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Welcome to my blog where you'll find a variety of INpowering truths, Tiney Thoughts and Twittistry,org.
If you are looking for a niched blog,
this isn't it, but the common thread for all of my post is JESUS.

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Sunday, February 28, 2010

Are You Becoming Different?

The last few days have been spent ministering and sharing with wonderful people who suffer from depression. I think “suffer from” is more appropriate than suffer with …after all, depression is not suffering when the individual yields to it, it is very happy to bring us to a point of brokenness. But I have to ask myself why so many people are going through so many cycles of depression and not experiencing the deliverance power of Jesus Christ to set the captives free. Maybe, Jesus really doesn’t set us free and maybe it is our destiny as Christians to be in constant bondage to whatever the enemy decides to send our way---NOT!


The ability to “overcome” comes with God’s spirit of abiding. Abiding is something we have to do for ourselves if we want our joy to be full (John 15:11). We can’t be up and in the clouds all the time but even in times of adversity we can experience and walk in God’s joy which is never suicidal, never despondent, never lethargic, angry and never overtaken by fear.

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Of course we know that to abide means to remain but it also means “not to become another or different”. There is an implication here since we know that Jesus is the same yesterday, today or forever we have to ask ourselves if Jesus isn’t changing who is? Who’s becoming different? Who has become 'another'? Who moved? Who detached? If we remain attached(dwell, tarry, and continue) to be where Jesus abides then we are promised that our joy will remain full. NO, not promised that we won't have to endure anything contrary, adverse or unplesant--just promised FULL JOY.... somebody moved. Who is it?  Another Tiney Thought~

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Saturday, February 27, 2010

Lock Me In Lord!

I’m wondering what God has to do to get our attention; I mean to really get it? What will it take to arrest us and cause us to stop and realize that it’s him or nothing and that without him we can do nothing that has eternal value worth having. I don’t mean he’s forcing us to serve him because our kingdom service is a heart thing. I’m a Christian simply because I love Christ.

I remember having conversations with my mother and she would say “where is your bible?” and I would always respond “in the closet” and she’d say “get it out and read it”. At that time I had no interest in reading my bible, just wasn’t something that appealed to me. It was something for them and not for me. Them, who? Them, you know church folks; as my sister-in-law says those that are “locked-in”. I want to be “locked in”, in fact I love being locked in. I like how the writer said it in Psalms 16:8

I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Think on that for a second. Are you locked in? Are you secure in your relationship with Jesus or are you wavering and undecided about surrendering totally to him? What you think you’ll lose is nothing compared to what you’ll gain. Am I preaching to the choir? I hope so, because occasionally the choir needs to be reminded that just because they are in the choir doesn’t mean they are singing in the right key. We are being called ot a higher place of accountability as Christians to work out our salvation, individually and collectively for kingdom enhancement.  Lord lock us in! Reinforce our relationships with you Jesus, give us a heart and mind to be stedfast and unmoveable, always abounding in you. Not tossed back and forth. Not undecided about our Christianity, flirting with evil and darkness—Lock us in Lord!
The picture above portrays the fruit God desires to develop in each of us and my heart melts to know that Christ loved us so much he endured the cross, now who wouldn’t want to be locked in by a God like that? ~Just another Tiney Thought.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Why is it still UNexpected?

Why do we say "expect the UNexpected?" If God has spoken something to you and you believe it, why does it remain UNexpected? I’m expecting the expected—every promise God has made , I’m expecting it! Everything he inspired and breathe on that hasn’t entered my heart, mind or thought process I’m expecting (1 Cor 2:9)! Can you expect something you haven’t even imagined yet, sure you can. Why, simply because HE said it. It might seem large, out of reach or unimaginable to our finite way of thinking but his thoughts are not our thoughts, right (Isa 55:8)?


1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Is it possible that we are limiting ourselves by expecting the Unexpected when God does not dwell in the realm of what we “expect” he exist outside of that realm in a place where fulfillment of His word is coming forth. What he said he’s doing. What he spoke, he’s bringing to pass. What he speaks, he makes good on (Numbers 23:19). And that’s what I expect. The logos is not all that he’s spoken so I don’t limit him to that…he’s speaking some things right now that will manifest Anon and they will be things I hadn’t even thought of but because I know who he is and that he does not abide, dwell or operate in the realm of what I except based on my limited ability to KNOW.... and because he does exceeding and abundantly more than I can ask or THINK……And becuase he IS God...... it's time that we loose ourselves and start expecting the expected!

Number 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
 
Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
 
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

When God doesn't feel "Very Present"

I’ve was up all night praying for a family member that didn’t have the strength to pray for himself yet the threat of his mind slipping away loomed large. I’m aware for many that the short answer is call 911 and let’s get those meds flowing as soon as possible and at one point in the past this family member opted for the meds but they heightened the suicidal tendencies and psychosis. This post is not about whether a person should or should not take meds or if they do or don’t help, it’s about God being found by us in our time of trouble.

I’m physically and spiritually drained after praying all night from lack of sleep but I trust God to refresh and restore me. In addition to being up all night praying for my family members (the one mentioned and another that is recovering from a coma) I thought I would walk out of the doctor’s office swinging my arms; you know how you swing them when you don’t feel pain…well no swinging of the arms for me. Immediately after the injection I was told in about twelve hours to expect worse pain for the next three days and use it as little as possible. Ice it three times a day. Got it, doc. Well, twelve hours is for someone else because it didn’t take that long to realize that I had been injected, I knew it and my shoulder knew it. LOL. Through it all I realize that God is drawing me closer to him, how about you? God is so good to us. Don’t you agree?

For the last few days I’ve been turning Psalms 46:1 over and over in my spirit.
To the chief Musician for the **sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

It is God being a very present help in trouble that is my saving grace today. Interestingly enough “present” denotes us finding him in our time of need and him bringing a reward when he is found. In times of trouble we pray with fervency especially when it seems we have no other way out of our situation. We find him, we attain to him and I particularly like the simple or base form of the verb that says we get (the thing sought).

Imagine being in trouble, praying and seeking God knowing you’re going to find him and not only will you find him he will have a reward for you when you connect with him. You’ll get the thing sought for. I’m not suggesting that the reward will be what you want but I am suggesting it will be what He wants and what he knows will bring his desired result—he’s a very present help in our time of trouble. ‘Very present help’ also denotes to learn, to detect or to come upon, to be encountered, to be discovered. Discovered? Wait a minute, is it possible that during our time of truth there is a discovery to be made that changes and shifts our situation or at least our perception of the situation?

Figuratively, one of its meanings is to cause to come. I like how the writer of Psalms 46:1 said God “is”, present tense. God is our refuge or shelter from rain, storm or danger. A refuge is a place you flee to for protection,  this is an indication that there is action needed on our part for God to be our refuge and to be our present help. What is that action; seeking to find him in our time of trouble. I know this is not exciting the kind of thing that makes you leap for joy but when we begin to understand that our troubles are strategically designed to make us seek AND find God we understand that he is exactly what the writer said ---our shelter.

Many may not like to admit it, though we love God most of the prayers and study that goes forth would not exist if it weren’t for the push that life provides in giving us equal opportunity for times of trouble. I know that you know no one is exempt from troubles but I thought I’d take this opportunity to restate the obvious as its noted in:.

1 Peter 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Whether in the world or in the faith you will endure afflictions BUT the God of all grace has a reward for those in the faith after they seek for and find him. Funny thing is, he wants to be found so he’s not really hidden.

Have you called forth your morning (Psalms 30:5B)? Have you wrapped your mind around the God-truth that your troubles are a catalyst to get you positioned for God’s purpose for your life. Knowing that there is a reason for your troubles doesn’t make them hurt any less, but I can’t help thinking back on Psalms 46:1 which implies that we do the seeking, we do the finding and when we find God or discover him, he has a reward for us. Question is will we recognize the reward for what it is? Why should we have to seek for God in our time of trouble if he is a very present help? Why doesn’t he just appear on the scene of our daily issues and rescue us. If we are honest, our relationship with him would not have the same degree of intimacy that we enjoy today if we had a trouble free life, would it?

There’s always a next time to look forward to with joy, this helps us understand how Jesus faced Calvary with joy –he understood the reward that awaited him. Like the Apostle Paul we must press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It’s not always easy and sometimes it doesn't even feel like God is present at all. The Psalmist understood something that is beneficial for us to learn and that is that God is present but we have to seek and find him. True, it doesn’t always feel good but on the other side of THIS is the shelter of God which is a reward within itself. Just another Tiney Thought~

The camera club kicks off Sunday, March 14, we are online at http://www.ebbystouch.ning.com/.
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**For the sake of getting background on the sons of Korah, visit http://www.searchgodsword.org/enc/isb/view.cgi?number=T5365.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Awake-Diabetic ComaBeGone!

Today my sister-n-law woke from a coma and I’m thankful for what God has done. She had been in a diabetic coma for a week. Last night I was at a healing service where we prayed for those in the hospital, home-bound, in nursing homes, in prison and spoke God’s word of healing to them.
He did it! The photo above is one of the artistic creations from the healing service. See more images at www.flickr.com/photos/ebbystouch and http://www.ebbystouch.smugmug.com/.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

May I Borrow Your Hinds' Feet?

I’m sure it’s me and not the book; after all who wouldn’t be excited and enlightened by the journey of Much-Afraid. We all face what Much-Afraid faces in the book by Hannah Hurnard but I’m struggling with the whole allegory thing. It’s not my kind of reading, for the most part I don’t like fiction. I certainly don’t want to skip through flower draped fields and run alongside flowing streams…I just don’t want to. Okay, maybe I do want to but I just don't want to read about it, if I’m going to go there I need to really go there! Not just in my mind but physically go there. 

I’ve always been the person that tackled any assignment I was given, wrestled it down to the floor made it cry uncle and just because it wrestled back I put the pressure on a little more and a little harder-then I presented it to the instructor complete, defeated and on my ‘done’ list. But not this time. This book is fighting back and although I’m wrestling it and getting in some pretty good punches here and there it’s winning. UGH.
Not only is the book wrestling back but I have little appreciation for its lullaby choke hold. Each time I try to read it it grabs me and puts me in a choke hold and I feel myself drifting off into this hole of drowsy sleepiness. I find myself weak and powerless to fight off its attack, when I come to myself there it is sitting there staring at me and inviting me to read it again. I’d be crazy to do it again but I do, over and over again I attempt to defeat the writing on the pages word by word and scene by scene…I promise you I will win this battle, I will!

Chapter five deals with pride, as I prepare to read it it is my prayer that something will leap off the pages of the book and become alive to me, drawing me into the refreshing so many other readers have experienced as they read the book. For me, it’s like the many other challenges we face in life that knock us down each time we get up or try to get up…The solution is I’ve got to get hinds feet to do this and I will. Like Much-Afraid I will go to the Good Shepherd and he will strengthen me to climb up this mountain of a book with hinds feet. Have you read or attempted to read the book? Did it wrestle with you?
Could it be that my problem is I'm wrestling the book instead of reading the book? Maybe this is the problem with some of the challenges we face in life, we wrestle when we don't need to, it's just another Tiney thought :)

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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

My Name Is Victory!

Psalms 147:1

Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

It’s a beautiful God morning, I’m thankful for so many things this morning and though I hear the wind blowing strongly I’m considering going out to catch the sun coming up. Well, I was considering it but I just changed my mind, that whole cold air thing isn’t that appealing now that I think about it. As I have mentored and coached over the years I encourage us to keep a song of praise in our hearts at all times. Sometimes you just don’t feel like singing but in those times when you don’t feel like singing the Holy Spirit has a way of causing that melody to spring forth and help you walk through any challenges you may face.

This morning, I woke singing “My Name Is Victory!” The funny thing is I don’t know the actual words to the song. My message from God this morning is simply that one line…my name is victory and I’m thanking him for being mindful of me this morning. Something may come along to challenge my position of being victorious this morning but God has already spoken it—MY Name Is Victory! What's your name this morning?

Friday, February 5, 2010

Prioritize Your Priorities!!!!


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Let’s see it’s been umm about two weeks or so since I have blogged and I’m working on a few ‘projects’ that have captured my attention. My most pressing project is me…yes me. Hard to imagine,huh? But how else am I going to get the time I need with God? It would be great if we could just go through our day to day routine and do all of the things we normally do and build an intimate relationship with God without ever praying, studying the word or being strengthened by fellowship with others but it just doesn’t work that way. And it never will.

There are some new things on the horizon for me. In the back of my mind I need to finish my Twittistry.com writing project; it’s in the back of my mind but I need it to get to the front and that’s been a challenge. You can see my twittistry blog at http://www.twittistry.org/. I’m launching a camera club at my church, that’s going to be great, I have a passion for photography and just never get tired of freezing moments with my Canon. Okay, I guess I didn’t need to say the brand name of the camera but I’m a dedicated Canon user so I plugged it—and now we move on. LOL. You can join the online portion of the camera club at http://www.ebbystouch.ning.com/. There’s excitement in the air!!!

I’m preparing a Positioning4Purpose teaching series to present at my church –Shabach Sanctuary in Dallas and loving it. That’s just a few things but my main thing is drawing closer to God….

We can do lots of activities and have lots of “stuff” going on but maintaining the delicate balance of building our relationship with God and maintaining a spiritual foundation that is UNcracked is necessary. I’m playing catch up on some things and wanted to share this Tiney Thought with you….. if your relationship with God is being pushed back by your activities it’s to regroup, shift and get a new strategy. Prioritize your priorities. While you’re thinking on that enjoy the picture above, I took this week…talk to you soon.

New post at www.flickr.com/photos/ebbystouch also--Yeah

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Not a Surface Level Looker

Tweet from @gapmin
Look beyond the surface and see more....much more!


It’s been a while since I have posted, but I’m back and excited about a camera club that kicks off on March 14 at http://ebbystouch.ning.com. Photography is something I find very exciting, something that stirs you to look beyond the surface and see more…much more! Doesn’t that remind of you Jesus? How he looks beyond our outward selves to see our hearts. There so much more beyond what we see on the surface. Just think about it. if a man-made piece of equipment called a camera can capture a moment that stirs us how much more can we be stirred by the what God wants to show us if only we’d look beyond the surface and see more. LOL, God has provided the ability to see but the SEEING is left to the individual. SEE BEYOND THE SURFACE.