“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.  Be thankful to Him and bless His name.  For the Lord is good; His mercy is everylasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”  ~Psalm 100:4-5

Do You Have A Heart Condition?

 Do you ever talk when you should be listening?  Or speak when you should be silent?  Most of us do – sometimes only on occasion, others….well, you get the picture.

Mathew 12:34-37 says this

“…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks….for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgement.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” 

Did you catch that?  By OUR words we will be justified, and by OUR words we will be condemned!  Now let that sink in for a moment.  If what is in our hearts eventually comes out of our mouths – and what comes out of our mouths determines justification or condemnation – doesn’t it make sense that we should continuously check the condition of our hearts?

In her devotional book, “Jesus Calling”, Sarah Young writes, “A thankful attitude opens windows of heaven.  Spiritual blessings fall freely onto you through those openings into eternity.  Moreover, as you look up with a grateful heart, you get glimpses of Glory through those windows….Thankfulness is not some sort of magic formula; it is the language of Love, which enables you to communicate intimately with Me [God]. A thankful mind-set does not entail a denial of reality with its plethora of problems.  Instead, it rejoices in Me, your Savior, in the midst of trials and tribulations….”

Thankfulness brings peace.  Peace brings joy.  Joy brings victory!

If you’ve been feeling defeated lately, check to see if you have a heart condition.  When you’re done with that, check your words and see if they line up with the Word of God or if they’re in direct conflict with His Word.  Then, decide to “walk in” an attitude of thankfulness and praise.  Maybe you don’t feel like you have much to be thankful for right now.  Don’t be deceived!  Let me help you get started with your list of “heavenly thank you’s”….

• You’re breathing!
• You’re unique!
• You’re loved (even if you don’t think you are……you are!)
• You can see (If not, you wouldn’t be reading this right now!)
• You can read

• You can move your fingers, hands, and arms

• You’re not alone! (God is always with you, even when you don’t “feel” His presence!)

Friend, let me encourage you today….Begin to speak forth praise and thankfulness to your Heavenly Father for all that He does in your life – things you know about…and things you’ll never know!  It will change your life!

Dear Friends:

I’m excited to announce that my teaching on “Got Kids, Now What?” is now available for a donation of $30.00.  This six-CD series covers topics which include the power of our words, setting boundaries, fun activities for creating memories, and much more.

To order, go to http://www.brigettewagner.com and click on the CD listed under “Products”.

Blessings,

Brigette

Simple Faith

 “…for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day,” ~2 Timothy 1:12   

Searching for Answers?

In 40 years of life and 20 years of ministry, I’ve walked through many struggles and many victories.  Some struggles were greater than others, which meant some victories were sweeter than others.  But being the “overcomer” is a choice and one that I choose on a continual basis – not by my own power, of course, but by the power and authority of the mighty Name of Jesus!

Of all the battles we fight, one of the most difficult is that of doubt and unbelief.  As Christians, we are taught to have faith.  The Word says in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”.  We spend our lives, trying to “muster up” faith.  The problem is that we don’t always HAVE faith and feel guilty when we allow doubt to creep into our lives. 

So how do you overcome doubt and unbelief? 

Make a list!  That’s right, make a list!  List all the things you DO believe!  Focus on and trust God for those things!  PRAISE God for the things you CAN believe in, REPENT for the doubt and unbelief that you’ve allowed into your life, and COMMIT the things you can’t believe for into His Hands. 

He’s a big God, and very capable of handling your belief AND your unbelief. 

I’ll help you get started with your list:

• I believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (John 1:1)

• I believe in my salvation (John 3:17)

• I believe in God’s love and mercy (John 3:16)

• I believe in God’s peace (Psalm 91:1-2)

• I believe that I can trust God – even when I don’t understand (Psalm 56:3-4)

• I believe that I am uniquely made with special destiny (Psalm 139:13-16)

• I believe that God wants good for me, not evil (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

• I believe in angels (Psalm 91:11)

• I believe in the power of the spoken word (Proverbs 18:21)

• I believe in the power and authority of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)

I BELIEVE!  Help me, Lord, with my unbelief! 

As I began writing this devotional, my mind and spirit began being flooded with words from some of the old hymns that I grew up singing…..

“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms.  Leaning, leaning, leaning on the Everlasting Arms”….”Learning to lean, learning to lean, learning to lean on Jesus.  Finding more power than I’ve ever dreamed, I’m learning to lean on Jesus”….”Only believe.  Only believe.  All things are possible, only believe.  Only believe.  Only believe.  All things are possible, only believe”….”Only trust Him.  Only trust Him.  Only trust Him now.  He will save you.  He will save you.  He will save you now”….”On Christ the Solid Rock I stand.  All other ground is sinking sand.  All other ground is sinking sand”….

There are so many wonderful old hymns which were birthed out of personal struggles and victories.  But today, we don’t sing them very often.  I understand the awesomeness of the praise and worship songs that we now sing.  I love how they usher in the presence of God; and I often lead them whenever I minister in music.  However, if you’re like me and grew up singing those old hymns, you can understand the foundational faith that rises up within us when we begin singing those words of affirmation.

Friend, if you’ve been struggling with doubt, unbelief, or guilt, let me encourage you today.  Don’t allow the enemy to get your focus on the things you don’t believe or struggle to believe.  Let go of those things and keep your focus on God and all the things you can believe for.  For all the rest, meditate on and speak forth Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”  OR as I like to paraphase it:

I am an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony!