How to Prevail Against All Odds

All too often, we as humans feel like we need to be right all the time, dominate, and have the last word during times of confrontation. Yet the Bible reminds us that with faith in God, we do not need to fight our own battles to prevail, but sometimes we must simply step back and leave room for Jesus to act on our behalf, as we relinquish the need to be in control. We need to remember that Jesus is our Savior, in all things great and small. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, He is with His flock wherever we go protecting us, comforting us, providing wisdom and discernment through His Word, and paving the way for victories great and small as we call upon His Holy Name. 

For Holy Scripture tells us:

“The word of the LORD came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.”

“…Stand up and tell them all that I command you. Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them; for it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land...They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.”   Jeremiah 1:4-19

With all the current events swirling around us regarding the Sanctity of Life, this Scripture reminds us that all human life—including your life and mine--is a precious gift from God. This beautiful, uplifting biblical passage also serves as a wonderful reminder that God is our Creator; and that He knew each of us intimately before we were even born into this world. That is, He not only knew us, but created a plan for each soul in the building up of the Kingdom before we were even born!

This prophetic writing from Jeremiah beckons us to recognize and embrace our God-given mission here on Earth and to resist feeling defeated by our adversaries and enemies who fight against us. Rather, God tells Jeremiah to hold on and resist the temptation to slip or walk away in defeat—to stand up and use the Word of God as a sword to fight His battles.

Further, God tells Jeremiah in this reading that he has power and strength to fight, with God at his side. “For it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass against the whole land. They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”

Clearly this Holy Scripture found in Jeremiah chapter 1stands as a poignant reminder to us all that when we follow God’s commands and seek Him in earnest, He will fight our battles with us, and even FOR us at times.  For with God at our side, the fight has already been won before it even starts. The Lord delivers us from turmoil and our adversaries again and again; as we turn the other cheek and defer to Him in all things. God’s ways are not our ways, but make no mistake about it…Jesus IS the reason we are able to prevail against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Adele M. Gill  |  Copyright 2016  |  www.theinspirationcafeblog.net

The Servant Witness

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The Servant Witness

Thus says The Lord:

“Get up now, and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen [of me] and what you will be shown.”

“I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you, to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in Me.”  Acts 26:16-18

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As I look back over some of the events of this past week, this Scripture comes to mind…

For the first time in many, many years, perhaps a decade or more, I was able this past week to walk over a mile in the mall with just my cane, leaving my walker behind. Truth is, my Jawbone step tracking device was omitting many, if not most of my daily steps. So I thought if my hands were free rather than grasping the handles of my walker, it would remedy the situation. Turns out my Jawbone is defective, but in the process of trying to walk without my walker, I made a tremendous personal discovery: I can now walk long distances without a walker!

I guess it’s really true that necessity is the mother of invention. ‘Likely never would have tried walking without my walker that day, had my Jawbone been working correctly. The implications are many as I have been working diligently on building my strength since getting out of the wheelchair in September. Walking distances allows me to strengthen atrophied muscles head to toe, lose weight, improve stamina, focus and concentration, and get valuable endorphins I have been missing for years by having to be sedentary per doctor’s orders over the past 33 years.

Most of all, it reminds me there “is a season for every purpose under Heaven.” I look forward to this new season with great anticipation as I read the Scripture above:

“Get up now, and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen [of me] and what you will be shown.” Acts 26:16

I look forward eagerly, not only because this is a hopeful time, but a faith building time first and foremost for myself, as well as for those around me. It is a time to celebrate with great joy that “Jesus, the Great Healer showed up!” Not only did “He show up,” this is a tremendous answered prayer for all those who have been praying for me, as well as my own anguished pleas.

God really does hear and answer our anguished cries. He has surrounded me and my family with God loving, Jesus believing friends that have provided tremendous encouragement along the way. God has also seeded my soul with the resilient desire to believe in miracles and lots of them, even and especially when all seems lost. When I pray, I expect a miracle and an answer from the Lord. This is called expectant prayer. And He always comes through!

 In my 58 years of life God has healed me and delivered me from so many medical conditions and circumstances, including epilepsy, a brain tumor, respiratory muscle weakness, a severe speech impairment, a uterine tumor, as well as major depression, PTSD associated with pervasive childhood trauma. And the list goes on and on!

How blest are we to serve the merciful, Triune God of grace, who created the universe!?! How blest are we to serve our God who is so very present in our times of need? Yes, we are truly blest to have the privilege to walk by faith, not by sight! I believe that the greatest difficulties in life come when we refuse to believe, or forget, just how loved we are by God. That is when depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, and a myriad of other challenges can take root. Yes, God loves each of us intimately and unconditionally through the power of the Holy Spirit and gave us His Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation.

God stands in wait for humanity to simply follow His 10 commandments and call upon the name of Jesus so He can intercede on our behalf. But the power of free-will is so strong, addictive, even, and it is sometimes hard for us in our humanness to let go of pride and control, so God can do His finest work in our lives. To do so, we need to try to put aside every obstacle [sin] that pushes Him away.

Most of all, we need to thank Jesus and invite Him into every circumstance BEFORE we become aware of our need for Him. No need for eloquent speech, just a willing servant’s heart for God and those in need, and a willingness to witness to others about His unearned grace and unsurpassed generosity. Just pray, “Jesus I trust in You.”

Yes, God has been so good to me and my family. But it’s not about anything exemplary that I have done. Rather, it speaks to His glorious Love for all of humanity!

“All things work for good for those who love God.”  Romans 8:28

Adele M. Gill   |   Copyright 2016   |  www.theinspirationcafeblog.net

The Christmas Blessing

Greetings From the The Inspiration Cafe Blog!

The Christmas Blessing

John 21:17 [Full Chapter]

"The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep."

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For those of you who know me, you know well I believe in miracles...And lots of them! It is with much awe and excitement that I share this today on Christmas Eve, "The Christmas Blessing ..."

Just about four weeks ago, around Thanksgiving, I was praying and praising God for so many blessings received, when I was done, I found myself fervently asking God to bring a new soup kitchen into our community to help us feed the poor. One week later, to the day, I was approached by a woman at Manna House named Joyce Price.

"I need to talk with you...It's really important," she said emphatically.

"Of course. How can I help?"

"My son, Rafael Mack, is president of an organization called the Esquires Motorcycle Club in Aberdeen, Maryland. He and his organization just purchased a large food truck and want to start a new soup kitchen in our community to feed the poor. He needs your help to get started"

You can only imagine my awe and excitement. Yes, I thought, God absolutely heard my prayer for the poor and has already put a plan into motion to feed our local poor! Joyce arranged for me to meet Rafael the next Wednesday at Manna House. One week later I was able to meet with Rafael, which was the start of something blessed, and plans are now underway for a new local soup kitchen in Harford County, Maryland! What a Christmas miracle in progress!

If you would be so kind, please join me in prayer for this new effort....

Dear Father God,                                                                                                                                         Thank you for awakening Rafael Mack and the Esquire Motorcycle Club to the dire needs of the local poor. You have heard the cry of the poor, and are providing abundant supply to meet their needs. I pray that you will swiftly bring this new effort to feed the poor to fruition, and help it flourish. May you open the doors and windows to the planning process for expedient, enduring implementation, via providing funding/grants, understanding of Health Department regulations, and volunteer workers. As we meet to bring Your plan into being for years to come, we pray you will send who you will to help with this effort, and to benefit from this service. I ask all this in Jesus' mighty name...

With Jesus at the helm, I have no doubt that this effort will flourish for many years to come!

Adele M. Gill  |  Copyright 2015  |

http://theinspirationcafeblog.net/the-christmas-blessing/

Prepare the Way!

THE INSPIRATION CAFE BLOG

by Adele M. Gill

Prepare the Way!

PHIL 1:4-6, 8-11

"Brothers and sisters: 

I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. God is my witness,  how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception,  to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God."

 

Many of you have asked about the distribution of this blog. Each time I pray and post what comes, it goes out to about 1000 people via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Mail Chimp. It is my own little evangelization effort designed to lead souls to Jesus Christ. Special thanks to all who like or share these posts, as it is an easy way for my readers to help to spread the Good News even further into the blogoshere!

 

Please know I pray regularly for you and all my readers for Jesus' presence in your life through the power of the Holy Spirit, and for His mighty blessings upon your lives and that of your family. Most of all I pray for discernment of God's Will in your life. That you will embrace God's Divine Will for you and yours with great fervor, and passion. That Jesus will provide abundant supply for your every need, and infuse you with sublime trust and faith in Him.

 

For God has started a great work in you, and desires to pull you close to bring it to fruition. He knows you better than you know yourself, and desires to be the center of your world. To accomplish that means you must place your trust in Him, and believe He will act on your behalf. The Bible tells us God has a plan for your life and mine, and we must simply ask with confidence for whatever we need, and He will do it.

 

Prepare ye the way of the Lord!

As we celebrate the Advent season, perhaps it is a good time for each of us to take a closer look at our own "proverbial life boat." Are there rhetorical cracks or holes in your life boat that must be addressed before it can glide on water and not sink? Surely a boat with cracks and holes below the water line will let water in and the boat will sink when put to the test! Sin is the same way...You must do your part to repair and remedy any issues before setting sail to do God's Will, lest you be stopped in your tracks, weighed down by sin.

 

"Discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God."

 

In practical terms, this means we need to address and remove anything in our lives that is not of God. Yes, He is a loving, kind and merciful God. But He is also, at times, a jealous God. He demands our full allegiance and attention. He can and will perform miracles in our life, but He first asks that we approach Him with a repentant, blameless, clean heart. For instance, dabbling in pornography or the occult could be major obstacles to receiving His love in full measure. If we pray for God's holy intervention in our lives, we must be willing to ask for forgiveness and reconcile with Him first...

 

Prepare the way of the Lord!

Adele M. Gill  |  Copyright 2015  |  www.theinspirationcafeblog.net

PART II: Commit Your Way to the Lord

The Inspiration Cafe Blog

PART II: Commit Your Way to the Lord 

By Adele M. Gill

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"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act."  Psalm 37:5

Today we are talking about praying & believing that God will act on Your behalf. This Scripture passage includes 3 “little things” we all can do to improve our lives and that of others we pray for. These 3 things may sound simple, but have a tremendous impact on one’s prayer life:

1)      Commit your way to the Lord. First of all, when you commit your way to the Lord, you are handing over whatever situation is at hand. However, that’s the easy part! The tough part is trying your level best not to take it back and try to handle it yourself. Actually, committing your way to the Lord requires great restraint, but it also has great benefits. Best of all, you can grow in confidence that “He’s got it” and you can stop worrying as “All things work for good for those who love God. They really do. There is no safer place you can place your concerns or your loved ones than squarely in the hands of God. Be not afraid!

2)      Trust in Him. Secondly, if we are truly to hand over to God whatever concerns and issues we have, we need to get on board to trust Him. There is no other who is more trustworthy to handle our relationships, our jobs, our finances, our families, than Jesus, the Omnipotent, Almighty, Great Healer, Shepherd, Protector, Comforter and Savior of the World. For He is our strength, our peace, our joy. He is the wind beneath our wings, our everything. Nothing happens in our lives that God does not know about, see, and experience first-hand with us. He is all knowing, ever-present, and kind and merciful working all things in our lives for the good simply for the asking. When we place our trust in Jesus, we are unburdened, untethered to the strife of daily life through the power of the Holy Spirit. Released from the bondage of mayhem and perfection, having to make everything work out just right to the best of our ability; because at that point, it is God himself who has the reigns of our lives in His hands for the asking.

3)      Believe God will act. When we truly give our cares over to Jesus, we are far better able to embrace God’s Bible promise to us in this Scripture passage. We are more apt to be patient and persistent in prayer knowing and believing that Jesus will, through the power of the holy spirit, show up and make all things new. And what a tremendous feeling that is!

Talking about the Holy Spirit…Recently, I was at Manna House, a local church-based soup kitchen in Bel Air. As I got out of my car, there was a gentle breeze and a calm feeling came over me as I made my way to the front door. It was a very different feeling altogether than I had experienced in my car.

Walking into the church through the church doors, the breeze turned warm, and as I entered the building, the excitement in the room was palpable. Many people approached our table who were either hurting or grateful to God, asking for prayers for their diverse concerns.  This--I thought-- is how it feels when the Holy Spirit is present. For wherever the Holy Spirit resides, the fruit of the Holy Spirit flow abundantly: Peace, love, patience, persistence, steadfastness, joy, kindness and faithfulness. Why? Because the Lord is present and His love permeates the air, spilling over to all who are present.

The Holy Spirit of Jesus is careful only to go where he is invited in, where people trust him and believe in His power to transform their lives. And the more we seek Him with all our being, and follow His laws of love, the closer He hovers nearby.

So as we go on our way today, let’s take a few minutes to invite the Holy Spirit of Jesus in. Take a few quiet minutes to feel his calm, and fully experience His joyful presence in your life. Breathe deeply and pray that He will bless you profoundly with discernment of His presence, and that He will allow you to experience, and share the fruit of the Holy Spirit with all who cross your path this day. Hopefully, doing this will make us all a little more patient, a little more persistent in prayer, a little kinder, more loving, and caring for all who we encounter in our days. For wherever there is a faith-filled, grateful heart, we are standing on Holy Ground.

Adele M. Gill    |    Copyright 2015

Commit Your Way to the Lord; Trust in Him and He Will Act

"Commit your way to the Lord; 
trust in Him and He will act." Psalm 37:5
By Adele M. Gill

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Trust. It's such a tiny, nondescript word with significant power and huge ramifications!

As you know, over the past 2 months since the end of August, I have been trusting in God for a miracle. Having spent the past 4 months in a wheelchair(May to September) has only solidified my efforts to pray for a full healing for myself, without back pedaling and taking my trust back as I sometimes do. For those of you who have joined me in this prayer, I am eternally grateful. This radical act of faith is proving to be fruitful, and I am eager to share with you what is evolving here, in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Sure, some days are better than others, but I am holding onto the above Scripture with all the strength I can muster. I was able to put away my wheelchair just 3 weeks into this adventure, and am between the cane and walker now for mobility! With prayer and exercise alone, my respiratory muscles are getting stronger by the week, and I am now able to drive again, do a full grocery shop alone, and am even able to take yoga twice a week! The fact is, I have been taking baby steps and have fully committed my way to the Lord. I trust in Him that He is walking with me shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, and He is acting on my behalf! Hallelujah...Oh happy day!

We hear about and reference trust so often in our daily life. Certainly it is central in relationships, at work, and especially with friends and family. Even people with what is commonly called 'trust issues,' and I am one, find that we all need to trust in someone or something at various intervals and times in this life.  It's just a part of life. Children need to trust their parents to provide for them. Seniors need to trust their bodies will hold up after decades of use. We all need to trust the bank will keep our money safe. 

Not sure why, but trust does not come easy for many of us, myself included. It is only natural to feel let down at times when our trust goes awry. In our humanness, our efforts to trust others are sometimes derailed and we are left stranded or bereft or holding the proverbial bag, so to speak. Sometimes trust is breached by others, but sometimes, we ourselves are to blame. Perhaps we are impatient and lacking in patience and perseverance to see a situation through. Or maybe we are limited in our ability to recognize trustworthiness in others. And sometimes plans just fall through, which is why I always like to have a backup plan at all times. 

The blessed truth about trust is that God is the only one we can trust with 100% surety. He is the only one who is really trustworthy all the time. We can rest assured that whatever we bring him in prayer from the depths of our hearts, He will work out for the good in His own special time, and way as only He can. And to that end, His trustworthiness is miles above that of others.

For when we place our needs before our triune-God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, trusting in His Omnipotence, mercy and grace, we can truly walk away from the need for hyper-vigilance. In my case, I am simply enjoying the strength He sends each day, while believing it is sufficient for me. 

There is no other time in life when we can so fully trust another as in heartfelt prayer. Our trust is manifold, as we are able to trust God will do even more than we asked of Him. He will bring it all to fruition in the most blessed ways, leaving behind hearts filled with gratitude.

Yes, my heart leaps for what God is doing here in my life; and I pray you will be able to see what He is doing in yours, as well. I can only say, 'trust God, and He will bring it for you, splendidly acting on your behalf.' 

Adele M. Gill   |   Copyright 2015

www.theinspirationcafeblog.net 

To Err Is Human, to Forgive Is Divine

Adele's Inspiration Cafe Blog:

 To Err Is Human, to Forgive Is Divine

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."   Ephesians 4:31-32

Forgiveness. I don't know about you, but I find forgiveness really hard. Both asking for it and providing it to those who I feel have hurt me. Really hard. Yet, every now and then, it is brought to my attention that I have hurt or offended someone. At times, though never intended, we all hurt people we care very much about and must ask forgiveness. Sometimes we are the one who asks for forgiveness, other times we are the one on the forgiving end of things. In a way, it is all part of the seesaw of life relationships. In the past, I have noticed that sometimes it is harder than others to ask for forgiveness, especially where feelings are concerned. That is where discernment comes in from today's Holy Scripture, to rescue us from our own awkwardness with forgiving.

When we forgive others, we are fulfilling our own circle of faith in Jesus Christ. For un-forgiveness is a plague that, left unchecked, can cause more heartache, emotional upheaval, physical illness, and most of all, spiritual unrest in a hurting soul. Do we really need to forgive others? The Bible says categorically, we are called to forgive 70 times 7, that is, over and over again. But how is that possible in light of our humanness??? 

Today's Scripture specifically tells us we must put aside our anger and press on in faith to love one another as God loves us. Do we expect to be forgiven when we ask for it? Surely that hope prevails! Yet when we understand that we are forgiven to the degree that we forgive others, forgiveness suddenly seems necessary and possible through Jesus Christ. 

Personally, I often call upon and defer to Jesus to intercede when I am called to forgive and it is difficult. Alone I can do precious little, with Him, all things are possible!

Adele M. Gill  |  Copyright 2015