by Kelli Sanders | Jul 22, 2014 | Encouragement, Faith and Family, Spiritual Growth
So I have been in hibernation the last few weeks because I ran smack dab into the middle of God’s love, and I haven’t wanted to do anything but soak up what He was so eagerly waiting to pour out on me! I am telling you my friends, when you get a revelation of how much God loves you, you will never be the same!
I have been walking with the Lord for about 15 years now, and I have known in times past the love that God has for me. I have seen His mercy and grace in my life, and I have received so many beautiful truths that have made me more and more free. Yet Paul prayed in Ephesians that we would know the width, and length, and depth, and height of the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge! God’s love for us is so fierce, so passionate, so unfailing, and so unwilling to quit on us that it is almost incomprehensible!
The Apostle John said that there is no fear in love, but that perfect love actually casts out fear. When you, as a child of God, begin to KNOW the love that God has for you, you will become one of the most confident, secure and stable people in the world. You will also be empowered to do the one thing Christ commanded us to do: love others as He has loved us. What God has freely given you, you can freely give to others, and it is by THIS LOVE that all men will know that we are His disciples.
What does our broken, hurt, pain-filled world need so desperately from us as Christians? They need to see Christ in us. The Christ that ate with tax collectors and sinners. The Christ that loved a broken woman who was caught in the “very act” of adultery. The Christ that knew about the messy, dirty, ungodly lives people were trapped in, and invaded their world with a love that compelled them to be near Him, to listen to what He had to say.
Let me ask you this: Have you ever seen what was broken in someone else’s life and tried to fix it by teaching them what was wrong, and how it could be made right? Have you delivered this wisdom to people uninvited? Have you ever judged the lives of others, and held them to the standards you hold yourself to – even though you KNOW GOD and they don’t? Friends, God has given me a revelation that the one thing that people are longing for more than anything is HIS LOVE. How will they know His love except through His people? When we try to “fix people” with our good intentions we often end up driving them further away from God, and further away from the one thing that can really change them.
As I have been sitting in God’s presence and simply remembering that He is my Father and I am His child – I have cried many tears thinking of how easily we can be removed from the simplicity that is in Christ. Without my performance, without my self-effort, without all of the things I have done in service to Him – God chose to love me, accept me, call me His child, heal me, bless me, and deliver me from everything that was harming me. When my babies get up in the morning and I see their sleepy faces, and hug them, and hold them, God whispers, “That’s how much I love you. That’s how I look at you. That’s how much I love to be near you.” It is almost too much to handle as He unfolds His heart – I just have to lift my hands and say, “God, you love me. You love me. You love me. Thank you for this love.”
And do you know what is happening? I see people who are lost, and instead of passing judgment, I think, “They need to know this love! Do they know how much God loves them, or are they drowning in condemnation, shame and guilt – thinking that His love is only for ‘good people’ that go to church and make all of the right choices?” If people could know the love that God has for them, and BELIEVE it – they would be forever changed!
How about you? Do you believe in the love God has for you? Do you fall into the trap of performance to try to earn what was freely given to you at the cross? Do you beat yourself up with condemnation when you feel you fall short of what a Christian is supposed to be like? Short on faith. Short on study & prayer. Short on church attendance. Faith & prayer & church attendance are good and right, but they don’t earn you any points with God. They don’t make Him love you more or love you less.
When you stop trying to qualify for God’s love, you will free others from having to qualify for your love. When you realize you did not, and can not do anything to earn God’s love, you won’t expect others to earn yours. When you receive it as a free gift, you can give it as a free gift. You can then truly love others as Christ has loved you.
I encourage you and challenge you to spend time with God this week – just to let Him love you!
If you know someone who needs to remember how much He loves them, please share!
by Kelli Sanders | May 5, 2014 | Bible Studies, Encouragement, Faith and Family, Spiritual Growth
I was once told about an astronaut that described what it was like in outer space. He summed it up in one word, “Peaceful.”
I imagine it would be peaceful far above, and far removed from all of the chaos taking place on this little spec of dust floating through the universe. When we change our perspective it can have a great impact on how we feel, and what we think in our every day lives. Colossians 3:2 says it this way,
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
There are so many voices vying for our attention in this world. Voices on the TV, voices on the radio, voices on the Internet, voices on billboards and in advertisements. Then there are our national leaders, our friends, family and co-workers – not to mention the voice that is always running around in your own mind! There are tornadoes and floods, earthquakes and fires, tensions mounting on the international stage. Without the right perspective we can become overwhelmed by all that is taking place around us.
Have you ever thought about how hard it can be to find your way out of a maze when you are walking around inside of it, and on the flip side, how easy that same task can become when you have an aerial view? Why? What has changed? Perspective.
God is always calling us up higher. He wants us to live life from a different perspective.
He wants us to “set our affection” on things above. “Setting your affection” is a phrase rooted in the word (phroneo), and it means to direct one’s mind to a thing, to seek for, to strive for; to have understanding and be wise about. What are we to direct our minds toward, to seek for, and have understanding about: “things above.” The word for “things above” is translated in other parts of the Bible as our “high calling.”
I was listening to the news the other day to follow the details about tornadoes in my area when I heard a story of a soldier who had fought in Iraq. He died at home in the states while sheltering his two children and his wife from the recent storm. It so affected me to picture that image in my mind, and to think of his heroism. I prayed for the family thinking of how life had changed so drastically for them in one day, and then I set my affection on things above.
I reminded myself of the brevity of this life, and the limited time that we have to fulfill our high calling. I thought about how every day must be precious to us, and how God exhorts us to, “…not be unwise, but to redeem the time…” because we are sojourners here with assignments to complete before we go to our eternal home.
Sometimes life has us feeling like we are lost in a maze with little sense of which direction to take. Sometimes it is the circumstances surrounding us – like a future that now has to be lived without the husband and father you thought would be there. Sometimes it is the noise of the world as it shouts to keep our attention. Whatever creates the maze you may find yourself in right now, there is one simple solution for how to get out: LOOK UP. When you redirect your mind to the heavens – to God Himself, He can lift you up to see things from His perspective, and from that vantage point, the right path will be clear.
Thankfully, we don’t have to find a rocket ship and fly into outer space to find our peace. Jesus said,
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” ~ John 14:27
So what are you looking at? If you find yourself troubled and without peace, it’s time to change your perspective. Stop looking at what’s right in front of you and look to God. Set your mind on your high calling, and keep eternity in your heart when this temporary life has you feeling lost. God knows right where you’re at, and just like that brave husband and father, He will shelter you from the storm.
by Kelli Sanders | Apr 8, 2014 | Encouragement, Faith and Family, Help for Moms, Motherhood, Spiritual Growth
So, my son has recently learned a new word, and what’s so interesting is that I believe he learned it from a Bible App that’s made for little ones. The app is interactive, and it tells the story of creation, the fall, the birth of Christ, and a few other major story lines from the Bible. The depiction of the fall of man is played out complete with background music, sound effects, and narration. We see Eve, the serpent beguiling her, and Adam following suit. Adam and Eve hide in fear and shame when they hear God, and when God calls Adam to the carpet for eating of the fruit of the tree, Adam looks at him with a blank stare, says, “Huh?” and he points to Eve. (This is where the blame game started my friends!)
Well, my precious 2 year old will now use this word when I tell him to do something that he doesn’t particularly care to do.
It goes something like this:
“Don’t touch that, please. It could break, and mommy doesn’t want you to get hurt.” – “Huh?”
Then, looking right in his eyes, I repeat, “Don’t touch that, please. It could break, and mommy doesn’t want you to get hurt.” – “Huh?”
I might repeat it one more time, and then I look at him, and I say, “You know what I said.”
When Your Children Won’t Listen
Did you know that anyone who teaches people about the word of God gets the best illustrations by watching their own children! You may think I am going to now head into a discourse on toddler behavior problems, but I’m not. These several verbal exchanges with my son have brought to light scriptural truth, and you might get some answers here for yourself if you have been wondering why God doesn’t seem to be answering your prayers, or why it seems hard to hear His voice these days.
Just as your children sometimes have selective hearing, God’s children can also sometimes look at God with a blank stare, and say, “Huh?” when it comes to doing something they don’t particularly want to do. Oh, yes, God will be gracious and merciful, and He will repeat what He told you in case you didn’t quite get it the first time, but there comes a point that He says, “You know what I said.”
Most of us are enlightened far beyond the level of our obedience, or in other words, God has shown us things we must do, but we’re not doing them. Many times when we are seeking direction, answers, solutions to problems, or wisdom for the future, and it seems that heaven is silent, we need to go back and check to see whether we are doing the things that God has already directed us to do.
I can tell you right now, if I spoke to my son and told him that we were going to drive to the store and get some ice cream, he would emphatically say, “Let’s go!” and proceed to the door before I could even put his shoes on. This same child, in the same moment, could get another directive, “…but you have to clean your room first,” and to this he might say, “Huh?”
How can the same child, with the same ears, listening to the same voice, hear one directive so clearly, and be so dull of hearing with another?
Many times we pray, “God, show me what to do. God, I’ll do anything, I’ll go anywhere. God, I need wisdom. God, I need answers.” Then God prompts you to go to someone and apologize for something, or to forgive another for a wrong committed against you. He may lead you to give of your finances to a person or project, or to give of your time doing something that will require sacrifice. HE IS SPEAKING, but we pretend not to hear. Internally we say, “Huh?” and we convince ourselves that God is choosing to be silent for some mysterious reason. Do you see that our receiving correction is connected to our receiving direction? Our receiving answers is connected to our obedience? That DOING is connected to HEARING?
I believe the Apostle James had something to say about this:
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” ~ James 1:22
When we hear and we don’t do, we can become capable of deceiving ourselves. Deception simply means to be led astray. When we don’t do what we know to do, we don’t walk in the light we’ve been given, and we begin to walk in darkness. That’s why people become confused about the will of God, the direction of God, the lack of solutions to their problems, and a number of other areas of life.
How about you? Are you in a place today where you feel that you can’t hear God’s voice? Does it seem that you’ve been seeking answers, and you aren’t getting them? Are there areas of your life that you seem to be navigating blindly – areas that leave you feeling confused and frustrated? I want to encourage you to go to God with a willing and open heart, asking Him to show you whether there is something that He has already directed you to do that you are not doing. God is so merciful, so patient, and He so desires to give you the answers and direction that you are seeking!
In one moment of honesty and surrender, the Holy Spirit can pinpoint an action that can be taken TODAY, that will bring clarity and light where you have been experiencing darkness and confusion.
You can start by praying this prayer in faith,
“God, I am asking you today to show me whether there is anything you have directed me to do that I am not doing. If you’ve given me light and revealed to me things, and I have not obeyed, I am asking for mercy, Lord. Show me again, and I purpose in my heart to do those things that you tell me to do, even if it’s hard. I am asking you for the truth, Lord, and I am willing to see, and I am willing to hear, and I am willing to DO. I believe, by faith, that you hear me, and that my prayer is pleasing to you, and I believe that you will answer. Amen”
by Kelli Sanders | Mar 5, 2014 | Encouragement, Faith and Family, Spirit Food, Spiritual Growth
Having trouble finding & fulfilling your purpose? Stick around and you’ll be one step closer to your destiny!
If you have accepted Christ, and Jesus is now your personal Lord and Savior, then you have been called & chosen for a very specific assignment from God! That is exciting news!
Not all believers are called to be pastors, teachers, evangelists and the like, but we are all called to do something! I know from my own personal experience there came a time that I wasn’t satisfied anymore to just go to church, hear a message and go home. There was something stirring inside of me, communicating to me that there were gifts, talents and abilities that God placed inside of me that were not for my benefit only, but to benefit the body of Christ!
You may be experiencing that same stirring in your heart whether you have been walking with God for a short time or for many, many years! Maybe you felt that you were walking in that divine calling for many years, but life took you in another direction for a season and now you are asking God again, “What do you want me to do?”
Wherever you are in the journey, I believe this message will help you to find and fulfill your purpose. I served under Mike Keyes Ministries International (MKMI) while overseas and consider Apostle Mike to be a spiritual father to me! He’s the real deal (and real funny too). Give God the time to speak into your life today through him, and I believe you will receive answers, direction, and insight for the “next step” in your faith walk! I pray you are as blessed as I was in hearing this word!
WBS 2-17-14 Mike Keyes from Rhema Videos on Vimeo.
by Kelli Sanders | Feb 1, 2014 | Encouragement, Faith and Family, Help for Moms, Spiritual Growth
OK ladies, whether you are reading this as my mom, my sister, a friend, a co-worker, or someone I don’t even know – LET’S GET REAL! Let’s think about what we have thought about! Let’s talk about comparison and all of the ways it robs from us when we give it any place in our lives. Have you ever thought something like this…
“She sure seems to have it all together.”
“She lost her baby weight faster than I did.” “She lost her baby weight.”
“She’s such a good cook, I can’t even pull off a good plate of spaghetti!”
“Her skin is so perfect.” “Her house is so nicely decorated, why doesn’t mine look like that?”
“Her boobs are bigger” “Her butt is smaller”
“Her hair is nicer”
“Her kids seem to behave better than mine do.”
“Where does she get all of those designer clothes?”
“Where does she find time to do all of that?”
“Her baby is talking sooner, walking sooner, reading sooner, potty trained sooner than mine is.”
“She’s more spiritual than I am.”
“She prays more, serves more, does more for God.” “She’s a better mom.”
“She’s a better wife.” “She lives a better life.”
“She’s more beautiful.”
“She’s more everything!”
STOP!
Stop the madness! Stop comparing yourselves among yourselves – it is not wise! Now, some of us are better at getting rid of those thoughts when they come, but they come to us all. If you say you’ve never had a thought like that, you need to repent and ask for forgiveness because you’re not being honest with yourself.
WHY do we have these kinds of thoughts? The enemy of our souls would love for us to grab hold of them and allow them to defeat us, discourage us, dis-empower us, and dishearten us. He uses lies to get us in a trap, and the comparison trap is one of his go-to weapons with women!
You are unique, beautiful, amazingly talented, and gifted, and strong! You are perfect – a masterpiece in God’s eyes because He already sees you as a finished work! PLEASE get your daughters if you have them, get your girlfriends and listen to this short video below. Listen to it every morning if you need to and BELIEVE that you are AWESOME!
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by Kelli Sanders | Jan 27, 2014 | Encouragement, Faith and Family, Help for Moms, Spirit Food, Spiritual Growth
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
This is one of my favorite pictures from my time in the Philippines. We held 3 days of meetings on the island of Camiguin off the northern coast of Mindanao. We flooded the area inviting people to come and hear the word of God, and to bring the sick because God is still the Healer today! We would preach salvation, pray with the people to receive Jesus, and then teach about healing and invite them to receive healing for their bodies. This woman came forward for prayer with her dear husband, had hands laid on her, and then came to testify of her healing.
Our pastors encouraged her, as an act of faith, to rise up out of her wheelchair, and to do something that she couldn’t do before (like standing on her legs). Her precious husband looked so terribly concerned for her. I’d even say there was some fear there that she would fall, but she chose to be strong and rise up out of that chair. As she took that step of faith and put weight on her legs, God answered that faith and strengthened her legs enough to bear her weight. Someone on our team happened to capture the heart of that moment in this picture! Glory to God!
Over 30 times we are COMMANDED to be strong in the King James Version of the Bible! We are told to be strong, be courageous, to not be afraid, to “act like men” and fight! We are told to be strong and do the work of the Lord because He will not fail us or forsake us! We are told to be strong for the battle because God has the power to help us and save us! We are told to be strong in the Lord, and to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus! Are we getting the message??? BE STRONG!
It took strength for this woman to receive what God was ready to give her. If she had chosen to give way to fear, she may have remained bound by her infirmity forever!
God is calling each and every one of us to complete an assignment for Him. Most likely, to carry out that assignment, we will be required to be strong, to have faith, to resist the devil, to “act like men” and fight (or in my case, “fight like a girl,” and I mean that in a very GOOD way!) Why am I so passionate about this? Because I have been on both sides of the fence. There have been times when I courageously obeyed God, and times that I have given way to fear.
Recently I was giving way to fear as God has been really stretching my faith, but when I got quiet with Him I did not get a “pep talk.” I got corrected – firmly corrected. God commands us to be strong – if we choose to be cowards we are disobeying that command! He expects us to get in the word, to pray, to exercise our authority in Jesus’ name. The devil does not exit our affairs because we politely ask him to leave. We must THROW HIM OUT with great conviction – trusting that God is at our back authorizing us to do just that!
I’m telling you, when you tell fear to take a hike, and tell God you are choosing to STAND on His word until you see His promises come to pass in your life, it won’t be long until you see your faith become sight!
Since YOU are reading this, let me ask you, what are YOU afraid of? What is the greatest fear you have in your life right now? Think about it. Now, BE STRONG, take authority over that fear right now! Choose to trust God, to resist the devil, to fight the good fight of faith. Don’t lay down and cry. Rise up and rejoice! God is looking for faith in the earth because He is so eager to show Himself strong in the lives of His people.
I pray that this word today meets you right where you need it and changes your situation. Be strong my friends. Be courageous. God is with us. He is for us. Don’t be afraid. Get some backbone and fight! Ha! With God, you will win every time!
