Tag: guestpost

3 Lies the Enemy Tells You and the TRUTH that Will Set You Free

~ Tayrina Gonzalez ~ 31 Comments

3 lies the enemy tells you and the truth that will set you free

“I have nothing to offer.”

How many of us wonder, “What do I have to give, Lord?”

“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.”  2 Corinthians 3:5

1 – The TRUTH is that it’s Christ in us that offers value to others! Instead of saying, “God, use me,” ask Him, “God, work through me!”

You ARE worthy and more than ENOUGH for God to use! Besides, God is the great multiplier. Remember the story of the two fish and five loaves of bread (Matthew 14:13-21)? Jesus took that and fed over 5,000 people!

God just wants a willing heart. He uses unworthy people to do big things, like Moses. He felt like he had nothing to offer, but God used him in a huge way! He’ll use you too!

“Moses said, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’” Exodus 3:11

“The opposite of what I say will happen.”

Ever heard someone say, “Don’t jinx yourself!”or “Knock on wood!”?

2 – The TRUTH is your words are powerful, creative forces that build up or tear down. What you speak about, you bring about, not the other way around.

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Our words are seeds. We plant seeds with positive affirmations: “Today will be great!” Or, we can dig up our flowers with negative phrases: “It’ll never happen.” As author and speaker Terri Savelle Foy says, “When you change what you’re saying, you’ll change what you’re seeing.”

“You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you.” Job 22:28

“She’s further along so I must be doing something wrong.”

Have you ever noticed someone who appears to have it all together and found yourself comparing your progress to their success?

3 – The TRUTH is it’s okay to stay in your lane, even if people are passing you. Getting in someone else’s lane because they’re going faster, may cause you to miss your turn and get lost. Your destination is not the same as theirs.

Your story matters. If you skip from step A to step Z, you’ll miss learning everything you needed to learn in order to maintain your progress. There are people waiting on the other side of your unique journey. Keep going, dear friend.

“For we know that [problems and trials] help us develop endurance. Endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. This hope will not lead to disappointment.” Romans 5:3-5

Meet our Guest:

10409633_10204740928671300_2166598119302605305_nToday I’m blessed to have as special guest in my blog to Nicole Crangle.  She’s encouraging us today to believe and trust the truth of the Word of God over our doubts and the enemy’s voice of lies. Let’s know more about Nicole:

In addition to blogging at Galatiansfivethirteen, Nicole and her husband own a web-based marketing company and help to run an entrepreneurship and personal development mentorship program in the Orlando, FL area. They believe in helping people find freedom in their lives – personal, financial, and spiritual – so that they can better help and serve others according to their calling and what will make the greatest impact, rather than on what finances or self-image allow. You can follow her at Instagram or read more on her BLOG HERE!

More posts to read: Putting on a New Self | Getting closer to God

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Putting on the New Self

~ Tayrina Gonzalez ~ 9 Comments

Putting on a New Self

My focus is on putting on the new self as mentioned in Colossians 3:10.

Let us examine Colossians chapter 3:1-17. Let’s begin with verses 1-4,

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (ESV).

There is a lot here. First, take a look at the ‘If then.’ I think of this the same way I do the ‘therefore.’ It implies a connection with what came before this chapter. Looking back at chapter 2 it is verses 5 -7 that grab my focus. Colossians 2:5-6,

“For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Paul is expressing to the Colossians his feelings for them as they persevere in faith. They are rooted and built up in Christ for this Paul rejoices. This is what brings us to the ‘If then.’  Being rooted and established in our faith in Christ, we are to seek things that are above and set our minds on higher things.

For our lives are hidden in Christ with God. Hidden means kept out of sight; concealed. Set means put, lay, or stand (something) in a specified place or position.

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Our Part

In conclusion, we are to put, lay, or stand our minds on things that are above (higher things, Isaiah 55:8-9) because we are concealed in Christ with God. Christ is our life. In Him we move and have our being (Acts 17:28).

It takes discipline to set our minds on things above but we are not helpless. For we have the help of the Holy Spirit to become disciplined disciples of Jesus. In doing so all things will grow strangely dim. And through our trials we will prevail for greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

What do you need to do to set your mind on things above and not on earthly things? What things are your setting your mind on?

Meet our Guest:

PatriciaPatricia M. Willoughby is faith-christian blogger at Silver Miner 4 God, where she shares her journey through the word of God, while she invites and encourages us to dig deeper in the Word.  I invite you to visit Patricia at: Silver Miner 4 God – Blog

                                           Social Media:   Twitter – Pinterest

Related posts: A Look at Pursue the Passion | Getting closer to God

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Getting Closer to God

~ Tayrina Gonzalez ~ 5 Comments

Getting closer to God

When I was a teenager I asked my youth pastor a pretty foolish question; I’d only been saved two years, but I sought Him through His word so much that I felt very near to Him. Life was good in every way, and I had a bright future ahead, knowing that I was already going to Bible college.

I asked my youth pastor, “What do you do, when you feel like you’re already where you’re supposed to be when it comes to God?” Common sense-wise, I knew there was more; I recognized that I was very young, and that there was clearly more of life yet to be experienced. But I just didn’t understand how I could be even closer to God than I already was.

My youth pastor tried to hide a smile, and simply answered, “You wait for God to tell you.”

I compare it to marriage. When you stand before that gorgeous person that gets you better than anyone and loves you with everything they’ve got, you just can’t imagine it possibly being any better than it is right then in that moment. But then you’ve been married ten years, and in spite of the hardships and the children and the mortgage, you wouldn’t go back for the world.

Our God is deep. Our God is limitless. When truly following and seeking after who God is, you should never be bored.

“O taste and see that the LORD is good.” Psalms 34:8

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:9,10

Find Him, want Him, and be satisfied.

DSC_0144SThanks to Liz, for opening her heart with us about how we can get closer to God!

Liz Rigby is a wife and homeschooling mother of three who holds a B.A. in Church Ministries.  Writing is her current passion, but she also dabbles in art, photography, gardening, and music. Liz serves in her local church and looks for creative ways to reach out to her local community. From wiping bums to getting published, the job doesn’t matter as long as Jesus and others are loved.  You can check out her website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or StumbleUpon.

Related post: How to pray without ceasing | Looking for encouragement in Prayer? Read more posts HERE

How to Pray without Ceasing – Guest Post

~ Tayrina Gonzalez ~ 26 Comments

How to pray without ceasing

We have probably all come to 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and wondered what to do with it. I know I have! For those not familiar with the passage, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says simply that we are to “Pray without ceasing”.

At first glance, this might seem an impossible command to obey. Pray without ceasing? What about my responsibilities as a wife or mother or homemaker or friend? How can I “pray without ceasing” when there are so many other things to do?

I would like to answer these important questions today with two points.

1. There Should not be Long Seasons Where We Go Without Praying.

The first way we can obey this verse is by making sure that we are not allowing the busyness of our everyday tasks to invade and hinder our prayer lives. When life is hectic and the to-do list looms large, it is easy for prayer to be the first thing we drop when we believe ourselves to be too busy. But we mustn’t do this. Matthew Henry writes in his commentary,

Praying without ceasing

“The meaning [of 1 Thess. 5:17] is not that men should do nothing but pray, but that nothing else we do should hinder prayer in its proper season. Prayer will help forward and not hinder all other lawful business, and every good work.”

To be faithful to “pray without ceasing” then, one need only make prayer as regular a feature of each day of the week as possible. Rather than going months without communing with the Lord in prayer, purpose to meet with Him daily, and you will be praying without ceasing.

2. Offer Up Little Prayers as You Go Throughout Your Day.

One thing I got into the habit of doing years ago is just simply offering up several little silent prayers to God as I go throughout my day. While you are doing the dishes or cooking dinner or tending to the needs of your children, you can easily offer up a prayer of thanksgiving, ask the Lord for wisdom or help, or mention the prayer request your friend shared with you the other day. This is a great way to obey the command to “pray without ceasing”!

Be Encouraged!

I hope you were encouraged today, friend, by the true simplicity of this command. Far from making this some legalistic or difficult box to check, merely go to your Father and share your heart. He yearns to hear from you!

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Thanks so much to Rebekah Hargraves, for encouraging us today to pray without ceasing just as the word of God commands to us! – Take a minute to visit her at:

Website: Hargraves Home and Hearth
Instagram: @rebekahhargraves
Facebook: Hargraves Home and Hearth 
Twitter: @hhomeandhearth

Want to be a guest blogger and spread the Word of God with me? Guest Post Submissions are now open! Read more HERE!