Driving the family car…….spiritually speaking that is! :)

April 27, 2017April 27, 2017 Laura GraceLeave a comment

car pic

Yesterday I was facing a hard day at school (bible school) as I was studying critical thinking, many details on how to do a paper “the proper way” In true University style. I have learned about scholarly sources all kinds of details about plagiarism, and ….Well it’s all quite detailed, formated, cut and dry. I am a free thinker who loves to pray, be creative, and Uh, guess I pride myself a little bit on “being free spirited” and walking inthe spirit.I believe in pray, open your mouth, and let the river flow!

Details that I am experiencing in school right now are a difficult challenge for me. I cannot deny I need it, I just realy didn’t WANT to grow some more!

I am ready to be a big girl now, and go out and do more things for Jesus! You know the frustration, right?

“Let’s get this show on the road” we say (to God) year after year after agonizing year! “Gosh daddy, have I not grown enough yet?” “Can I drive the car now, please?” “Tell me again how to adjust the mirrors,” Dad says. “BUT all the other kids are driving Dad, they never check the mirrors! They’ve been driving for a long time now! I am careful! Please Dad Please?” “Take the car,” he says, “show me again what you know, but only around the block.” “Oh Gosh Daddy,” (Humph) “This just isn’t fair!” (sigh) I’ve been at this for thirty years now. God has let me “drive the car” spiritually speaking. I’ve ran into a few things, bumped into others at times, and sometimes don’t even go exactly the direction he says. I am learning! One day he will say; “You’re ready girl” for a big long road trip!’ “I am sending you out.”

Until then. he just said I have to understand how the entire car works! (No exceptions). And maybe the other kids won’t have to do this but, I do! (for some reason I can’t understand right now) But guess what? I will before it’s all over, understand perfectly why My Father Required so much of me.

with love and prayers! Heb 6:11-13 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹²that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Laura Grace

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What being A Christian really is- and what it isn’t ….by Laura Grace

April 24, 2017April 24, 2017 Laura GraceLeave a comment

xIt just happens I’m in bible college, and a class I’m in right now is called apologetics. It’s a funny name for it, since I make no apologies about what I believe, or why.

This class helps us think about our Biblical worldview, what others believe, and challenges us to dig deep and see for ourselves why we believe what we do.

Everything I am about to tell you is based on scripture. If you have a question about that let me know, I will provide all the passages. What I can tell you is I am a witness just like the disciples who followed Jesus.

As a child I attended church. I heard all my life “Jesus is real.” When I was in high school I was a big time humanist. I was horrified at the world, the bullies, the mean people, the selfish people. I was a liberal, and very much a women’s libber, as well.

I was mad at God, and mad about injustice, which he seemed to do nothing about. I was apalled at conserative stances, and how christians could talk about love one minute, and throw people under the bus if they got food stamps, calling them “those who suck off the system” and take their tax dollars. For me that was the ultimate hypocrisy, to preach love one minute and be a “hater” the next toward those who were not so fortunate.

I married badly partly out of pride. I was going to show those conservatives what was what. “HERE I”LL SHOW YOU HOW to love” I thought (since they were so bad at it and all). it didn’t take long to figure out I got myself in a real pickle of suds (and problems). Totally broken. Defeated. In the dark. It was a blessing in disguise.

It wasn’t long before I found myself in a pile of failure. Baptists knocked on my door one day, asking if I was born again. “I’m a Lutheran” I said, and went to work and laughed at them for being so crazy. Later I was crying, upset, and a Billy Graham message captivated me. I HAD experiences with the presence of God (the Holy Spirit) prior to this.

When I ran away in high school in defiance, My mom prayed, cried and gave me to God. She said she didn’t know what to do with me. WHEN I was watching Billy Graham I truly realized my sin. Pride. Anger. Unforgiveness. Defiance toward God and others. Judging.

The Holy Spirit (Via Billy Graham and those that knocked on my door) caused me to see I had believed in Jesus but had not RECEIVED him as saviour and Lord. I saw he was the only way to Salvation. I saw I was a sinner, in need of help. I stopped saying in my heart “Well I’m not THAT bad of a person” and accepted him, gave him my life. I asked him to take over…………

After that, things changed for me. I went on a journey (30 years ago) It hasn’t ended yet. A journey of learning, (from the Holy Spirit) who IS my teacher. I’ve seen so many miracles I’ve lost track. I’ve seen God honor his word and provide for me.

God is holy. I know this. He wants us to be Holy. Why? Because if we are becoming holy (more like him) We are deeper in covenant with him. ALL we have is His, and all he has is ours. I’m not a liberal anynore, and I am not judging God for letting the world go to “hell in a handbasket” as they say. He gives us a choice. Me, You, everyone…..”choose this day” who you will believe in. God does not share his glory with any (other god) and he is not a humanist. He put us in the world, he can take us out if he wants to. He made us, created us TO BE HIS SONS (and daughters)

IF we rebel like satan we are satans’s kids -not his. When I was in defiance, if I had died, I would have gone to hell, and I know that. Yep they were furious when Jesus said “your Father is the devil” (wanted to kill him, and did!!) I undestand now, to be a humanist is to defy God’s discipline, holiness, and who He really is.

“HOW Dare you!” Their flesh said (to Jesus) How dare you not make us feel GOOD about how we are (in our sinful condition) How dare you convict us? Jesus was crucified because people were appalled he dared to say he was the only way. They wanted his miracles, but not his conviction. The Pharisees didn’t want either because they were already rich (and powerful.) They thought they knew God but they only knew his laws, and not his heart. They were full of pride.

Well, the road or door to Salvation is to admit we are wrong, and God is right. There is no other way, and there is no other name by which Men are saved.

JESUS ….the name above all names. Jesus………He’s proven himself to me, time and time again. I didn’t take “Someone else’s word for it” I just heard the preacher and said Okay “make yourself real to me Lord.”

He will rule and reign. Don’t believe me? Ask him! I dare you.

with love, Laura Grace Author, Grace to the Rescue

PS: Yes, I am born again. Filled with the Spirit. and in love with Jesus Christ

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No labor of love is in vain……..but let’s define love again, shall we?

April 24, 2017April 24, 2017 Laura GraceLeave a comment

LOVE BLACK AND WHITE.jpg Let’s define love again, Shall we? the 1 Corn way.

1 Corinthians 13:6

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

I can still hear Margeret Becker, playing on my cassette deck singing, “NO Labor of love is in vain…….precious jewels are changed to jewels in the rain……” (Never for Nothing, by Margaret Becker). I can remember how hard it was to beleive that. My book Grace to the Rescue, is only available on Kindle right now. It was my first attempt at authorship and no…I didn’t go to school for writing, and no publisher approached and me and said “Hey, you should write a book.”

It came about because I could not tell my story without constant interuptions.

I would say what I’d been through, people would quote 1 Corn to me, and tell me I should read it. I read it 1000 times (or more) and, I lived it.

And no I’m not living in the past. I was on auto-pilot, trained to love, by the church and others. I stuck up for my church zealously too, I might add, and for those that advised me poorly.

When People saw the abuse I was going through I thought standing up for 1 Corn 13, was standing up for Jesus! Nobody, and I mean nobody, was ever going to get me to give up on believing for my marraige to last.

Now that I have been (gasp) divorced, and yes re-married (for 15 years) I have added forgiving all the crazy, inconsiderate, mean-spirited, and even clueless people who tormented me for years with the very passages of scripure I loved.

I fell in love with God’s word when I became born again 30 years ago. It came alive to me. My family will tell you I would not shut up about Jesus, and I would not stop witnessing and praying for people either. Thousands of times (Thousands) I said “THANK YOU FATHER FOR Healing my marraige!”

You have to remember, Jews were brought up in God with their parents inolved in the marraiges, along with many teachings about marraige. Nobody ran to a court house and got a certificate, back in those days, nor ran to Vegas and woke up saying “what did I just do?” There were serious laws (from God) about how a man treated his wife, and laws for the wife and children as well.

There was not crazed druggies making their spouse’s lives a living hell every day, after they married them in a spur of the moment decision on a court house lawn.

We’ve learned to say things (like little parrots) and it needs to stop. God hates divorce. He hates sin. He hates that you married the wrong person. He hates that you didn’t know him when you were young…….

He hates sin, because it seperates us from him. Living in sin on purpose keeps us apart from him and he loves us so dearly, he sent his son to die for us. Sin is walking in constant error, deeming something to be more important than he is. God told Adam and Eve not to eat from that tree, (of knowledge of good and evil) and they did it anyway.

If you are abused, God loves you. He wants to help you. He came to make the captives free. Yes I did 16 years of working on me, changing me, before I ever walked out that door. Yes I learned to love to forgive beyond 70 times 7. And I don’t regret it, but I did need to get out of there. Better to lose your hand or foot (spiritually speaking) than to be dragged to hell with them.

Maybe you won’t have to get divorced, maybe you will. I don’t know. But God loves you enough to say, “You matter.” I made my laws for you, to protect you, because I love you my dear.” He said these words in his Holy Word: “I made the sabbath for man, not man for the sabbath.” Think about that for a minute, will you?

I have copies of my book (Paperback) grace to the rescue, published in 2013 if you are interested in one, write me sisterzeal@yahoo.com

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I had a rough week……

April 21, 2017 Laura GraceLeave a comment

I had a rough week. Ever had one of those? Sure you have. 🙂 Some of it was funny, other things, not so much. I was thinking how in order to find out if your pipe is weak (in your house) the best thing to happen is to apply some pressure. My husband has fixed numberous pipes, and the thing is: It was already wearing out and weak at some point …….hard use is what manifested the problem. The problem wasn’t put there by the devil, or some unseen force…………

It was not a conspiracy. The pipe was weak, it was getting hard use, and it sprung a leak. Now that part has to be replaced (with something new) In order to work efficiently again. Following me? If the pipe was a living thing, it does not need to be told things like: “I saw a pipe in far worse condition than you the other day.” Sorry that doesn’t help. The pipe is broken. Whether it’s a big crack, little crack, or tiny speck of a hole, the pipe still leaks, and it needs replaced. Duct tape might work for awhile, but pretty likely that will wear off, and it’s not a permanent fix.

In the same way, sometimes we find out where our weak spots are, because some pressure was applied to our lives. We think it’s a bad thing, embarrassing, or just plain ROUGH. “I thought you wanted me to have abundant life Father,” We cry…….

Well that is what this passage means:

1 Peter 5:10

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. NKJV

GOD can (and will) replace your old parts with new parts, from him. I see our lives as one big renovation project. We come to him, give him our lives, and he begins to take over, and will help us build a very fine house to live in. So many times the Holy Spirit is saying, “Let me show you a new way” (to live, in this area) and we are too busy kicking and screaming saying “When will it ever be done Father?” Because someone told us this is a right now, overnight, quick fix situation. “SEND ME A DONATION” (they say) “God is going to fix everything RIGHT NOW.”

Not true. Sorry about that. It’s an ongoing process. bit by bit. Piece by piece, here a little there a little. Line upon line, precept upon precept.. The good news is, God will get the job done! Just stay with him “Thank you Father for replacing every worn out and non useful part in my life. Thank you for saying out with the old, in with the new!” Father please forgive me for having a fit. THANK YOU that you have restored me and are restoring me. In Jesus’ name! amen. Laura Grace author #Gracetogrow

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Where your faith is at………What do you have Faith in? And why do we believe what we do?

April 19, 2017April 19, 2017 Laura GraceLeave a comment

So where’s your faith today? Or what is it IN? That’s my pondering for this morning. You know I didn’t just have faith in God automatically, nor was I willing to risk my neck (or life) Over what some “Person” told me.

Why would we ever do such a thing? The first time I ever did it, I did it out of love. Yes, Love. I did love a person enough, to follow him around just because he said things would be okay. And they were not okay. I looked back at my life one day, and I’d heard a lot of sermons about faith, and taking risks for the sake of Jesus, and seeing miracles happen. I realized Faith based outcomes involve risk.

So I left my job and moved to a new place, trusting God about the outcome. That was in 1989. It is the first time I can remember saying “Okay Father, I am putting myself and my children, in your hands.” Want to know what happened? Our rental caught fire! Everything I used to get to that place “burned up” In a moment’s time.

Then I cried, then I watched God take care of us, and then watched him restore me, and we were okay. Faith walks can often be a bumpy ride. We have to decide if we are going to KEEP BELIEVING in Spite of what we see! Do we believe, or don’t we? And why? What has shaped your faith? We all have a measure of faith. Are we believing for good things to happen, or bad things? And have we placed our faith in people, or in God Almighty? And are we letting him do it his way, or insisting he do it our way? That is the question! (something to ponder today).

(PS, this story was taken from the book, Grace to the Rescue, by Laura Grace) LG

If you want a copy, write me at sisterzeal@yahoo.com My publisher went out of business. And guess who is having faith STILL despite this trial? 🙂 that’s right, I am!

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Why should I let it go? It’s not fair!!! A suprising look into why the serenity prayer is biblical :)

April 14, 2017 Laura GraceLeave a comment

Serenity Prayer.jpg Greetings! 🙂 Well you may be surprised at what God showed me today. I saw this poster on a friends FB wall, and I thought, “Yes that’s good.”

After awhile I was doing dishes, cleaning, doing housework, and the lights came on! I am always expecting God to reveal to me new things and what he wants to teach me (day by day.). I have built up my faith in this area, I BELIEVE He wants to speak to my heart (daily!).

With that said, What jumped into my spirit was; THE REASON we feel lighter and more free when we let go, is because we are letting go of grudges, unforgiveness, or wrestling with what we should do about a situation. Let’s say someone was really mean to you?

Don’t we often think; “We should say something” to them? Or maybe we should never talk to them again? Or maybe we should pray for them endlessly until they “Get convicted?” Whatever the weight is, it will weigh you down!

check out this passage in Hebrews 12

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I hate to admit to you how many countless hours I’ve spent in my life, trying to figure out what to do about something.

There are also times someone does something (that throws me for a loop) and it’s a fight to ward off the after effects of their careless words. I think the enemy likes to send those fiery darts mentioned in Ephesians & magnify to us over and over the wrongs people have done to us. “You need to do something!” He accuses, or they will think you are a pansy, or a doormat.” Sometimes we need to do something, and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we need to just LET IT GO.

Did you ever think about the passage in 1 Corn about love being for YOUR SAKE? (Not so much for others?) The problem with being told we should love more at times is, we think “Why should I? They don’t deserve it!”

Forgiveness is for your sake, not for theirs. If they continue in their ways, they will face the Lord over it. (Or do you not believe this?) YOUR ANGER is a weight, your unforgiveness weighs you down! Your constant obsessions with trying to understand an unreasonable person is like and ankle weight, keeping you from running your race. “LET IT GO NOW” ……….(It’s holding you back)

It’s a blessing if you do! “Father grant me the serenity to accept what I can’t change, and help me to grow in spite of it all, and help me to just let it go……for my sake for your name’s sake, for everyone’s sake! In Jesus’ name amen -Laura Grace Author, speaker, minister of the Lord, and your friend and companion for the gospel.

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When God spoke to Laura (today)

April 12, 2017April 12, 2017 Laura GraceLeave a comment

HOLY SPIRIT DOVE 1.jpg

I had this experience….a little while ago. I was driving to the post office.

Within a block and a half I got so much information, I can hardly say God

spoke to me, but then again, I would say he did. A voice like many waters.

Tim has been struggling with an issue with his health. God downloaded

to me in seconds, and I mean seconds:

Look up the scripture on the pool of Bathesda, and about take up your mat and walk.” Ask me why I had him pick up his mat. Ask me why it says in James “the prayer of faith will make the sick man well, and if they have any sins they’ll be forgiven” I will tell you unbelief, and putting me to the test. People put me to the test if they do deliberate things to themsleves with an attitude “if God is healer it doesn’t matter what I do to myself.” An example would be jumping off a building, breaking your leg, with the expectation I will heal them later.

They have a heart to test me. I look on the heart, not the outside appearance.

They see James says if they have sins they will be forgiven (referring to the prayer of faith) and assume that means any sin, such as not honoring parents. I was talking about the sin of attitude against me, and unbelief. The same sins that kept my children out of the promised land. I wasn’t talking about just any sin.

You receive healing, and forgivness for the sin of unbelief, at the same time.

People assume what my word means all the time and run with it. Then they cause other people to run with it. Pretty soon you have a false doctrine, and nobody asked me what I meant. Search the scriptures, ask me what I mean. Seek my face.”

James 5: 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. ¹⁴Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” NKJV

……..(God, speaking to Laura, Apr 12-2017)

So Laura and Tim looked up the scriptures, read them out loud, and prayed

for understanding. We included Hebrews 3 in our study, which talks about not entering in, due to unbelief. To my amazement, I expected to find three scriptures to look up, the one about the mat, the one about Bathesda, and the one about the prayer of Faith in James 5. The Story of Bathesda in John 5 ALSO says Jesus told the guy to take up his mat and walk. Both referrences were in one story.

Furthermore, it stood out to both off us, that there was this pool (for healing) an angel was posted there, who stirred the waters once a day. Before Jesus came, God had already made provisions for healing. The man was angry, upset, and focused on what was not being done for him by others. Jesus said, “Do you want to be made well?” Why did you ask him That? (we inquired of the Lord).

And I’m expecting he will answer us. After all, he is God and he wants us to understand his Word. 🙂 Hint: the guy by the pool had a very bad attitude. Nobody was helping him get in the water. JESUS came and said (not, you are healed) He said: “Take up your mat, and walk.” PS: I anointed Tim with Oil. We prayed for Him.

With love, still growing, Laura Grace

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Prophetic word from Father’s Heart Ministry: “Say in your Heart……”

April 10, 2017 Laura GraceLeave a comment

“Say in your heart that you will be a defender of the weak and a champion of the defenseless. Because I am in you there is a limitless reserve of power and authority that flows in your veins. You will not fail. You will not come to nothing. You will not be forgotten for I will make My name famous in the lives of all of those who abandon themselves to Me. You will run through a troop. You will leap over the wall. You can and will get the job done if you simply choose to have the courage to initiate and get started.

Say in your heart “I am an initiator because the Author and the Finisher lives within me”! Your destiny will not be an abortion. You will bring to the birth those dreams and visions that you have held so precious to you for so long. Press in, says the Father. Be resolute. Refuse to look to the right hand or to the left and all will be fulfilled and brought to pass that I have promised.”

-Prophetic word from Father’s heart Ministry

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God’s wisdom is foolishness to man and vice versa. That’s not going to change.

April 9, 2017April 9, 2017 Laura GraceLeave a comment

HOLY SPIRIT TEACHING The Holy Spirit is our teacher if we are Christians.

dove flying This word is not just for some Christians. It’s for all of us. What the Holy Spirit shows us will often not line up with “earthly Wisdom” It won’t make any sense to the natural mind. This is why we need to Be supernatural people and not natural people. The Flesh is at war with God. Our natural minds will be at war with God without his help and intervention.

WE PRAY to be able to receive from God. Pray like King David “Father Give me understanding that I might learn your Statutes” “Create in me a clean heart oh God renew a right spirit within me! Take not thy holy Spirit From me Oh Lord! ”

1 Corinthians 3:19

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”

If we are waiting for the world to agree with us, it’s never going to happen. The natural man cannot receive the things of God. We need to be born again, filled with God’s Spirit, and then we can BEGIN to cooperate with The Holy Spirit and be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

There is no other way “into the light” ….God is light. And in him there is no darkness at all. Amen -Laura Grace Author and minister of the Lord and MIT (Minister in Training)

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Reasons you matter and your life matters…..

March 29, 2017March 29, 2017 Laura GraceLeave a comment

Reasons to Go on: And reasons you matter………

1. What you do in life DOES have a ripple effect. Just like a stone is tossed in the water and causes ripples, so your decisions effect the lives of others. You have no idea how many people may be thinking “If they can do it so can I”……..

2. Your children, your spouse, your family, and yes even your friends are watching you. You have to ask yourself, are they going to gain encouragement and hope by watching my life? Or are they going to have more reasons to give up, because of me?

3. We cannot underestimate the power of overcoming and the message it brings. People who carry on are like the sun. We feel the rays of their hope, and it inspires us! We can do the same.

I want you to think of three people right now, who have overcome difficult obstacles. if they lost their job, they started over again. If they had setbacks, they faced it bravely. Life dealt them a bad hand, they smiled and went forward anyway, over and over again…..

Did they inspire you? I’m betting they did! Did you tell them that? Probaby not, in most cases. We all have a tendency to forget to thank the people that inspire us daily. So i want to say THANK YOU each and every one of you who had a hard blow and you did not give up!

You kept on walking, going, loving, smiling, and trying to be a blessing every where you go! THANK YOU!! PS I am watching you! with love, Laura Grace