Karin M. Thompson's Blog, page 2

Could This Be Our Last Easter?

I love Easter. It makes me want to lift my hands up high and give thanks to my God. Praising Him for sending Jesus to save me from my sins and grant me eternal life.

Even if God never did another thing for me, I will still be happy and blessed. To have the assurance of an eternity in His presence.

Life here is difficult because of its obstacles and difficulties. Easter reminds us we don't have to go through life by ourselves. He is with us always. Are you aware that our faith is the only one that you can't point to the tomb of its leader–as it's EMPTY? Glory to God! Jesus has risen.

Resurrection Sunday would be an ideal day for Jesus to return. That would bring His redemption work to a full circle. He ascended to heaven on the same day, two millennia later, He came back. What a concept!

But in the meantime…

Occupy and run your race till He returns. My friend, it's a difficult situation to make it in this world with rising prices and inflation. Yet, recall that through the cross you have been given control over this world and its ruler- the devil.

You don’t have to lie down and surrender. Instead, you can stand firm and keep your head up high because you are not without strength. He has given you the name above all names. JESUS. Every knee must bow to that name.

You may not always remember this, but our adversary never does. He will persist in attacking you from all sides as long as you permit it. As soon as you summon the name of Jesus, the enemy's work will immediately cease.

Remain faithful as you stay close to God through prayer and His Word. Strengthen yourself and call upon the name of Jesus with confidence. And your world will change. Get back the power. Your circumstances must submit to that name. You will come out victorious.

There is plenty to celebrate this Easter. You are a conqueror, a heroic one, a champion, and an undefeated one.

Now is a good time to have a praise break!

Are You Looking For Answers and Directions?

Pursuing a closer relationship with God will give you answers for your life. Drawing closer to Him changes your perspective on your circumstances. He will reveal deeper insights into them, causing you to adjust your thinking and thoughts about them.

Doing this will empower you to experience the abundant life that Jesus died to give you. Sometimes there are issues about our problems that may involve something deeper. Only God can reveal that to you.

Allowing God and His Word to have a greater influence in your life, your capacity for compassion, patience, empathy, and other elements essential to your life will grow stronger in you. As you change, so will the circumstance

change, responding to the changes in you.

What once used to trouble and concern you, will no longer have a hold. Remember when Moses spent time with God, his face shone so brightly that he had to cover it? As you spend quality time with God, you will shine from His presence, and the insights you receive from this time will cause your circumstances to change. Where light is, darkness cannot also be. The more time you spend with the Father, the more He will shine out from you and the greater His wisdom will be in your life.

Are you needing help, direction, or ideas? Time with God will give you these answers.

Is it not motivation to spend time with God?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Acts 23:1

Deuteronomy 31:6

2 Chronicles 32: 7-8

Psalm 27:14

Amazing Love

One of the most amazing things in this world is the love that God has for us. His love is the same every day and never changes. He loves you more than you can imagine. Our brains find this truth hard to grasp. We look at all our faults and shortcomings, but our Father God looks at us with such love, compassion, mercy, and grace. He showed His love by sending His only son to die for you so you could have eternal life and become His child.

I want to encourage you today that you are never alone, never unloved. No matter where you are in your life today, whether it’s good, bad, or just ugly, God loves you. Take a moment to absorb this truth. He truly loves you. Let this truth comfort you and make you want to be a better person, to rise against all adversaries and shout “I am loved!”

People’s love may come and go, but God’s love is unchanging. There is nothing you can do to change this. He will always love you. He knows you aren’t perfect, but He has a plan for that. He wants to help you with every step of your day, be in every situation you find yourself in, guide and lead you out of your troubles, showing you a better path.

I don’t know about you, but this overwhelms me. That God loves me! It makes me want to shout and surrender myself more to Him. Surely someone who loves me that much would have my back and never guide me wrong. Wouldn’t I be a fool not to appreciate this love and allow it to control my life?

“We love because God first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?

Happy New Year! Wow, it's 2023 already. Where did the time go? That is the one thing about time. It keeps moving. It doesn’t wait for anyone. Therefore, time is your most important asset. How you spend it reflects on who you are and what you will have in life.

We all have 24 hours a day, yet some people achieve amazing things in life. How? Because they manage their time.

The beginning of the year is always a time to reflect and set goals and new year's resolutions. The problem is not how you start, but how you finish. I have a screen saver on my phone that says–“How bad do you want it?”

And that is the secret. How bad do you want it? Do you want it bad enough to prioritize it over everything else? Are you willing to give 100% of your time and dedication to achieving it?

Everything is attainable, but there's only one problem, YOU.

You are the one who has to do the hard work, put in the extra time and do all the effort required.

God will lead you, He will guide you and send help to you. But He will not do it for you. That’s your part.

So, I ask you, how badly do you want it?

Do you have an overwhelming dream?

Do you have a dream that overwhelms you? Not knowing how or if it ever will happen? Well, let me encourage you today.

Mary–Jesus' mother found herself in the same boat. Out of the blue, an angel appears to her to tell her she will conceive by the Holy Spirit and give birth to a son, Jesus, who will be called the Son of the Most High.

We can only imagine the confusion and how disturbed Mary was at hearing this news. Yes, she was obedient to receive what was promised to her, but being a virgin and pregnant certainly had its problems, especially in those times.

She must have worried about how she was going to explain this to her parents and to Joseph her fiance. Who would believe her? Even today, people still do not believe it.

Mary decided to visit her aunt Elizabeth. She probably had a good relationship with her and felt comfortable sharing her news. I'm sure on her journey to Elizabeth she would have rehearsed how she would explain her situation. Fear would have been knocking on her door continuously, telling her Elizabeth would reject her.

As scripture tells us, the moment Elizabeth saw Mary, the child in her womb jumped–John, Jesus' forerunner and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied over Mary. God went ahead of Mary and prepared the way for her. They had a wonderful few months of fellowship rejoicing in the upcoming events.

God went ahead of Jesus and prepared the way for His ministry by sending John six months ahead of Him.

Even when Mary returned home, Joseph had received instructions from God to marry Mary still and that her pregnancy was a gift from God. God prepared his heart to stay with Mary.

No matter how impossible your dreams seem, God is going ahead of you, preparing the way. We know God provided for Jesus from the moment He was born through the wise men who brought gifts for Him.

If God has given you the desire to do something amazing for Him, rest in it because He is able. He can move mountains. He can meet your every need. Let Him lead and guide you every step of the way, as Mary did. God will connect you with the correct people that are waiting for you.

Don’t let go of your dreams. Someone is waiting on the other side of your obedience. Take the first step by being obedient and God will lead you to the next one. It's not for us to know the how. We are to trust and obey using our faith every step of the way. It is called Pro-Vision. God sees ahead what you need and provides the supply before you ever know that you need it. God can take care of you!

Scripture References:

Luke 1: 26-56

Ephesians 3:16

IS YOUR THINKING UP TO PAR?

You become what you think! Have you noticed that if you think about something negative, upsetting, or depressing, how your mood changes? Your thoughts can affect you in different ways. Think discouraging thoughts and you become discouraged.

Think positive, hopeful thoughts and you become positive and hopeful. Your life will follow your thoughts. You will become what you think about!!

If a thought enters your head, it doesn’t mean you must think about it, allowing it to take root in your life. Override the negative thought with a positive one. How?

With the Word of God. Speak the Word to the negative thoughts and refuse to think about them.

If you want to stay encouraged and positive, focus on good, happy thoughts. When the enemy of our soul puts a negative thought into your mind, resist it with the Word of God.

Be disciplined with your thought life and don’t meditate on negative thoughts, you will find your Christian walk a lot easier. If you have a bad thought, it doesn't mean it will happen. Don’t fall for the enemy’s lies. They have proved almost 90% of what we fear will never happen.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Isaiah 55:7-8 Philippians 4:8

Matthew 6:31-34

1 Peter 5:7

Confession: I only think of good, pure, and happy thoughts. My thoughts are pleasing to the Father. I resist negative thoughts.

The truth will change facts

Are You Walking on the Word of God?

Let’s look at an example from the Bible - Matthew 14:22-33 tells us about the time Peter walked on the water. Who else besides Jesus and Peter has walked on water? It doesn’t matter if the water in the swimming pool is as smooth as glass. Will you be able to walk on it? Peter did, why? Because Jesus gave him the word - “COME.”

This illustrates how powerful the Word of God is. Was Peter walking on the water? No, he was walking on the Word of Jesus. Water is a natural element, but God’s Word is supernatural and overrides the natural. When the Word says in 1 Peter 2:24…. by Jesus' stripes you are healed, do you look at your natural symptoms or the supernatural Word of God?

What happened when Peter looked at the surrounding wind, he sank. Why? Because fear gripped his heart. This happens to us when we look at our symptoms and circumstances. Fear grips our hearts and we sink.

Keep your eyes on God’s Word. How do you do that, when sickness attacks our bodies, we stand on God’s Word by saying what the Word says…” no sickness can come upon me, for by Jesus' stripes I am healed”… that is walking on the Word.

Apply this to every situation that comes against you. God's Word is full of “supernatural” scriptures we can stand on to fight our battles… and win.

Never QUIT

Are you at the point of no return?

To see the results you want from the Word of God, make a quality decision that you will stand until you see the desired results. There must be a point of no return in making a 100% commitment that you will stand until you have the victory. Continue standing till you see that loved one saved, the healing in your body, the victory over bad habits.

It must be an irreversible decision from your heart. You are going with the Word of God. Stand firm in your mind and spirit, making a quality decision. Speak the scriptures from the Word into existence in your world. His Word will become alive in your situation by applying the Name of Jesus and the authority you have in that name. This takes time and patience on your part. Keep applying the promises to the problem.

That’s why you have to make a quality decision, speaking only as if your miracle has already happened and not what you see in front of you.

No matter what the devil throws your way, stay committed to the Word and the victory that is yours. The closer you get to that point of no return, the more pressure the devil will put on you. Don’t be fooled, he is a liar trying to get you to back off. Keep applying the pressure on him with the Word of God and your victory will come. We have God’s promise on that.

Scripture references

Romans 4:13-21

Romans 8:37

2 Corinthians 2:14

When vision is clear, the results will appear

What are you remembering?

During tough times, it is good to recall the times when God delivered you. Remembering these times will enforce the fact that what you are currently going through will pass. You were in a jam before, and God delivered you then and He will do so now again.

Before David killed Goliath, he said to himself, God has delivered me from the bear and the lion and so He will deliver me from this uncircumcised Philistine. David recalled how God helped him protect his sheep and helped him kill the bear and the lion.

Just because you see nothing changing does not mean that nothing is happening. God is moving on your behalf. Believe that, do not lose hope and think that your situation is hopeless. God will come through for you. Hold fast to His promises and don’t doubt.

Rejoice and know that you have the victory. There is nothing too hard for God. He will deliver you. Trust in Him. He has done it before and He will do it again and again and again!! Remember this and rejoice because we serve a mighty deliverer who can save His people. Nothing is too hard for God.

Scripture References

Psalm 120:1

Psalm 121

GOD'S PROMISES ARE FOR YOU - TRUST THEM BECAUSE HE IS FAITHFUL.

DO NOT STRESS IT'S COMING!

During the tough times, it is good to remember and recall the times when God delivered you in the past. Remembering the good times will enforce the fact that what you are currently going through will pass. You were in a jam before, and God delivered you then and He will do so now again.

Before David killed Goliath, he said to himself, God has delivered me from the bear and the lion and so He will deliver me from this uncircumcised Philistine. David recalled how God helped him protect his sheep and helped him kill the bear and the lion.

Just because you see nothing changing does not mean that nothing is happening. God is moving on your behalf. You must believe that. Do not lose hope and think that your situation is hopeless. God will come through for you. Hold fast to His promises and don’t doubt. Rejoice knowing that you have the victory.

There is nothing too hard for God. He will deliver you. Trust in Him. He has done it before and He will do it again and again and again!! Remember and rejoice because we serve a mighty deliverer who can save His people. Nothing is too hard for God.

Scripture References

Psalm 120:1

Psalm 121

Mark 9:23

Jeremiah 32:27

GOD'S PROMISES ARE FOR YOU. TRUST IN THEM BECAUSE HE IS FAITHFUL TO KEEP THEM.