The Artist

"For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), 'I am the Lord, and there is none else'" (Isaiah 45:18, NASB).  

This past week, God has reminded me of how He is Creator and the supreme artist. God stands out to me in that He was the first artist. He has proved how He can take nothing and blank and turn it into something beautiful and life-giving.

The way a tree loses its leaves in the fall is eye-catching and beautiful. The richness of its colors, the grace of its falling leaves and the crisp air that surrounds it can make us stand in awe (and want to reach for a sweater). We snap photos, play in its leaves or simply stop and stare to take it all in.

Just like God created the beauty of trees and how they change colors in the fall, He also created us in His image and can renew us to reflect His beauty more.  

Is someone on your mind who doesn't know this great Artist whose works have been seen around the world? Let's remember that He is a miracle-worker, this Artist. He turns darkness into light and makes beautiful things. He can give us fresh starts, as He offers forgiveness without strings attached. He wants a genuine, loving relationship with His people. He can renew our hearts so that we love more like Him.

Kelli Martin

How does God being Creator impact you today? Let's pray and ask God for renewal in ourselves, in our communities and in our world. Let's thank Him for His creation and the work He is doing in the world and in people today. Let's ask Him for fresh eyes to see times we can share with others what it's like to know the
greatest artist of all time.

The band Gungor has a couple of songs that stand out to me about God as Creator. I recommend, "Beautiful Things" and "My Father's World."

Conversation Starters: Compliments

"I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well" (Psalm 139:14, NASB). 

Recently, I’ve gotten to see how much a compliment can encourage four-year-olds as they play soccer. As I was thinking about this and reading this part (Conversation Starters: Compliments) of the HeartCall course book, I see that truly everyone could use some encouragement. God created us and sees us as valuable, valuable enough to send His Son, Jesus, to show us how to walk in honor of God and to suffer in our place on the cross. This Creator has the power to turn our ashes into beauty, and He desires a deep relationship with the people He made.

Kelli Martin

A compliment may give us the chance to at least show - and maybe even share - the pure love God has for the world with someone else. As believers, we can point out the good we see in others, encourage them and help them see God's love and desire to bring people into His family.

Study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).

See Shane and Shane play "Beauty for Ashes" on YouTube here.

God Cares About You!

Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Matthew 10:29-31 "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

Isaiah 46:3-4 "Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been born by Me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am He, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save."

As a first generation Christian, from time to time God lovingly reminds me of the amazing ways He has faithfully cared for me and cared about me personally. My life is a miracle, there is not doubt in my heart that I would be lost without Jesus!

Without Jesus I would be lost in the old ways I was raised in. I was not raised in a Christian home. These are some of the old ways that God reminds me that He has saved me and set me free from: Lostness, Worldiness, Addictions, Emptiness, Aloneness, Rejection, Brokenheartedness, Great Pain, Abuse, Lack of Stability, Brokenness, Tears, Insecurities...the old defeated life! I did not hear the name of Jesus Christ or God (except in cuss words) until I was in my 20's. I will never forget the day I heard that God loved me and He desired to have a personal relationship with someone like me!

JESUS was shared with me during a Vacation Bible School follow up in my neighborhood, I knew that JESUS and His Love was what I was longing for my entire life as I ran to Him and He radically changed my life. My life changed in every way as God gave me a new heart, a new life, a new everything as it is best describe in 2 Corinthians 5:17; "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."!!!!

"Praise the LORD, my soul, and never forget all the good He has done" Psalm 103:2

"Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles..." 1 Chronicles 16:12a

God Cares About You, Dear Ones! No matter what, God Cares About You! Ask God to lovingly remind you of the amazing ways He has faithfully cared for you and cared about you personally. Your life is a miracle and we would all be lost without Jesus!

Maybe today is the first time that you are realizing your need for Jesus, please say YES to Him, He has great plans of Hope for your life! Please let us know if you have said YES to Jesus and please let us know if there are any ways that we can pray for you!

Who do we know that needs to know that God Cares? Who do we know that needs to know that God has a new plan for their life? Who do we know that needs to know that the old can pass away and that all things can become new life because of Christ?

Let's share Jesus today!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH_CeU-JNW0&feature=related (Help Is On The Way! - Michael W. Smith)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyInD0JF_HM (My Chains Are Gone! - Michael W. Smith)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKta3gXyC3I&feature=related (Mighty To Save! - Michael W. Smith)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62gDvgB06Uw&feature=related (Deep In Love With You! - Michael W. Smith)

You Are A New Creation!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he/she is a NEW CREATION;

the old has gone, the NEW has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

It's been said that "The Victorious Evangelistic Christian Walk is a process of Daily Renewing The Mind with the TRUTH of God's Word & Being Ready To Share His Love & Truth With Others"! Romans 12:2 says it best, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will."

One of my favorite evangelists once said that one of the keys to walking in Victory with Jesus so that we will be ready to share Him with others is to renew our minds daily and get rid of any "defeatin thinkin"! Why is it so important to be careful about what our minds dwell on? The main reason is that the enemy tries to attack our minds daily and he wants to defeat us anyway he can so that we will not share Jesus with others; therefore, we must do what God says in 2 Corinthians 10: 4-5 "The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (anything that tries to get a hold on our lives that is not from God), and WE TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT to make it obedient to CHRIST."! This is one huge reason why I have Promises from God's Word posted everywhere that I spend time at; my sink, my desk, my laundry room, my bedside, my bathroom counter, my car, my walls in my home and office, etc... I AM DESPERATE for GOD & HIS WORD & HIS DAILY VICTORIOUS PLANS! Maybe it is because I am a first-generation Christian, and there are many "old" messages/memories from the 22 years that I was LOST. Do you ever have negative messages/memories that try to play over and over your mind...resist & reject these messages because they are NOT from The Lord!!

Please join me as we THANK GOD daily that We Are A NEW CREATION and the old is GONE and the NEW has come!! Please join me as we THANK GOD That We Are Desperate for Jesus & His Word DAILY!

Today there may be some thoughts that may come into our minds that are NOT from The Lord; perhaps thoughts of defeat, thoughts of doubt, thoughts of discouragement...any kind of thought that DOES NOT line up with the truth of GOD'S WORD we must REJECT & TAKE CAPTIVE because it is not "New Creation Thinkin"! We must RESIST & REJECT negative thoughts and do what God says in 1 Peter 1:13 "Therefore, get your MINDS ready for action, being self-disciplined, and SET your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you from Jesus Christ." We must put on our "Helmet of Salvation AND The Sword of the Spirit, which is The Word of God" (protection for the GOOD NEWS that is in our mind)! Eph.6:17 (one HUGE reason why we must study and read God's Word DAILY~Memorize a Verse for exactly what you are going through TODAY because God's Word is ALIVE & ACTIVE to help us fight the good fight!)

"Finally, brothers/sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable , whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable-if there is moral excellence and if there is any praise - dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard in me and seen in me, and the God of Peace will be with you"!! Philippians 4:8-9

When I became a Christian one of my mentors taught me the importance of ERASE & REPLACE, how do we do that? Make a list of any "defeatin thinkin" with a PENCIL and STOP thinking that way as you take the ERASER on your pencil and GET RID OF EACH DEFEATING WORD that is on the list! After we ERASE the things that God does not want us to dwell on, FILL your paper (REPLACE), computer screen, chalkboard, places in your home/office, and most of all our MINDS with God's Word/Messages/Testimonies because You are a NEW CREATION, the OLD is GONE the NEW has COME...DAILY! AMEN!!

> fresh paint

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV).

My housemates and I are excited about renovations to the outside of our house.  It has been more than a fresh coat of paint, since the renovators have chopped down rotting trees, replaced wooden panels and power-washed the walls to remove dead vines. Now, new paint is being coated on, helping our house look more alive.

It reminded me of how, when we let God work in our lives, He is able to strip away all of the mess within us and give us a new spirit.  He gives us the Holy Spirit, when we follow Christ, and we are able to have a new life with Him.  I believe we need Him to renovate our lives, on the inside and the outside.

"I say then, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16, HCSB).  Anthony Hoekema helped me understand this verse more in his book, Created in God's Image.  He explained that this verse is a promise, rather than a threat (page 109).  God helps us live today.  This does not mean that we will be perfect today, but it has helped me see that He is the one who gives us strength and hope to follow Him.   

Will we let Him renovate our lives today?  Will we help others see how He can change us, from the inside out?

Music video, Hillsong United:  "From the Inside Out" - YouTube

Remodeling Me

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10, ESV).

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV).

Some of you know that we have spent literally months living with remodeling in our master suite. Just imagine everything from my husband’s office and everything from the master bedroom piled in the living and dining rooms. Now see if you can picture a new bathroom, almost complete less painting the trim, a new huge walk-in and workout area, and a great master bedroom – with piles of things still waiting to be put up. No, I’m not going to post a photo for you. : ) It is so exciting to know that our old, gross shower has been replaced with a new, tiled, walk-in shower with plenty of room and a seat! There is much left to do and it has taken months (let’s pray we don’t have months to go), but it was been worth the effort.

I’m wondering if I am spending as much time on allowing God to remodel me? Am I letting him get rid of some old habits, and things in my life that need to go? Do I allow God to clean out my life, throw out the old, and renew me? Do I realize that this is a process? Sometimes there are so many things to change in our lives that we let it overwhelm us. As I have learned with remodeling, it takes just doing one thing at a time and sticking with it until it is finished. It took several days to hang ten closet shelves but we stuck with it and we finally finished. It may take months before all the little things are completed, but tackling each project is the only way it will happen. In our lives, we have to let God work on us, one thing at a time. While a total renewal is happening, sanctification is still a process.

Today, let’s agree to let God work on us and remodel us into the new image that He wants us to be – one step at a time. One day, maybe many months down the road, we will see a new image forming. When we do, we will look back and not even miss the old.

“For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation" (Galations 5:17, ESV).