Seated In Heavenly Places

  
It would seem natural that I might possibly ponder this thought today. 

Seated in Heavenly Places 

I am seated in the middle of an airplane seat looking out a window of clouds high above so many thousand feet in the air. Okay, well looking over the stranger who is sitting in the window seat. Actually, I am sandwiched in between two men who are on their phone devices. I too am hooked up to my music and wondering why I didn’t check in earlier to get a better chance of sitting next to my travel partners. 
Live and learn. 
I am reading the book, “Think like Heaven” by Bob Hazlett. 

My elbows are bruising from the hard arm rests poking them. 

Why is it that men always hog the arm rests and take them over???
Back to my book I am reading….

The author writes whole chapters on how to achieve this glorious feat of heavenly thinking. 
I am just going to stop and ponder on this one thought right now. 
Let’s see what God has to say about this matter. 

Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. ~Ephesians 2:6 

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what it means to be hidden in something. 
I think of the hollow wooden nesting dolls. You know the ones you twist and open up and pull out the exact same doll only smaller to discover yet another one inside that doll. 

It ends with a small teeny tiny solid one that doesn’t open. 
I’m the wooden red doll hidden inside of Christ. 
This particular verse says:
You have been raised with Christ. 
Set your heart on things above……

where Christ is
(Where is He located?)

at the right hand of God
For I have died and my life is now hidden with Christ in God. 
We know from other scriptures that we are to die as Christ is to live. 
Spiritually speaking, I am alive in Christ Jesus. 
I don’t have to board an airplane and fly up to sandwich myself between God and Jesus. 
I am already there!!
They don’t hog the armrests!! 
I am Seated in Heavenly Places
You can find me in seat 11 (just happens to be my favorite number) located in first class. Since God had much to do with firsts. 
The cost and sacrifice was expensive for me to obtain this position. His life freely given so I can receive life, be free and sit as a coheir with Him. 

Peek a Boo

There I am hidden in Christ. Can you see me waving out of the top of His head?
It is a whole different mindset to operate from this seat. 
I choose to operate from my assigned seat. He called ahead and assigned me there. 

Ephesians 1:4

“He chose us in him before the creation of the world…”
God is way more organized than me!!
I am Seated in Heavenly Places!!
There’s a seat open next to me. It’s a window seat. I will scoot over and even share my arm rests!!

You too can book a flight with a seat hidden in Christ.  
John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Hop On,

   Kelley Allison

    John1:4-5

One Year Blog Anniversary

  

Thank you for a great first year!   We at Restored Ministries really appreciate all your support. 

Looking forward to many more.

       ~XXOO Michelle Bollom 

Born Again

  
So many people are searching and lost. Many think they are broken beyond repair. Do you need a promise? Does your heart need reassurance somehow? 
Let Jesus sing His song over you. Let Him give you life and love like you have never known before. ~XXOO Michelle Bollom 
Enjoy this classic song today on #SongSunday 

Born Again by Third Day

Lyrics:
Today I found myself

After searching all these years

And the man that I saw, he wasn’t at all who I thought he’d be

I was lost when you found me here

And I was broken beyond repair

Then you came along and you sang your song over me
It feels like I’m born again

It feels like I’m living

For the very first time

For the very first time

In my life
Make a promise to me now

Reassure my heart somehow

That the love that I feel is so much more real than anything

I’ve a feeling in my soul

And I pray that I’m not wrong

That the life I have now, it is only the beginning
It feels like I’m born again

It feels like I’m living

For the very first time

For the very first time

It feels like I’m breathing

It feels like I’m moving

For the very first time

For the very first time
I wasn’t looking for something that was more

Than what I had yesterday

Then you came to me and you gave to me

Life and a love that I’ve never known

That I’ve never felt before
It feels like I’m born again

It feels like I’m living

For the very first time

I’m living for the first time

It feels like I’m breathing

It feels like I’m moving

For the very first time

I’m living for the first time

In my life

Love 101

  

I have been thinking lately about all the hate, violence, offense, and just plain ole craziness in the world.  

We see it reported everywhere. Just look at Social Media or the news. There is so much “junk” out there and it keeps getting reported and reshared so it just keeps circulating In the atmosphere. 

Even if you don’t do social media or watch the news you probably have heard about the stories or witnessed it first hand in your own communities. 

I was sitting quietly and thinking about some of the recent events around the world that I have heard about or witnessed and this is what I wrote down:

The solution for all the world’s problems comes down to one thing-

LOVE

So as I was preparing this blog on my thoughts on Love, the world woke up yesterday to the trending of #LoveWins and I couldn’t help but think….

Love is NOT the Gay Rights hashtag #LoveWins message that is circulating.  
That definition of love NEVER wins- only Real Love Wins & that is a person –God.

Real Love already won at the cross.

I don’t care if people want to fight for equal rights for a civil union with their same sex partners- I accept and love all people regardless the lifestyle they choose to participate in- but why the need of wanting to redefine marriage on all the rest of the world that choose to live by a Biblical world view -which defines marriage as between a man and a woman? 

I don’t approve of the ruling, but I accept those that do.  

I read something that said don’t confuse Marriage with Holy Matrimony. 

I started thinking on what we really should not be confused by….

Don’t confuse Acceptance with Approval or Tolerance with Endorsement. 

The world has confused disapproval or a difference of opinions as Intolerance or hate. 

We can disapprove or disagree and still love.

 Disagreement and disapproval don’t =hate.  

The solution to end all hate, intolerance and violence in the world could really be very simple if we all followed Jesus’ command to Love.

Love God above all and love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.  

We can’t love our self or others properly without first loving God.   
Without genuine self love our love for others will always be counterfeit.  

We must know what Real Love is. 

 Love is a person- Love is God! 

Once we know God; Real love, then we will know how to love ourselves and others well and fulfill this command and all do our part in making this world a better place. 

This recent ruling doesn’t change anything.  God is still in control and God always wins.  

Yes, Love Won; several thousand years ago and Love is still winning and Love will win every time on every situation when it is Christ’s Love shown through us.

I think everyone should have to take a mandatory course in Love 101.  A great place to start is looking to God’s Promises in His Word on the subject.   

              XXOO ~Michelle Bollom

                     #LiveRestored
The whole law is made complete in this one command: “Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.” (‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ERV)

The person who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8 GW)

The Way of Love

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled. (1 Corinthians 13:1-10 MSG)
  

Best quote on the recent ruling:

We’ve turned a historical corner today, one that is not only significant in terms of US history but also in light of God’s larger redemptive narrative. I see this new age as one of opportunity for the Christian believer, as we prepare to embrace any and all whose present joy might later turn to emptiness, confusion or despair. May the Church meet the new struggles of this age with all the soul-stirring love, faithfulness, and courage of Christ Himself.

—Karen Angela Ellis, Adjunct Professor of Ethics, Oxford Graduate School

Celebrate Each Other

  
He was sent to us

He was in our care

He slipped through

The cracks

Of distraction…

The cares of this

World and despair 

Strangling us

To his plea

Oh

My

God

!!!

Help us to hear

To see

To listen

And 

Rush to

The rescue

Of 

The hurting

The Ian’s 

That need

Friendship

Acknowledgment 

Recognition

Validation

Visibility

Compassion 

Acceptance

Kindness

A “like”

A comment

A visitation 

Comrades 

We must

Celebrate 

Each other

Before

Eternity

Takes us away

❤️Krystal Lynne 

Can God Trust You

  

Here’s the question of the day? Can you be trusted? Christians can we be trusted? 

People are always stating things like if they won the lottery they would do this and they would do that.. or if they made more money they would this, that and the other..but the ultimate question is can you be trusted? We all want God’s blessings but can He trust us enough to bless us?

Let’s be honest no one wants to be in a relationship with anyone that they can’t trust. Whether it’s our husband,wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, we want to assume that we can trust our mates and they will not lie, cheat or steal from us.

Even if it’s something as simple as employment, we want to be able to trust our employer to tell the truth about the possibilities in making more money in our career or even a promotion.

In most of our day to day lives we pretty much demand honesty and trust from everyone that we encounter.

Some people wonder why they are not where they should be in life and they want to know why they are not being blessed, but God wants to know that He can trust us.

Example: If He blesses us with a ministry would we continue to push the ministry to the fullest or would we take shortcuts or delegate the ministry to someone else?
Example: If He blessed us with expensive cars,bigger homes or a better job will we remain humble and continue to help others who are less fortunate?
Luke 12:48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Understand that the more God gives us more is REQUIRED from you.

Scripture used for today’s devotion:

Job 1:7-8

7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” 

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 

In this verse where Satan looked for someone “righteous”, Jesus said, ” Have you considered my friend Job?” Most people have always admired the scriptures of Job because it taught us as Christians about patience and endurance but if we really think of this passage closely – Jesus REFERRED Job to Satan because he was TRUSTWORTHY.  Jesus knew that Job would do whatever to serve Him regardless of what trials and tribulations that he experienced. 

 Job lost his children, his livestock,property, dignity and some parts of his mind, but he was trustworthy because of his faithfulness to God.

So going back to the subject:

Most of us are known to stay faithful and trustworthy to God when we need something, but He is waiting on a steady commitment. With alot of us we are looking for a quick fix type of God. When most of us are down and out it’s really easy for us to stay faithful to God. When we experience deaths in the family, job loss, when bills are due we become really close with God.

He has the power to do all things for us but can He trust you? Walking with Christ is not a sugar daddy type of relationship where you only call on Him when you need Him, He needs a real commitment from you. ~LaNette Kincaid 
 {Sidenote: A sugar daddy is someone that only came around when you called him and he would pay and handle everything lacking for you. The sugar daddy wasn’t to serve any other purpose other than to handle bills and business-no real relationship. Also known as “The big spender”or a pimp}
  
Women With Gifts is an organization that promotes women to use the gifts and talents that GOD has given them for survival. Our organization believes in leadership development, teaching and motivating others. Essentially, we are the products of the seeds we’ve sown. Growing Roses from a Briefcase is an inspirational motto we use that means we are believers and we have the ability to do anything that we put our minds to. Growing roses from a briefcase sounds difficult but “WE can do all things through Christ who strengthens US.” Philippians 4:13
LaNette Kincaid is a Marine wife and mother of two, that took on the challenge of owning a business shortly after graduating college. Most of her tips and advice that you will read come from her personal experiences of trial and error. To see more of LaNette’s business and inspirational tips be sure to follow her on Twitter @LaNetteKincaid
  

Our Words Carry Weight

  
Can you imagine if the things you said to someone or the promises you made were measured in pounds? What would your weight be for the last week/month? And what if those words were measured against how your actions fell in line with the words and the weight was doubled? Or tripled depending on the severity of the things we utter…ed. What if you had an accountability partner that you had to report to and that person monitored your daily baggage? Would that change us? Would it make us more aware of how the things we say affect people? Aware of how people depend on us and our stability and our intentions? Think of the things you hold dear to your heart that have been said to you…the things that catch you off guard, that pop into your head and make your heart pitter patter, the things that made you feel loved and special. The ones that affirmed and conveyed affection. The ones you revert back to in a moment of insecurity or vulnerability. 

Now, think of the promises that were made that were unfulfilled, the ones that steal your breath, make your eyes fill with tears and the lump appear in your throat. The ones you wanted so badly to come true. The ones you wanted the other person to regard the same way you did. The ones with future plans attached to them. The ones you can never erase. Now think about which ones you remember more? Which ones haunt you? The ones where you are affirmed or the ones that left you wondering what part you played in the demise? I think human nature is to try and rationalize why we say things we don’t mean. Why we say things that cancel out the love we’ve uttered in the past. I think our selfishness controls most of us and overrides our words and actions. But the weight….what if we had to carry that around for everyone to see? Would we be more conscious? Would we consider the ones we’re talking to and consider the weight of our words to them? Whether they uplift or tear down? Whether they will remember with love or tears who we were to them? Would we be more careful with our own hearts and others? If communication is a key to a relationship then intent with our words is the lock that turns to open the door to light or darkness and the weight we are responsible for is directly proportionate to the absence of either of those. I’m pretty sure my albatross would be in the double digits….what about yours?

~Elissa Renee Shelton

  

Change Me

  

I want my heart

To be Your heart, Lord.
Change me.

Break me.

Put me back together.

Your way.
Each piece I struggle to keep,

Take from me

And toss into the sea.
Blind me

To what’s keeping me

From You.
Silence the noise.

Around me.

Within me.
Be still the creatures

That stir

The waters of Your

Peace.
Allow only the ripples of

Your very being

To wash over me.
Cleanse me.

Mend me.

Make me whole.
Purpose this heart I carry

To be made anew

In You.
For I want my heart

To be Your heart, Lord.
~S. Gable 

Promotion

  

Define: 

Promotion can be defined as the action of raising someone to a higher position or rank or the fact of being so raised.

 

Affirm:  

1 Peter 5:6-7 “So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.”

 

Recall:  

On Tuesday, June 16, 2015 the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 105-97 win for the 2015 NBA Championship game. For those of us that watch basketball, the final series was quite exciting and intense. For those of us that live in Houston, we were even more excited about supporting the Rockets this past season as well. I didn’t watch much basketball during the regular season; but I did watch a few of the Rockets vs Warriors games. That’s when I learned about Steph Curry, basketball’s MVP of the year. I decided to research more about Steph’s journey to MVP.  

 

Here’s information that you might not know about Steph’s basketball journey:

■ He was criticized by his peers for working on his shot in middle school

■ He was often overlooked because of his height and size, despite his talent

■ He wasn’t offered an athletic scholarship to a major university, even when his father reached out to professional contacts (he was offered the option to walk on a team)

■ He was the number 7 pick for the NBA draft in 2009, and was passed up by 5 teams

■ He suffers ongoing injuries to his ankles
Steph is now considered one of the best shooters the NBA has ever seen. I am in awe about what I learned about him. It made me think about what it takes to be great.  

 

I am wondering, have you ever felt overlooked? Have you ever been labeled as the underdog? Do you feel it’s time for an increase? Have you been criticized because you chose a different path? Are you due for a promotion?  

 

If you like me have experienced, feeling overlooked or being the underdog- just know that the key to your promotion is being content where you are and staying obedient to GOD’s word. In due season, GOD will promote you at the right time.  

 

Just like Steph, you must stay aggressive, be confident, and make plays. Steph has remained obedient and after he makes a good play, he pounds his chest and points to the sky to symbolize his heart for GOD as a reminder of who he is playing for.  

 

GOD’s POWER will always exceed the limitations that PEOPLE have. My challenge is when you feel that PEOPLE are overlooking you, remain steadfast in GOD and he will PROMOTE you. 

  

Exercise: 

Dear God, 

 Thank you so much for your commit to promote me at the right time. When I am feeling overlooked by others, please help me to stay focused on you. Thank you so much for my commitment to be steadfast in your promise. I know when you promote me it will be at the highest level. I thank you in advance for my promotion.

 

Commit to the challenge. I DARE you. 

#mydearestsister #Idareyou #restoredministries #itstimeforachange #anewyou #LiveRestored

~LeReca Monik 

 

Everyone Loves Music

  

Music ….. I don’t think I could live without it! 

Each Sunday we like to bring #SongSunday to our blog.  I believe that “Music speaks when words seem to fail.” 

 
We always love to hear what you are listening to.   

What is on your list of Must Have Music? 

 
I think Billy Joel has it right with his quote below….

Music is healing, it is an explosive expression of humanity and something we are all touched by no matter what culture we are  from. 

I agree- I think

Everyone Loves Music!

Share some of your favorite songs or quotes with us in the comments below. 

~XXOO Michelle Bollom