Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
II Timothy 1:6-7

To think that God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, what He gave is the exact opposite. He gave a spirit of power, love and a sound mind.

Because of what He gave we can be faithful, and hold fast. even in difficult times.

Paul in 2 Timothy states he is “already being poured out as a drink offering.”

He fought the good fight and had finished the race and then he says. “I have kept the faith”

Be encouraged that God has given to each of us “a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Jesus loves you!

Merry Christmas;

I have a question today that was prompted from a dream I had last night. So, I’ve been reading a lot on our calling and anointing from the Lord and the reasons we respond or not respond to that call. With that said here is the question.

Does the happiness of others (ie… friends and family) confirm Gods call on our lives?

Below is the dream.

I am in a sterile room with about 10-12 people, I think its family and close friends but for sure Evalyn was there.

They are standing on one side of the room in front of a door. On the other side of the door, outside of the room, there is a multitude of people. I’m inside on the other side of the room that leads to a vast open space.

God is calling me into the vast open space. Those in the room are against me going while those on the outside are for me going.

There is a loud sound like a jet turbine in the room and because of that we are speaking very loudly, almost yelling at each other, and those on the outside of the room can’t hear a thing.

I am presenting my case to those in the room which seems like a decade of time passes doing so. Then I finally ask why, why don’t you want me to go? All of the sudden all the sound is sucked out of the room and the one closest to the door replies, “if you were supposed to go we would be happy”.

And at that moment I awoke.

Does the happiness of others (ie… friends and family) confirm Gods call on our lives?

And the survey says?

Ephesians 5:1

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.”

One of our natural instincts is to be products of our environment. No matter how hard we try we look like and sometimes against our better judgment act like our parents. We “imitate” them. Good or bad, sometimes we even hear something like, it looks like your dad chewed you up and spit you out. In other words you are a spitting image of your dad or mom.

Paul in writing to the Ephesians and  tells them that they can break the cycle and actual imitate our Father in heaven. Wow, really a sinner like me can be like God?

Yes!

The very thought of that leads me to ask how, how can I imitate God? Paul lays it out for us in chapter 5 and he gives us 3 ways we can imitate God.

1. He says in vs 2 “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us. An offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
   1. Walk in love, because to walk love is to be a living sacrifice. Just like Jesus.
2. Vs. 8, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light”
   1. walking in the Light produce GOOD fruit in our lives
3. finally in vs 15 Paul says, ” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,”
   1. Walk in wisdom, when we walk in wisdom we use our time wisely and we redeem it for the kingdom vs 16.