* Have you Seen God Lately?

→Have you ever looked for something and thought you knew where it was but still couldn’t find it? I'm known for losing my keys, sunglasses, driver license....okay....just about anything that is important! I never mean to misplace things...I just put them in REALLY good places for safe-keeping! It can be frustrating to look for something and not be able to locate it; especially after destroying the house and everything in your path in the process. There is one thing thankfully in my world that is easy to find....God is always right there right when I need Him and always within arm's reach.

You never have to call God into your situation. You never have to wonder where He is. You never have to fear when things become too difficult, or wonder if He will abandon you. He goes before you; He walks beside you; He comes behind you. He protects you securely. Just as He sees every sparrow and knows every hair that is on your head, so His gaze is constantly upon you (Luke 12:6–7). He comforts you with His strong presence in times of sorrow and grief. He leads you through the valley of the shadow of death. You never need to fear evil.....as intimidating as evil can be, there is nothing you will ever face that intimidates your Shepherd. He has seen it all and soundly defeated every form of wickedness. Evil never catches Him by surprise. He is always prepared and knows exactly when and where you will experience difficulty. Place your absolute trust in your God because He will protect you and demonstrate His love for you through what you feel is your hardest times.

And the really awesome thing is that no matter how careless you might have been about spending time or praying or even thinking about God.....He is always one prayer away from comforting you and helping you and NEVER has forgotten just where you are at.


Adjust your Crown!

--Jonna

You are So Beautiful to Me

A good friend of mine posted a status on Facebook recently about a question regarding beauty. She asked for her friends to respond in 3 words or less 'what beautiful means to them'. There were various answers to her question and noteably no one put that they thought they were beautiful. Of course none of us would blatantly go around and say that we are "stunning" or "gorgeous' but deep down we all really strive and want to be beautiful!

 I have seen models before and I was left in total jealousy of their "perfectness" but I don't want to have anything to do with the hard work they are involved in! All the days at the gym, eating less than a bird, keeping their skin tanned, waxed and with no breakouts along with keeping perfect hair at ALL times. OH my...that is just craziness! Can you imagine having to do that everyday to please people and conform to what is the current definition of beauty and acceptance? People love to be loved and admired and most will go to great lengths and costs to attain it. 

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news..."Romans 10:15

God loves us and when he looks at us he sees our HEART...not our new accessories or new hair do!  Thankfully God also has the ability to see what we can become and not so much where we are at in the present. We are God's children (John 1:12) and just like any parent He is proud of his kids and wants us on display. We have a hope and a future in Christ and He only has plans for us that is good. (Jer 29:11.)  Romans 10:5 says that God states our FEET are beatuiful! Wow...I haven't had a pedicure in ages...he might want to reconsider! ha. The thing that most feel are the dirtiest part of the body is what God calls beautiful...I think that is AMAZING! We are all fashioned in His image and I believe there is not one person on this planet that is ugly. We just compare what society says is to be the criteria for beauty and we tend to forget that God's ways are not the world's ways....NO creation of my God's is sub-standard!

"...for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart"         1 Samuel 16:7

We have been given worth....we cost something.  Jesus gave his life and died a horrendous death just for us.  Our beauty flows out of our value and we are likened to a very rare jewel.....priceless. When we let go of our past, as well as our sin, we can begin to see ourselves as God sees us -– beautiful. We are not inadequate and we are definitely not lacking in any thing. We are not limited in any way, shape or form. We are made whole in Christ and nothing can strip us of God’s unfailing love. We are God’s masterpieces! We are wanted...and sometimes it seems hard to believe God chose us! 

 So if you haven't been told lately.....God wants me to tell you that....YOU are BEAUTIFUL!

Sweet Expectations

There once was a man who was walking in the jungle. As he got farther and farther in he became somewhat disoriented and unfortunately got lost. The man tried not to panic but the ever-present danger of wild, aggressive and hungry animals lurking in the jungle made him very nervous. As he was trying to find his way out, he began to hear the frightening roar of a tiger.

He started paying very close attention to how far or how close that roar sounded in his ear. Carefully he continued through the jungle trying to zig zag through the brush to try to cover his scent but the sound of the tiger got eerily closer and closer. Hairs stood up on the back of his neck as he felt the wild animal right on his heels. He began to frantically run and scared half-to-death ended up stumbling and falling over the edge of a cliff. As he was falling down the side of the cliff, his hands clawed along the rocks in a desperate attempt to save himself. He managed to barely catch hold of a very small, precarious bush. He grasped on to that bush with both hands and for dear life.

As he held on, he became very concerned as he noticed the fragile roots of the small bush starting to feel the strain of his weight. Above him lurked the tiger that was chasing him and it was drooling with hungry anticipation. With a slight glimmer of hope, he quickly looked below to formulate an escape plan. But just when he thought things couldn't get any worse he noticed another tiger below patiently waiting for the inevitable.

There he was, caught in the middle between the tiger above him and the tiger below him, desperately hanging on to this little shrub that was pulling out at the roots. In the middle of this very scary ordeal, right about eye level, he happened to notice a small indentation on the side of the rocky cliff. Inside that little space, he noticed – to his wide-eyed amazement – a wild strawberry was growing....it was a perfectly formed, juicy, red, and ripe. Letting go with one of his hands while barely hanging on to the bush he hungrily reached out and picked the berry and ate it.

I suspect that many of us come to church and also live our Christian lives by holding on precariously between the past and future; both of them roaring at us, demanding our attention. We can feel hopeless about moments that we experienced from long ago that we may never encounter again or fearing what the future may or may not bring us. If we give all our attention to these two tigers, we can miss the gift of the present moment, the delicious strawberry before our eyes.

Mercy Gate Church I believe is going to encounter things from Heaven that no one has ever seen, done or imagined before. God himself is going to be doing a NEW thing in and through His people. As we go about our busy lives I pray that we watch with anticipation the supernatural provision and opportunities that is being laid before us. In the moments and places that we least expect is when God will lavish us with something so wonderful and extraordinary that it will cause us to laugh in the face of our enemies and believe in the impossible....living life in sweet victory and taking as many people along with us.

'Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.'

Isaiah 43:19 MSG

--Jonna

The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling!

The sky is falling, the sky is falling....chicken little ran around because he thought the sky was falling...and the May 21,2011 craziness sounds just like that. The story starts out when an acorn inadvertantly falls on his head and he runs all over telling everyone about it and all the while gathering sympathetic followers believing everything he said. Unfortunately this is what I am seeing in the news and media...followers selling their things and predicting God's judgement to all the World with no one truly understanding what is going on!


Although I do believe in the immiment rapture of God's people I do not believe that fear and judgement are going to turn the heart of people towards Christ. Our lives should gather followers wherever we go as we testify of his love by the way we live and love each other. Jesus would not have us yelling at the street corners and telling people that they are sinners....he would have us to testify of what Christ has done for us so that people would come running with hunger wanting the freedom that only Jesus can offer. One day we will hear "well done my good and faithful servant" and it will be because we lived life every day (May 22, 23rd etc) the best that we could with what God placed in our hands...not because of a "nut"!

So if  you find yourself not raptured on the 21st of May 2011, don't panic. It is not because you are a bad Christian, it is because the date is wrong. Remember also that it will be extremely obvious when Jesus Christ returns, like lightning across the whole sky, there is no chance that anybody will wonder if they missed it. 


"However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father." Matthew 24:36


Just a thought!

Jonna

Gossip

" Gossip. I have no respect for justice. I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives. I am cunning and malicious and gather strength with age. The more I am quoted the more I am believed. I flourish at every level of society. My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face. To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become. I am nobody's friend. Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same. I topple governments and ruin marriages. I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights, heartache and indigestion. I spawn suspicion and generate grief. I make innocent people cry in their pillows."

Pay attention to what you say & what you let in your ears. Flee from those who talk about others because if you don't it will only bring you down.

12"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them."
Matthew 7:12 9 (the message)

We all want people to think the best of us. Sometimes people will judge us & don't even know the whole truth but let God be your defender and in time the truth wins out. Going around & trying to tell "your side" isn't even Biblical. For every life you infect with your story whether you are right or wrong--you will be held accountable for!

I have a prayer I pray--"God make me like a duck"....that things will roll off my back and not permeate me or change my heart. You see....gossip can be painful and can hurt us. It can start a root of bitterness that can grow and choke out any good. God help us to always see the best in people and speak life into our situations. God make my mouth be a launching place for your blessings and my ears to hear only your truths. I pray you have a discerning spirit to see past what the enemy would love to use as a stumbling block in your life. I challenge you to just say "no" to gossip.

Titus 3:1-2
1 Remind your people to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey them, and to be ready to do good in every way. 2 Tell them not to speak evil of anyone, but to be peaceful and friendly, and always to show a gentle attitude toward everyone. (Good News Translation)

Jonna

WAIT! What about Thanksgiving?

I was in the local Wal-mart last week and I noticed all the Thanksgiving items and decorations were 50% off ALREADY! There were two more weeks at least left for people to buy pumpkins, cornicopias and turkey items to decorate their homes with! Unfortunately the shelves had to be cleared for all the Christmas stuff! So there I was with Trey digging through a small section of things just thrown in a random pile trying to find what I was looking for. I was stunned by the realization that Thanksgiving might just be losing it's meaning to some. 

I know that most of us do not have Thanksgiving movies that we gather the family and watch, we don't decorate our yards with pilgrims, no one walks around town singing songs about the season either. There are no trees to decorate with pumpkins and no one buys gifts at Thanksgiving time and there are no people dressed as turkey's at the mall taking pictures with our kids. (thankfully!) Yes...it must be very hard to compete with Christmas! But in the midst of Black Friday ads and the unrelenting Christmas commercials on television there is a very important holiday called Thanksgiving that none of us should consider lightly.

Thanksgiving....is it just football, greenbean casserole and planning our shopping strategies? Well....The original thanksgiving celebration was held by the Pilgrim settlers in Massachusetts during their second winter in America in December, 1621. The first winter had killed 44 of the original 102 colonists. At one point their daily food ration was down to five kernels of corn apiece, but then an unexpected trading vessel arrived, swapping them beaver pelts for corn, providing for their severe need. (Answer to their prayers I am sure!) The next summer’s crop brought hope, and Governor William Bradford decreed that December 13, 1621, be set aside as a day of feasting and prayer to show the gratitude of the colonists that they were still alive. Wow! That puts a new perspective on things...I can't imagine 5 kernels of corn per person to eat a day! We would't make it. We would all have died the first day! ha. 

 If the pilgrims gave thanks and they almost lost half of their population then I think we can show some of our appreciation and gratitude for all that God has given us. After all the name of the season is called "Giving Thanks"-- We should gather with our loved ones and friends and share turkey, pumpkin pie and conversation and despite any sorrows or set backs in our lives we exchange with one another our blessings. It doesn't have anything to do with material things...it has all to do with what is going on in our hearts. Because despite where any one of us are at right now in our lives...you can find something to be grateful for.  And a thankful heart releases a very strong thing in your world.... it releases joy in your spirit and faith in your world.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Are you a thankful person? Are you thankful for your present circumstances?  Are you thankful for your salvation, your friendships, and your job? Thankfulness is a key to your life. It is the key that turns your situation around because it changes you, your outlook, and your attitude. There is power in a thankful heart. When you are around a person that is generously thankful it is magnetic...you just want to hang out with them all the time! It is because it feels good to be around an encourager and an up-lifting person! Examine your attitude and what is coming out of your mouth and speak out thanksgiving and speak out praise not only to your family and friends but most importantly to God. 

Let me encourage you not to allow this Thanksgiving to come and go without taking inventory of yourself. You can hand the cranberries to your family member and hand over some appreciation as well. There may be people at the table who are irritating but there is something that you can truly say to him or her to make their day! You can also share what God is doing in your life and where He brought you from. Biblical gratitude isn't something that should pass from our minds with the passing of a season either. It's a God-focused response to circumstances that should pervade each moment of each day of each year! 

May you, your family, and friends enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving season...all year long!

❤Jonna

*Following Forgiveness!

⇾How do you respond when someone hurts your feelings? Do you let it rob you of joy? Or maybe your emotions run wild? Luke 6:27, 28 NIV tells us what we should do when people hurt us:

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

Can you believe that? We’re to pray something like, “Oh, Lord, I pray that You’d just make them so happy!” I still don’t get that, but I’m willing to do it in obedience and say, “Lord, I don’t know that I really want them to be happy, but I’ll pray that in faith anyway, because You’re telling me to bless them with Your presence.” Luke 6:35 NIV goes further. It says:

"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."

A Tip for Following Forgiveness
Now, let’s get practical about how to do this. If we have a coworker who gets the promotion that we’ve been believing God for, the minute we start to feel jealousy and envy, we need to go buy them a gift.

Yes, you heard me right: buy them a gift. It works. When we do it, it breaks the power of the devil because Romans 12:21 says that we overcome evil with good. It’s absolutely true too! I have learned this principle and it has been life-changing for me. When others around you start bad mouthing your co-worker and saying that you should of gotten the promotion; you speak good of the person and stop the jealousy in it's tracks! You will even start believing what you say!

What I Did When Someone Hurt Don and I
For example, a few years ago someone in our church that we respected came to Don and I and said some horrible things about our ministry. He was an elderly and highly respected man and he starting telling Don and I that we were teaching false doctrine and that our kids were going to be cursed! We just sat there on a Sunday morning flabbergasted and didn't know what to say or do! Then Don had to preach and all I did on the front row was try to plan how I was going to wrap his house or key his car! I am sooo spiritual!

At first I got mad and just wanted to tell everyone just what this elderly man had said(via the prayer line of course...like any good pastor's wife!) as well as tell him off personally...in Jesus name. Don held his hand up to me (he must of sensed the spirit of slap) and asked the gentlemen if he was finished and the man said "yes" and left. Don refused to talk about it the rest of the day and it infuriated me....I wanted to talk about this injustice!

Later that day, the Holy Spirit said to me, “You’re not going to do any of those things.” He said, “No, you’re going to do what you I tell you. You’re going to keep your mouth shut and I am going to take care of it.”

Needless to say, I resisted at first. But eventually Don and I decided to smile and not say another word about it; even to each other. The man came to us crying a week later saying that he didn't know what came over him. He got on his knees in front of us and begged for our forgiveness. We all cried together and prayed together right there on the floor of Don's office. The man was so faithful after that and always was a great encourager to all of us; Don had the great opportunity to preach his funeral later and people were saved. Wow...God can turn things around; can't he? If I would of opened my mouth...I could of messed everything up!

What You Must Do When Someone Hurts You
What I remember most about situations such as these is that as soon as I started taking action to do something good for them, it just got so funny to me. I was laughing out loud in my house, all by myself...God was giving me joy and victory over the thing! Of course God did give me a weird sense of humor; he must of known that I would need it!

Listen: When we can look at people who’ve hurt us with compassion and pray what Jesus prayed “…Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” there’s a party that goes on inside of us. (Even though the first prayer may be "Father let them rot and be exposed for all to see their evil ways!)

I think most of the time people don’t even realize what they are doing. That man who was talking about Don and I had no idea the position that he was putting himself in. I really think he was used by the enemy to ship wreck what God was doing in our church. The enemy will tear you down with bitterness and resentment if we open the door to it!

Why You Must Follow Forgiveness
That’s why we need to pray for them and say, “God forgive them.” In fact, what does God say will happen to us when we obey His Word?

Luke 6:35 states “…and then your recompense will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High….” God tells us that we’ll receive a reward. We will get double for our trouble if we will do things His way. (If we do things the Jonna way we will just get temporary satisfaction of showing people that they are wrong....then you feel guilty later and can't take it back!)

The Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins. Do you know what that means? It means that love will even have you making excuses for your enemies. Someone might come up to us and say, “Well, I heard what so-and-so did to you.” You will have the chance to turn that thing around and cause others to stop the talk! God has to give triple rewards for that!

When we really decide to forgive someone and pray the prayer that blesses our enemies, and making the decision that we will not talk bad about them, but instead, cover their fault and their mess, we still might not feel any different. But God didn't say that we would feel great about it...he just said to do it! Like exercise...it hurts and doesn't feel good...the fat cells are clinging and saying "NOOOOO" but if we are obedient and diligent....our lives will be changed!

Now, I believe choosing forgiveness is one of the most difficult things God asks us to do, especially if we believe that whoever hurt us is in the wrong and doesn’t deserve to be forgiven. But God instructs us to practice this and that means you might fail a few times at it. God knows your heart and when we choose to follow the path of forgiveness, we will experience the peace and joy that come through obeying God’s Word. Now who wouldn't want to have that?



Graciously Adorned
Jonna Gibson

*January 2010 MBAG Newsletter

*Declare it!

⇾Your words are actually containers for power and by the words you speak; you literally frame your World! You can use words to speak life, health and blessing to yourself and to others. Just as the Apostle James said "just as the tiny rudder determines the course of the entire ship..." your words determine the course of your life! (James 3:3-5) A turn of the rudder can make a ship avoid dangerous waters and likewise; your words can also grant you safe passage through life if you use them wisely! By the same token, careless or foolish words can be your downfall. That is why you and I have to be disciplined and vigilant with our tongues.

If you allow the words of the enemy or negative people to penetrate your soul then you may lose your joy. There will be times when you want to open your mouth and let loose a whole stream of words that express your anger or your frustration or even your impressions about someone or something. Don't do it! Do not allow your condition to control your words!

Determine that your words are going to be faith-filled from the Word of God. Declare what you have heard from the Lord for your life. Declare what you believe, and it will build your faith. Begin to speak your life as a success, finding purpose and direction under the shadow of God's protective hand. Remember though that the power is not in the words but actually in the SOURCE. God wants his people to open their mouth and speak HIS word!! Here is an example of how you can set the direction and course of your day in a positive way! Read it out loud and you will see that it can and will literally change the atmosphere and your day! God's word is powerful....we just have to use it, live it and most of all....SPEAK it!

Your Declaration!

I set the course of my life today with my words.

I declare today that I will not be defeated, discouraged, 

depressed or disappointed!

I am the head, I have insight, I have wisdom, I have ideas 

and I have authority!

Greater is HE that is in me than he that is in the world.(John 4:4)

The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives 

in me!(Romans 8:11)

As I speak words today, they come to pass. 

My words go before me, they bring the things to pass that I desire

and they stop all attacks, assaults, oppression and fear!

God is on my side today and therefore I cannot be defeated.

His favor surrounds me today as a shield. (Psalms 5:12)

I expect favor today from Heaven and Earth.

I have the wisdom of God today. I will think the right thoughts, 

say the right words and make the right decisions in every situation that I face.

I will not be sick; I will not be sad; I will not be broke and I will not be confused.
My steps are ordered of the Lord. (Psalms 37:23) 

I expect to have divine appointments, to run into the right people

and be delivered from the wrong people!

Any adversity, attacks, accidents, or tragedies that were headed

my way are diverted right now in Jesus' name!

I speak to the raging waters in my life, my mind, my body, my emotions, 

my home and to my family ...."Peace be still!!"

Now I speak to every mountain of fear, discouragement, stress, 

depression, lack or insufficiency and I say, 

"Be removed and cast into the sea in Jesus' name!" (Mark 11:23)

I will only think about things today that are true, honest,

pure, just, lovely & are of a good report! (Phil 4:8)

Now I expect today to be the best day of my life...

because I am more than a conqueror in Jesus & 

I can do all things through Christ who 

gives me strength! (Phil 4:13)

  You are Graciously Adorned
  Jonna

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