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Next Thing You Know…..by Matthew West

/ Kelly Savage / Leave a comment

I was sitting eating my breakfast this morning and as I do every morning, I was thanking the Lord through out the morning, here and there for various blessings that were popping up that I was thankful for. The Holy Spirit reminded me that I had prayed about something and the Lord answered that prayer pretty quickly and sometimes we just don’t seem to recognize the “smaller blessings”. We seem to focus on the things we don’t have or are still waiting on……but He does listen! He does answer! He does care! It may not always be the way we want it to be or He may require us to adjust, there is no doubt about that. I am definitely here to testify to that one! I have had to have many attitude adjustments along the way and still do. Sometimes, spiritually, I am sure he looks at me like a teenager who is just wanting her own way 🙂 🙂 🙂

What I found interesting in my little talk with the Holy Spirit this morning was the fact of the what would be consider small, insignificant prayers as some people would call them. I beg to differ!! This is exactly what this one was! It was a small request, nothing big and it was all about little ole Kelly. However, the Holy Spirit did indicate to me that my heart was right in this one, and that is BIG to our Holy God. The Bible has allot to say about our heart. One verse that came to my spirit with this was……

Jeremiah 17:10:
“God searches the heart and examines the mind to reward each person according to their conduct , according to what their deeds deserve.”

and Acts 1:24 where it states that the Lord knows everyones heart and Proverbs 21:2 states that the Lord weighs the Lord in the matter

Gods word is full of heart scriptures and is clear that the condition of your heart is critical in our walk with the Lord.

Bottom line……God cares about even the smallest of things in our life and what our heart cares about. His precious Words even speaks about giving us our hearts desires! He wants to give us our hearts desires. He really does care that much. Does he want our heart to be right in the matter? Yes. We are to be walking each and everyday closer and closer to Him, be more and more refined into the image of Christ. And that means attitude adjustments. And that starts in the heart. And that is where God judges from.

The song I shared with you, Matthew West’s Next Thing I Know, catchy tune, isn’t it? I thought it tied in to today’s post for 2 reasons. First, at the age of 13 he was touched by Billy Graham. Where? In his heart but as you will listen he fell away a bit……we all do at times……where….in our hearts? But when he cried out in college again……a simple prayer….from his heart….God shows up……when we truly mean it from our heart….and I do mean from the heart ……and God will know when it is and when it isn’t….it will be a BEAUTIFUL thing……..soak this scripture in…..

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are those who are pure in heart…..for they will see God”

Father God, thank You for the beautiful precious gift that you have given us in Jesus and that He died on the cross for us and that there is nothing that we have to do to receive that gift except to receive that gift in faith. Lord, thank you for receiving our prayers in faith and please search our hearts and minds and line them up according to Your will. That is our desire….is to live according to Your will. As we do that, we know that we will be blessed as Your Word says and we will see You. Thank you for answering our prayers, big and small and let us see how You are at work when we don’t see the prayers being answered right away. Open up our spiritual eyes to see. Thank You in the precious name of Jesus. Amen

Good Morning ! Let’s Be Blessed!

/ Kelly Savage / Leave a comment

Anyone ready for spring?  I am!  Ready for the spring “feel”, ready for the smell of spring, ready for spring flowers and the buds on the trees!!!!  Well, not quite yet! We are in for another winter storm, at least that is what they are saying for us to watch out for……oh, well….it will give us an opportunity to appreciate the springtime and His blessings all the more 🙂 🙂 🙂

I am going to real honest here and tell you I even like to hear the word “blessings”.  It is a beautiful word…..here is what I find when I look up the definition…

bless·ing

 noun

: approval that allows or helps you to do something

: help and approval from God

: something that helps you or brings happiness

and

Full Definition of BLESSING

1
a :  the act or words of one that blesses

 

b :  approval, encouragement

2
:  a thing conducive to happiness or welfare
3
:  grace said at a meal
 
See?  Nothing negative…..in a world full of negative, the word “blessing” has all positive wrapped up into it……I love it!  Then today when reading the word, I came across Psalm 89: 15 ” Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. “
 
And it hit me again…..the Word says allot “Blessed are those who……” but this hit me today because God has been talking to me about 2014 being the year to practice praising Him and walking in His presence and what joy that would bring to His people!  That was confirmation and what a beautiful confirmation it was!  🙂
 
When we learn to walk in His presence…..meaning as a way of life, not just 5 minutes or 15 minutes a day as devotion but as we “do our day”….throughout our day……….it was interesting that the Word doesn’t say sit in His presence, but it says walk in His presence………..
 
It also say those who have learned to acclaim Him…….I looked up synonyms of acclaim…….praise, applaud, cheer, commend, approve, welcome, celebrate………
 
So, let’s be blessed!!!!  Let’s learn to celebrate Him……to Praise Him……continuously…..turn worship music on….fill our houses with it….our cars with it……our hearts with it………. and really exalt Him for who He is in our lives and let’s learn even more to WALK continuously everyday with Him IN His presence, and the BLESSINGS will continuously be overflowing our cup!!!! 🙂  
 
Be blessed today in His presence!  
 
Kelly 
 

 

Need a little lift today? Need some freedom?

/ Kelly Savage / 1 Comment

I don’t know about you but there are those days at least for me…….those days where we need a little lift…..a little extra from the Lord. The enemy don’t play fair. The Bible does say he comes to steal, kill and destroy. Those are pretty hefty words to me! I am posting this song to share with you today as one of my all-time favorites. Ask my best friend, Denise! This is my dancing song! This is my “I don’t care who is around me, I will still dance” song” 🙂 ……

What the Lord is reminding me of these days is where the spirit of the Lord is…..there is FREEDOM!

2nd Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. and we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

The transformation process is not always easy in our Christian walk and the enemy, along the way, is like a roaring lion (1st Peter 5:8). Again, not another pretty analogy. But wait…..another reminder He gave me………which we MUST hold onto…….HE HAS ALREADY won the WAR at the cross……It is finished…

We already know what happens at the end of the book! Let’s hold true to it….and stay close to Him and the Spirit of the Lord because THAT is where the freedom truly is…….and that is for our whole walk…..everyday…..WHENEVER we need it.

So, whenever we feel weak, tired, upset, angry, sad, hopeless, tired of being tired, bogged down, chained down….you get the picture……snuggle up to His Spirit…..because He is always waiting…..enter His presence…..and there is freedom…..I can feel it now. Talk to Him…..ask Him for it……Tell Him you need it from Him……He never leaves you or forsakes you.

Enjoy the song. Play it over and over and over……put your dancing shoes on or not……but dance like no one is watching! 🙂

Have a great day of freedom!

Hold Me Jesus

/ Kelly Savage / 1 Comment

Do you Like Hugs? Do you Ever FEEL like you need a hug? Do you ever FEEL you need peace from the everyday stresses of this world? I know I do!! Sort of like that old commercial…….Calgon…..take me away!!!!!!!………Am I showing my age now????!! 🙂 I posted a video of one of my favorite songs and the lyrics are just as good! But the meaning goes deep as well. The Bible speaks of peace that passes all understanding and that kind of peace……only comes from the Lord…….not from ourselves, anyone else or of things…….

My sister in law, Shelli and I have embarked on a journey together for the last several months now. We pray every Monday morning (or more whenever needed) and we have prayer focuses and have even went as far as the prayer of “do whatever you need to do Lord” in certain situations! Boy, be careful of that prayer! 🙂 That prayer will take you places that you might have never been…..deep deep places…..and Praise the Lord, we have seen answers as we walk through WITH him…….

However, our journey reminded us of one thing consistently…….we CANNOT do our journey in our own strength….or we will fail…..hands down. We will burn out. It really is that simple.

We have a tendency to trust in things, sometimes other men, and especially our own strength……and that will leave us empty every single time. Our strength is only so strong and lasts only so long. In fact, listen to some the wisdom of the Word of God……

Jeremiah 17:5-8

“This is what the Lord says:

Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on the flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Here are my thoughts for today: I want to to be like that tree by the stream. I want to trust in the Lord and not in my own strength and I have come to know in my life (and what a beautiful knowing it is) that the only true PEACE I really need is that of Jesus. Enjoy the song. Over and over again if you need. Sometimes I do many times a day, depending on the day! 🙂

Blessings!

Kelly

Come on…….Get dressed and fed…….in HIM!

/ Kelly Savage / Leave a comment

I was sitting and talking with Jesus yesterday and it hit me of how easily we get up each morning and get dressed, eat and then especially yesterday with sub zero temperatures put on our coats and gloves for protection and head out the door for the day.  We “prepare” for the day.  We do this each and everyday because that’s what we do.  We do it naturally and really without thinking because we have to “prepare” for our day” physically.  What about our spiritual needs?  Do we tend to them?  Are they not just as important?  I was talking to a friend who was asking me why they are not feeling full spiritually?  Why they are not hearing from God?  In fact, they didn’t feel protected?  That hit me big time with this particular conversation with God?  I ask them –  did they prepare?

God is our protector and by going to Him everyday, we go under his umbrella of protection….ahhhhhhhh, I feel it now.  The Bible and His ultimate, beautiful, wonderful, truth-giving Word is our food.  We get fed and then we can feel full spiritually each and every time we CHOOSE to be fed.  And His Word, in Ephesians 6, everyday, we can put on the full armor of God and we can take our sand against the strategies of the enemy!  Wow, who wouldn’t be ready for the day now!

So I ask you – Did you get dressed this morning?  Did you eat?

Be blessed!  And have a wonderful Day!!!!

Many beautiful ways to worship……..way past the instruments

/ Kelly Savage / Leave a comment

Worship is……….

putting other’s needs before our own selfish gains……..

listening for God’s voice and putting our own agenda aside…….

walking in forgiveness when other’s actions fall short of our expectations…..

going to work and giving God our best day and doing the work onto God……

not always music………

living in obedience to what the Holy Spirit is speaking……

living in the fruit of the spirit……gentleness, faithfulness, self control, meekness, peace, joy, love, kindness, patience, goodness, temperance and faith………

not always within 4 walls……….

acknowledging Him and His greatness in everything …….

maintaining a Godly attitude when we don’t want to…….

holding true to our convictions…..at all times

can be done everyday……at work, home, in the store, alone, with or without instruments and with or without a perfect voice…….

so much more I didn’t mention but can be found in the smallest of things we do everyday that is not in the norm of the instruments on stage or voice……that is only one beautiful part……there are also many beautiful parts out there as worship onto our beautiful amazing God………….

My desire………to continuously have the Lord check my heart, remove the impurities that are not of Him, take that as the first step of worship and then belt away to Him praises of just how good of a God He is even if I am off tune and I don’t have an instrument…….and I know He would be pleased and show up for me…….that IS just how much our God loves US!

Wanna laugh?

/ Kelly Savage / 2 Comments

Guaranteed to make you at least smile if not laugh hardy!!

Proverbs 17:22 a cheerful heart is good medicine…….

We all know what a GOOD laugh does for us and certainly one when we start to giggle and can’t stop and also know we need more of those!! Its even proven medically…….We all have things that tickle our funny bones differently and I have been told I have a very different humor 🙂 and laugh at the silliest things but that’s ok…..because then I end up laughing that much more……and in the world we live in……we really do need our laughter and to focus on simple good, ole’ fun and Jesus and His gift……..I truly believe the simplest way of spreading His word and gospel as we are instructed to do is to simply live His word out daily and letting His character play out in us everyday, 7 days a week, in everything we do, the simple things of life…….because when people ask us…..how do you have so much peace……because they should see it on us…….( the joy of The Lord is our strength …. Nehemiah 8:10) ……..we then have open doors to testify what Jesus does for us, who He is, what He has done for them, how He love them, and it isn’t forced……….

Simple everyday acts open up doors……

Enjoy the video, laugh a little or allot ( I did! ) and listen for a whisper of the Holy Spirit today…….

Have a great and awesome day!!!!

REVIVAL?

/ Kelly Savage / 1 Comment

Hello all!  I know I haven’t blogged for a while.  God has had me on a little “retreat” with him and I.  A little trip, so to speak 🙂  Actually, I am in the process of writing a book that He had been prompting me to writing for several years and  I finally  decided to become obedient (which hasn’t been the easiest road if I have to admit) and I have been engrossed in the trip that He and I have been on………and oh, what a trip it is starting out to be!

To give you a little taste, it hasn’t always been a beautiful, smooth ride so far on our “trip”….however, life changing already……that’s how you know it’s a God-trip!…it is a book about a year or so in my life about God dealing with my heart and some heart issues…… heart issues……you know, the deep stuff.. the HARD issues…. and how transformation continuously takes place in our walk with HIM or it should….walking out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)….inwardly first and it flows outwardly……. God concerns Himself with our heart and what is in there………..more than I believe we realize at times.  The heart is mentioned many times throughout the Word……..depending of course which translation is used…….heart is found hundreds of times throughout the scriptures….however the interesting part is that God is very concerned what is inside of our hearts, knows what is inside of our hearts, wants to transforms what is inside of our hearts to become more like His son in attitude and that starts in our hearts and not in our outward appearance.  That’s why His Word even states that murder starts in the heart even if we hate our brother…(1st John 3:15)….it’s a heart attitude…….that why adultery starts in our hearts when we look in lust with our eyes…(Matthew 5:28) ……..it’s a heart attitude……and our actions reflect what in inside our hearts and our heart attitudes.    “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks”……..Luke 6:45

In other words, it starts in our hearts…..it protrudes from our hearts.  So, I am on yet another journey.  I have aways been able to relate to Jesus when he seemed angry with the Pharisees when their outward appearance seemed so right and they knew the laws and did the “right” things yet they didn’t have the greater things right like agape love, mercy, grace and their hearts right.  I also got angry because of those attitudes…..  I want my heart right.

Revival?  I am one of those that will say I don’t think we need another revival.  Why?  Because we go to one.  We get all charged up.  Kind of like a spiritual drug.  Sorry…..lack of better word, maybe??  But I have been there.  And then the high goes down.  The charge goes down.   We don’t need another revival.  We need Jesus and we need the simple revelation of what He has done on the cross for us to penetrate so deeply in our hearts and to ask Him to change our hearts where ever HE thinks needs changing today and then we need to cooperate with Him……working out our salvation…….with His grace and help……He knows what we need best, where we are at, what needs to be addressed, where His grace is resting upon us, what is on the road ahead, hmmmmmmm

so resting in His gift of the cross, His finished work, asking Him to change us and what He wants us to work on and allow Him to do it (because we can’t do it on our own) so we are made further into His image and simply be spreading His love and the simple message of His cross……to make other disciples?

could it be that simple ????

HIS PRESENCE!!!

/ Kelly Savage / Leave a comment

Here is where I think its at……….more of His presence…….practicing His presence…….12 years ago……I didn’t even know what that means…….but I do now……and it is where I get my fulfillment, my rest, my true relaxation, my refill, my energy……….the peace that truly surpasses all understanding………  Sure, we can get fulfillment from other things and situations but we know it only last temporary, then we can go for the energy drink to only last for so long, then we can go on a vacation only to come back to reality and all of that is good and fine and I participate in those as well BUT BUT BUT, God is calling us to HIM, to be with Him, in His presence, in His still quiet voice, without the clamoring of noise around us, His stillness, even His silence.  Even in His silence, we can be changed.  In our very small minds, sometimes, we don’t see that or think that is possible OH but it is……..he can touch those parts that we can TRY for YEARS to fix and perform for and yet we could sit in His presence possibly for weeks, day, or maybe longer, or maybe minutes?? and see how He will work.  He wants to lead, guide, direct our steps…….that how He does it, by His still, quiet voice……..The key is His presence and us practicing the stillness and hearing His voice.  I had a Bible study at my home several years ago and that is all we did most weeks.  We got right to it.  We got our spots, we sought God in quietness, we journaled and we had powerful testimonies that came out of just His presence!  I am going after that AGAIN!  Anybody with me?

I see in the scriptures that Jesus went for His solitude…….if He needed and find the time to do it, don’t you think it is important for us to do it?

Christianity 101

/ Kelly Savage / Leave a comment

The Message reads in Isaish 58: This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You’ll call out for hep and I’ll say, “Here I am”.

Proverbs 19:17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

Luke 14:13-14 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.

Let’s be challenged today by God’s Word. This is Christianity 101. I implore us all to get it. And walk in it. Be blessed today in His presence!

Kelly