God's Faithfulness: Jerrad Toups

Today's blog is from
Jerrad Toups,
God is faithful, have a great day!


Ephesians 3:19-21: 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

These verses have meant a lot to me over the last couple of years.  God’s faithfulness comes in His time, not ours.  As God taught me more about that through these verses, I figured out a lot about what I needed to do more of as a husband and expectant dad/dad. Through my relationship with Jesus, God did more than I could ever imagine or think and I will be forever grateful for it.  Every day we have new opportunities to lean into the Holy Spirit and rely on God’s wisdom to teach us, lead us, and reveal to us how we are to proceed with our lives.  Whenever I asked God to show me if moving to Cypress and being the student pastor at Copperfield Church was what I had been praying for, He gave me a Phil. 4:7 type of peace showing me He is able to do far more above anything I can ask or think.  Our relationship with Jesus, I think, is more of taking steps of faith rather than leaps or bounds.  At least in my life I have found truth in learning as I go, and when I think I know it all God is quick to remind me to not get ahead of Him and what He is doing.  

We have moved quite a bit in our almost 5 years of being married and I wondered if we would ever settle down anywhere and what God was putting together.  I feel like where we are now is where we will be for a while and it is a blessing to live out what God has called me to do every day.  I do not know what the readers of this blog are living out on a daily basis, but I know it is far better to live life free in Christ.  Don’t be bound by sin, people who are living in sin, or any other thing that is not of God.  The joy we find in Christ is exciting and leads us to new places.  Be led today by Jesus and allow His words to lead you where you need to go.  Remember He will always be able to do above what we can ask or think because He is all-knowing.  Don’t get me wrong, life is tough.  There are things taking place in people’s lives on a daily basis that are hard to endure and watch.  An example would be the typhoon that just hit the Philippines.  I don’t know what ‘typhoon’ you may be experiencing right now but God wants to be there and walk with you through it.  I hope y’all have a blessed week.

Jerrad

Rooted: Part 2

As youth pastor, I have been and worked around a lot of youth. There is something that I see very prevalent in their lives and that is divorce. More than 50% of the kids I know come from divorced homes and it shows.

My heart breaks for these kids because Satan is a destroyer of families. Depression, guilt, anger, resentment and many other problems manage to get "rooted" in a young person's life. These problems can lead to promiscuity, rebellion, and suicidal thoughts. Although some of this is extreme and kids are resilient, God never intended for divorce. This is not to condemn those that are or have been divorced. Life happens sometimes, ultimately it needs to be avoided at all costs.

Here is the key: we must be "rooted" in Jesus!

Jeremiah 17:8 NLT
They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

Remember the song "like a tree planted by the waters, I shall not be moved", it's true. Soaking up the living waters of God and eating the bread of life, that living word of God!

We can save ourselves a lot of headache and heartache by doing those simple things. Love for someone can easily slip away if we aren't steadfast in praying for our marriages.

The world may try to redefine marriage and what a family is, they may make it seem like divorce is a way of life, God never intended for it! As Christians we know what God's desire is, protect your family and put down deep roots.

Rooted

Good morning to you! I hope your week has gotten off to a great start! Get a cup of coffee and let's dig in. If you want to say something about how God has blessed your marriage, please do! Just write something in the comment section at the bottom.

                 ROOTED

I want my marriage to be rooted in Christ, rooted in the living waters of God!

Many of you have been divorced or experienced it with your parents. Most of us all know or have felt the effects of it.

I was blessed growing up with my dad and mom having a good marriage! I am very thankful for their commitment to each other. Their steadfast commitment to Jesus, each other, and to leading our family, rooted deep within me and my brothers.

A lot can be said about my parents being steadfast. With a good example set before us, my brother and I picked out godly wives. I am very happy with marriage and I know that God's plan is being accomplished in us!

Proverbs 22:6
King James Version (KJV)
6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

1 Corinthians 13:4-6
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

This scripture tells us the way we should be. If you could narrow down a marriage failing, it would probably be one thing: selfishness. It takes two people committed to the Lord and committed to each other. If you start thinking about "self" and "your" needs, the unraveling begins. The core of this verse "love" begins to be just empty words you say to each other. "Love" becomes less patient and less kind, more irritable and resentful. A couple forgets their roots.

We must be "rooted" down deep with our marriage and in order for that to happen, we must have a strong relationship with our God!

John 4:13-14
Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.  But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Drink from the well of God, that everlasting life giving water that bubbles up as a spring within you. It will refresh you and keep you in a good marriage so as long as you both seek the Lord.

We need to let our roots run deep, our family needs the roots to run deep. If we sever life giving water to the rest of the family tree, it will die. Preserving the marriage is better, if possible, at all costs.

Walking in a Nation's Shoes.................... by JosieAnn Mathis

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. Then the Lord gave me this message: “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would. “Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’” 

(Jeremiah 18:1-11 NLT)

Turn our hearts back to The Lord, The Great I Am! Our Nation continues to fight against Jesus Christ and all that He stands for. Pray, earnestly seek His face! Pray for our leaders, they need to remember the truth. Why did we come across the ocean to this land?

To have freedom TO worship God - not freedom FROM worshipping Him!!

Look at the state Israel was in when this message was given to them. God had delivered them from oppression, bringing them into a New Land. He promised He would take care of them and protect them- As long as they did Not turn their eyes and hearts away from God and worship Idols and false gods, or participate in the vile evil acts the people of that land were doing.

Our founding fathers were under oppression; they left and came to a New Land. They came for freedom TO worship God, NOT freedom FROM worshipping God! 

                    Oh great nation, what has become of US? 

Our rights and freedoms upon which this Nation was founded are threatened more and more every day! What must we do to keep these freedoms, to protect these rights? We had best WAKE UP and figure it out, lest all our freedoms be stripped from us! 

Our nation now lusts after possessions, ungodly affections, killing of innocent children, and persecution of any who oppose such acts. Even though our persecution is far less than other nations in this world of ours, that persecution is rising. Open our eyes Lord to Your truth!

Is it just me, or are we beginning to see a pattern here, a parallel?

 “But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the decrees and commands I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot the people from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make it an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’ “And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why he has brought all these disasters on them.’”

(2 Chronicles 7:19-22 NLT)

Wake oh sleeping nation! Arise before your hearts turn hard and cold and we are carried away into captivity, the result of bondage to our sin.

Our nation, compared with others, is still a young nation. But we could learn from past mistakes of others, if only our eyes would open to the truth. We must continue to stand against those things we know to be wrong, against God. 

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT)

Let us turn from wickedness, let us pray, let us humble ourselves, and more than anything, let us seek HIS face! 

Then, may He hear from heaven and forgive us and bring healing and restoration to our land!

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? 

                  If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

 (Romans 8:26, 27, 30, 31 NLT)

Take heart my fellow Christians/Americans, 

with God on our side...Life is So Sweet!

Focus on Jesus

It's Monday morning again! A new week and a new day.

Now some people choose to let Mondays be a blue day, and I can't say that I'm always "excited" about Monday for sure!

Our attitude and how we approach a new day and in situations affects our mood. Every one of us has woke up on the wrong side of the bed and all our co workers can tell you all about it!

So, this morning, it's time to re-focus on Jesus. It's time to praise and sing the name of Jesus!

In a bad mood or just kinda tired, maybe down and out? Ask yourself, "What has Jesus forgiven me of?"  Dwell on that and remember what he went through. Everything will be to God's glory, his name will be praised! Sometimes, well daily, we have to re-focus on Jesus.

Psalm 65:1-4 NIV

Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. You who answer prayer, to you all people will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.

This is a Monday morning to praise him. What do you have to praise him about? There is victory in his name. Ready to be happy this morning? It's a choice to be happy and its a choice to praise the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Although we might be going through a lot and we might wake up on the wrong side, we don't have to accept a bad day, we don't have feel miserable. Praise Jesus, because it's our time to live for him.

What is your praise to Jesus today? I want to praise him for loving me no matter what! He is merciful to me. Have a blessed day! Make life sweet!

Testimony Tuesday: Sandy Humble

SURRENDER- TO YIELD POSSESSION OF, OR POWER OVER TO ANOTHER.

MY CHILDHOOD CONSISTED OF ALCOHLICS ,PHYSICAL ABUSE, SEXUAL ABUSE, AND RAPE. AS I GOT OLDER, I DETERMINED THAT NO ONE WOULD EVER TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME AGAIN. I WAS NEVER GOING TO GIVE POWER OVER TO ANYONE TO HURT ME AGAIN. 

I MARRIED HAROLD (THE LOVE OF MY LIFE) WHEN I WAS 22 YRS. OLD. LITTLE DID HE KNOW THAT THE GIRL HE MARRIED BROUGHT ALONG WITH HER BAGGAGE FROM THE PAST. IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR THE BAGGAGE TO SHOW IT'S UGLY CONTENTS. INSIDE WAS ANGER, HATRED, RESENTMENT, BITTERNESS, UNFORGIVENESS, FEAR, PAIN, SHAME, GUILT, REMORSE, ETC. YOU NAME IT, IT WAS IN THERE. IT WAS FULL...HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT, AND NEITHER DID I. AND BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, THE FIRST FEW YEARS OF OUR MARRIAGE WERE NOT SO GOOD. I KNEW HE LOVED ME, AND I LOVED HIM, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO FIX MYSELF. 

AND ONE DAY, ABOUT SIX YRS. OF BEING MARRIED, WE WERE INVITED TO CHURCH. NOT LONG AFTER WE WERE SAVED. THE LORD BLESSED ME WITH EXPERIENCING WITH HAROLD SALVATION, WE WERE BAPTISED TOGETHER AND STARTED THIS JOURNEY WITH THE LORD TOGETHER. PRAISE THE LORD . FOR THAT MY HEART OVERFLOWS WITH THANKFULNESS. 

THE LORD BEGAN TO CHANGE OUR LIVES. THE LORD WOULD TAKE ME TO MY BAGGAGE THAT I HAD CARRIED FOR SO LONG, AND ONE BY ONE I WOULD TAKE SOMETHING OUT OF IT AND SURRENDER IT TO HIM. I WOULD GIVE HIM THE "BAD", AND HE WOULD GIVE ME THE "GOOD". FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I KNEW WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO PUT MY TRUST IN SOMEONE AND NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. WITHOUT ME WILLING TO SURRENDER TO HIM ALL THAT WAS IN MY BAGGAGE, I NEVER WOULD HAVE HAD VICTORY OVER THOSE THINGS. GOD HAS BLESSED MY LIFE, MY MARRIAGE, MY FAMILY. MAYBE SOME OF YOU HAVE BAGGAGE THAT CONSISTS OF THE THINGS I HAD. WHATEVER YOUR BAGGAGE CONSISTS OF, LET HIM LEAD YOU TO SURRENDER TO HIM THOSE THINGS. HE WANTS TO TAKE THE "BAD" AND GIVE YOU THE "GOOD". 

IT TOOK JESUS TO SURRENDER TO THE CROSS TO GIVE US VICTORY, AND IT WILL TAKE SURRENDER ON OUR PART TO WALK IN VICTORY. AND I STILL, AFTER 34 YRS. OF WALKING WITH THE LORD, LIVE MY LIFE IN SURRENDER TO HIM IT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN EASY, BUT ALWAYS WORTH IT.

MATT:11:28-30 - COME TO ME ALL OF YOU WHO ARE WEARY AND CARRY HEAVY BURDENS, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU. LET ME TEACH YOU, BECAUSE I AM HUMBLE AND GENTLE AT HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS FOR MY YOKE IS EASY TO BEAR: AND THE BURDEN I GIVE YOU IS LIGHT.

Assault

John 10:10

 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

The trend in America against Christianity might not be an all out assault against Christians, but is still alarming. Yes, we are the freest society in the world today and the government isn't exactly passing laws directly keeping you from serving God.
So What is going on today?

Public opinion.

Christians are intolerant, they try to shove their faith on others, they don't care about women's rights, you have heard it. You read about it. From having the ten commandments in public places, forbidding references to "thanking Jesus" in valedictorian speeches, deciding to not allow "Christmas music" to be sang at "winter concerts" in a New Jersey school district. Where does this road lead us?

Here is an attack from an atheist: 

Weinstein, according to Fox News’ Todd Starnes, told officials at the meeting that U.S. troops who evangelize are guilty of sedition and treason and should be punished, by the hundreds if necessary.

Weinstein recently declared: “We face incredibly well-funded gangs of fundamentalist Christian monsters who terrorize their fellow Americans by forcing their weaponized and twisted version of Christianity upon their helpless subordinates in our nation’s armed forces.”

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/05/atheist-accuses-christians-of-treason-over-beliefs/#28up4tsPggeCHSz2.99

 Monsters? It's become popular by people in the media and by people in our government to portray Christians, tea party members, and anyone that doesn't line up with their views, as zealots and terrorist. You didn't know you were threat? Well, you are a threat...to satan's agenda. Right now, we better wake up and smell the coffee! We are in a spiritual war.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but principalities, and spiritual darkness on high.

Have you recently heard about Fort hood? A counter-intelligence agent at a Fort Hood military de-briefing told soldiers that evangelical Christians and the tea party members are a "threat" to the nation's security. Any soldier that is caught donating money to these "terrorist" organizations would be subject to displinary action! Wow, amazing. 

www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/10/23/does-army-consider-christians-tea-party-terror-threat/

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2013/October/Anti-Faith-Sentiment-Growing-at-Alarming-Rate-/

So, not only are we supposed to tolerate sin, we must change our beliefs to accomadate this sin. You are supposed to "accept" gay marriage, even though the bible tells to abstain from it. You are supposed to be ok with "women's rights" to kill their unborn baby that has a heartbeat! Oh and by the way, " we will have pleasure in getting drunk, lusting, commiting adultery, come to work the next day, laugh about it, cuss up a storm, say filthy and despicable, low down junk in front of you, Christians. How dare you speak about Jesus to me!? How dare you say I am in sin, you Christians are so judgemental and intolerant!

The world does not tolerate Christians and here in America we are just beginning to see the start of that.

Just remember the culprit behind all of this. Don't forget that Jesus paid it all, the enemy is defeated! As christians it's time to wake up and pursue God's call. 

Treasure or Just Junk -- by Josie Mathis

So, I must say I have had quite a bit of difficulty editing and getting this blog written today! It kept spacing in weird places and wouldn't let me correct things, but several hours later, hopefully I prevail! 


For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 
Matthew 6:21

     Have you ever come to a point where you look around your home and are overwhelmed, perhaps even slightly disgusted by all of the THINGS cluttering up space? I don't know if it is just me, but I believe others experience this same stage in life, if that is what one would call it. 
     I can remember back a few years ago when a spirited young woman I know decided she'd had enough of all the junk and began tossing out all sorts of items. At the time I thought, there's a lot of good stuff here; why would she get rid of these perfectly good items. Well, perhaps I have now reached this 'stage' so to speak, because it all seems so clear to me now. 
----She was simply tired of all the JUNK!! What was once perhaps treasure to her was now junk to be discarded, clutter taking up valuable space.
     You may be wondering where I am going with this, hang tight we'll get there in a moment.
     I, over the past month or so, have begun to look around my home wondering why I have so many things taking up space, and why exactly did I ever need that particular item or another. I had already begun to  get rid of a few items here and there. However, thanks to the recent FFHSC garage sale I have been encouraged to take a step forward and really examine things and get rid of all the excess. 
     So yesterday I made use of the rainy day and began in my kitchen. Two huge garbage bags  and a box to save for a sale later, my kitchen has so much available space I find myself amazed that much space was filled with things I never use. Of course there are still those things that we use only a few times a year that must be kept. But, let's be honest with ourselves, how much are we hoarding or holding on to that we absolutely do NOT need?

     Now, look at our spiritual home. What about our daily life? How many things have we stuffed into our spirit man deeming it a kind of treasure? How many things do we continuously fill up our day with? These things have become our treasure...Is it really treasure? Or is it just a bunch of junk? Often times we have to take a step back from 
ourselves and ask... Is this something I truly need, or simply something I want? Perhaps I may not even want it once I get it, or a week, or a month from now. 

     As the holidays approach, we see much controversy about Christmas. Can students sing Christmas carols or towns display Christmas trees? I am reminded of part of the Grinch movie; I believe the line was...You people want all of this stuff, you just HAVE to have it! But a month from now it all comes to me in the garbage dump!!
     Wow! Is this not so very true! Not only with physical things, but spiritual as well? What will we fill ourselves up with? Are all these things important, needful, Godly? Will we wake up and realize our home is filled with real treasure or just junk?
     Let us look at the situation from a different angle. Perhaps in our 'housecleaning' we will find lost treasure; a spiritual gift that our Father gave us, and we've neglected it and stuffed it, hidden away somewhere. Are we using the treasures God has given us, or have we replaced that treasure with a fake?

     Maybe we simply need to ask ourselves ---- not what our treasure is ---- but whom? 

Who holds your heart today? Do you place more value on the Things in life or on the PEOPLE in it and the SAVIOR who gave His life for us? 

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV)


I leave you with this link I found... A beautiful song and reminder of where I want my heart to be.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hIjkVe_9pLY