WILL YOUR HANDS BE CLINCHED SHUT OR LIFTED OPEN ?

I often find myself in meditation thinking about God, and how much HE MEANS TO ME ! I am far from perfect, but I do know that HE LOVES ME, and is always available to me. Knowing HE IS THERE is often what carries me through challenges and helps me stay centered and purpose filled and purposed. There is a specific set of words that often come to my mind….” PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW “ Blessings. I often feel So Blessed that it almost seems incomprehensible ! And yet, GOD has truly promised us so much as believers and FOLLOWERS of His Son JESUS CHRIST ! A Follower of Jesus learns quickly that it is not a path without challenges. Following Jesus will open one up to Ridicule and Persecution from a world that has rejected Him and embraced Culture and Self Importance. Throughout Scripture, we are told that “ as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too “ ( 2 Corinthians 1:5. It is easy to find our problems and challenges to be Overwhelming…Can our Blessings BE THE SAME ? I truly believe that how we perceive and act upon our Blessings tells a lot about our HEARTS, and also exactly where we are in terms our our Growth and Maturity in Christ. Scripture tells us “ Whoever has will be given more, and he will have abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him “ ( Matthew 13:12). There are many ways to interpret this verse, but I want to approach it from the perspective of Our Hearts And Our Blessings. The Key Question Is : ARE YOUR BLESSINGS SOMETHING YOU WILL HOLD ONTO SOLELY FOR YOUR OWN GAIN…OR WILL YOU OPEN THEM FREELY TO BLESS OTHERS ? The world likes to teach us that we need to focus on OURSELVES ! Our Gain; Our Success; Our Accomplishments; Our Power; Our Needs; OUR BLESSINGS ! Mine, mine, mine. I Deserve them; I Worked Hard for them; I Earned them…so, Why Share them ? FISTS CLINCHED, I LIVE FOR MYSELF. For many of us, the ability to finally Unclinch Our Fists truly does come from a Shift In Our Heart’s Focus. When we learn to Open Our Hands and Lift Our Blessings to flow out to others…Everything Changes :)

GIVE, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU. GOOD MEASURE, PRESSED DOWN, SHAKEN TOGETHER, RUNNING OVER, WILL BE PUT IN YOUR LAP. FOR WITH THE MEASURE YOU USE IT WILL BE MEASURED BACK TO YOU. Luke 6:38

LIVE OUT YOUR GOD CREATED IDENTITY. LIVE GENEROUSLY AND GRACIOUSLY TOWARD OTHERS, THE WAY GOD LIVES TOWARD YOU. Matthew 5:4

AND GOD WILL MEET ALL YOUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY IN CHRIST. Phillipianss 4:19

The world puts such an emphasis on SELF that it is almost second nature to strive for worldly things and goals. Some people have a lot, and share a lot. Others, have a lot, and share very little. WHY ? I truly believe that it ALL starts with our Relationship With God, and where our Heart’s Desires Truly look to become “God’s Desires !" “ God had always put His Stamp on my heart to care about others, but He also began a REFINING PROCESS OF UNDERSTANDING AND PURPOSE ! Being kind and nice and Generous is comendable, but might there be more ? A Big Question FROM GOD to me : “ HOW ARE YOU STEWARDING THE THINGS I HAVE BLESSED YOU WITH JIM ? “ That question opened my Heart and Eyes ! GOD gives us abundance and Blessings for a purpose. HIS PURPOSE ! It is up to us to SEEK HIS PURPOSE ! Also, Blessings are not Just Monetary !!! Blessings can be Knowlege, talents (gifts), encouagement, time, Grace…a whole bunch of things. The KEY for each of us is to Open Our Hands And Lift Them To God’s Purpose And Glory rather than clenching them to ourselves for personal gain or Fear of Not Having Enough ! It is important for each of us to understand that GOD is not concerned about the Volume We Share, but rather the Condition Of Our Heart that makes us DESIRE TO SHARE:) All our blessings are unique. Each one of us can be Blessed in a multitude of ways. GOD KNOWS how HE wants you to Bless others, and He will show you if you ASK HIM ! I have been blessed in many ways, but sharing my time and presence with someone in need “Face To Face and Heart To Heart seems way more important than simply giving an arm’s length donation. Spending time in the Homeless Community through our church (Illuminate Community Church) in Phoenix has changed my life ! WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND YOU, DO YOU SEE PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES THAT NEED YOUR HELP, YOUR GIFTS, YOUR HEART ? WILL YOU “ENGAGE” ?

JESUS LOOKED UP AND SAW THE RICH PUTTING THEIR GIFTS INTO THE OFFERING BOX, AND HE SAW A POOR WIDOW PUT IN TWO SMALL COPPER COINS. AND HE SAID, “ TRULY, I TELL YOU, THIS POOR WIDOW HAS PUT IN MORE THAN ALL OF THEM. FOR THEY ALL CONTRIBUTED OUT OF THEIR ABUNDANCE, BUT SHE OUT OF HER POVERTY PUT IN ALL SHE HAD TO LIVE ON. Luke 21: 1-4

DO NOT NEGLECT TO DO GOOD AND TO SHARE WHAT YOU HAVE, FOR SUCH SACRIFICES ARE PLEASING TO GOD. Hebrews 13:15

WHEN YOU GIVE IT TO THEM, THEY GATHER IT UP; WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR HAND, THEY ARE FILLED WITH GOOD THINGS. Psalm 104:28

As Followers Of Jesus, we all have SO MUCH TO SHARE ! Most importantly, WE HAVE THE GOSPEL:) For me, knowing and following Jesus is PURE JOY, and I want everyone I meet and know to SEE HIS GRACE AND LOVE. I have lived a blessed life, and nothing has blessed me more than ABIDING IN CHRIST, because THAT JOY makes my life COMPLETE AND FULFILLED :) Take inventory of all your blessings and quietly ask yourself how to use them for someone else. Use them wisely for God’s Purpose and Glory !

If you are a subscriber, Thank You ! I wish I was as good at Technical Issues as my site has hopefully solved some communication issues. In my MINISTRIES I SUPPORT section, please visit EMMANNE MINISTRIES and take a look at the new TUMAINI LEGACY FUND. It is an opportunity to provide Education Scholarships for young adults in Theri Kenya who have grown up in this loving place after being orphans without hope. My Heart so longs to see these boys and girls SEE GOD AND HIS BLESSINGS IN THEIR LIVES :). Should you feel led by the Lord, bless them with all your might, and PRAY for God to use them in His Purpose on Their Unique Paths ! Visit: EMMANNE.ORG

Thank You, Bless You, and May God Fill You With JOY :). OPEN UP FOR GOD/JAA

DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART. Psalm 37:4