Spiritual Awakening: awaken your soul to the spirit of God!

Spiritual Awakening: awaken your soul to the spirit of God!

Welcome to Spiritual Awakening! We dedication to bring the word of God to those over the Internet. Our mission is to prepare and direct those over the world wide web to become devoted spiritual warriors and leaders through God’s truth and righteousness.

Our model is based on Matthew 28: 19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."


HOW IT WORKS

  • Daily Devotions: We are here for your own personal growth. You can choose to partake in the daily devotions or you may choose not to but we do encourage you to do so.
  • Monday Matters: Every Monday there will be a post about either making a difference in your life or in the life of another.
  • Friday Messages: Every Friday a message will be posted. Members are ENCOURAGED to visit and comment.
Feel free to visit the our blog @ Spiritual Awakening

If you need prayer and want to remain secret, please PM me, Mindie (awakenurspirit) and I'd be happy to pray for you.
 
Daily Devotion

I want to share something with you that really touched my heart and I pray that it touches yours. My good friend Colletta is in South Africa on this mission/internship. Just yesterday she sent out one of her usual (and amazing!) newsletters. This one story really penetrated my soul. The story is about a woman who lives in the town they are residing in.

Aunt Esther turned 84 this past month. Adrienne made a cake and we made a card in big letters so she could read, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT ESTHER! WE LOVE YOU!!” She was so happy. She told us that no one would probably come for her birthday but that we had made her day. So we sat, talked and had tea and birthday cake. We sang to her and you could see how much her spirits were lifted. We walked with her to the store to buy some groceries and as always, I left Aunt Esther's feeling like I had spent time with God.

Visiting her a couple weeks ago God decided to show me something special.

The post office was on strike again so no one was getting their mail, not even their bills. Last time this happened Aunt Esther missed paying her phone bill and they cut off her phone and made her pay a ridiculous amount to get it turned on again. So she was worried because she knew she needed to pay her electricity and phone bills. We offered to walk with her to the store and pay her bills with her but she was too tired to walk.

Busi volunteered to go take care of it for her. And this is when I realized God was about to give me a glimpse of His Kingdom on Earth.

Aunt Esther stood up and put her two little hands in the air; “Thank you God, Thank you.” she said. “I don’t know how people can’t believe in You” she said as she started to cry. She told us through the tears that she had been praying that morning about wondering how she was going to pay these bills and now the Lord sends me you. “Oh, thank you God.” She went to get her money and then came back in the room. We were all sitting and she stood in the middle and began to pray again. “Lord, bless these people, bless them where ever they go because they have taken care of me.” (I began to cry.) “God let it be done to them as they are doing now. Bless them Lord, bless them.” she prayed.

At that moment I saw it, His words in action, “For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you invited me into your home, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me. I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brother and sister, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:35,36,40

I felt it. That at that moment as we were taking care of Aunt Esther we were doing it unto God.

“Bless them Lord, bless them.” Of all the blessings I have ever received, Aunt Esther’s touched my heart in a special way. I truly feel blessed.
HOW AMAZING! Thank you Lord!
 
Monday Matters: Amber Alerts

I am sorry for the lateness of this post. The video took a while to be approved. I am not much of a video editor but I pray that the next one improves. I will be adding visual images and I need to try and improve the quality (it's really bad and I don't know why). If you have any suggestions and would like to help, please let me know.

 
Today I would like to share with you a small piece of writing from a book by Max Lucado, He Chose the Nails. It's an awesome book and Max is a gifted writer. Read the story about worrying and anxiety below. You will surely be touched.

What do we do with these worries? Take your anxieties to the cross--literally. Next time your worried about your health or house or finances or flights, take a mental trip on the hill. Spend a few moments looking again at the pieces of passion.

Run your thumb over the tip of the spear. Balance a spike in the palm of your hand. Read the wooden sign written in your own language. And as you do, touch the velvet dirt, moist with the blood of God. Blood he bled for you. The spear he took for you. The nails he felt for you. The sign you left for you.

He did all this for you. Knowing this, and know all he did for you there, don't you think he will look out for you here?

Or as Paul wrote, "He did not spare his own son but gave him for us all. So with Jesus, God will surely give us all things" (Romans 8:32).

Do yourself a favor; take your anxious moments to the cross. Leave them there with your band moments, your mad moments, and your anxious moments. And may I suggest one more? Your final moment.

Barring the return of Christ first, you and I will have one. A final moment. A final breath. A final widening of the eyes and beating of the heart. In a split second you'll leave what you know and enter what you don't.

That's what bothers us. Death is the great unknown. We're always a bit skittish about the unknown.

Sara certainly was. Denalyn and I thought it was a great idea. We would kidnap the girls from school and take them on a weekend trip. We made reservations at a hotel and cleared the trip with their teachers but kept it secret from our girls. When we showed up at Sara's fourth grade classroom on Friday afternoon, we'd thought she'd be thrilled. She wasn't. She was afraid. She didn't want to leave!

As we left, I assured her nothing was wrong. We had come to take her to a fun place. Didn't work. By the time we got to the car, she was crying. She was confused. She didn't like the interruption.

Now do we. God promises to come at an unexpected hour and take us from the gray world we know to a golden world we don't. But since we don't, we aren't sure we want to go. We even get upset at the thought of his coming.

For that reason God wants us to do what Sara finally did--trust her father. "Don't let your hearts be troubled," he urged. "I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am" (John 14: 1,3).

By the way, in a short time Sara relaxed and enjoyed the trip. In fact, she didn't want to come back. You won't want to either.

Troubled about your final moments? Leave them at the foot of the cross. Leave them there with your bad moment, mad moments, and anxious moments.

About this time someone is thinking, "You know, Max, if I leave all those moments at the cross, I won't have any moments left but good ones." Well, what do you know? I guess you wont.

>> Make a list of everything your worrying about.--health, finances, family, job, and so on. Ask God to help you see all of them in light of eternity. Thank him that he's looking out for you.

This story brought tears to my eyes. God totally spoke to me and I could feel the Spirit so strongly. I pictured myself walking up on that hill, seeing the blood that was spilled for me, the cross, the nails, and God's love for me. In my hands held the long list of my worries and with much thanks in my heart, I placed them at the foot of the cross.

Make your own list. Lay it at the cross and let God take care of it. He makes our yoke lighter.
 
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful
trial you are suffering, as though something
strange were happening to you. But rejoice
that you participate in the sufferings of
Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when
his glory is revealed.
(1 Peter 4:12-13)

Are you suffering greatly? Are there situations in your life causing you grief? Your not alone. Jesus understands. He knows how you feel. Run to him and he will set you free. Lay your burdens at the cross. And don't be troubled. Have Faith that God will provide and prayers will be answered.
 
I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

This verse shows a strong statement of the relationship David has with the Lord. Jesus desires for you to strengthen your relationship with him. Let these words be your words. Not words you just speak but words with action that comes from the heart.
 
The group of believers were united in their
hearts and spirit. All those in the group acted
as though their private property belonged to
everyone in the group. In fact, they shared everything.
With great power the apostles were telling people that
the Lord Jesus was truly raised from the dead. And God
blessed all the believers very much. There were no
needy people among them. From time to time those who
owned fields or houses sold them, brought the money,
and gave it to the apostles. Then the money
was given to anyone who needed it.

One of the believers was named Joseph, a Levite
born in Cyprus. The apostles called him Barnabas (which
means "one who encourages"). Joseph owned a field,
sold it, brought the money, and gave it to the apostles.
(Acts 4: 32-37)

After the death and resurrection of Jesus and after Jesus left this earthly realm to sit at the right hand of God, the apostles and all believers were filled with the Holy Spirit. With the help and guidance of Jesus Christ, they spread the good news and truth to all people.

The leaders/pharisees were angry and upset. They tried to stop the Apostles but couldn't. So instead they threatened them. When they returned to the believers who were gathered together, the first thing they did was pray for protection and guidance.

What really stood out to me, which I pray touches your heart, is how the believers interacted with each other. How they had humbled themselves, just as Jesus had instructed all of us to do. What they had, was not only theirs but everyone's. Many sold their land and gave the proceeds to the Apostles to be divided among the people who actually needed them. They represented Christ through love, being humble, giving, and being united.

Even Joseph sold his land. How amazing is that! Instead of holding onto earthly treasures, they decided to hold onto heavenly treasures, for the earthly will perish but the heavenly gives life.

God commands us all to be representatives of Christ. Jesus came to this earthly and sinful place not only to die on the cross for our sins but to show us how to live. And in turn, we must live as we are instructed.

Don't place your sight on earthly possessions. When you die, they cannot go with you. Instead look to heavenly possessions and blessings, for they are eternal. Love one another, not because we have to, but because the heart of Christ within us wants to. It is a command that we love each other and not be separated but united in one Spirit.

Give all you can give and with your full heart. Don't give because you want something in return. God knows your heart and intentions. But give with joy.

Is there anything that is keeping you from representing Christ in these ways? Pray and ask God to strengthen you, to give you a sense of unity, to replace your heart with his... so that you can love like he loves, to give you peace and joy when you give of either time or money, and to not focus on earthly possessions but on eternal ones.
 
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