Pressure in Life is Victory thru Christ post is on www.kaleidoscopebutterfly.blogspot.com

I pray for the peace of God to chase you down and overtake you today; that you live, love and laugh with exuberant joy all to gloryify our King.
With the love of our Christ,
Candace

Taking a Bath

Today I took a bath in the waters of life
     and the water rose up to cover me
I was humbled by their flow, drenched in their truth
    and peace washed away all my shame
We take and we own;
we posses and we pride;
we crack our own whips to tame all
At the end of our days we lay down to what is ours
    and it devours because it was His.

by Candace Huffmaster

Always, in All Ways

When I read this devotion several situations from God's Word came to mind. Remember when the Israelites were in the desert and they were not focused on where they were going...but what they left behind. They were not focused on what God WAS providing but what they did not have. We are very creative in our thoughts and imagination. We picture moments of our day going blissfully, everyone enjoying us and thinking all our desires are best for everyone...and so everyone is on board. We see ourselves having all the whims before us fulfilled and enough left that there is no possible way we could be left with a want. Okay, maybe I am overshooting this a bit; but subconsciously I think there might be some truth to these statements.


If we were left to our own devices with no consequences, no imploring from wise counsel, don't you think we might be immature, selfish and lazy? I thank God that when we look through His history we see how good His ways are. We can see, because he had the wisdom to have people record the good, the bad, the ugly and the transformed. He was gracious enough to give us the beginning and the end, so what do we have to complain about....we should be focusing on all He is providing, which is MUCH, to make sure we arrive at the appointed destination.  We should focus and accept His joy and peace through it all.

I pray that we cast down false imaginations and simultaneously replace it with His reality. I pray that we begin to see clearly, believe hopefully and trust faithfully in Him who loves us enough to defend, liberate and care for us always, in all ways.

With the Love of our Christ,
Candace

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me . . . —Matthew 11:29

devotion from Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Whom the Lord loves He chastens . . .” ( Hebrews 12:6 ). How petty our complaining is! Our Lord begins to bring us to the point where we can have fellowship with Him, only to hear us moan and groan, saying, “Oh Lord, just let me be like other people!” Jesus is asking us to get beside Him and take one end of the yoke, so that we can pull together. That’s why Jesus says to us, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” ( Matthew 11:30 ). Are you closely identified with the Lord Jesus like that? If so, you will thank God when you feel the pressure of His hand upon you.
“. . . to those who have no might He increases strength” (Isaiah 40:29 ). God comes and takes us out of our emotionalism, and then our complaining turns into a hymn of praise. The only way to know the strength of God is to take the yoke of Jesus upon us and to learn from Him.

“. . . the joy of the Lord is your strength” ( Nehemiah 8:10 ). Where do the saints get their joy? If we did not know some Christians well, we might think from just observing them that they have no burdens at all to bear. But we must lift the veil from our eyes. The fact that the peace, light, and joy of God is in them is proof that a burden is there as well. The burden that God places on us squeezes the grapes in our lives and produces the wine, but most of us see only the wine and not the burden. No power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God living within the human spirit; it creates an inner invincibility.

If your life is producing only a whine, instead of the wine, then ruthlessly kick it out. It is definitely a crime for a Christian to be weak in God’s strength.

His Agony, Our Hope

Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples . . . . ’Stay here and watch with Me’ —Matthew 26:36, 38

We can never fully comprehend Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, but at least we don’t have to misunderstand it. It is the agony of God and man in one Person, coming face to face with sin. We cannot learn about Gethsemane through personal experience. Gethsemane and Calvary represent something totally unique— they are the gateway into life for us.

 

It was not death on the cross that Jesus agonized over in Gethsemane. In fact, He stated very emphatically that He came with the purpose of dying. His concern here was that He might not get through this struggle as the Son of Man. He was confident of getting through it as the Son of God— Satan could not touch Him there. But Satan’s assault was that our Lord would come through for us on His own solely as the Son of Man. If Jesus had done that, He could not have been our Savior (see Hebrews 9:11-15 ). Read the record of His agony in Gethsemane in light of His earlier wilderness temptation— “. . . the devil . . . departed from Him until an opportune time” ( Luke 4:13 ). In Gethsemane, Satan came back and was overthrown again. Satan’s final assault against our Lord as the Son of Man was in Gethsemane.

The agony in Gethsemane was the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as the Savior of the world. The veil is pulled back here to reveal all that it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God. His agony was the basis for the simplicity of our salvation. The Cross of Christ was a triumph for the Son of Man. It was not only a sign that our Lord had triumphed, but that He had triumphed to save the human race. Because of what the Son of Man went through, every human being has been provided with a way of access into the very presence of God.- By Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Be Ready; He is Risen!

Today, I am taking pause in Christ to reflect on His Focus.  I remember the verses about being thankful and this one in 1 Thessalonians came to mind. "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this."  When I went back to read this full chapter I knew it had to be the posting of encouragement for us all today.
With love, in Christ for you all,
Candace

Be Ready for the Day of the Lord

1 Thessalonians Chapter 5 from God's Word Translation

 Brothers and sisters, you don’t need anyone to write to you about times and dates.  You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  When people say, “Everything is safe and sound!” destruction will suddenly strike them. It will be as sudden as labor pains come to a pregnant woman. They won’t be able to escape.  But, brothers and sisters, you don’t live in the dark. That day won’t take you by surprise as a thief would.  You belong to the day and the light not to the night and the dark.  Therefore, we must not fall asleep like other people, but we must stay awake and be sober. People who sleep, sleep at night; people who get drunk, get drunk at night. Since we belong to the day, we must be sober. We must put on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet. It was not God’s intention that we experience his anger but that we obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake in this life or asleep in death, we will live together with him. Therefore, encourage each other and strengthen one another as you are doing.

Brothers and sisters, we ask you to show your appreciation for those leaders who work among you and instruct you. We ask you to love them and think very highly of them because of the work they are doing. Live in peace with each other. We encourage you, brothers and sisters, to instruct those who are not living right, cheer up those who are discouraged, help the weak, and be patient with everyone. Make sure that no one ever pays back one wrong with another wrong. Instead, always try to do what is good for each other and everyone else.
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this. Don’t put out the Spirit’s fire.  Don’t despise what God has revealed.  Instead, test everything. Hold on to what is good.  Keep away from every kind of evil.

May the God who gives peace make you holy in every way. May he keep your whole being—spirit, soul, and body—blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.Brothers and sisters, pray for us.

Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.In the Lord’s name, I order you to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters.

The good will of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Do you See the Joy?

I thought it would be a wonderful focus on this Good Friday if we were to try and SEE what Christ saw before Him. Let's start with defining this Greek word hupomeno, we use it as endure in Hebrews 12:2.

1. to tarry behind  
2. to remain i.e. abide, not recede or flee  
3. to preserve: under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Christ  
4. to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments  

Hebrews 12:2 (GW translation) We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Then he received the highest position in heaven, the one next to the throne of God.

  

Another translation speaks or Christ "despising" the shame of the cross. Here it says Christ ignored the disgrace, however it is more than simply not paying attention to it. This Greek word Kataphroneo means to think little or nothing of something. 

So what God is trying to show us is that we must See what Jesus saw. He thought SO much of his destiny; being back in the throne room of God, having everything placed as a footstool under His feet and pulling all things back together for all eternity that the joy was too large for death to distract Him. Satan threw all the chaos, turmoil, deception and pain that He could at Him, but Christ knew, saw and believed in the things not seen. He trusted, He had faith and He was and is Faithful.

So....We must Focus on JESUS. He is the source, He IS the Goal of our Faith. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9 24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

  

This is my prayer for us all: That we see what Christ saw and that we learn as the great cloud of witnesses before us learned so that we can endure - making it to the joy that is set before us.

With Love, in Christ,
Candace

Sing From My Heart Your Great Wisdom

Psalm 50:15 "Call on me in times of trouble, I will rescue you, and you will honor me."

Good Morning Father!

I thank you for this day. For your mercy which starts it and your grace that gets me through.

I praise you, your design is complete. Each moment you saw beforehand, each opportunity in its place, the knowledge of your will extended, the opportunity available and within our reach.

I ask for your understanding, to wait till I feel your peace, to be lifted as I see the formation and the joy to propel your perfect speed.

Sing from my heart your great wisdom; dazzle us all with your will. Propel us into your timing, your pathway perfectly laid. Raise us up this morning, together to claim your ways; all of us with one motive, an offering to our King.

Today help us remember, as we focus on His calling and plea: Life is for the living, death only part of this life; it is not the final position...only the collision between earth bound and our heavenly flight.

I pray for the angels that are charging, to be felt when the pressure is on, for all the intercessions of your righteousness, to pour heavily and ease the strife. For at the right moment, you hear us, and at the perfect moment you came. We all are bound in your victory; Hallelujah to our risen Lord.

God is Almighty in the Highest; His kingdom reaches and fills all things. Not bound to just the heavens, but now released to set the captives free.  Selah

In Christ,
Candace

Psalm 50
A Psalm by Asaph

The Lord, the only true God, has spoken.
he has summoned the earth from where the sun rises to where it sets.
God shines from Zion, the perfection of beauty.
Our God will come and will not remain silent.
A devouring fire is in front of him and a raging storm around him.
He summons heaven and earth to judge his people;
"Gather around me, my godly people who have mane a pledge to me through sacrifices."
The heavens announce his righteousness because God is the judge.    Selah
"Listen, my people, and I will speak.
Listen, Israel, and I will testify against you:  I am God, your God!
I am not criticizing you for your sacrifices or burnt offerings, which are always in front of me.
[But] I will not accept [another] young bull from your household or a single male goat from your pens.
Every creature in the forest, [even] the cattle on a thousand hills, is mine.
If I were hungry, I would not tell you, because the world  and all that it contains are mine.
Do I eat the meat of bulls or drink the gloos of goats?
Bring [your] thanks to God as a sacrifice, and keep your vows to the Most High.
Call on me in times of trouble.
I will rescue you, and you will honor me."
But God says to wicked people,  "How dare you quote my decrees and mouth my promises!
You hate disicpline, you toss my words behind you.
When you see a thief you want to make friends with him.
You keep company with people who commit adultery.
You let your mouth say anything evil.
Your tongue plans deceit.
You sit and talk against your own brother.
You slander your own mother's son.
When you did these things, I remained silent.
[That}made you think I was like you.
I will argue my point with you and lay it all out for you to see.
Consider this, you people who forget God.
Otherwise, I will tear you to pieces, and there will be no one left to rescue you.
Who offers thanks as a sacrifice honors me.
I will let everyone who continues in my way see the salvation that comes from God."