Arise , Shine God Says It Is Time!!!

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 30th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Arise , Shine God Says It Is Time!!!



Scripture: Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you."

God encourages us to rise to a new life. The Amplified Bible reads, "Arise from the depression ... in which circumstances have kept you." We all face disappointments in life, either through circumstances or in our relationships. When we do not deal with those disappointments, we become discouraged. Then as we give in to discouragement, depression follows.Depression is like being in a dark room. In the natural, if you find yourself in darkness, you must make an effort to get up and turn the light on. When you turn the light on, you do not have to battle with the darkness any more. The light itself dispels the darkness. Likewise, when your inner man is in a dark room of depression, you must do the same thing. God is there with the light of His Word, but you must arise and allow that light to illuminate your spirit and renew your faith.

In this upcoming New Year this is a good resolution to make for yourselves. Someone out there has been living in darkness for far too long. He is placing His hand upon your head right now, Can you feel it?

Verse two says that as you arise, "His glory shall be seen upon you." It is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit as He draws you out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light.King David faced this darkness when his city was burned and his possessions and family were taken captive. If that wasn't hard enough, his own men blamed him for the loss and wanted to stone him. I Samuel 30:4 says that David cried until he couldn't cry any more, but then he began to encourage himself in the Lord his God. He arose and began to allow the light of God to shine in his darkness. As he did, new plans developed. He pursued the enemy and took back what the enemy had stolen. He could have sat there forever in depression and defeat and never regained what belonged to him. The choice was his.I Peter 5:8 tells us that the devil goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

You are in his path, but you are to give him no place in your heart. You must encourage yourself in the Lord as David did. From the beginning, you must refuse to allow disappointment to lodge in your heart and take root until it turns into discouragement. Learn to trust God's word which says, "All things work together for good to those that love God and are called according to His purpose."

Arise, shine, and allow God's light to supernaturally dispel the darkness.

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He's Rarely Early, He's Never Too Late.

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 29th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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He's Rarely Early, He's Never Too Late.



Scripture: Acts 10:4 "Your prayers and your alms are come up for a memorial before God."




Have you ever tried to talk to someone, but discerned within your spirit that they weren't listening? Worse still, they may even cut you off right in the middle of your words. Even though you really had something important to share, no room was given for you to exchange your thoughts and opinions. It was as though your concerns were of no importance or even nonexistent. Communication of this sort is frustrating, but we can rest assured that this is not the type of communion that we experience with our Father God. Our prayers and the words that we address to the Lord are very meaningful to Him. As we speak, He listens with the intent to hear, He considers our thoughts, and doesn't forget them. He keeps our words before Him as a memorial.

Just as we listen to the simple words of our own Family and freinds, God listens to us. How often have we kept a scrap of paper that had the words "I love you" or something similar scribbled in crayon as a special memorial of a child's love and adoration for us? Those words were a personal treasure to our heart and God feels the same about the words that we offer to Him. He is not so much concerned about the eloquence of our communication as He is the condition of our heart and our love for Him. Our words are precious to Him and He looks at our earnest and honest intent. It is written in Revelation 5:8, that He takes our prayers and saves them as memorials in golden vials. Then the angels mingle our prayers with incense and offer them upon the golden altar that is before God's throne. Regardless of how simple our words might be, God loves them and appreciates them. As our prayers ascend unto God, they become as sweet odors in His nostrils (Revelation 8:3-5).

Sometimes we may think that God has forgotten our request, but we soon discover that although He's rarely early, He's never too late. Someone out there is thinking God Does Not Hear me? That is a lack of Faith. Say Lord I know You hear my prayers and you soon will come in full abundance than more I could even expect. Our need is ever near His heart and He always answers right on time! God keeps our words and our expressions safe, whether they be praises or petitions. As we make our thoughts and needs known unto God, they are placed in a golden bowl near His throne. They remain as memorials before Him until the appropriate time that He desires to respond. Then when the fullness of time comes, our sovereign God reaches into the golden bowl, pulls out our prayer, and to our utter amazement answers when we least expect it.

Never give up on your prayers,
for they are a memorial before God.
When you prayed,
God listened,
God heard,
and your answer is on the way.

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No Mountain too High To Climb

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 26th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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No Mountain too High To Climb


Scripture: Psalms 71:9 "Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength fails."

Someone here today is saying to themselves I am getting too old? I would gather many of us at one time or another in our lives have said this.
I heard someone say recently that age is irrelevant and that it doesn't matter how old we are but how much time we have left. I recently went to an estate sale where this women who had died at 82 was selling paintings of her work. When I asked how long she had been painting her son said she just started about five years ago. Isn’t t funny how inside we hold so many talents, but wait to use them? God in His perfect plan has imparted so many unique gifts inside each and every one of us, but for some reason we feel not worthy to use them. I tell you today it is time to seek your dream. It is time to pull out those talents and lay aside that fear. Age does not matter! For that reason, we must live each day as if it were the last but look to the future as if we were going to live many more years.

Throughout the scriptures, God used many people who were advanced in years. Moses was eighty years old and his brother, Aaron, was eighty-three when they began their journey across the wilderness to the Promised Land. Abraham was one hundred and Sarah was ninety when Isaac was born, and Elizabeth conceived John the Baptist in her old age. Caleb was eighty-five when he said, "Give this mountain" (Joshua 14:12). He declared that he was as strong this day as he was in the day that Moses sent him out forty years earlier. Caleb was ready to fight for what belonged to him. We can be no less aggressive than these courageous souls. When we are eighty-two, it is no time to sit down and give up. It is time to stir the gifts within us whether it be creating beautiful paintings, writing books, composing songs, or using other talents that God has endowed us with. As long as we have breath, we should praise the Lord with the gifts that He has given to us. We must believe that no mountain is too high for us to climb and no ocean is too big for us to cross. What mountain is standing in your way? I say pray and ask the Lord to move that mountain!! God, Himself, will help us accomplish anything that we set our hearts to do. Like the psalmist said, God will not cast us off in our old age nor forsake us when our strength fails.
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please visit our guestbook and sign it, if you feel this site has inspired you!

Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=60

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 23rd, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays
No Faith Filled thoughts Christmas eve or Christmas Day

The Beautiful Sound Of A Baby’s Cry Waits Upon Us!

Scripture: John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

In the beginning, Jesus was with God and He was God, but He came to Earth and took upon Himself human flesh so that He could dwell among us and ultimately become the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus was unique in that He was true deity and also common humanity. Before His birth, there had been four hundred years of silence between the time of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Then suddenly, in the fullness of time, the Son of God was born and the sound of this Baby's cry heralded a new message on Earth. His cry meant that light had come to shatter the forces of darkness and that eternal salvation had come to mortal man.

As the silence of those years ended with His cry, many validated that the Messiah had come. The angels declared the good tidings of great joy saying that the Savior, which is Christ the Lord, had been born. They praised God and declared peace on Earth and good will toward men. Years later, John the Baptist said, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world." And Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." God the Father also spoke from Heaven and said, "This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Satan, Himself, recognized Jesus as the Messiah and challenged Him by mingling these words of doubt in His ears, "If Thou be the Son of God." Even the soldiers at the cross acknowledged who Jesus was by saying, "Surely this was the Son of God."

If you have ever had a baby born into your life, you know the vast meaning of hearing their cry for the first time. It means that things will never be the same again in your household, for from their first cry, your life is changed forever. So it was with the Baby Jesus. His cry brought change and hope to all mankind. Today, we look for Him in beautiful cathedrals that are filled with beautiful music and fail to realize that He is everywhere and that He is crying out for us.
He wants to intervene in our silence and give meaning to our lives.
If we listen for Him, we will hear His cry, and if we look for Him,
we will experience the glory of this only begotten Son of God
and also understand His grace and truth.
Please visit our guestbook and sign it, if you feel this site has inspired you!
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:
http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=49

Never Give Up On Your Prayers

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 19th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays





Never Give Up On Your Prayers


Scripture: Acts 10:4 "Your prayers and your alms are come up for a memorial before God."

Have you ever tried to talk to someone, but discerned within your spirit that they weren't listening? Worse still, they may even cut you off right in the middle of your words. Even though you really had something important to share, no room was given for you to exchange your thoughts and opinions. It was as though your concerns were of no importance or even nonexistent. Communication of this sort is frustrating, but we can rest assured that this is not the type of communion that we experience with our Father God. Our prayers and the words that we address to the Lord are very meaningful to Him. As we speak, He listens with the intent to hear, He considers our thoughts, and doesn't forget them. He keeps our words before Him as a memorial.

I have a friend named Erin who always has a tendancy to listen to me, never cuts me off, and I sometimes wonder to I give her the same attention?
Just as she listens God listens to us. How often have we kept a scrap of paper that had the words "I luv you" or something similar scribbled in crayon as a special memorial of a child's love and adoration for us? Those words were a personal treasure to our heart and God feels the same about the words that we offer to Him. He is not so much concerned about the eloquence of our communication as He is the condition of our heart and our love for Him. Our words are precious to Him and He looks at our earnest and honest intent. It is written in Revelation 5:8, that He takes our prayers and saves them as memorials in golden vials. Then the angels mingle our prayers with incense and offer them upon the golden altar that is before God's throne. Regardless of how simple our words might be, God loves them and appreciates them. As our prayers ascend unto God, they become as sweet odors in His nostrils (Revelation 8:3-5).

Sometimes we may think that God has forgotten our request, but we soon discover that although He's rarely early, He's never too late. Our need is ever near His heart and He always answers right on time! God keeps our words and our expressions safe, whether they be praises or petitions. As we make our thoughts and needs known unto God, they are placed in a golden bowl near His throne. They remain as memorials before Him until the appropriate time that He desires to respond. Then when the fullness of time comes, our sovereign God reaches into the golden bowl, pulls out our prayer, and to our utter amazement answers when we least expect it.

Never give up on your prayers, for they are a memorial before God. When you prayed, God listens, God heard, and your answer is on the way.
Even sent through a friend like Erin.


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=36


Please visit Erins Site at the link below

http://www.waterthroughtheword.com/medleys.php

Does He Not Love us as Much as the Sparrow?

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 18th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Does He Not Love us as Much as the Sparrow?

Scripture: Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread."

Jesus was teaching the disciples how to pray and told them that their Father already knew the things they needed before they even asked. He also told them not to think about or have any concerns for their food, drink, or clothing for the future. He said, "Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things." He continued to instruct them saying, "Seek first the kingdom of God, then all these things will be added to you ... So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble." However, Jesus did tell His disciples to ask God for bread for each new day. We serve the same God today that provided manna every day forty years for His people when He delivered them out of Egypt and He still has the recipe for manna. He is able to provide all of our needs.

When our own children were born, we knew that they needed food, water, and clothing. As parents, it was our responsibility to make that provision. They never had to worry about these necessities because we planned in advance to meet their needs. However, they did ask us for food when they were hungry, especially when they were newborn and wanted to eat every two or three hours.God is a responsible Father and is just as loving and caring as we are as parents. Jesus tells us to consider the birds that do not sow, yet the Father feeds them. He also says consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they don't toil nor spin. Yet, Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers of the field, He will take care of His children. God wants us to rely upon Him and trust Him like the birds and the flowers do. We have to do our own part, however. The birds do not sleep late, sit around all day doing absolutely nothing, and have food dropped into their nests. They are up early, singing a song to God, and watching for His provision and blessing. They do what they can and trust God for their provision.

Said The Robin To The Sparrow
By Connie Ciccone

Said the Robin to the Sparrow:

"I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

Rush about and worry so."

Said the Sparrow to the Robin:

"Friend, I think that it must be

That they have no Heavenly Father

Such as cares for you and me."

Said the Robin to the Sparrow:
"I should really like to know

In His word it says He cares for them much more
Then Why do not they all know it so.”

The Sparrow gently drop his head and said:
We must ask Our Father then
And then the Father said
We must pray for all of them”

Then the sparrow and the Robin
Dropped their tiny heads
And loudly said
Amen

Connie Ciccone © December2008

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
PRAISE REPORT (NO CAST ON BROKEN LEG) DR. SAID LOOKS LIKE IT HEALED AND FUSED BACK TOGETHER
Because Jesus healed me……………………Praise God!!!!

The Holy Spirit Guides Us Unto All Truth

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 17th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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The Holy Spirit Guides Us Unto All Truth


Scripture: John 16:13 "When He, the Spirit of Truth, is come He will guide you into all truth."

Truth in these last days is becoming a rare commodity, whether it be from those in the advertisement field, politics, news media, or the ministry. Many times we don't know what to believe and sometimes even our personal relationships fail in this area. Yet God has not left us helpless. He has endowed us with His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, which is a discerner of men's hearts. One of His main responsibilities is to lead us down the right path and bear witness with our spirits to confirm the truth and expose the error that we encounter.

In Matthew chapter twenty-four, Jesus warned of several voices that would seek to deceive even the very elect of God. He spoke of the deception of men, those that would come in His name, false prophets, and even those showing great signs and wonders. We must realize that everything supernatural is not always spiritual. The Apostle Paul warned us of the deceptions of good words, fair speeches, and doctrines of men that would attempt to deceive the simple (Ephesians 5:6; Romans:18). He also said that we could even deceive our own selves (Galatians 6:3).

Scriptures declare that Satan comes as an angel of light to deceive, which means that he makes things look nearly correct. This tactic makes his deception more dangerous for us because when something is blatantly wrong we are more apt to recognize it. Consider a clock that is incorrect. If it is off by just a few minutes, we may not recognize the error until precise timing is required of us. However, if the clock is off by several hours, we would immediately recognize that it is wrong because our routine habits would conflict with the time displayed. Even a clock that is not running is still exactly correct twice a day. The spirit of error tells us just enough truth to deceive us, but notice that John said that the Holy Spirit guides us into ALL truth. ALL means that the Holy Spirit is not sometimes right and sometimes wrong. He is the Spirit of Truth and is one hundred percent correct all of the time. He will not force us along the way, but will gently lead and guide us. We must be very sensitive to His voice and yield to His leading so that we can walk in His truth.


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=32

Don’t Quit

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 12th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays


Don’t Quit

(see true inspirational story by god at bottom)

Scripture: II Corinthians 4:8-9 "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed."

Paul faced many discouraging circumstances in his life and ministry, but he maintained an overcoming faith that brought him through to victory. Regardless of what happened, Paul did not allow himself to become distressed, to engage in despair, feel forsaken, nor be destroyed. He absolutely had no 'quitting sense', and time after time he refused to give up.

You would think that Paul, a special and chosen vessel of the Lord who was destined to write nearly three-fourths of the New Testament and go on great missionary journeys, would be exempt from trials and tribulations. If he truly was in the will of God, it seems that things would be working out better for him. But we see him being stoned, imprisoned, suffering shipwreck, battling religious leaders, and encountering all kinds of major conflicts. He was constantly under some sort of pressure, yet was never stressed over it. He had learned early on that all things would eventually work out for his benefit because he loved God and was called to fulfill the purposes of God.

Sometimes we think that we should be exempt from adversity when we make a decision to serve God or give ourselves to the ministry, but like Paul, we discover that just the opposite is true.

There are times I am sure many of you have wanted to raise your hands up and say I QUIT!

When we turn from the world and start walking towards God, we are no longer walking with the enemy but against him. Thus we face him head-on and find ourselves in great conflict. We are troubled on every side and are tempted to give in to the stress and despair of our circumstances. Persecution comes and we feel rejected and forsaken. The enemy of our soul is working towards his goal to destroy us with this mind set, but it's in these times of conflicts and hard places that we are schooled in faith and our character is tested for the Master's use. Like Paul, when we come to the place where we are troubled on every side, we must make a choice. We can either give in to the strategies of the devil or stand against him and refuse to be stressed, despaired, forsaken, or destroyed.

I Must Say During These Times I will NOT QUIT!!!

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
There Is Much disagreement over this Poem
All Over the internet, many times I have said to myself just leave it alone
Connie ( because it was written my dear friends by the hand of God.)
My Father developed Cancer back in 1979 and during these trying times
I would tell Him Dad Don’t Quit! My Father Died on August 15, 1984
7 days after His 55 Birthday. God wrote Him this poem in December of 1980 for Christmas.
So Here is God’s story once and for all
God’s Words His Hands
End Of Story that’s all!!
Written by God© December 1980


Don’t Quit
By God
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,When the road your trudging seems all uphill,When our funds are low and the debts are high,And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,When sickness is pressing you down a bitRest if you must, but just don’t you quit.
Life is weird with its twists and turns,And you told me, we always find lessons learned,Many a failure turns right aboutWhen they might have won, if they had just stuck it out. So don’t give up though the race seems slow,I Love You Dad you can take one more blow.
Often the struggler you said has given upWhen they might have captured the victors cup;And you learned too late when the night came down,How close Dad you were to the golden crown.
You always said success is failure turned inside outWhen we see silver tint of clouds of doubtAnd you never can tell how close you still are,It may be near when it seems so far;So stick to the fight Dad when your hardest hit,You said It’s when things seem worst
That We Must Not Quit!
Written by God © December 1980

He offered her living water!

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 11th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays



He offered her living water!


Scripture: John 4:6 "Jesus was weary with His journey and sat on the well."

It is hard to imagine Jesus being weary and thirsty, but this natural situation caused Him to be in the right place at the right time so that He could minister to a very special woman. While His disciples went into the city to buy food, Jesus sat on Jacob's well and waited. His waiting had a purpose. He wasn't waiting for a multitude but was waiting for one person. Finally, a woman of Samaria came to draw water from the well. Jesus was a Jew and was to have no dealings with the Samaritans, but when the woman came to the well, He disregarded the traditions of men and yielded to the will of God. He made time for this woman, and even though He knew her failures, He had compassion upon her.

As He began to talk with the Samaritan woman, He exposed her failures. He knew everything about her and approached her sins with tenderness and compassion. She had been married five times and the man that she was presently living with was not her husband. They were just living together. Yet, Jesus looked far beyond her faults and saw her needs. He recognized her thirst for God and knew that there was something deeper within her scarred heart than men could see. He asked the woman to give Him a drink and when she responded, He offered her living water. He told her that the living water that He could provide would be able to quench her thirst and that she would never thirst again. He was not speaking of natural water and natural thirst, but of the spirit.

The water of the Spirit quenches the thirst for the things that are of the flesh. Just as Jesus waited by the well that day, He patiently waits for you so that He can minister to you, one on one. You are important to Him whether you realize it or not and it may be more than you can even believe. There is someone today that this is directly speaking too. Who would think that He had time for one Samaritan woman who was living in sin? He also has time for you! Yet, He loves you just as much He did the Samaritan and He draws you to Him by His Spirit so that He can impart the living water. When God imparts the Living Water, it will drive away those ungodly things that you thirst for and struggle with; impure thoughts and desires, lust, jealousy, and covetousness.

As He ministers to you, you will find yourself overflowing with new life and you will know that His compassion is far greater than your failures.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=31

"Don't Be Everything - Be Something!"

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 10th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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"Don't Be Everything - Be Something!"


Scripture: Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go."

Are you busy and going in so many directions that you find yourself unproductive and unfruitful? When we spread ourselves too thin, we are unable to do justice to anything. That's the time we must eliminate things in our life in order to concentrate. We have to prioritize and let unnecessary things go. Good advice says, "Don't Be Everything - Be Something!" To be something, you must concentrate on the gifts and talents that God has given to you. Find the mold that fits your personality and fulfills the passions of your heart and then flow with it. Too many times we feel that we have to rescue every situation and we fail to wait upon God and listen for His instructions. As a result, we end up taking on every responsibility that comes our way and assuming burdens that God did not intend.

"Being Everything" is like being a swamp. A swamp goes everywhere, yet it goes nowhere. It has no definite borders and is totally governed by the circumstances surrounding it. It is muddy, shallow, and breeds disease and mosquitoes. It is unproductive and unfruitful in every way. When you are overloaded and overwhelmed with tasks that are set before you, you often use the expression "I'm swamped". God does not want you to be "swamped." Instead, He wants you to flow like a mighty river that produces fresh pure water and breeds good food. He wants you to "Be Something". A river has direction and is going somewhere. It has one main objective and goal, which is to get to the sea. It doesn't wander to the right or the left, but continues in a steady path. It may become wide or narrow at different points, but it remains steady, reaching out for its destiny.

Reaching God's destiny for your life means that you must make a decision to "press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). You must persevere by setting priorities and make a determination, like the river, that you will not be distracted. You must follow God's instructions and exercise your faith to complete His plan for your life. As you begin to flow, you will hear God's voice saying, "This is the way, walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21). When you feel swamped, remember, "God is not the author of confusion, but of peace" (I Corinthians 14:33). Allow Him to set your priorities. If you listen to Him, He will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=34

God’s Timing Is Just As Important As His Calling

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 9th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays

God’s Timing Is Just As Important As His Calling


Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

From the very beginning, God set things in order and caused them to function on a timely basis. It is amazing that we can know in advance the exact time the sun will rise and set each day. We can also count on the various seasons to come to pass each year just as they have for thousands of years. God is very dependable and faithful. And just like His plans for this earth and the heavens that cover it, God has a season and purpose for our lives. No matter how we struggle, our seasons will not come to pass until it is in His time.

Lester Summerall said, "The greatest blessing God has promised to you in your life or ministry will always be just beyond your grasp as long as you strive for it. Striving delays the anointing. If you are building your ministry - God isn't!

If you are ruling your life - God isn't!"

God's anointing rests on His will and His appointed timing. I heard a story once of a minister who felt the call to a foreign field. He sold everything, packed up what he needed, and moved overseas thinking that God was going to take care of him and his family. After struggling through a very hard year with no open doors, he finally asked God what the problem was, as he felt sure that he had heard from God. God answered him with these words, "I did call you to this mission field, but you came a year early." The minister repented of his hasty action, and from that moment on, in God's appointed time, all things began to fall in place. Doors opened and needs were met. God's timing is just as important as His calling. Have you ever had this happen to you? I sure have!

Throughout the scriptures, you find phrases like "when the fullness of time was come" which indicates that God always has a perfect season and a perfect time for every purpose. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "That he hath made everything beautiful in His time." Everything works out right and is beautiful when you put your faith in God's timing. When you "wait on" Him and "wait for" Him, you will be ready when He is ready. Circumstances will line up, and He will order every step to bring about His purpose and His plans for your life.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=26

Will You Shine As They Study Your Faith?

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 8th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays



Will You Shine As They Study Your Faith?



Scripture: Psalms 19:3 (Living Bible) "Without a sound or word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world."

The psalmist says that the heavens have no language, yet they speak of the grandeur of God. The sun, moon, stars, and the galaxies are a marvelous display of His craftsmanship. They have no speech and they have no words, yet they are able to declare God's glory. Day and night, they keep speaking about God who created them and placed them in His heavens. Without any kind of sound, their message reaches out to the entire world. As we see their awesome beauty and marvel at their faithfulness to fulfill God's purposes for us on this earth, we experience the greatness of our God.

This same God who has touched Earth with such beauty is also able to make you lovely. With His Spirit, He gives you a new birth. When He recreates you, He washes you in His own blood and you become crystal pure like streams of running water. He gives you His word that causes you to be stable like the mountains that are unmovable. And He imparts to you joy in your salvation, which makes you strong, sure, and enduring. He calls you a tree of righteousness for His Name's sake (Isaiah 61:3). And He plans good things for your life, as you become His witness and His hope on this earth.

Like the Earth with its beauty and the grandeur of the universe, you too can declare the greatness of our awesome God. In Colossians 1:27 Paul declared, "Christ in you, the hope of glory," and Jesus said, "You are the light of the world." Just as the lights of the universe shine and speak of God, you are to "let your light shine before men that they may see your good works. Without speaking any words, you function as an epistle that is read of all men (II Corinthians 3:2). The world watches your daily actions and responses to adverse circumstances. They study your faith. As they do, they either see the frailty of mankind in your life or the majesty of your Maker. Even in your silence, the message of your life reaches out to the entire world.

Choose to shine as a light to those in darkness and without hope.
As you shine, you will glorify your Father, which is in Heaven.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=53

Lord Help Me To Remember NOTHING Will Happen To Me Today

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 5th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays

Lord Help Me To Remember NOTHING Will Happen To Me Today
That You and I cannot Handle Together


Scripture: Matthew 6:34 (NRV) "Today's trouble is enough for today."

"I laid down my worries and looked at them. Part of them, I noticed, belonged to the past and another part to the future." - Corrie ten Boom

Take a look at what you are truly concerned about right now. I feel strongly that many of us are experiencing Corrie ten Boom's words. We are living in the present day but are allowing the guilt of the past and the fears of the future to haunt us. We have become mentally indebted and we can't seem to let go. It is said that guilt is the interest paid for past mistakes - and worry is the interest paid for the future. In the natural, you may have experienced a debt situation where the interest, penalty, and late charges that were added were quite a bit more than the original debt. If you examine your entire situation, you may find that the interest you are paying for your worries, in terms of stress, is adding up to be more than the actual debt. Debt, whether it be natural or mental, can be costly and stressful.

We must trust God concerning the failures of our past. When we live in guilt and fear, we are actually questioning God in His forgiveness and His ability to fulfill the promises that He has made to us. He wants to forgive us and is waiting to hear our confession. All that we have to do is simply confess our sins and God will faithfully forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). Forgiveness for the past comes by confession. This means we must confess our sins to God, calling them by their name. He doesn't want a general prayer that vaguely confesses, "If I have sinned, forgive me." God wants us to take responsibility and own-up to our sins and failures, naming them one by one. When we do this, He has promised to cleanse us, erase the debt, and remove all guilt and shame.

God also wants us to know that we can trust Him for the future. He will provide for us and fulfill all of the promises that He has made to us. Mathew 6:28 says, "Don't even take thought for the food, water, and clothes that you will need. Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things." If you just trust Him, He will provide daily food for you just like He does for the birds because you are more valuable to Him than they are. You are His special creation and He has even numbered the hairs on your head. Jesus said, "Just look at the beautiful lilies of the field. They don't toil, spin, or worry." They just look toward the heavens and draw their strength from God's daily provision of rain and sun. Because of their simple trust, God clothes them in a glory that exceeds the glory of King Solomon. Like the lilies and the birds, God will also take care of you and clothe you in the same splendor. Jesus said it so plainly. "You have enough to worry about for today. So forget the past and all of its failures and trust Him for your future."

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=33

He Orders Your Steps And When You Follow He Leads

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 4th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays



He Orders Your Steps And When You Follow He Leads



Scripture: Proverbs 20:24 "Man's steps are ordered by the Lord; how can a man then understand his way?"

All scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is meant to minister grace and build faith in the heart of the hearer. Allow this word to minister to you as you think about God's marvelous plan for your life. He created you in His image and He has ordered your steps. Before you woke up this morning and started on your way, His thoughts were upon you. He very lovingly began to make plans and designed the path that He wanted you to take, the people that He wanted you to meet, and the experiences that He wanted you to encounter. He then set about making a way through the wilderness and clearing the paths before you. He also saw to it that the proper provisions were along the path that He had designed for you to take.

God leaves nothing undone or to chance and regardless of what happens in your life, He is not surprised. He knows what you are capable of and also the degree to which you can be tested. He orders your steps and when you follow as He leads, He promises that there will be no burdens too heavy for you to bear and no temptations greater than your resistance. Look at Job's life and you will see that every step that he took and all that he endured was allowed by God. God was always in control and the devil was limited by God's sovereign power.
Have Self Confidence for He is always with You !

However, the plan of God can be thwarted and His Holy Spirit grieved because God has given each of us a free will. We can either follow as His Spirit leads or be led away by other voices. The Lord has ordered our steps and designed our paths. Yet, when we are not in tune with Him, how can we understand which way to go? It is so easy to wander off and lose our way. From birth until death, His designed life and plan is waiting for us. To accomplish His divine design, our ears must be able to hear His quiet and gentle voice telling us which path to take. Our hearts must be willing to lay aside the life and plans that we have made for ourselves so that we can walk in the life and plan that God has ordained for us.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=22

They don't need to hear a sermon as much as they need to see one.

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 3rd, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays



They don't need to hear a sermon as much as they need to see one.


Scripture: Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the Earth."

In life we have so many chances to be a blessing to so many, but we often miss our opportunities because we see them as insignificant and do not have our antenna’s up.
The little that we could do goes undone because we see the greater need and think that our small part will not make a difference. Yet, we must remember the words that Jesus spoke to us, we are the salt of the Earth and we must consider that a little salt goes a long way. Just a pinch or two of salt will give life to our food and immeasurable pleasure to our palate. In comparison to the amount of pleasure that it affords, salt is very inexpensive. It takes months to use up an entire carton of salt.

There are so many people who go out of their way to do extra things for us, and our response is well we pay them! Like our Hairdressers, Our Mailmen, Our Garbage man,
Our Neighbors who once in awhile pick up our garbage cans, and our Vets. There are so very many! But Our Eyes see only Ourselves! Each Year I make a special effort to send a card or simply say Thank you. What that does to their hearts can be seen through their eyes.

Just as your food needs salt to enhance its flavor so do the people that cross your path. Jesus said that your witness and good deeds is like salt to a world that needs flavor. Yet, you must be attentive and look for ways that you can minister to others and share the salt of your life. Maybe someone needs your smile or word of encouragement just to make it through the day. Perhaps something in your closet will meet the need of someone who is in lack of clothing. You can invite a family to dinner or a coworker to lunch who is just trying to make it to payday. There are always people in the hospital and the elderly to be visited. We try so hard to be spiritual, but one minister said that we should never share the word of God with someone until we have shown them the love of God at least three times in some natural way. They don't need to hear a sermon as much as they need to see one. Jesus, who was the greatest minister that ever lived, continually met the physical needs of the people. He understood their hunger, was touched by their sorrow, and empathized with their pain. He even turned water into wine at a wedding so that the celebration would not be ruined. He now speaks a clear word to you to become the salt that He ordained for you to be in this Earth. Remember that a little salt goes a long way.
The Lord is well able to bless and multiply all that you do in His Name.
So Keep Your Antenna’s up today an God Will bring someone along your path to bless today!

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=58

Will You Take The Help From Him Today?

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 2nd, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays

Will You Take The Help From Him Today?

Scripture: Psalms 25:20 (Amplified) " ... Deliver me; let me not be ashamed or disappointed, for my trust and my refuge are in You."

David trusted in the Lord and called out to Him in his distress. He said that the troubles of his heart were multiplied and he was suffering great affliction and pain. Yet, he believed that the Lord would pluck his feet out of the net and rescue him from his many enemies who hated him. He even asked the Lord to be gracious to him when he was lonely and to also forgive him for all of his sins. He knew the Lord was concerned about every detail of his life, whether it was physical, mental, or emotional, and he asked to be rescued and spared from all shame and disappointment.

You ask, "Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to be rescued?" Well, let me count the ways! In my life, there have been extreme financial difficulties, life-threatening sicknesses, physical injuries that left temporary disabilities, stressful difficulties with people on the job, and painful conflicts with close friends and family. This list is not even inclusive, for there have been many other situations which have caused me to call upon God. Each and every time that I turned to Him, I found that He was there all of the time patiently waiting in line with a solution for my problems. Yet sadly, there were times I was so wrapped up in how I thought He was going to work that I failed to recognize His deliverance when it came my direction.

I am reminded of the story of a man that faced a flood. As the storm approached, the authorities warned him to evacuate, but he did not heed the warning. When the waters began to cover his yard and left the streets impassable, he asked God to deliver him. While he was praying, his neighbor showed up in a small rowboat, but he refused to be rescued. Soon the waters were coming into his house. As he prayed again for God to deliver him, the police patrol boat came to rescue him, but again he refused the help. The floodwaters continued to rise and before long he found himself stranded on the roof of his house. Once again as he pleaded for God's help, a helicopter came to his rescue. They lowered the rescue rope, but he still refused to leave. Finally, he drowned and found himself before the throne of God. In a state of confusion, he asked, "Lord, I prayed three times for deliverance. Why didn't You come and rescue me?"

God responded to his question by saying, "I answered your prayers and came to rescue you, I sent you my followers to help you, I sent a rowboat to help you,
I sent a police boat to help you, then I sent a Helicopter to rescue you and each time that you prayed you refused my help!
Yet sadly you refused to Help Yourself!

Sometimes Our Pride Gets In the way and when God sends us a rope, we trust in ourselves rather than in Him.
What A Shame!

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=20

Our Destiny Is A Journey

Faith Filled Thoughts
December 1st, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays


Our Destiny Is A Journey

written for Anita, Vineyard Community Church

Scripture: Hebrews 11:13 "... having seen them (God's promises) afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth ..."

This chapter of Hebrews lists some of the incredible saints who walked in faith and a brief comment about their great accomplishments. They were persuaded of and embraced God's promises. They even confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims, not allowing their affections to be tied to this Earth. Yet, if you go back and read their stories, you will find that even though they acted in faith, they still had their own personal conflicts and flaws and experienced their own individual valleys and mountains. There was Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Joseph, to list a few. None of these were perfect even though they journeyed intimately with God. There was even a harlot named Rahab listed among these great men of faith.

God's word always forces us to deal with the dimensions of truth and the truth is that God is moved by faith. When we look in the mirror, we see the reflection of ourselves; our lack of education, our lack of ability, and our limited resources. God really doesn't care about our lack. He looks at the same image and sees great potential. Instead of seeing our lack of education, He sees His knowledge, understanding, and wisdom flowing through us. He sees His strength as being greater than our disabilities. He sees no problem with our limited resources because He is Jehovah Jireh and is able to provide. He looks at our image and discerns a spirit that is longing for His will and purposes and a vessel that He can possibly work through. He sees our soul that is waiting for His measure of grace to be poured upon it so that we can do the things that He is calling us to do.

Each journey of faith begins with the first step. Noah began gathering the wood for the ark and securing the first boards together. Abraham packed up his family and left his country. Isaac sowed his precious seed in the ground in the time of famine. Moses lifted his rod and performed signs and wonders in the courts of Pharaoh, and Joseph stayed faithful in unjust circumstances. Like these men, God waits for us to take our first step of faith regardless of how foolish it may seem. What is He saying to you? When He speaks, you must get your eyes off of where you are and get them on where you need to be. You must accept the challenge to go further with God than you have ever gone before even though there may be conflict and valleys along the way. You must be aware that the devil's warfare is based upon your potential and that he fights accordingly. However, there is no problem that God can't solve and no dream that He cannot fulfill. When God gives you a promise and shows you your destiny, you must embrace it with total faith and take your first steps towards that journey's end.


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see new poems Jesus added to our site:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=23