Go To The Rock, Christ Jesus

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 27th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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Go To The Rock, Christ Jesus


Scripture: Psalms 61:2 "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

Have you ever been overwhelmed by circumstances and could not seem to find your way out? You feel utterly overcome and upset by either the physical or emotional forces that are coming against you. You have no control over what is happening, and there's seems to be no one to help you. You feel like a vessel that is being engulfed and submerged by the waves of the sea. It's very frightening because you don't know what to do at that present moment and certainly can't predict the future outcome.

King David was experiencing these same emotions when he wrote this psalm. He was overcome but knew the answer for his dilemma. He cried out to God in his overwhelming situation and asked the Lord to lead him to the Rock that was higher than himself. David knew that his physical strength was insufficient and that he couldn't depend upon his own understanding. He wanted help from the One whose ways were higher than his own ways and whose thoughts were higher than his own thoughts. He looked to the past and remembered that God had always been there as his shelter and strong tower in times of distress. In every situation, God had protected him from the fierce enemy.

In Psalm 142, David again spoke of his spirit being overwhelmed. He poured out his complaints to the Lord and showed Him all of his trouble. David said, "No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me ... Lord, you are my only place of refuge." Life presents us with many challenges and often overwhelming circumstances. Like David, there will be times in our life when there will be no one in the natural that we can turn to. No one will want to listen to our problems or share our grief. Yet, we can always go to the Rock of our salvation and find our answers and comfort. So, when you find yourself overwhelmed with life and its many battles, remember that someone really does care your. Then make every effort to find your way to the Rock, Christ Jesus, and place your confidence in Him. Jesus is your only faithful refuge.

Go To The Rock, Christ Jesus

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8rlTIU8_Y&feature=related

The Choice Is Ours

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 26th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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The Choice Is Ours

Scripture: Proverbs 28:1 "The wicked flee when no man pursues: but the righteous are bold as a lion."

Did you ever notice how anxious you become when you know that you've done something wrong and you fear that you may get caught? I remember one of those experiences. I had been taking care of an elderly women for over 8 years. On many occasions I drove her around and used her handicap sticker. Even though she had given me her’s, I knew it was unlawful. When she passed and went home to our heavenly Father. I continued to used it till it expired. I boldly displayed my front windshield because I thought that I was in right standing with the law. Little did I know that the inspection sticker was illegal not to say how inconsiderate it was to those who needed the space.

As I sat in my car waiting to meet some friends at a restaurant, I noticed that the sticker had expired and I sadly watched a handicap lady walking from far way to get into the restaurant. Then I realized that I was out of the confines of the law, my boldness turned to guilt, and the guilt opened the door to fear. I could not get that sticker off my car quick enough. My whole attitude and actions changed because I knew that I was operating against the laws of the land. Also in shame of how I professed to be such a giving person and hung my head to cry to My Father to ask for forgiveness.

All through the scriptures, we see righteous men who stood boldly in adverse situations. Moses confronted Pharaoh and Esther persuaded the King against wicked Haman. Paul witnessed to the people in spite of the difficulties and persecutions that challenged him and Jesus confronted the religious leaders. There were many others righteous men who did not flinch or run in the heat of the battle. However, there were others who did flee and hide from God because of their unrighteousness. Adam and Eve hid in the garden when they had eaten the forbidden fruit and Cain hid after he had killed his brother, Abel.

Just like my experience, there is something about the element of spiritual failure and sin in our lives that causes us to want to run and hide from God. Our boldness is dispelled by guilt and fear, and we feel that God is pursuing us so that He can punish us. Yet, God's true desire is not to punish us, but to extend His forgiveness. Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us that the Lord knows how we feel because He was tempted in the same manner as we are when He was here on Earth. He experienced temptation so that He could free us from sin. God is waiting for our simple confession and when we own up to our sins, He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). The choice is ours. We can allow ourselves to be pursued by guilt and fear or to become bold as lions through repentance.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit It Is Amazing!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sctlc_TQzLU

"God that is more than enough."

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 24th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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"God that is more than enough."


Scripture: Genesis 17:1 "I am Almighty God."

The Lord appeared unto Abraham when he was ninety-nine years old and identified Himself as the Almighty God, which in the Hebrew is El Shaddai. El Shaddai was derived from a related word that means mountain or overpowering one, but it is also interpreted as the "God that is more than enough." When God spoke to Abraham, He told Abraham that he was going to be the father of many nations. Abraham and Sarah by natural laws were obviously too old to have children and they laughed at this news. Yet, God declared that He was El Shaddai in their lives. He could do what they couldn't do. Abraham and Sarah didn't need the laws of nature working for them, for they had the Almighty God that is more than enough.

We see all through the scripture that God was truly always more than enough. For forty years, He provided manna for the children of Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness. They had plenty for each day's provision and didn't have to scrimp and save. In fact, there was manna left over each day that they were instructed not to save. When Jesus fed the 5,000, everyone must have had plenty to eat because there were twelve baskets of fish and bread left over. When He fed the 4,000 men, plus women and children, there were seven baskets left over. His provisions surpassed the needs and were always more than enough.

Many times we limit the Holy One of Israel. Our minds are too small to allow our hearts to have faith to receive God's wonderful and miraculous blessings. Yet, He is able to do exceedingly beyond anything that we could ask or think, and provides for us according to His riches, not our own resources. We must stop looking at and worrying over our situations and start looking at God and believing that He can do the impossible for us. He can stretch our funds and multiply our means. You may not choose to believe it, but I have personally seen God multiply soup as I poured it from one container to another in order to share it with those in need. When I finished pouring, there were two full containers and everyone had plenty to eat. That was El Shaddai at work nearly forty years ago, and He hasn't changed. He is still the same today. His simple blessings can overpower the laws of nature and bring miracles into existence. When circumstances challenge our faith, we just need to trust in God and believe that He is still El Shaddai,
The God that is more than enough.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuXB1a3NBCw&feature=related

God Unfolds The Rosebud

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 23rd, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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God Unfolds The Rosebud

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:17 "There is a time for every purpose and for every work."

Our lives and destinies are much like a beautiful rose. We start as a small bud covered with protective green leaves and we are hidden from view for a length of time. Like a natural rosebud, those viewing our lives can only guess what the colors of our life may turn out to be. Eventually, a little color begins to show itself and the promise of a beautiful future is envisioned. This process continues until the whole bud is in view. The rosebud, just as it is, is beautiful and even has a wonderful fragrance. Yet, it holds so much more promise within itself. If left to God's timing, it will become a glory to behold. The difficult part is waiting for the bud to open and for the petals to unfold, one by one. It is such a slow process, but there is nothing that we can do to hasten the work that nature is designed to do.

God holds our lives in His sovereign hands. He plans each moment and arranges every experience that will enhance our brilliance, beauty, and fragrance. There are joys and sorrows, and there are also days of sunshine and days of rain. But God uses all of our life experiences, good and bad, to add depth and passion to our souls. Only God knows what is best for our lives, and like the precious rosebud, we must submit to His timing and wait for His divine season to come to pass. As we allow Him to unfold the petals of our lives at His discretion, He will complete His work in our lives and fulfill His purposes.

Many times it is hard to wait on God's promise, but just as we cannot unfold the rosebud and keep the petals intact, we cannot unfold the seasons of our lives. They are too tightly mingled together and cannot be forced into being. God has an appointed time for all things in our life, but His promise takes time and we must wait for Him to unfold our destiny. If we attempt to pull the petals away before their time, we will spoil the beauty and crush the fragrance that He has designed, not only for our enjoyment, but also for His kingdom purposes. The life of the promise is within us, but we must trust God's timing, for our hands are too clumsy to handle our own destiny. We must anticipate the blessing, seek the Lord, and expect to receive, but more importantly, we must wait for God to fulfill His promise at His appointed time and in His chosen season





May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:
http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=42

When You Repent Are you Truly Finished With the Sin?

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 20th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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When You Repent Are you Truly Finished With the Sin?

Scripture: Luke 15:22 "The father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe,
and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet."

The story of the prodigal son is one of the greatest stories of forgiveness and repentance. When we read this story, we know that forgiveness was always in the heart of the father, for he watched intently for his son to return. I feel certain that this loving father forgave his son at the onset of his son's rebellion when he asked to receive an early inheritance. I believe the father forgave his son when his son left home and foolishly squandered all of his father's hard earned money on riotous living. I think the father looked beyond the financial loss because his main concern was for his son's safety and that their relationship be restored. Yet even with his heart of love and forgiveness, the father could not bring his son back home where he belonged. He had to wait for his son to make that decision in his own heart and repent. While the father waited, he probably imagined what he would do when his son return. In time, his hopes were fulfilled. The father saw his son coming from a long way off and ran to meet him. He embraced his son with a heart of compassion and restored him to his position in the family. He also gave his son the best robe that he had and put a ring on his finger. He prepared a great feast for him and commanded everyone to rejoice with him because his son had come back to him.

Asking for God's forgiveness and returning to Him with a heart of repentance are two totally different things. Both demand a sorrowful heart, but repentance goes beyond the confession of sin that is made in order to receive forgiveness. Our guilt and shame will cause us to ask God for forgiveness, but as we all know there are times that we fall right back into the old sin that we have been forgiven of many times. How many times have we lost our temper and asked God to forgive us, only to lose it again? We allow ungodly words or gossip to pass from our lips and we ask God to forgive us, but we continue to speak inappropriately. We give in to compromising situations and we ask God to forgive us, but when temptations come we fall back into the same trap. The list goes on and on. Yes, we are sorry, and yes, we want forgiveness. Yet, repentance requires more than a confession that is motivated by guilt. Instead, it is a strong determination never to repeat the sin again. It is leaving ungodly things behind and returning to God with a whole heart.

God has promised that if we confess our sins that He will be faithful to forgive us for them. Yet He is watching us for much more. He waits for our hearts to approach Him in true repentance. When we are in sin we cannot focus our eyes upon God because our backs are to Him. When we repent, however, we turn towards Him with a vow in our heart to leave the sin behind. We don't try to drag our sin into God's presence, make excuses for it, or hide it somewhere with the intent of going back to it. We are completely finished with it and we seek to do the Lord's will and fulfill His desires. When our Heavenly Father sees our true heart of repentance, His mercy and grace welcome us back to the place where we belong.
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aixOivYlArs&feature=PlayList&p=A2F37D30A6BEE5F4&index=0&playnext=1

God’s Words Are Spirit And They Will Come To Life For You!

Faith Filled Thoughts

By Connie Ciccone
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God’s Words Are Spirit And They Will Come To Life For You!


Scripture: Psalm 119:49-50 "Remember the word unto Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction: for Your word has quickened me."Seasons of affliction and distress come to all of us, but our victory during these times of trial and testing depends upon our response. The harder the test, the easier it is to give up and accept the defeat of the devil. However, the right response to times of affliction is found in this psalm. The psalmist responded by holding on to the Word of God that had been quickened, or made alive, in his heart and he allowed that Word to be his comfort. He did not become embittered about his circumstances or curse God. He simply reminded God of His Word and trusted God to honor it.

Many times in the midst of our affliction, we try to hold on to a word from God that hasn't been made alive to us. We've heard someone else quote it and have seen them receive their answer, so we assume that it will work for us. We act in superficial faith, believing for the same results. But acting on someone else's miracle is not faith. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). Faith comes when we hear God speak the Word to us. When He speaks, His words are full of power and the miracle comes because the Holy Spirit brings life to that word or scripture. Notice that God caused the psalmist to hope in His Word. Because God was connected with the Word that had been given, it was a comfort to the psalmist. God had breathed on His Word and infused it with power, causing it to come alive in the psalmist's spirit. God was the source of the psalmist's hope.

If you need a scripture to come alive in your heart that will bring comfort, it is only a prayer away. The psalmist showed us how he was quickened by the Word. He prayed in Psalms 119:107, "I am afflicted very much. Quicken me, O Lord, according to Your Word." He purposely asked God to quicken Him and bring him life. There are scriptures that are written to meet every need that you may have and bring deliverance for every bondage that is holding you captive. You must search the scriptures and find those that pertain to your situation, and then remind God of what He has said. Meditate on those scriptures and read them aloud. As you do, ask God to quicken you with those words. Do this again and again until your spirit is made alive by those words from God. It is sort of like striking a match repeatedly until it finally ignites. Faith will come but it will come by hearing. When the Word of God ignites in your spirit,
faith will arise to bring comfort in the time of affliction, for "God's words are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63).

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf6kPsDm7B0&feature=related

If We Do Not Come Apart To Rest “we will” Come Apart

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 18th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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If We Do Not Come Apart To Rest “we will” Come Apart



Scripture: Isaiah 30:15 "In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength."

Regardless of whether we are homemakers or business executives, our schedules often become hectic and hurried. Deadlines have to be reached and appointments met. There is so much to do with so little time to do it, and before we know it, we are stretched to the limit and stressed out. The answer to this daily dilemma is found in God's word. It is the simple spiritual law of quietness before God. Like the law of gravity, I can't explain it, but I know that it works. As we take a few moments to get quiet in the presence of the Lord, He supplies us with a grace that gives us strength to meet every challenge.

Isaiah 40:30-31 declares that even "the young will faint and be weary, but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." Waiting on the Lord enables you to draw strength from Him so that you can complete your course without weariness or fainting. Being quiet and putting your confidence in God is a discipline that shows your submission to the sovereignty of God and His will. As you wait and are still before God, He directs your paths and makes the crooked ways straight. Things will then fall into place without stress and struggle.

Even though Jesus had only three years to complete His ministry assignment on earth, He took time to rest. In Mark 6:3, He told the disciples "Come apart into a desert place, and rest for awhile." One minister said if we don't "come apart and rest" we will "come apart." Jesus knew the importance of taking time to wait before God. In Luke 6:12, He prayed all night and in Mark 1:35, He arose a great while before day, went into a solitary place, and prayed. He knew His strength came from the confidence that He gained while He was in the quietness of God's presence.

Reflect on the concepts of this prayer and allow your soul to be quiet and slow down.

"Slow us down, Lord!

Ease the pounding of our hearts by the quieting of our minds.

Steady our hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time.

Give us, midst in the confusion of our days, the calmness of the

everlasting hills.
Break the tensions of our nerves and muscles with your soothing music

of the singing streams that live in our memories.

Help us to know the magical, restoring power of sleep.

Teach us the art of taking minute vacations.....

of slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend,

to pat a dog, or to read a few lines from a good book.

Remind us each day of the fable of the hare and the tortoise

that I we may know that the race is not always to the swift;

that there is more to life than increasing its speed.

Let us look upward into the branches of the towering oak and

know that it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well.

Slow us down, Lord, and inspire us;

to send our roots deep into the soil of life's enduring values

that I we may grow toward the stars of Our Great Destiny.
In Jesus' Name.
“Amen"
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKhQgtjfs5E

We are like the caterpillar, which must wait for the timing of God.

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 16th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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We are like the caterpillar, which must wait for the timing of God.




Scripture: Isaiah 50:11 "Walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that you have kindled ... (and) you shall lay down in sorrow."

God gives us a solemn warning against trying to walk in our own light because our light is incapable of dispelling the darkness of evil. Yet, when we are walking in a dark place, it's very tempting to try to solve our problems ourselves instead of putting our trust in God and allowing Him to shed light on our situation. We become impatient and kindle our own fire to create our own light. We make decisions based on our feelings and often disregard the will of God for our lives. We turn a deaf ear to His voice because God's instructions make no sense at all to our natural mind, as His ways are never like our ways.
I spent many years in my young adult life doing just That!
Then only to find my mistake do I then seek God.
Our troubles cause us to say…If Only I had sought the Lord then I would not be in this mess. Whew!
Have I not said this a lot of times as I am sure you Have!

Although we know that God's thoughts and plans are higher and far greater than we can comprehend with our finite mind,
our darkness still drives us to seek a light of some sort and find deliverance somewhere.
Premature deliverance, however, frustrates God's work of grace and diminishes the beauty of the work He is trying to accomplish in our lives.
We are like the caterpillar, which must wait for the timing of God.
The caterpillar must patiently endure the darkness of the cocoon until its appointed time comes for it to reach for the light.
It’s premature deliverance will destroy the grandeur of its destiny,
and its lack of patience will thwart its intended purpose and disable it from being able to fly in majestic beauty.

Jesus said, "The man that walks in darkness doesn't know where he is going" (John 12:35).
A man in darkness just stumbles about, feeling his way around.
It's a frightening place, but Jesus said that if we follow Him, we will not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life (John 8:12).
In this story, Jesus revealed Himself as The Light to the woman who was found living in the darkness of adultery.
As The Light, He did not condemn her but showed her the truth and gave her the light to walk in.
He said, "Go and sin no more." His light was designed not only to dispel all the darkness of evil that threatened her but also to give her a new life.

Jesus is the light of life.

God intends for us to walk in His light,
for only His light can conquer darkness.
We must wait for His light to dawn as we do the rising of the sun,
for our own light apart from God will only bring sorrow.
Be assured that God is sovereign and His timing cannot be hastened.
It is better to walk in the darkness with God than to walk alone in our own light?.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heouDje_di0

"What time I am afraid, I will trust in You"

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 13th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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"What time I am afraid, I will trust in You"

Scripture: Psalms 56:9 "This I know; God is for me."

The psalmist who wrote these words also made a plea to God for help for he had been taken captive by the enemy. He felt as though he was being swallowed because of their oppression. Yet, even in this place of danger and despair, he declared that his trust was in the Lord. He said, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in You" (Verse 3). He felt certain that when he cried out to the Lord that his enemies would turn back in retreat, for he had come to this conclusion, "God is for me."

We can have great confidence in knowing that God is on our side and that He is for us at all times. He is there as a loving Father who believes the best about His children and is never against us in any situation. Even when we are in the wrong, He is working to bring us back to a place of repentance and will show us the way of escape. He is the Good Shepherd who draws us by His Spirit back to the fold. He is the Father of the prodigal who waits patiently to restore His son to his rightful position in life. He is the faithful Friend who sticks closer than a brother when we are in trouble and is our Comforter when sorrow and grief strike at us. He is the Redeemer to the lost and the Great Physician to sick. He is the Provider who supplies for all of our needs according to His riches in glory. He is the Lord of Hosts who fights our battles for us, our Shelter in the storms and our Refuge in the time of trouble. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us, but will be there when all else fails because He is for us.

The revelation of who God is in our life and the knowledge that He is for us should give us peace for every situation that challenges us. Romans 8:31 says, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" If God loved us enough to give His Son for us, He surely loves us enough to keep us safe and to care for us in the threat of danger. He is our confidence for today and our hope for tomorrow. No enemy can stand against the presence of God in our life or suppress His plans for our future. We must lean upon the Lord with all of our understanding and trust His judgment because like the psalmist said,

"We know that God is for us and not against us."

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yvfso4Q8xg






Hello everyone.
I am the webmaster with Faith It Out.

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Be Wise Allow Your Fruit To Capture Them!

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 12th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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Be Wise Allow Your Fruit To Capture Them!


Scripture: Proverbs 11:30 (Amplified) "The fruit of the uncompromisingly righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives for God as a fisher of men - he gathers and receives them for eternity."

Life on Earth is a great mystery and is filled with uncertain days and surprising events. Each day presents us with challenges and with each challenge we are faced with the choice to compromise with the world or remain uncompromisingly righteous before God. Regardless of which we choose, our lives make an impact on those about us.

We have a mission. God has destined us to be trees of life and fishers of men. As trees of life in God's garden, we will bear fruit. Whatever grows on the inside of us will spill out into the lives of those around us and will affect them for eternity. Our words and actions either capture human lives for God or drive them away from His kingdom. Proverbs 23:7 says, "As a man thinks in his heart so is he." If the tree of love and peace is growing within our heart, the fruit we bear will be love and peace. If there is joy in our heart, joy will be manifested in our lives. If our heart thinks patience, we will be patient. However, if the tree in our heart is filled with negative thoughts, our actions will be like a tree of death, for out of the abundance of our heart, bad fruit will be produced.

Proverbs 15:3-4 says, "The eyes of God are in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good. A gentle tongue with its healing power is a tree of life." Take notice and be aware of all that surrounds you. God has set before you an open book, but you determine the story and you write the words. With the words you say and the deeds you do, you can bring healing power into the lives of others and be a wellspring of life to a hurting world. Your mission may be very simple. God may have designed your life to reach just a few. Like the trees in the forest, which are all not the same, your life may be different than others, but it has purpose and is important. Your words, actions, and love can alter the life and destiny of each soul that you encounter. So be wise and allow your fruit to capture them for eternity. You will experience various seasons and may feel dormant for a period of time. It may seem that God has utterly forgotten you, but keep the faith and wait on God because He is preparing you for the next season of your life. Regardless of what season you are in, refuse to compromise with the world and allow God to use you in that season. Always remember, you contain the potential to be a tree of life and a great purpose in the Kingdom of God.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=80

Why Am I Doing This?

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 11th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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Why Am I Doing This?


Scripture: Romans 8:28 "... called according to His purpose."

I recently heard this story about, "A soldier that stood at attention at an isolated corner of the Russian palace. When questioned about his purpose for standing there, the soldier could only say he was following the captain's orders. The captain was summoned and he too did not know the purpose of this guard, but he knew that regulations required him to be there. Upon investigation, it was discovered that a century earlier, Katherine the Great, who was an Empress from 1762 to 1796, had established that guard post to protect a newly planted rose bush that she had planted. One hundred years later, guards were still being posted to keep watch over a barren spot of turf."
Nothing was there?

These are desperate times and we must discern the season. It's not a time to waste on busy works or barren pursuits, for life is short and time is of the essence. The harvest that remains is too great. We must find out how the Master wants us to fulfill His purpose and then follow through with action. We can't stay tied to a mission that has ended or continue to operate where there is no anointing. We must realize that God is enlarging our borders and accept the fact that He is moving us on to greater places and higher purposes.

Yet, sometimes it is hard to let go and move forwards. Occasionally, it is wise to simply ask ourselves, "Why am I doing this? Is this God's will for me at this crucial hour?" If we find that we are only guarding the turf where roses used to bloom, we need to give our situation some thought and pray for direction. When we discover that the horse has been dead for several years, it's time to dismount. Jesus is coming for His church soon, but until He comes, we have a purpose to fulfill. There are still souls that are held in the balance. They are waiting for us to obey the great commission that Jesus gave in Mark 16:15, which was to "go into all of the world and preach the gospel." We are all called and commissioned to be a light to the world and to "preach the gospel to every creature." There is someone who is waiting in the darkness for you to share God's light. Your light will shine and you will glorify your Father in Heaven when you are doing His will and fulfilling His purpose.
I have always believed that angry, bitter, and lost souls are truly good inside.
It’s just a place where the light has not shown yet!
Go Light Their World Today..

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=51

WHERE ARE YOUR KEY”S

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 10th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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WHERE ARE YOUR KEY”S


Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:29 "If you seek the Lord your God, you shall find Him, if you seek Him with all of your heart and with all of your soul."

We often search for a misplaced item, but give up after a few moments because of its insignificance. Yet when it's something important like our keys, we search with intensity. We become desperate in our search for we know that we can't leave until we find them. It is as though our lives depend upon finding the keys and very often we will call upon others to help us in our search. Once, I lost my keys and searched diligently but the keys were not to be found. After much panic and frustration, I decided that I had to leave without them and to my surprise I found that my keys were in the lock on the outside of door.

We can all relate to losing something that is important and feeling the urgency in our spirits to find it. We recall our journey just prior to the loss and track all of the steps that we made. We put everything aside and focus on finding the lost object. We search with all of our heart and soul and we're not satisfied until we find what we are looking for. This is the same way that God wants us to search for Him. He wants us to search with intensity and anticipation in our spirits. He wants us to seek for Him as if we were searching for a lost treasure. We are to search for Him as though our very lives depend upon it. We are not to wait until we are in stress and calamity and our lives actually do depend upon finding Him. We are to seek Him early while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6). And like the keys in the door, "God is not far from every one of us" (Acts 17:27). We just need to search for Him until we find Him.

When you search for God with all of your heart and soul, I Chronicles 28:9 says that He will be found of you or He will allow you to find Him. When He unveils Himself to you, you will be forever changed for you will not only see His acts, but you will experience Him as a person. In His presence, you will get a view of His power and you will sense His strength. When your heart and soul makes contact with the Lord, you will know without a doubt that you have been in the presence of the King, and the moment will be eternally written upon your heart. God wants to minister to you and He desires to be found by you. If you seek Him with all of your heart and with all of your soul, you will find Him. When you do, He will wash your sins away with His blood, touch your pain with His love, and bring light into the darkness that troubles and clouds your soul.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
For you sissy
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:

http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=84

Remove This Cup And Let Thy Will Be Done Father

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 9th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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Remove This Cup And Let Thy Will Be Done Father


Scripture: Luke 22:42 "Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done."

Jesus had taught His own disciples to pray for God's will to be done in their lives. He told them to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Now as Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane and is facing the horror of the crucifixion, His own will and desires are being challenged and tested. His human side would rather have the cup of suffering pass from Him and He prays desperately three times to this effect. Jesus suffers so much agony and stress that great drops of blood begins to pour from His body. Yet, He humbly yields Himself to the Father and submits Himself to God's will.

Even though Jesus was very willing in His spirit to give Himself for the Kingdom of God, it was difficult for His flesh to surrender. Likewise, God's will for us may not always be an easy choice. Many times it's hard to respond because obedience usually means great sacrifice in many areas such as time, energy, and finances. Yet, we know that the rewards of following God's will and obeying His voice always out measures any sacrifices that we may make. When we completely surrender and give ourselves over to God's will, we are acknowledging His claim over our life and giving Him license to be in control. In Jesus' case, this meant the necessity of the cross. In our case, it requires taking up our cross, separating ourselves from our desires, and giving ourselves to His desires. In Luke 9:22-23, Jesus said that He "would suffer many things ... and be slain." He then told us that if we wanted to follow Him, we would also have to "deny ourselves and take up our cross daily."

Yielding to the cross daily is a great challenge, but Jesus said if you lose your life for His sake, you will also save your life.
It is only when you are totally yielded to God and His will that He can do great things through you.
When Jesus was faced with a decision, His thoughts focused on His mission and His destiny. He did not allow anything to draw Him away from God's plan, for He knew that His life and destiny not only affected Himself, but also the lives of the multitudes. Like Jesus, your life will eternally affect the lives you are destined to touch. For this reason, you must give yourself to God and pray, "Not my will, but Thine be done."

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qttxhgc8d9E&feature=related

Look into Your Hand What Is In It?

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 6th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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Look into Your Hand What Is In It?


Scripture: Exodus 4:2 "And the Lord said to Moses, What is that in your hand?

And he said, A rod."All that Moses had in his hand was a rod, or a shepherd's staff. It didn't seem like much, but God told Moses that He would use that rod to do signs and wonders. As Moses led God's people out of Egypt, his rod became a serpent and swallowed the serpents of Pharaoh's magicians. His rod also turned the river to blood and brought on the plagues of frogs, lice, locust, thunder, and hail, and then divided the waters of the Red Sea. God used the most insignificant thing in Moses' life to accomplish His will. He used a simple man with a simple rod. All that He asked of Moses was faith and obedience to use what he had in his hand. There was no power in the rod itself, or even in Moses. The signs and wonders came directly from the Almighty God who was manifesting His supernatural power through both of them.

Sometimes we cringe when God asks us to do something for Him. We feel so insignificant and our abilities seem so lacking, especially when we compare them to the abilities of those around us. How could God be calling on us when others are more capable and have more money? Like Moses, we think, "What is our strength compared to the challenge that is set before us?" Yet, we must remember that God always equips and empowers those whom He calls.

What small gift has God imparted to you that is unused? Do you have a smile that could turn someone's day around, a loving heart that you could share with the lonely and rejected, or a comforting word for the distressed? God wants to use your simple words of encouragement to minister to those around you. He is anxious for you to pray for the sick, visit those in prison, or minister to the widow, fatherless, and the poor. There are always needs. In comparison, your resources may look like a simple rod, but you must remember that it is not what you have that really matters, but it is what God can do with what you have when you yield it to Him.

If God can multiply oil for a widow so that she can pay her debts (II Kings 4:6), and multiply five loaves and two fish to feed 5,000 men plus women and children, He can also take what little you have to offer and multiply it so that it blesses a multitude of people. Little becomes much when God reaches out and touches it.

So allow Him to anoint whatever is in your hand.
SEED, TIME……….then Harvest
Now you know!

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
For you sissy
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWlS8Oerx8o&feature=related

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 5th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
Please share our website with your friends and family
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http://www.faithitout.com/
Please visit our guestbook and sign it, if you feel this site has inspired you!


“Order My Steps in Thy Word O Lord”


Scripture: Psalms 119:133 "Order my steps in Thy word."

What a simple but profound request this is. Can you imagine where you would be today if this had been your prayer each day many years ago? What if God had ordered each step that you took according to His word? This would mean that every situation in your life would have been the perfect and ordained will of God. Unfortunately, as we look back on those yesterdays, we can see many times that we strayed from the perfect path that God had placed before us. It looks all too clear now that God was trying to direct our steps. But instead of allowing His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, we followed our own wills and desires. As a result, some of the paths turned out to be pretty rocky and bumpy. They were surely not through the green pastures and beside the still waters.

Jeremiah 10:23 tells us that it is not in man to determine and to direct his own way. It is not in us to even know what direction to take. Our natural man cannot envision the ultimate purpose and plan that God has for our lives. And although God may show us the large picture of His plan so that we can work towards it, He only leads and guides us one step at a time. Each step we take must be taken in faith for He requires that we trust Him with all of our heart and that we do not lean upon our own understanding. As we acknowledge God in all of our ways, He promises to direct our steps.Psalms 37:23 says that God busies Himself with every step you take. He is right there watching you take steps through life just like a loving father watches his child walk. God wants to give you direction, but He will not force you. As you step out into life each day, think about your future being set in order by the Lord. Imagine the enormous changes that may happen in your life if you start each day with these eight simple and profound words,
"Order my steps in Thy word, O Lord."
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

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"Faith in ALL Circumstances"

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Water through the Word CLASSICS
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"Faith in ALL Circumstances"
Connie Ciccone
Sunday, March 8 at 7:30am


"... then he bought a shotgun and said he was Jesus. He said that God told him to kill me!" - Connie on Water through the Word RADIO

Connie was raised in a family of seven, where both parents were abusive alchoholics.

At 15, she became homeless, unable to care for her self. In a few short years, Connie would barely escape attempted murder, multiple abusive marriages, and finally rape. Yet through it all, Connie's vivid memories of her great-grandmother's faith was the only thing that kept her alive. Listen to what happens next!

A dramatic story of faith!


CLICK: listen to Connie's show now!

"When you pray, believe ... and you shall have."

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 4th, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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Please visit our guestbook and sign it, if you feel this site has inspired you!

"When you pray, believe ... and you shall have."


Scripture: Mark 11:24 "What things so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you shall have them."

What a promise from the word of God. It sounds so simple. When you pray, believe. Yet, how many times do we just say a prayer rather than pray with real faith? Faith down deep in your heart, knowing that once you prayed that the Lord has already answered you? Prayer should be a reverent petition to God, not just words uttered aloud. For prayer to be effective, you must reach inwardly down deep for faith and release your request in the spirit. As you do, the answer will come to pass in the natural. Awesome things happen when a simple prayer that is mixed with faith meets God.

Notice Jesus said, "When you pray, believe ... and you shall have." There is a time to believe and that is at the moment you ask. After your encounter with God in prayer, your faith may be tested, but keep holding on. The faith in your heart will work even though doubt is attacking your mind. Just before Jesus told his disciples to have faith when they prayed, He cursed the fig tree that had no fruit. Jesus had faith when He spoke to the tree and it began to wither on the inside. There was no evidence of change on the outside, but when the disciples passed by the next day, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Jesus used this example to teach the disciples some important principles concerning prayer. He said, "You shall have." In other words, your answer is on the way. Most of the time we can't comprehend that our prayers are in the process of being answered because we can't see God at work. Too often we give up just before the answer comes.

Verse twenty-two says, "Have faith in God." God delights in honoring your faith. When you believe and trust in God, you set a mighty force to work.
Like gravity, which is the strongest force in nature that can't be seen, faith is a very strong force in the spirit.
Although it can't be seen or explained, FAITH works.
So when you pray, believe, and when you truly believe, you shall have.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA90I6ZlBNA

God is for you, not against you!

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 2nd, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
Please share our website with your friends and family
http://www.faithitout.com/blog.html
www.faithitout.com
!Please visit our guestbook and sign it, if you feel this site has inspired you

God is for you, not against you!

Scripture: I Peter 5:7 "Cast all your care upon Him; for He cares for you."

Isn't it wonderful to know that we have a loving Savior that wants to take the burden of all our problems upon Himself? He wants to do this simply because He loves us and cares for us.

David said in Psalms 142:4, "No man cared for my soul." There was no one to help David but God. At the beginning of this Psalm, David said, "I cried unto the Lord with my voice ... I poured out all my complaints to Him and showed Him all my troubles." David complained to God about everything that going wrong in his life. He laid it all out before the Lord and asked Him to meet every need that he had because David knew that God was the only one that he could depend upon. When David's spirit was overwhelmed, he had assurance that God was concerned and cared for him when no one else did. He cried out to God alone who knew his path and saw all the snares that would try to entangle him. God witnessed David's defeats, disappointments, sins, and failures. Yet He made Himself available to David and David made God his refuge as he sought for deliverance. He put his total trust in the Lord and declared that God would deal bountifully with him.

As you face difficulties in your life, stop and think about God's goodness. God is for you, not against you! He is there when others fail. The Lord knows your every need before you ask and He wants to take care of those needs.

Following is a quote by Joyce Meyer that emphasizes these thoughts and expresses God position very plainly.

"GOOD MORNING, THIS IS GOD!

I WILL BE HANDLING ALL YOUR PROBLEMS TODAY.

I WILL NOT NEED YOUR HELP --SO, HAVE A GOOD DAY.

I LOVE YOU

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie




THE BIBLE AND YOUR BIRTHDAY
THIS IS NEAT...

I haven't seen this before.

Did you know that the Bible has a special verse for everyone's birthday?

Look up your verse now..

http://www.birthverse.com/mybirthverse.cfm

God Never Gives Up!

Faith Filled Thoughts
March 2nd, 2009
By Connie Ciccone
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www.faithitout.com
Please visit our guestbook and sign it, if you feel this site has inspired you!

God Never Gives Up!


Scripture: Matthew 12:20 "A bruised reed shall He not break."

Life is not always easy! Even a life lived with Christ at your side can have its ups and downs. All sorts of trouble can dog your trail and try to get the best of you. Temptation may surround you and try to pull you in. Or defeat may discourage you until you want to give up. Everything negative will hit at one time until you feel that you are ready to break. But God looks down at your battered life and makes a promise. He says, "Even though you are bruised, I will not break you ...Trust me. I still have a good plan and purpose for your life. I will take the bad in your life and turn it around for your good." God never gives up. He is the eternal potter and "you are His clay and workmanship, created in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:10). He will take the broken pieces of your life and make it over again into a vessel that He can use.

Jeremiah 29:11 says that God knows the thoughts He thinks towards you. They are good thoughts of hope for your final outcome. He has a great exchange in mind for you. He desires to bring you from the state of a dry, bruised, and breakable reed that is shaken with every wind of doctrine into a strong and healthy tree that cannot be moved. Jeremiah 17:5-6 tells us that "the man who trusts and depends upon man, and allows his heart to depart from God will be like a shrub in the desert." Dry shrubs in the desert have no roots, no fruit, and no purpose. Because their roots are shallow and not secured, they are pulled from the ground and carried by the wind. They are easily bruised and broken.

However, Jeremiah continues to say, "The man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord will be like a tree planted by living waters" (Verses 7-8). He will thirst after God and will spread his roots looking for water. Because this man is nourished by the Water of the Word, he will be able to stand in the time of extreme heat and drought. It won't matter to him what is happening above the ground as his life is sustained by deep roots. If things get rough, his roots dig just a little deeper. The deeper his roots go and the wider they spread, the taller he becomes. Like a tree, he is committed and he is a manifestation of the blessings of God. Because of God's grace, his leaves remain green and never wither. He gives no visible signs to the world around him that he is facing difficulty. He doesn't faint in the day of adversity, but weathers the great winds and storms. He may experience bruises, but he does not break. The fruits of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, patience, and self-control are evident in his life and are a testimony to those around him.

If you have been bruised in life by loved ones or adverse circumstances, you must learn to trust again. As you put your Faith in God and yield to His Spirit, He promises not to break you. He wants you to be secure in Jesus who has come to give you "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." When you find your place in Him, you will no longer be a dry shrub in the desert blown about by the wind, but you will be a "tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:3).

God never gives up.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

New Below!
Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit!:
Sissy for you below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmSSWHO8ueA