MISSING THE MARK

The  sign of true Christian maturity is being able to confess our faults one to another 

James 5:16 says confess your faults one to another ... That you may be healed! 

A lot of folks proclaiming how free & healed they are yet they lack the humility enough to even own a single fault much less confess it to others. 

You won't ALWAYS  discern things in others, but NEVER in yourself.  That's Pride. 

Remember: you are NOT the standard of right living, consecration, and intimacy with God . 

Remove the mindset that all others need to "come up" to where  You are. That's Pride. 

 Don't hold others to a higher standard than you hold yourself. 

When you operate in the above ways --you can bet that BROKENNESS is present, but is being masked by an "air" of togetherness .  Which is a FAULT. Don't be too high minded to even see yourself .  

When you can get real and become completely vulnerable with others it leaves no room for the enemy. 

It opens you up for TRUE healing!! 

News Flash: "it's ok NOT to be ok" 

So often ... Especially with us charismatics we are taught to "just pray" , but don't share that.... OR if someone is ((dealing)) we act as if they have been hit w/the bubonic plague and we ostracize them. .... Or do the "I just see some things" 

Get outta here!  "See yourself" 

WE ALL HAVE "SOME THINGS TO SEE" 

And we wonder why so many people have a problem with coming real ? 

The bottom line is confessing our faults, SIN (which pastor broke down Sunday) means: missing the mark one to another . It truly brings HEALING! 

You  have to get real with yourself . first.  We must get real!! 

Understand that we are called to be ministers of reconciliation. 

If my brother or sister "misses the mark" I am to come along side them and help them aim correctly so they don't miss next time, but if I'm too proud ... I'll take that as an opportunity to criticize and get "spiritually deep" and keep my brother or sister from achieving CHRIST'S ultimate goal which is RESTORATION & HEALING! And it keeps US from achieving it as well! 

So ... Let us confess our faults one to another so that WE may be healed!

The effectual fervent prayers of the righteous avail much!!! (James 5:16) 

* we use the second half of that scripture (the effectual prayers avail) when we want something from God or when looking for answers and that ok, but the context is talking about confessing our faults to each other so that we can pray for one another... Because our prayers for one another avail much! 

I don't have it all together and neither do you, but if we lean upon one another and help lift each other up we will get there.

If my people who are called by my name ... Would humble THEMSELVES and pray.. Seek my face , turn from their wicked ways .., then I would hear from heaven, forgive their SIN (missed marks) and HEAL their land 

(2 Chronicles 7:14)  

Seed Sower

Sowing: is casting seeds, usually to plant something in a garden with the intent of producing a crop.

There are good seeds and there are bad seeds and there are seeds that God hates! 

One of those He hates is the seed of discord. 

Any person that plants a seed into your mind, heart or life that produces a crop of disharmony where there was once harmony, doubt where there was once confidence, confusion where there was once peace, division where there was once unity ... Is rooted from a place of pride birthed in lies and conceived in darkness. 

Be careful not to believe the lies . 

There are a lot of things that may "sound" true. 

A lot of actions may even line up with what you're being told, but always seek truth... Always get an understanding. 

Example- someone tells you that a friend you've had for years suddenly doesn't like you, is jealous of you, thinks your breath stinks LOL! 

 You've never felt they didn't like you before.. Never got any jealousy from them, you brush your teeth all the time :-) but maybe you and your friends relationship is different or distant than in past times.... The seed is always planted when you're vulnerable and so you believe the seed (lie) and it produces discord, separation.... And rather than realize the separation was from the lie... You convince yourself "oh see maybe they are jealous" why else is there this wedge..

When God allows you to SEE it... Don't get angry.. Just Pray! You don't have to defend yourself- bottom line TRUTH lives and LIES die. 

Walk in perpetual forgiveness and love always. Pursue PEACE with all men. Pray FOR spiritual vision & discernment ... Pray AGAINST pride & discord. 

Despite what's popular... God's plan for his people is Unity. Anyone, anything or even our flesh that would like to get in the way of that TRUTH needs to bow to the Word. 

My poppa Bishop said it best " We are ministers of reconciliation ... Anything outside of that hasn't died to its humanity" 

If you aren't speaking reconciliation, peace and unity then what kind of minister are you really? 

AMEN! #DEAD2THAT 

Drawing From Wells

JOHN 4:5-15 

⁵ And in doing so, He arrived at a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the tract of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

⁶ And Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, tired as He was from His journey, sat down [to rest] by the well. It was then about the sixth hour (about noon).

⁷ Presently, when a woman of Samaria came along to draw water, Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink—

⁸ For His disciples had gone off into the town to buy food—

⁹ The Samaritan woman said to Him, How is it that ^[a]You, being a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan [and a] woman, for a drink?—For the Jews have nothing to do with the Samaritans—

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, If you had only known and had recognized God’s gift and Who this is that is saying to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him [instead] and He would have given you living water.

¹¹ She said to Him, Sir, You have nothing to draw with [no drawing bucket] and the well is deep; how then can You provide living water? [Where do You get Your living water?]

¹² Are You greater than and superior to our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well and who used to drink from it himself, and his sons and his cattle also?

¹³ Jesus answered her, All who drink of this water will be thirsty again.

¹⁴ But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto (into, for) eternal life.

¹⁵ The woman said to Him, Sir, give me this water, so that I may never get thirsty nor have to come [continually all the way] here to draw.

What wells are you drawing from and why?? 

This scripture has been on my heart for days now, because as I studied it, It really began to make me think of NEVER thirsting!  That's not a concept we can understand naturally speaking because it's been scientifically proven that we can only live without water for 5 days.  We can only run so far until we need a drink physically. If we don't have water, our kidneys can stop working properly and our bodies can start shutting down on us.  

I think that's what happens spiritually.  We stop thirsting for God and start drawing from wells that we have to keep going back to because our thirst is never quenched.  

Some people spend years drawing from wells that never satisfy only to look up 10-20 years down the road to find that their "kidneys" have stopped functioning properly.   Okay, I'll put it to you this way.  You can spend 20 years chasing a "idea" of what life is supposed to be, hoarding dollars, drinking it up on the weekends, flirting with this person & that person. The highlight of your week is the weekend so you can go to the hottest spot, hit on the hottest hottie, what? hopefully sleep with them and then do it all over again, week after week. Until, you're the oldest cat in the club.... and you just being there now is a bit creepy.  You're searching for meaning and relevance at age 40 because you squandered your opportunities in your 20's and 30's. Drawing from wells that never satisfied.   

The samaritan woman in the text was much like this. If you read a little further down the passage, she had been married 5 times and the man she was currently with was not her husband. She was looking for love, acceptance, maybe she had some voids from her childhood and so she sought "quenching" in the arms of men, not realizing that on this particular afternoon, ALL of her longings would be filled with ONE encounter at the well and the things she chased in the past that she "thought" could satisfy, wouldn't compare to this water that Jesus was offering. 

Maybe you're not out there clubbing it up. Maybe you attend church. You have a spouse, kids, home, nice job, decent car and are an overall good person. You do a great job at work, your family loves you, you go to church regularly, no, things aren't perfect and in the back of your mind you wonder "is this it?" What if the things I don't like about life won't change. What if this is as good as it gets? So you become numb and complacent. You still "go thru your motions" but there's no depth. You begin to overcompensate your "thirsting" with more work, more doing. Your longing for the things of the spirit are replaced with physical longings. You begin to seek physical things to fill the void. Your vision becomes skewed and you begin to think the problem is others, so you back away. The problem is church so you complain and look for other ministries, the problem is health so you eat less...... Drawing from wells that never satisfy.

In our current society the term "Being Thirsty" is a negative- meaning "Too Desperate" Example:  "She's thirsty for that guy to call her"  

But in Jesus..... You can never be too thirsty! In fact He wants you thirsty. He said those who hunger & thirst for righteousness, shall be filled! 

If you drink of Jesus daily, tap into the well of the spirit daily, have your longings filled by Jesus daily, it will become a spring of water...bubbling & flowing continually!  See, the plan of the enemy is to have you SO thirsty for the wrong things that you'll never be quenched, therefore you'll always be searching rather than, what God wants..... for YOU to be the spring of water FLOWING to others so they can be filled.  The enemy wants us "self conscious" God wants us "people conscious"  

Now don't get me wrong, it starts with US. It starts with us being tired of drawing from wells that never satisfy. We have to stop looking for others to fill those voids, expectations, and longings. Things, possessions, a social status, having a hot physique, being accepted by a man or a woman, having long hair, perfectly organized home, well mannered children, or a nice car..... NONE of that satisfies. 

YES you can be drawing from the well of "things have to be perfect" Or " I have to have things in control"   What happens if things aren't perfect or you're not in control?  Are you bent out of shape and almost unable to function?  Yes, even that can be a thirst that you're not meant to quench without God! He keeps things in order. He is the only perfect one. So all you're striving is in vain, if it's not done thru Christ, you will look up and things will be a mess and you'll be out of control because you drew from the "fleshly,  I can handle this on my own well"  rather than the  "I can do ALL things thru Christ well" 

Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness. and you SHALL be filled!  Filled to overflowing so others who are searching can come and take a drink. Our focus shouldn't be on ourselves that we forget our purpose.... To reach others. To help others who are hurting. To fill up others who are empty.  

Our identity should not be based on our longings.... our identity should be based on our fillings! 

You are not "Joe" who didn't have a dad so you seek the affection of women to fill your voids. You are "Joe" who has found a daddy in Jesus and who is SO full of God that you don't have room for affection seeking. 

You are not "Mary" who was mistreated as a child and abused by people, so you fill your hurts with alcohol and drugs.  You are "Mary" who met a man..... at a well who healed your hurts, filled your pain with joy and now you are helping other young women drink from the same well, so they can be healed too. 

But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto eternal life.

That's how we who wait on the Lord shall run and not grow weary and walk and not faint, because we are filled up with the living water of Christ Jesus.

John 7:37-38 If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.

Blessings & Favor,

Alisa 

Friend of God

John 15:15 NIV. "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you."

We have access to all the wisdom, knowledge and insight. We should NOT be ignorant of anything. Is there anything God hasn't made known to Jesus? ..... Nope - and Jesus said he's made known to US everything he's learned from his father. What a powerful truth!  

If we tap into our friendship with Jesus and stop looking at ourselves as servants we will begin to open ourselves up to a whole new arena of living & understanding.  

A friendship takes time & effort to develop - but the 1st step is accepting Jesus'  "friend request" and then spend  time getting to know him. The more intimate you become the more 'secrets' he reveals... And His secrets aren't the latest juicy gossip, but his secrets are keys to accessing ALL the benefits laid up for you! 

2 Peter 1:3  NLT
By his divine power, God has given us EVERYTHING we need for loving a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to KNOW him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 

I don't know about you, but my friends can come over anytime they want, dig thru my fridge, drink up my juice and spend the night as long as they want without an issue from me. That is the type of friendship we have with Christ. The kick back, relax, stay as long as you'd like and let's get to know each other friendship. 

We are not servants, unaware of what our master is up to. We are friends of God and he is ready to share every good thing with us. 

Alisa Ross

FICKLE-PICKLE

I pray this post is a challenge to us all to grow and become more of who God has designed for us to be.  Be blessed!

        DON'T  BE    A  FICKLE    PICKLE 

 

FICKLE: To change frequently, unsteady, disloyal in affections

GOD: Malachi 3:6 "For I am the Lord, I do not change”

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

Emotions happen. Things go wrong every day, people make mistakes, kids go coo-coo for cocoa puffs, bosses irritate us, you may have spats with your spouse. Maybe you have an argument with a family member, you don’t agree with your pastors decision on something, the house is a mess, but even in all of that... Will you remain consistent? 

I think a major challenge that God is calling us as believers to is:  TO BE like Him. (exist, move function, think) like Him. 

It’s not enough to say I’m a christian because I know a bunch of scripture, or I am the leader of this and that. It’s time to to actually BE like Christ and BE a light to the world. 

Take a real assessment of your life.  Have you had 10 jobs in the past 5 years?  Are you easily offended therefore you switch churches once every 2 years?  Have you had a new relationship every other month? Are you friends with this person one week and not their friend the next?  Do you feel discontent with your life/ministry so you take on 5 & 6 tasks or responsibilities to feel fulfilled? Are you constantly looking for “the next hot item”  to be involved in but never just enjoying your current season? 

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I REASONED like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

REASONING: The act or process of drawing conclusions or judgments 

When you allow your reasoning, thoughts and motivations to be governed by the the Holy Spirit life (tho not perfect) becomes calm & peaceful because you’re assuredness and confidence comes from the Lord not the ‘stuff’ that happens. And you draw your conclusions & judgements from TRUTH not Flesh. 

I believe the biggest evangelistic tool we have is-- OUR LIFE.  And if you’re up one minute and down the next, unstable, unreliable, happy one second sad the next,  if you’re affections are all over the map, people will NOT want to listen to you and they sure won’t take you seriously.  There are many relationships destroyed because of a lack of loyalty or consistency. 

I mean really... would YOU join a church where the leader is inconsistent, emotionally driven, fires this one and hires the other every 3 months, says they don’t like this person, and then they do, just moved by every wind of emotion?  I don’t think you’d join that church. nor would I.

So how then do we assume that anyone would want to be in fellowship with us or listen to us if we display this type of inconsistency in our life? People need to know that you’re sturdy. A strong chair where they can sit down and relax-- without the fear of it falling to pieces. 

 I always say the only roller coasters I’m interested in-- are the one’s at the amusement park.   Roller coasters are for entertainment, not for a routine in life! 

Malachi 3:6 is a bit redundant if you look at- I AM THE LORD (The everlasting, eternal, sovereign God) I DO NOT CHANGE  (I am eternal) 

I thinks He was really making a point for us to draw from in our lives. To be like Him and be that example of character & consistency for others.

Lord, help us to draw on you and your spirit for strength, guidance and stability.

Help us to be like the word says in:

1 Corinthians 15:58 

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Blessings & Favor,

Alisa Ross

Pushed to the wall........

Have you ever just felt  "Pushed to the wall"  Like your hands are tied and there's nothing more you can possibly give because you are just to the very end of yourself and your capacity has been reached?

The demands of your job, the responsibilities of teaching, the stresses of parenting, the complications with relationships, the changes in ministry. All of these things and more can make us feel overwhelmed and stressed, even fearful or just plain 'tired'

I know for me I have been feeling like I just want a break from the demands of motherhood and all the homework I have to help with, the arguments I have to solve, the chores I have to maintain, oh... the question "CAN I EAT SOMETHING"  makes me want to scream because I hear it like 75 times per day.  I feel like I just want to push the pause button on life and all its demands and get away from it all.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with "feeling" that way and even needing a vacation, but that's not always feasible or timely so what do you do with all those emotions in the meantime?

My first thought this morning was 'I know Lord, I am to cast my cares on you' but honestly.... the old He cares for you scripture just wasn't breaking me out of my funk,  but for those who it may help... here it is (Psalm 55:22)

I even turned on some worship and that wasn't working either GASP I know!!   (especially since I absolutely eat, sleep and breath worship) this is very shocking.

Then as I flipped thru the pages in my bible there it was.  (Psalm 118:1-16) Message Bible

Here are the parts that blessed my socks off:

Thank God because he’s good,  because his love never quits. Tell the world, Israel, “His love never quits.”And you, clan of Aaron, tell the world, “His love never quits.”And you who fear God, join in, “His love never quits.” 

Pushed to the wall, I called to God; from the wide open spaces, he answered. God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid;who would dare lay a hand on me?I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall, when God grabbed and held me. God’s my strength, he’s also my song,  and now he’s my salvation.

I was simply blessed and lifted not by the fact that I can cast my cares on God (altho I love that truth) and I wasn't lifted by my favorite worship song (altho I love worship) 
I was lifted by HIS LOVE.  The fact that His love never quits really encouraged me this morning.

That even in those time when I feel like I want to quit.. I can take refuge in His love and continue on in the things He's called me to ... because His love never quits!

When we feel pushed to the wall... call to God and he will answer and be at our side. I took so much refuge in that passage because yes, I can cast my cares but then there's times when I simply need to call to Him..... and there He is to my rescue. strengthening me for the day, filling me with his presence. 

The Amplified Bible says: Let Israel now say: His mercy endures forever (His love never quits) 
Let the house of Aaron now say: His mercy endures forever (His love never quits)

So I added my house in there too (let the Ross House now say.... His love never quits

Oh and my favorite.... He's my strength and he's also my song.   I don't need "a song" to sing to lift me..... Jesus is my love song, my song of hope, my song of strength and simply saying His name and calling to Him in my time of need is more melodious than the top 100 worship songs combined. 


So if you feel pushed to the wall today or any day Call to God and he will answer you..... Open your mouth and say: His Love never quits!


Blessings and Favor,

Alisa 

EXPLODE-2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Lord woke me up on December 31st  with a word.  The word was EXPLODE

 The definitions He highlighted were:

1. To increase suddenly, sharply, and without control
2.To change state or appearance suddenly
3. Thrust forward
4. Sports To hit (a golf ball) out of a sand trap with an explosive shot.

I really felt like this is for the church of God. 

2013 is a year for EXPLOSIONS. 

Things are going to begin to increase suddenly (ministries, finances, promotions, congregation sizes)

Tho things in 2012 have appeared a certain way- 2013 is going to be a year of SUDDEN clarity and those things that have "been this way for a long time" will EXPLODE into a whole new state of existence.

(literally seeing the manifestation of Isaiah 43:19)
Behold, I will do a NEW thing; NOW it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert)

Those who found themselves, relationships, churches, finances, health etc stuck in a sand trap.... Get Ready! With One Explosive shot- God is going to catapult your life and situations into a new level (out of the sand trap) and into the GREEN! 


EXPLOSION-  It's easy to get in a rut in your thinking "Life will always be this way"  OR "this will never change"  and in the natural- that may be true, but we serve a supernatural God.

There are things that look permanent, but Isaiah 55:8-9 says: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

He's into EXPLOSIONS..... thrusting us into a new level and dimension.. He blasts away what should have been permanent in our lives and creates a new path for us. 

He is the God of more than enough... (that's not just financial)  He has more than enough healing, more than enough time, more than enough peace. * His desire is to give us those "rivers in our desert places"
He came that we may have life and that MORE ABUNDANTLY (existing or available in large quantities) John 10:10

God can give you one idea in the midst of the sand trap  to catapult you into a new level.  Our responsibility is to stay in prayer and open to the voice of the Lord. 


Ephesians 2: 5-7 Even when we were dead.... HE made us ALIVE.  and not just alive (existing) he gave us the very life of CHRIST, delivered us from sin & judgement, gave us joint seating with Christ, and gave us dominion & power thru the Holy Spirit.  
Now that sounds like an EXPLOSION!!   that sounds like a sudden change of state or appearance.

Get ready for Explosions to happen!  Prepare your heart and set your expectations on change, increase, a suddenly change of appearance. To be catapulted out of the sand trap and into the plush green fields God has prepared for you!!


EXPLODE IN MY LIFE LORD ---  I AM READY!

Blessings & Favor,

Alisa Ross