A Room Called Grace by Debra Courtney

Amelia Grace Photography

I spent a great amount of time in the “Room of Good Intentions”. I described my sin as guilt and others who sinned against me as hurt. I developed at a very early age of what mask(s) to put on according to the circumstances/manipulations in response to surviving self-preservation.  I’d say the “High Cost of a Two-Faced Life” fit me to a T.          

“Room Called Grace”

In the past I supplied myself a lot of self-effort and a lot of jumping through hoops and juggling manipulation for many, many years. Finally I ran out of strength, ability, and breath, and I said, “God, if anything good is to come out of my life, you will have to do it.  I’ve tried. I can’t. I’m so tired. Please God, you will have to give me the life I am dreaming of.  I can’t keep doing this anymore. Help me. You must make it happen or I’m doomed.”  Then I turned the doorknob and walked into a room where I noticed that trusting God pleased him.  Also, my faith pleases Him, not my tears, but my faith. My faith moves mountains not my pity parties.  Knowing this encouraged me and strengthened me, and lets me know that God is pleased with me.

In Oswald Chambers, “My Utmost For His Highest”, on February 16 in his book says, “God does not give us overcoming life - He gives us life as we overcome.”  God paid a very precious and infinite price by sending His son to this earth on my behalf, to give me a new identity in Him.  I have every blessing that Deuteronomy 28 says I have.  I am who God says I am, and we work on my sin together. God knows my DNA, and he knows that I am in Christ and Christ is in me. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!

“I Know the Plans I have for You”

Most of my life I had a plan. Plan A, B, C, and D if I needed it.  Now my plan is, I do the trusting and praying and let God do the worrying.  It’s that simple.  Now I call out to God and say “Hey, you got a problem.”  God's realm of grace resolves my sin issues.  I love this freedom so much because it provides me with truth, acceptance, healing, safety, perspective, and power that I did not know before.  Grace keeps me focused to trust God to handle my sin, sin behavior that’s in unbelievers that I live and work with, circumstances and issues that I deal with daily.

When I trust God, I live by this value: The godly are those who trust God with themselves. I can be exactly who I am, with all my issues and problems and unresolved stuff, and still fully experience grace, love, and acceptance.  This is a great feeling!

He designed me to be all that he has called me to be.  He stirs up my spirit and I love the fact that he handed me my ticket of destiny with my name on it, and smiles, and whispered into my ear, “you have no idea how long I’ve waited to hand this to you. Have a blast! I’ve already seen what you get to do.  It’s better than you could have dreamed.  Now hurry up a whole lot of folks’  waiting for you to walk in your destiny and into their lives.”  I still stumble around, but that’s what the Room of Grace is all about. It’s where I am protected by God grace for me.  For God’s grace is perfected in my imperfection. 

Thank You God for your AMAZING GRACE!

***To hear and learn more about "The Room of Grace," "The Room of Good Intentions," and "The ticket of destiny," please visit www.TrueFaced.com 

Debra’s life goal is to inspire and motivate women globally to become all they have been created and designed to be by using the guiding principles of their Creator’s word in gaining wisdom, understanding their designed-given personality identities & create their purpose! 

"Upheld by the Word" by Debra Courtney

I know what you’re probably wondering, "If we can operate in the same freedom, authority, and power that Jesus did, why are so many Christians living under their circumstances instead of ruling over them?  Stressful, overextended, not enough time in the day, family member is not acting right, sickness, can’t sleep, not enough money to meet the financial obligations, state of the world, the state of our country, on and on… "

The answer is simple:  Most believers don’t inquire of the LORD before they speak and act.  Instead, they get in a hurry and come up with their own plan.  That’s something Jesus never did.  He always waited on God’s instructions.   

Take, for example, how He handled what He found in the temple in Mark 11.  On the first day that He went in there and saw the ungodly activities that were going on, all He did was stand around and watch.  “He entered Jerusalem, then entered the Temple. He looked around, taking it all in…” (verse 11).  Isn’t that amazing?  Jesus was there watching the ugly behavior of the money-changers as they did what they had always done, and He did nothing but just watch!  Can you imagine him just walking around the temple, both inside and out, taking it all in and not saying a word, just looking and listening?  Can you imagine the look on his face, intensity in his eyes, his mannerisms of his walk and body stance? Why didn't the Father say something to Jesus then.  Why wait?  Say something now.  Look at how people are behaving int the house of God.  What do you think his Father told him later on?  

On the next day, he had a job God had given Him, and he put the devil on the run.  You and I can do the same thing by faith! If we’ll listen to the voice of God, we can find out where He wants us to go, what He wants us to say, and what He wants us to do. 

We can fulfill His will in every area of our lives, and if the devil tries to stop us, we can cast him out!  “But how can I be sure I’ll hear God’s voice?” you might ask.  You’ve made Jesus The LORD of your life, haven’t you?  That means He’s your Shepherd and you’re His sheep, and according to the Bible, “The sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out... he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow.” (John 10:3-5)MSG 

Actually, that’s a good place for you and me to start hearing and speaking God’s WORD. Instead of saying things like, “God doesn’t speak to me,” start saying, “I know Jesus.  He’s my Shepherd, and I hear and know His voice,” then spend some time with Him in the WORD and tune in by faith, expecting to hear from Him.  Words from heaven are available to you each and every 24/7/365, if we know Jesus as our LORD and Savior.  He has guaranteed it in the Scriptures.  

He promised the Holy Spirit would teach us all things and guide us into all truth (John 14:26, 16:13).  He said if we’ll ask for wisdom in faith without wavering, He’ll give it to us liberally (James 1:5-6).  

Believe it and inquire of Him.  He’ll give us the words, then when you and I speak those words and act on them in faith, He’ll back them with His own power.  It’s not our job to figure out how everything is going to happen.  Our job is just to pray, obey, and say what God says.  Because He’s already upholding all things by the WORD of His power, as long as we stay on His WORD, it’s impossible for the devil or anyone else to defeat us.  No matter how hard they try to bring us down, we’re going to be upheld! 

The devil doesn’t have authority over any area of our life - not our health, our family, our finances, or anything else.  Jesus has defeated him completely, and as His joint heir, you and I have the power to put the devil on the run.  

Here are a few points to help us do it! 

Get on God’s WORD and stay there. “…Recently he spoke to us directly through his Son…This one perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God’s nature. He holds everything together by what he says – powerful words! ” (Hebrews 1:1-3) MSG 

Operate like Jesus did. “…that I’m not making this up, but speaking only what the Father taught me.” (John 8:28) MSG 

Don’t make something up. “Before long the crooks will be bankrupt; God-investors will soon own the store.” (Psalm 37:9) MSG 

Expect to hear from Him. “The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice.” (John 10:2-4) MSG.  Jesus’ words authorize and empower you. “Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making.” (John 6:63) MSG 

Don’t doubt!  Call things that are not as though they were!  Watch it manifest!

Click here to view a video of "Center" by Charlie Hall

The Power of Christ in Me - By Debra Courtney

Photo by Amelia Grace Photography

THE POWER OF CHRIST IN ME

By Debra Courtney

Many of us begin our lives with the goal of wanting to achieve success.  If we haven't entered our career/calling as a result of being Christ inside minded, we will eventually face a chasm of deep frustration and emptiness.  Success may flatter us temporarily, but does not provide a lasting sense of purpose and fulfillment in us.  Our lives with wrong motives, i.e., money, prestige, and even pressure from parents or peers, are like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.  If that happens over an extended period, a person crashes.

That being said, my significance should come from fulfilling the God-given purpose for which I was uniquely designed.  Asking Him to confirm this in my own life brings “the power of Christ in me”.  Christ has called me to stand for a cause bigger than myself.  I will have opposition to His call; sometimes it even comes from those in my own family, but if God has called me to it, then I can be sure He will make a way.  He has already opened the way before me; however, I must walk in faith, joined with Him to take the land. "...Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9).

So often defeat is what is required before our victory can be won.  Jesus said that unless the seed dies and goes into the ground it cannot bring forth fruit (see John. 12:24).  The vision may yet happen, but however, there is a better success rate if I live a life of “the power of Christ in me”.

The disciples thought they suffered their greatest defeat when Jesus died on the cross; however, this defeat became the greatest victory on earth.  Christ's death gave liberty. Forgiveness came to all men.  The disciples came forth with new strength.  Resurrection and new life came as a result of a "defeat" but later on gave them the boldness they needed because they had “the power of Christ in them”.

Imagine living with the uncertainty of this situation.  One day we work at getting our "house" in order, only to have to pick up the stakes and move.  Our ability to plan is totally gone.  I have experienced this many a time myself in my own life, but even greater is the temptation to move when the cloud did not move because you felt it was time to move.  We think that perhaps the grass is no longer green, perhaps the water was not easily accessible, perhaps the bugs were a problem.  I need “the power of Christ in me” to be my cloud up in the sky.

Nothing has changed.  It is still the same today.  We are not to move unless the Holy Spirit instructs us to do so.  We are not to make that business deal on the basis of whether or not it makes sense but on the leading of the Holy Spirit's "cloud" in our life.  It is a difficult process to move only when we are directed and to remain if we are not.  The pressure is always upon us to move, to plan, to act, but if we act, we may move into a place where the presence of God may not be.  When I have “the power of Christ in me”, I as His child will learn to move when God says move; it is a sign of complete surrender and dependence on the Holy Spirit to direct my steps which brings me “the power of Christ in me” that strengthens me to do all things according to His good pleasure.  

Debra’s life goal is to inspire and motivate women through coaching to become all they have been created and designed to be by using the guiding principles of their Creator’s word in gaining wisdom and understanding their designed-given personality identities and create their independence!  Your Words creates an environment to enhance your living experiences in ways this world cannot.  Your Words creates an environment to enhance your journey in ways this world cannot.   

“I want women today to be transformed out of your lack of fulfillment, frustration, and pain through the benefits of coaching, to stand and run with the promises that have already been promised to you by your Creator, to be challenged and stirred up to go places that you have never dreamed of, to be motivated in wisdom where you can live a life above and beyond in the exploration and discovery found in the 'who' of how you were created.  Coaching is ideal for taking you through this process and for closing the gap between your 'Here & Now' to 'There'."  

Click here to enjoy "Help Me Find It" by Sidewalk Prophets

Bound in Chains - By @Lori_Kennedy

Photo By Amelia Grace Photography

Bound in Chains

By

Lori Kennedy

“I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made.  But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.  Friends, don’t get me wrong:  By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward – to Jesus.  I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.”  Philippians 3:12-14 (MSG)

“I know the worst about you, but I also see the best in you.”  This quote is from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young on July 7^th.  There is such truth in this statement!  Our Creator knows everything about us – both the good and the bad – yet still He loves us!  His desire is for us to grow in Him.  One thing author Andy Andrews says in his book "The Noticer" is to take a good honest look at yourself and ask yourself, “What is one thing about me that others would change if they could?” And then work toward changing that one thing. 

God does know the worst about you, but He desires that you be the best you can be living with the Holy Spirit inside of you.  You can UN-learn the habits that you’ve learned as coping mechanisms.  You don't have to keep yourself bound in chains that you’ve created for yourself.

Circus elephants are trained by being bound in chains.  Once they realize they cannot get away, their chains are removed, and they will not run.  In 1967 in Germany, there was a circus tent fire, which wounded and killed several elephants, who were free to run but didn’t recognize their freedom, even to the point of death.

Has God called you to something today that you have been running from due to chains that you have perceived bind you?  What you have been called to, you will be led through.  And if God is for you, who can be against you?  So, throw off the chains and run toward the prize – the destiny that has been prepared for you before the foundation of the world.