When Your Faith is Tested

 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

                                                                      James 1:2-3

                    *******************************************************

As surely as you and I have faith, it will be tested! I don’t know about you, but my faith has really been tested these past few weeks. You know the kind of week(s) I am talking about…Everything seems to go wrong, and you are left feeling turned around, lost and vulnerable. This vulnerability can fester, and leave you feeling that The Prince of Darkness seems to be in charge of ruining your everyday life, and you are powerless over your destiny. But perhaps it’s time to think again…

"All things work for good for those who love God!" [Romans 8:28]

The real truth is, that though Satan’ purpose for being...his mission, is to rob and destroy our calm, peace and joy, leaving us in a state of confusion,chaos, fear and trepidation. But he only succeeds if we let him. After all, the Bible tells us that Jesus has already conquered Satan and his evil tactics by shedding His blood on the cross for us. The battle has already been won by Jesus, the Savior of the World who died on the cross for your freedom and for mine, and HE IS the all-powerful Lord. He IS the one who protects us, guides us, and brings discernment, comfort and all that is good through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus IS the one who fights the battles of the faithful, both with us and, yes, even for us when we are weak and weary, and He is also the one who allows The Oppressor to slink away into the sunset at the very NAME of Jesus!

So the next time you are feeling weary, sick, low, negative, or overwhelmed, take a deep breath and quietly praise God saying the name of Jesus repeatedly until your peace returns... And it will. Praise Jesus even when the outcome appears bleak... You see, God’s peace, and the chaos and fear imparted by The Oppressor simply cannot coexist in this world. It is a choice one must make hourly and daily as to whom will you give power in your life. 

As for me, the Lord is my strength; my peace comes from the Lord!

Dear Father God,

I claim your peace over my life and ask you to put an end to Satan’s sordid lies, and destruction. Be with me and my loved ones always, and shower us with your great gifts of unconditional love, peace, joy, discernment, comfort, protection and salvation. Help us to stay close to you and walk in your ways all the days of this life. Please evict The Great Intruder, and send him back to hell where he belongs for all of eternity. Infuse me with steadfast faith, Lord. I ask all this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord. For Thine is the power and the glory, now and forever. Amen!

Chaplain Adele M. Gill   2014   Copyright

Pray Fervently For Whatever You Need!

Proverbs 3:6

"Seek God's Will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take"

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Ever wonder if you are on the 'right track' in your life? Seek God's Divine Will for your life in prayerful discernment, and He will reveal it to you in good time.

For God has a special plan for every soul...No one is exempt! As Christians we are called, above all, to love the Lord and one another as He has loved us. To that end, we are called to encourage each other along, and to be kind, loving, and live as harmoniously as possible.

We are especially called to praise God and pray fervently for whatever is needed for ourselves and others, to forgive others as we want to be forgiven, and to assist the poor and the sick. By so doing, the fruit of the Holy Spirit will be revealed in you and relayed through you to others: Peace, Love, Joy, Kindness, Steadfastness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Goodness, and Self-Control...
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Dear Lord, I thank you this day and praise you for having a plan for me and my life. Send your Holy Spirit now, so that I can fully follow you with complete abandon, while focusing on what is most important in my life. Teach me Your ways, and help me to hunger and thirst for Your truth, while bringing Your light wherever I go. Look with favor on me and my family, Lord, and help us live out the life you have for us. I ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen!

                                                      Copyright   2014  Adele M. Gill  

The Road to Forgiveness

15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector."

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Matthew 18:15-18

_____________________________

I have a friend who is deeply hurt and offended by something that his brother did to him recently. Close friends for a lifetime, there is now a seemingly endless river dividing the the two. Not only are they no longer close, they are not speaking because of what happened...a burden for both of them and their families that could, theoretically, continue for decades if left unchecked.

Today's Scripture tells us that we must try our level best to reconcile with others, even if we are the one that has sustained the offense. In essence, we are led to and through the prescribed biblical process of reconciliation before turning away from those who hurt us. Even then, if reconciliation efforts fail, we as Christians are called to 'turn the other cheek.'

In light of our humanness and pride, forgiveness can be quite a challenge. For forgiveness is often a divine event. But when we are aware of how often we ourselves have fallen short with others, and in the eyes of God, we are more able to treat others as we would want to be treated and give those who hurt us every opportunity to make amends.

                                                                Adele M. Gill   2014   Copyright

Jesus: The Great Healer

"...Afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed..."  2 Corinthians 4:8-9  /  New International Version [NIV]

Tomorrow is the day that my husband and I were to leave to go on our trip, a Healing Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, but life really is chock full of surprises. Just 5 days before we were to leave, we learned from the medical director for the trip that it was determined that my health is too fragile to make the long Trans-Atlantic flight, and half packed, our trip was cancelled. 

Yes, like this Scripture passage, we were stunned, very disappointed, and in shock for a day or two, but through prayer, we are doing fine now. It did, however, serve as a reminder  that Jesus is with us, right here in this place and in our ordinary lives, and that He IS the Great Healer, Comforter and Protector. Though it would have been a wonderful adventure, one need not travel half way around the world to have their prayers heard and answered. Jesus is in our midst tirelessly working all things out for the good.

I know I will be healed one day, if not in a distant and wonderful place like Lourdes, then perhaps right here in Harford County, Maryland. With abundant opportunities for healing inside and out, He has healed me in so many ways already, and I look forward with great anticipation to see what He will do next in my life and the lives of those around me!

Meanwhile, I am determined not to let health matters be the end all and be all, the center of my life. It's time to expand my Chaplain ministry, for there is so much work to be done for the glory of God...Healing will come in time.

Adele M. Gill 2014  Copyright

The Blood Moon

 

 

As I'm sure you heard, last night was the latest occurrence of the  'blood moon.' Reportedly, this event normally happens about once in 800 years. However, this is the fourth time in a year we have experienced this extraordinary  natural phenomenon! Here is what the Bible has to say about this great event in the Book of Joel, Acts, and Revelations: 

 

"The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and

terrible day of the Lord comes."

Book of Joel 2:31

 

"The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." 

Book of Acts 2:20-21

 

^"When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and there came a great earthquake; the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, ¹³ and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree drops its winter fruit when shaken by a gale."  

Book of Revelations 6:11-13

 

Clearly an interesting Bible study read, indeed! The Bible is full of stories and reminders of what has been, what is, and what will be. Messages that help humanity to recognize that God is in control, and those that teach us  and encourage us to live each day to the fullest in the greatest sense of the word. In actuality, I think the message to come away with from these Scriptures is that God is kind & merciful, even and especially as He prepares us for the fullness of His plan for humanity. As seen in Acts 2:20-12, His greatest desire is to bring us close to Him, even as His Great Plan unfolds.

 

For no one knows the day or hour that God's plan will come to fruition. Absolutely no one...Yet we are called to be in a state of readiness, a state of Salvation, which is clearly the Lenten message we strive to embrace now, during the Lenten season, and beyond. Jesus is with us to help us in every way and on every level of our being... He IS our salvation...For the Bible tells us in Romans 10:9 >

 

"If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and

believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved!"

 

It doesn't get easier than that!

Adele M. Gill  2014  Copyright

A New Creation

 "So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" 2 Corinthians 5:17



I think we all have heard the word 'saved' many times. In my earlier years as a Christian Catholic, I never really understood what it meant to be saved...So what does it really mean? Well, first of all, whether or not to be saved is a very important personal decision. Being 'saved' means that you have dedicated your life to Jesus Christ. Specifically, the Bible tells us, according to Romans 10:9, "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." 





Secondly, it means that the Holy Spirit of Jesus come upon you and will help you step up and embrace your new life in Him. In that way, you become a new creation, putting aside sinful old ways and walking away from things that used to distance you from God and others. You still have your free will, but the desires of your heart and your actions are what change, as they innately become reflections of Jesus Christ. 



If you sincerely hunger & thirst to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and have not already done so, repeat the following prayer aloud:

Dear Lord,

Please forgive me for all the things I have done wrong.    

 I choose to turn to You and away from sin.

                                                 Jesus, please be the center of my life,                                                     

I welcome you personally as Lord and Savior of my life.

I ask You to fill me and empower me with the Holy Spirit                               

to live according to God’s Divine Will for me.

I want to have Your grace to truly live a new life in You. Amen!

[Adapted Prayer from 'ChristLife' ]

Ready to Move From Broken to Blest?

The following is an excerpt of the witness I shared at The Helping Up Mission in Baltimore City:

Take another look at the challenges YOU personally face today. Look beyond the confusion, hurt and pain…Dare to see the lessons learned, great and small, the silver linings, in the vineyard of your life. The challenges you face today may just serve as the best training you could ever have in your life to grow into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!Whatever it is that led you here, in the spirit of Divine providence, it may just be the right time for you, to step up to the plate, to get some much needed relief from those long embedded thorns, and heal those old, nagging emotional wounds...

 For I am here to tell you from experience that you are EXACTLY where you are meant to be, and you are NOT alone! Jesus is with you every step of the way!!! Each of you has an extraordinary opportunity to heal and grow spiritually, and to become what the Lord wants you to be according to His plan for you and your life… And trust me…The Lord has a wonderful plan for your life! In fact, Jeremiah 29:11-14 tells us:

“For I know the well the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

I suggest you make this encouraging Scripture your own, write it down on a piece of paper and place it in your Bible.

You see, Jesus wants to bless you profoundly with a future full of hope from this day forward. He wants to restore you physically, and make you emotionally free of addiction(s), depression, anxiety and worry, and more available for life-giving relationships. He wants to help you live a comfortable life by helping you get solid employment and a place to live…He wants nothing less than the very best for you. Most of all, He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to get into the Word and study His ways. He has so much to offer you, but he can only do that if you accept His Great Invitation…

“Come unto Me, all who are weary and I will give you rest...”Matthew 11:28

You see, when you walk with Jesus, He has you covered! He goes before you to pave the way for you, and He goes behind you to protect you from temptations and your enemies. He walks beside you, shoulder to shoulder. He is your closest friend, your Counselor, Your Comforter, your Healer and your Protector. Most of all, He is your Savior, and mine who died on the cross for our sins!

The Bible tells us that “Those that wait upon the Lord WILL renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31). God will raise you up on eagle’s wings, and Why?  Because Holy Scripture also tells us that, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!” 

You see, Hope in Jesus can make the difference between barely surviving tough times and thriving, even in serious adversity. It can allow you to endure great things, while looking ahead with positive expectations for the future, even as temptation and despair looms large in your heart and mind.

So what does it mean to give your life to the Lord? It means that you elevate the Lord in your heart and mind so that HE IS THE REASON for your hope, and your purpose for living, as you place him above everything else. We as Christians should always know the reason for our hope! 

For me, hands down, it is Jesus Christ!!! He is far bigger than all my fears, worries, and problems!  And why not? Savior of the world, who else can conquer evil and darkness in your life, heal your physical and emotional pain, provide for you abundantly beyond all measure, AND be the lover of your soul? Most of all, who else has given His life in exchange for your sins and mine?

 Jesus is the Great Healer. He has called each of you by name to begin a life-saving, life-giving, life-changing work in each of you. He wants you to know that your life is precious, that you have purpose in this life, and He has a plan especially designed for you and your life.

And there is more good news for you...The Lord has generously provided everything you need for your journey. The same saving grace that Jesus showed me in my time of great despair is available to you for the asking. In fact, with Jesus’ help, I believe ANYONE can evolve “From Broken to Blest,” and embrace the healing that He has waiting especially for you!

My dear Friends, it is time for you to courageously and prayerfully walk away from your old demons with confidence…and walk into the hope and Light of Jesus. If you haven’t done so already, it is time to pick up your cross of Salvation that Jesus has so generously provided especially for You!

For Romans 10:9  tells us: “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED.” 

If you are truly feeling ready today to leave your old life behind, are ready for Jesus to move your life, “From Broken to Blest,” and would like to make Him your very own personal Lord and Savior, please bow your head in prayer now and repeat after me:

Dear Lord,

Please forgive me for all the things I have done wrong. I choose to turn to You and away from sin.

Jesus, please be the center of my life, I welcome you personally as Lord and Savior of my life.

I ask You to fill me and empower me with the Holy Spirit to live according to God’s Divine Will for me. I want to have Your grace to truly live a new life in You. Amen!

___________________________________________

May you be profoundly blest with love, peace, hope, trust and joy in Jesus Christ always, and may you fully embrace the healing that awaits you as you move “From Broken to Blest!” in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Adele M. Gill  2014  Copyright