began to re-read my promises from Him, I realized that He had already made extraordinary, success-building promises to me. He had given me the tools I would need to succeed.   He was seeing the end not the beginning. I began to prepare the way for The Lord. I laid down bricks of faith that I could see and walk on, and invite Him to come with me. I made sure that there were no more doubtful thoughts as I focused on His word that I had hidden in my heart. I made a straight path for Him to join me.

     I prepared the way with what He had already given me to prepare a straight path and a highway for Him to walk on.  He always gives you what you need before you begin the journey, because of course, He already knows what you will need.

     I searched out the treasure and He rewarded me for that.  He always does.  You see, Beloved, you are not a beggar.  And even though I am a widow, I don’t intend to pray like one! You believe that He will reward you don't you? Then prepare for that eventuality. He's already paved the way for your success.  You get to prepare the way for Him to lead you there.

Power Thought:

It doesn't matter where you're walking as long as you've prepared the way for the Holy Spirit to walk with you.
He IS coming soon.  Are you preparing the way?

Copyright © 2014, Suzanne Roberts, Unpublished Work.

Power Of A Name

Key Scripture:  "Therefore God has also highly exalted Him, (Jesus), and given Him the name which is above every name."  Philippians 2:9

Power Point:

    What's in a name?   I've been  thinking about that lately.  My "official" name, given to me by my parents, recorded on my birth certificate, for all time, is Suzanne.  I never liked that name when I was younger. NOBODY else had that name, so I shortened it to "SUE".  Eventually it became "Susan" and then I finally decided I liked the original version, so in college I changed identities again.

       After I became a Christian, I discovered that my name meant something even more important.  It means "Lily" and/or "Grace".  So there I am, right in the pages of Matthew, clearly cared for by my Heavenly Father: "Consider the Lilies."  (He does, you know.)

      To my friend Julie, my name is "Suz".  To Janet, I'm "Suzie Q".  To my two gifts from The Lord, I am "Mom".  To those four absolutely terrifically precious grandchildren, I am now and forever, "Gami".  Those names are all unique to me.  I answer to any of them, but I have some other names that you probably share with me.

    To my Heavenly Father I am "Daughter".  To Jesus I am "My Bride". To the Holy Spirit, I am a "Saint", a Friend, a Companion, an Anointed one, the one to be "Blessed".

To all of them I am precious, delightful, Their masterpiece, and the Chosen one. So are you.

     Each of us is called by the name which only God knows and which will be given to us in heaven. Don't you wonder what that name will be?

    God changed Abram's name to Abraham. He went from being "High Father" to "Father of a  Multitude".  God was naming him what He knew he would become.  "Sarai" meant "princess". God renamed her "Sarah", which means "mother of all nations"

     The shepherd boy David, became King David, and Saul became Paul.  In God's eyes, your name is of the utmost importance.  It is a statement of who He thinks you are.  I was not a Christian when I named my children, but as time has passed, I see that I was divinely inspired when I named them.  They're growing into the names God gave them.

     How about you?  Are you growing into your unique connection with your Father?  Are you feeling more loved today than yesterday, Beloved?  Is the anointing on your life becoming stronger, anointed one?  Do you sense the close presence of your Father, dear child?

      Are you living up to your name?

Power Thought:

He has given each of us His own name-"Christian", "little Christ".  What an honor we have to be called by His name.  I think it's awesome.






Copyright (c) Suzanne Roberts, Unpublished Work

Power Of Everlasting

Key Scripture:  "Present yourself to Him, as a living sacrifice, that you may prove what is the perfect and acceptable will of God." Romans 12:1,2

Power Point:

     Each new day, we have the opportunity to offer our lives to the One who offered His life for us. As we present ourselves to Him and draw near to Him, He draws near to us, with His mercy, and His ever-present help in time of need.  We become more intimately acquainted with His goodness because now it has a place to shine.  His whole nature is immersed in His desire to bless.

     His desire to bless us is ever-present, ever merciful, ever kind.  It is ever knowing, ever caring, ever powerful, ever joyful. 

     Every second, every moment, every hour, every day. Every week, every month, every year. Forever and ever Amen.

Your God  will be faithful.

He will be generous.

He will be kind.

He will heal, restore and rebuild.

God will honor you.

He will give you His wisdom .

He will give you all things freely to enjoy.

He will show up in your life.

He will give you dreams and visions.

He will encourage and sustain you.

     Every second, every moment, every hour, every day, every week, every month, every year, forever and ever, Amen!

     He does not change. He does not lie.  He does not quit.  He does not leave you on your own.  He helps.

     He is the One who strengthens you, blesses you, and loves you with all His heart.

     Every second, every moment, every hour, every day, every week, every month, every year, forever, and ever, Amen!

     Be encouraged, Beloved. God is still Perfect Love. That won't ever change.  He is still gentle and kind.  That won't ever change.  He still plans to help, to bring relief, and to hold on to you tightly. That's not about to change. Ever.

Not for a second, a moment, an hour, a day, a week, a month, or a year. Never, never, never.

     RUN BOLDLY to His wide open arms and pour out your fears, your doubts, and your questions.Then be still and know that the next word from His mouth will be gracious and merciful, and give you the exact insight and courage you need to take the next step of your walk of faith.

     That does not happen occasionally, or once in a great while.

It happens every second, every moment, every hour, every day, every week, every month, every  year, forever and ever.  Amen!

So  what are you waiting for?

Power Thought:

Our lives get to be living proof of the goodness of God.  Don't try to get out of your current test of faith early.  Push through to the breakthrough of God's goodness. It will surely come. Prepare to shine!

Power Of Heaven On Earth

Key Scripture:  "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."  Matthew 6:10

Power Point:

     The thought occurred to me recently, ''If God wants us to have heaven eventually, why wouldn't He want us to have heaven on earth now?" Does God's will for our lives change because of where we're located?  I don't think so.  If we are asking anything in God's will, and it shall be done for us, isn't what He has established in heaven meant to be done on earth?

Has He already done His part? Hasn't He already given us the keys of the kingdom; the right to bind and to loose; the right to tread on all the power of the enemy? Aren't we meant to be heaven on earth?  Hasn't He already established us in righteousness, in our heavenly standing?  Doesn't He live in us? Lead us?  Care for us? Provide our every need?

If God provides for us, why do we lack? 

If God promises to heal us, why are we sick?

If God has given us power, why do we feel powerless?

If God's spirit is within us, why are we sad, and depressed, and hopeless?

If God has a way out, why can't we find it?

If Jesus promises to never leave us or forsake us, why do we feel alone?

If His kingdom is established on His Word, why don't we know it?

     There is supposed to be a difference in the children of God that makes the world sit up and take notice; that causes them to "see the goodness of God, the peace, prosperity, security, and stability in our lives and "fear and tremble"  at its magnitude.  (Jeremiah 33:9)

And yet:

We rely on other people to provide our happiness.

We rely on the world to provide our means for living.

We expect the worst.

We don't cherish God or delight in Him. 

     In His love, He always shows kindness, grace and mercy.  It's His M.O. (method of operation!).

Why do we come to Him expecting judgment and harshness when He has demonstrated the greatest act of love through Jesus?

What would it take for us to believe that He is amazingly good, abundantly good, astoundingly good?  What would that mean to your perception of Him for your own life?

What if we really understood that God prepares the way for us to encounter His goodness by demonstrating His kindness?  It is His unparalleled kindness that causes us to think differently about Him.  K-i-n-d-n-e-s-s.  I LOVE that word!  It calms my heart and turns off the alarms I've set there.

     If God is always prepared to be at peace with me; if He is always prepared to be KIND to me, then what do we need to change to experience that? Are we expecting God to be less than who He has promised to be?

What if heaven came to earth today for you?

Surprise!  It already has! How will you receive it?

Power Thought:

It's not too late for you to experience and release heaven on earth.  When you call, God answers. When you have faith it will be rewarded. When you are praying for His GOODNESS to be SO good that others will sit up and take notice-that's definitely the will of God. And it's heavenly.




Copyright (c) 2014, Suzanne Roberts, Unpublished Work