Have you ever run into a Jezebel spirit at work? You know – the one who refuses to listen to any suggestions and takes your words as a threat. The one who retaliates after you question her. Yeah, me too. It is so frustrating. You can shar what you did right and it still doesn’t matter. Read more on how to recognize this spirit in the workplace…
In the Bible, Jezebel was a powerful, wicked queen, and wife of a passive king called Ahab. She was a false prophetess who worshiped the false god, Baal. Baal was the god of prosperity, god of the …
Here is a picture of what I saw this morning in early morning prayer. A bowl of flour. Ok Lord, what does that mean? I didn’t even know how flour was made so I looked it up. Did you know you can make your own flour? I had no idea. You can take the wheat berries (that’s what they call them), put them in a coffee grinder, and viola – presto, chango – you get your own flour. Who knew? That’s alot of wheat berries ground up in that bowl. And then we mix it up with whatever stuff we want and together we make something. Bread, cake, cookies, whatever.
So, what if each of those wheat berries were a person?
And we are all in the bowl of God’s Creation?
What if God is making something with all of us together in that bowl?
But first we have to get out of the bag and into the bowl.
Then I started reading in Hebrews. I found out that God’s promises need some faith to make them come to pass. God gives us all promises. But the invisible still needs to become visible. And we want to see it happen in our lives right?
God gave the Israelites promises in the Wilderness, but they forgot one ingredient in their bowl – FAITH. Most of them never made it to the Promised Land – because they would not look beyond what they see in the natural – and see the invisible. God’s promises are greater than anything we see or know. And we get to choose to believe the promises and exercise our faith or not. And we get to choose to mix our faith with the faith of those who do believe or not. No lone ranger wheat berries. Our faith needs to be united with those who believe.
For indeed we have had the glad tidings [Gospel of God] proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith (with the leaning of the entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) by those who heard it; neither were they united in faith with the ones [Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe). (Hebrews 4:2 AMP)
What if we could combine our faiths – like the wheat berries turned into flour – and see God’s promises activated in our lives and our sisters and brothers lives? How about if we added some Moses Faith, and some Aaron Faith, and some Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob faith to the mix? And how about we add the best one – some Jesus Faith to the mix? Yeah, get me some of that Jesus Faith – He said He was the Author and Finisher of my faith. So whatever we have, we throw it in the bowl, and He finishes it.
Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours. (Hebrews 11:39-40 MSG)
Yep, there is going to be some mixing and crunching going on first. Nobody really likes that part. Refining, shaking, purifying – call it what you will – it still hurts. But it is necessary. I get that. But we can’t be mixed together without it. It’s not always pretty. Sometimes things splatter out of the bowl and all over the counter. And we have to scrape it back down, to keep mixing.
I guess what God showed me this morning is that it is not just my faith. It’s the faith of all of his kids together that activates His Promises – for all His kids. We really are better together! And when my faith is weak, I know I have a brother or sister who will pray for me and reignite the fire in my heart. And guess what – even the Fathers of Faith are in the bowl right next to us! Now that is exciting!
Don’t give up yet my friends. God isn’t finished creating yet. And come on in, the water is fine!
Your worship is sacred and pleasing to God. Whether you are singing in your car to the radio, praising and thanking God, or worshipping with others – your worship ushers people into the presence of God. It’s like He just shows up and does stuff.
We are not saved for ourselves.
God wants His love to spill over onto others you meet everyday.
There’s that mom who is trying to make it on her own after her husband left. There is the elderly woman who feels so alone at night. There is the man who just lost his job and doesn’t know how to tell his family. There is the couple who smile on the outside but are one step away from divorce court. And the young teenage girl who hurts herself to stop the pain. These are people you meet everyday. They are hurting. They don’t know why or how to fix it.
We as Christians carry the Word of the Living God in us. Christ in us – the HOPE of Glory. Yet often we hole ourselves up in our buildings, go to our ‘church’ functions, and don’t reach out to the lost. I did this for years. It’s really easy to hide from the world when you busy yourself with function upon function. I learned the lingo, wore what I ‘should’, and followed the rules – for a bit.
Then the hurt squeezed out.
Have you ever tried to stuff a pillow in a box? No matter how hard you try some of it spills over. You can get it almost all in and then the corner pops out. That’s what it’s like to just ‘go’ and play church. I am speaking to myself first. After a while I took a break. Just like I took a break from my biker days, and my preppie days, and my academic days. I was looking for acceptance and love in all the wrong places. The sad part is, so were all the other people going to church. Only we were afraid to tell each other because we didn’t want other people to know how messed up we really are.
The funny thing is though, God already knows.
He brings all of his kiddos to a place to be healed and loved and sheltered from the world.
Worship is a place where God can show us what real love looks like.
Yes it happens at church, but it also happens every time a believer ushers in His presence. God is with us – Emmanuel. He shows up whenever we praise and worship him. He is with you in the car. He is with you at the job. He is with you in your home. He shows up when we pray. He is there when you go outside for a walk. He shows up when we pray with others – they feel His love and presence. God isn’t confined to a building. He is not confined to a Denomination. Anytime or anyplace we worship Him, His love spills out onto others -just like that pillow!
Source: valeriesjodin.com
Thank Goodness God squeezes out of the box we try to put Him in!
I wish I was more transparent in real life. I can here in blog land, I just type what’s on my heart. I am still learning to share in real life. Feelings are so messy. Some days I am just a blubbering idiot I think. I have a few friends I reach out to, and for that I am grateful. I gave up ‘playing church’. I gave myself permission these days to be me, flaws and all. I gave myself permission to be free from other people’s opinions of who they think I am. Today God gets to tell me that. Our identity is hidden in Christ – I think it’s way safer there than anywhere else.
I have struggles everyday. I beat myself up for all the things ‘good little christian girls’ shouldn’t do. But then, as I learned today, God welcomes me in His house anyway. He meets me where I am and loves me through it all. As I confess my faults to God and to others I trust, He forgives me and grants me grace to get up and keep living.
His Word gives me hope – I have to read it – or die. I have been hospitalized for depression. I have tried multiple times to hurt myself. I have given up more times than I can count. I have given up on people, I have given up on myself, and I have given up on love. But the thing I learned today –
God never gave up on me. And He has not given up on you either.
God is for us and with us. He forgives us and loves us. He doesn’t want us to be ‘perfect’ – let it go. Just be you. He made you and He loves you anyway!
Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ – Deut 20:14 NKJV
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. – John 6:35-37 NKJV
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8 NKJV
There are benefits that just come with being part of the Family of God. When we are adopted by Abba Father there are things that He has promised us:
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
– Psalm 103:1-6 KJV
God has promised to forgive us, to heal us.
He crowns us with His Love and Mercy.
He satisfies us with GOOD things.
He renews our Youth!
He is the One who executes righteousness to make all the bad things turn into good.
All things work together for GOOD when God is our Father.
BLESS THE LORD
by Matt Redman
Bless the Lord oh my soul
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I’ll worship Your Holy name
The sun comes up
It’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass
And whatever lies before me
Let me be singing
When the evening comes
Bless the Lord oh my soul
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I’ll worship Your Holy name
You’re rich in love
And You’re slow to anger
Your name is great
And Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness
I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons
For my heart to find
Bless the Lord oh my soul
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I’ll worship Your Holy name
Bless You Lord
And on that day
When my strength is failing
The end draws near
And my time has come
Still my soul will
Sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years
And then forevermore
Forevermore
Bless the Lord oh my soul
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I’ll worship Your Holy name
Bless the Lord oh my soul
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I’ll worship Your Holy name
I’ll worship Your Holy name
Jesus I will worship Your Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I’ll worship your holy name
Sad, Tired, Unmotivated, Overwhelmed. These are some of the things I felt while going through depression. Feeling like I was doing everything wrong and I couldn’t do anything right. Depression is probably the worst thing I have ever gone through. There were a lot of issues going on in my life and that was like an open door for the enemy to come in […]
Here are a few morning prayers to help strengthen you my friends. There is something special about meeting the Lord when you are only half awake. Yes, even before coffee. Well, maybe during coffee…
I don’t know about you, but trials are still here for me. Some days I just get tired. Yes Lord, I am weary. Yes Lord, I am coming to you. I lay down all these burdens and open my heart up to receive fresh living water from You today.
I know in times like these I have to make a real effort to keep my nose in the Book of Life. My God is more than able to strengthen me. The Holy Spirit comforts me and revives my hope. Jesus is my hope and my salvation and I have faith that He will show Himself strong. Hey, I guess I’m primed for a miracle! God loves to show up when I have no answers!
“Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.” – Psalm 5: 1-3 NKJV
“Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.
Deliver me, O LORD from my enemies;
In You I take shelter.
Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.
Revive me, O Lord for Your name’s sake!
For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
In Your mercy cut off my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my soul;
For I am Your servant.” -Psalm 143:8-12 NKJV
“Return, O Lord!
How long?
And have compassion on Your servants.
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!” – Psalm 90:13-14 NKJV
“I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help;
I hope in Your word.
My eyes are awake through the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your word.
Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;
O Lord, revive me according to Your justice.” -Psalm 119:147-149 NKJV
“But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.” -Psalm 59:16-17 NKJV
“Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may declare all Your works.” -Psalm 73:25-28 NKJV
“Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel;[a] but the name of that city had been Luz previously. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” – Genesis 28:18-22 NKJV
“Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel,[e] saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.” 1 Samuel 1:19-20 NKJV
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” – Mark 1:35 NKJV
Have you ever carried a toolbox? And then forgot one of the most important tools at home? Let’s say you are going to fix a computer. And in order to change the hard drive you need a screwdriver to open up the computer box. You go to your toolbag and it’s not there. You have no way to open up the computer and fix the broken hard drive. You have no access to repair what is broken. You have the new hard drive with the new operating system but you have no power to use it. That’s exactly what happens when a Christian doesn’t read their Bible. They have no tools. They have no access. They have no power. And the computer stays broken.
The same thing happens when a Christian does not read their Bible. If we do not read it, we do not have the promises of God in our heart to pull out when we need them. We are missing our most precious tool – the promises of God. If faith is being sure of what we do not see yet – how can we use it if we don’t know what God promises us?
Let’s say a brother or sister gets sick. How do we pray the Word over them if we do not know it?
Let’s say you lose your job. How can we pray in faith if we do not know what God says about restoration and provision?
Let’s say a friend dies. How can you offer the comfort of the Holy Spirit if you have not received it yourself?
Spiritual Immaturity
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is,those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. -Hebrews 5: 12-14
4 Things That Happen When a Christian Doesn’t Read the Bible:
1.They get lead astray.
Without the Word as our Anchor vain philosophies and worldly ways take over. Christians get lazy and led astray. Worship Teams don’t know the Word to release it. Pastors give up on writing their own sermons and just copy them from the internet.
Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in itwith thanksgiving.
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. -Colossians 2:4-10
2.They get proud and lifted up.
From: bibleyp.com
Pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Without the Word in our hearts, God is not magnified. Our flesh is living on the throne – not Jesus. God wants us to read the Word DAILY so we can come to know Him and learn to respect Him. It’s hard to respect someone you won’t talk to. Our hearts will not be lifted up in pride if we read the Word.
Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. -Deut 17:18-20
3. They have no power.
There is nothing like a weak, wimpy Christian. They are all talk and no results. There is no weight in their words. There is no power in their prayers. It makes you feel icky because you know it’s just talk. We as a people long for the truth and the genuine. We want to see God magnified in our midst. We want to see the miracles and signs and wonder follow us wherever we go. But without the sword of the spirit – the Word of God, some Christians cannot even hold up their own sword. They insist on having others do the work. It’s sad. It’s criminal. It’s wrong. And I’m sure it is grieving the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not die on the Cross for us to be lazy. Get up!
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. -2 Corinthians 4: 16-18
4. Church becomes an Entertaining Performance.
Our churches are supposed to be hospitals. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. But when they get there what tools are missing from our toolbox? If we do not have the Word out of the Bible and into our hearts how can we release it? Vain words will not work. Empty, hollow promises will not heal. Only the Living Word of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can heal. If we don’t know it, we can’t use it. God is not glorified. And nobody gets what they came for.
Sermons may become platforms for people seeking to be admired. There are many Preachers who live for applause and fame. There are many Preachers who live to be the money changers and take steal from the sheep. They walk into the anointing from the prayers of the faithful and do amazing things. But they are simply using the power of God for their own purposes. God asks us to test the Spirits. You can tell them by their fruit. They have empty words, empty promises, no change, and no power. There is no weight to their words. Perhaps even Praise and Worship becomes a performance with tons of instruments, guitar licks, and light shows just like the famous pop bands of our culture. All while the Spirit of God is locked out of the building.
We eat everyday. We drink water everyday. Let us read the Living Word everyday. It is our daily bread, our manna from Heaven. Let’s eat with the Lord, sit at His table, and listen to Him speak His Word over our hearts and lives. Fill us Lord with your Living Water – the Word – so we can help our brothers and sisters come to know you more. Help us all Lord, to read your Word DAILY, in Jesus Name.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” -John 4:21-24
Time. It goes on and on. We think we have only 24 hours in a day to get everything done. We load ourselves up with things to do and places to be to get everything done in a day. And then wonder why we are so exhausted. Like we have the market on time. Silly us.
3 Ways the Lord Redeems Time
God owns time. And He is not limited by our little minds and small agendas.
Praise God!A day is as a thousand years to the Lord. The Lord owns time – not us. God lives outside of time and our times are in His hands. He is patient with us not wanting any to perish.
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalm 90:12 NKJV
(Image credit – WhatWomenShouldKnow.org)
For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. -Psalm 31:3-5 NKJV
(Image credit – Instapray.com)
The Lord is able to restore time.
The Lord is able to make up for all the bad things that have ever happened to us. God is able. He will restore the years that have been stolen from us.
“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. -Joel 2:25-27 NKJV
The Lord will restore us with a double portion and a double honor.
Everlasting joy is ours in the Lord!
But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs. -Isaiah 61:6-7 NKJV
Thank you Jesus. We are grateful that You are not limited by time. You own it all Lord. Thank you for the revelation that our times are in Your hands today and forever, in Jesus Name.
As for our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel. – Isaiah 47:4 NKJV
Have you ever had a day where you had to eat your own words? Yeah, something you said a day or two ago comes back around and you end up having to eat those same words you spoke? Me too. I wrote yesterday about Gratitude. I didn’t know that today I would need those verses to remind myself a few things, lol.
So I write this blog to find hope in this crazy world. And I have to admit, sometimes the world gets crazier! Last night I read this article on Facebook about how HOPE thrives when there is CHANGE. Now that’s true. But what if I don’t like CHANGE? Too bad Ms. D. Change is inevitable, growth is optional I hear. So I thought I would search out some wisdom on the subject. Here are some great quotes by really famous people about CHANGE.
“We can’t be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don’t have something better.”
― C. JoyBell C.
“We are not trapped or locked up in these bones. No, no. We are free to change. And love changes us. And if we can love one another, we can break open the sky.”
I wish everyday was good. But it isn’t. I wish I had all the answers. I don’t. I wish I was always happy and hopeful. I’m not. Welcome to reality Miss D. There will be days when I am drowning in debt and worry. There will be days when I just want to run away and hide. There will be bad days when my faith is weak and my heart is heavy. God said we would have troubles. Man – He wasn’t joking was He?
John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
But I do have something that I did not have before. Today in the midst of my mess I have Jesus. He is with me. And He is my hope when I have none. He is my strength when I am weak. He is my provider when I am running on empty. And He will make a way in this wilderness.
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Overwhelmed by Big Daddy Weave
Overwhelmed
I see the work of Your Hands
Galaxies spin in a Heavenly dance oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming
I hear the sound of Your Voice
All at once it’s a gentle and thundering noise oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming
I delight myself in You
Captivated by Your beauty
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You
God, I run into Your arms
Unashamed because of mercy
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You
I know the power of Your Cross
Forgiven and free forever You’ll be my God
All that You’ve done is so overwhelming
I delight myself in You
In the Glory of Your Presence
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You
God, I run into Your arms
Unashamed because of mercy
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You
You are Beautiful, You are Beautiful
Oh God, there is no one more Beautiful
You are Beautiful, God you are the most Beautiful
You are Wonderful, You are Wonderful
Oh God, there is no one more Wonderful
You are Wonderful, God You are the most Wonderful
You are Glorious, You are Glorious
Oh God, there is no one more Glorious
You are Glorious, God you are the most Glorious
One of our Pastor’s favorite sayings at church is, “Jesus is in the house!” And yes, He is. But I have to be honest, I think we have locked him in the basement! Yep. Ok, so we turn to Christ and He gives us the Gift of the Holy Spirit, a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. We have it. The Holy Spirit inside of us. So why do we keep looking for Him? He is already there, sitting on the couch waiting for us to let him flow OUT!
See “How to Pray For the Release of the Holy Spirit” by Dennis Bennett
I have struggles everyday. I beat myself up for all the things ‘good little christian girls’ shouldn’t do. But then, as I learned today, God welcomes me in His house anyway. He meets me where I am and loves me through it all. As I confess my faults to God and to others I trust, He forgives me and grants me grace to get up and keep living.
the truth and the genuine. We want to see God magnified in our midst. We want to see the miracles and signs and wonder follow us wherever we go. But without the sword of the spirit – the Word of God, some Christians cannot even hold up their own sword. They insist on having others do the work. It’s sad. It’s criminal. It’s wrong. And I’m sure it is grieving the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not die on the Cross for us to be lazy. Get up!
