#173 - Praise as Sweet as Honey!

Good morning! I pray you had a great Easter! Time to enjoy family, food & a celebration of our ALIVE JESUS!?! :) What a blessed time. We had a great time visiting with family, and I must say that my mother-in-law, Jeannine, outdid herself with an UH-MAZING lunch yesterday! It was pretty awesome. What a blessing to have home-cooking! It really does beat any restaurant! Thanks J! :)

Let's get started:

Proverbs 25:16 - Have you found [pleasure sweet like] honey? Eat only as much as is sufficient for you, lest, being filled with it, you vomit it.

Proverbs 25:27 - It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to seek glory, their own glory, causes suffering and is not glory.

Proverbs 31:28 - Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her.

Proverbs 31:31 - Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city]!

In our Proverbs 25 verses, both talk about honey. Sweet, honey. In the Hebrew, that is exactly what it means. Honey means honey. Unlike some other words in the Hebrew, it does not give us a plethora of other definitions of the word. Although, verse 27 does take honey and compare it to men seeking their own glory. It compares it in the latter part of the verse as something that men/women can crave. Notice. Recognition. Praise. Admiration. It compares the sweetness, the gratifying feeling that "praise" brings, that recognition brings.

So... we have two avenues to walk down on this one. We can first walk down the avenue that is just a blanket fact. Craving pure honey, sweets, sugar, desserts. Desiring and filling oneself with these pleasure in excess is highly not recommended in both verses. Proverbs 25 verse 16 does not say that sweets, desserts are bad, but it recommends using wisdom when eating them. Eat ONLY what is sufficient for that sweet tooth, pull the reigns back from allowing yourself to indulge.

OK. One word: GUILTY! Here we come, off of a great holiday.... for me, a week and a half of baking just because I felt like it! Baking, leads to needing to get rid of the "baked goods." Right?! Have you ever been eating, and you are no longer hungry, but you just want to eat more anyways because it is so good? You don't desire more, but you know that once you leave, the yummy treat will be all, so, you indulge! Guilty! Our Proverbs 25 verses remind us of to hold back! Consequences? Vomiting. Not feeling good. Feeling heavy, bloated, maybe depressed. Self-control is an underlying theme in both verse 16 & 27. I heard a trick from Dr Duke Johnson about desserts. He said to enjoy them, but to eat the best bites first! The first bite sends a "sensation" signal to your brain like, "Ooooh! This is so good." The taste-buds are heightened. Then the 2nd bite, the sensation signal that is sent to the brain isn't as strong. The 3rd bite, less strong. And before you know it, you get to the last bite and sure, it's still good, but not "THE" good like the 1st bite. So... make the 1st bite the best! He said, after having several of the best bites, you can often push the rest of the "cheesecake"back. You've already eaten the best bites of it, now just the "scraps" are left over.

That was a bit of a tangent.... but, hopefully one you can use. I'd like us to take a look at the Proverbs 31 women. Proverbs 25:27 compares eating honey, consuming in it's sweetness to seeking glory. Everyone loves to be praised. Everyone likes a pat on the back, appreciation, recognition - whether in private or public. I was even reading about potty-training this morning.... to have a POTTY dance after your little one goes potty as a way of praising them, or showing them they did a good job. Now... I'm not recommending that YOU adopt a "potty dance" (that would be funny though, especially if you don't have a little kid!)... but look to what the Proverbs 31 woman did! Two things happened for her to receive praise. FIRST: her children & her husband praised her. She was praised by those closest to her. Not praise sought out, praise that was freely given. SECONDLY: her WORKS praised her. She let her accomplishments speak for themselves. She did everything to the best of her ability, and she let the quality of her work speak for her. The quality of her work, the consistency of her work, the results of her work, she let her results, her work speak for themselves.

Allow your family, friends, co-workers to do a "dance" for you! Allow them to sing your praises. Allow your works to do a "dance" for you. That you do such great work, that it shines through. You receive praise, recognition, but in a way that is received with humility. Others given instead of self given.

So... if you want praise, let your work shine. If you want praise, sow praise. Praise others for their good work. Create your own "dance" for your friends and family when they do good! Praise others and you too will get praised! Praise... as sweet as honey!

#133 -FREE FROM DOUBT!

Good morning! :) I pray that you are having a blessed morning and week so far! It's kind of like a Monday to me since I had my Day or Rest yesterday. Praise God for a day to rest! To get rejuvenated, refreshed, a time to reflect even take a nap! Love it!


We're going to veer off the normal "schedule" today... primarily because I'm going to share a big revelation that I received this weekend. A revelation that has set me free. A revelation which has released me to now go BE who I was created to be! What amazing FREEDOM!!!!

James 1:6-8 - But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

2 Cor. 10:4-5 - The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

OK... are you ready? Buckle in for this! Buckle in! For some, this may ROCK your world! For some, maybe it will just be like another "good Word", or "devotion".... but, I do believe that this revelation can & will set some other people free like it did me! 


We had a life-changing night Thursday. Our "special invite" to a special meeting really rocked our world... but Friday morning as I was reviewing some notes, Tyler and I started talking and I just started bawling. I was bawling like a baby! My sobs were making my body shake.  It was quite pathetic really. And sad. I told Tyler of some of the revelations I had received, but the one thing that I felt that was left lingering in my heart was "doubt." I knew God had created me to do really really great things... but I was crying because I didn't know how to get rid of the doubt that I was experiencing in my heart. The doubt that said, "You aren't capable." The doubt that said, "You can't help people." The doubt that said, "You will reach your goal one day.... but that one day was no where in sight." The doubt that every day, for the last eight years kept me in a place of bondage. Sure, I've done good things, and made some strides along the way... but I was prisoner to doubt. After my bawling episode... maybe 30 minutes.... I had to move on with the morning and get the boy ready to go to the babysitter for our leadership meeting that we would be attending downtown. 


I went the series of leadership meetings looking for one thing, looking for the CLICK that I needed to really become the ME that God created me to be. To become the me that was ROCK SOLID! The me that wasn't scared. The me that could confidently help people. The me that could pursue my FULL calling with reckless abandon. I was expectant. I didn't know what the 'click' would be, but I was expectant! As I sat, soaking in all that I was hearing, writing page after page of notes... my mind was being renewed.... and then, there it was. The click. The missing piece to the puzzle. The revelation that I had been needing and waiting for. James 1:6-8 ~ If you DOUBT, you are unstable, like a wave tossed to and fro in the sea! If you DOUBT, because of that doubt, you can not even expect ANYTHING from the Lord!!! ANYTHING! If you have doubt in your heart, don't expect to receive from the Lord! WHAT?! WHAT?! So... here I had had this doubt in my heart for 8 years! You mean because of that doubt, I can not expect anything from the Lord?! In the past, I had recognized it a little bit... more just as fear or insecurity, but I had known it was there all along. But THIS, THIS was different!!! Before, I would do what the man in the Bible did when he doubted, he said, "Lord, please help me with my unbelief." I had done that a lot. But this time it was different. Immediately in my spirit I knew exactly what to do with doubt. Tyler and I do it ALL the time with other things! If you were a fly on our wall, you would hear it randomly come out of our mouths, "I take that thought captive and put it under the obedience of Christ Jesus!" Maybe we had a thought of fear or lust, or temptation. So you will often hear us saying that verse out-loud. If we are in public, we still say it out-loud, maybe just a little under our breath. 


So... what did I do? I FINALLY recognized what was happening. The enemy had planted a seed. That seed had been holding me captive because I listened to the subtle comments and suggestions! The enemy, Satan, demons, whatever you want to call them, had been just ever so subtly sitting right behind my ear and whenever I would think about or begin to pursue to help someone or do something in the direction of my calling he would talk to me, "Oh, don't even try it. You won't be able to help that person. Don't even pursue it." - "You've never helped anyone do that before, what makes you think you can do it this time?" And on and on they would go, until I caved in to the voices. At the time they were UN-RECOGNIZABLE by me, but the voice was that of the enemy. I didn't recognize it as the enemy. But I now know it WAS the enemy! 


NOW, guess what I KNOW to do?!?! I KNOW that when I recognize that fear or doubt, I only need to do ONE thing, TAKE THAT THOUGHT CAPTIVE AND PUT IT UNDER THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST JESUS! Put that NON-SENSE under my feet! Where it belongs. And then AGGRESSIVELY pursue it because I can EXPECT to receive from the Lord!!! And because I have taken the thought captive, thrown it down, the Lord will even show out even more because I have been obedient! I can expect the LORD to do the work through me AND it be a success! 


I HAVE NO FEAR! I AM FREE! DOUBT is no longer controlling my thoughts, emotions and actions! I know what to do, I take the thought captive and then LAUGH in the face of my enemy! I have FINALLY WON and the enemy has been caught! I recognize the subtle drops of doubt and fear, and because I finally recognize them for what they are, I can take authority of them because I AM A CHILD OF GOD AND I HAVE AUTHORITY! 

What is it for you? Have you been hearing subtle drops of doubt about starting a business? "You can't do it. You don't have the experience. You don't have the finances. You don't have the knowledge." Have you been caving in to that voice and putting aside what you really desire to do? Have you been hearing the voice saying, "You can't lose that weight. You've never done it before. It always comes back. Don't even try this time." 

BUT... THIS TIME could be THE TIME! "This time" could be the "the time" you have been waiting for. The time where you really experience the breakthrough once and for all! FREE YOURSELF from DOUBT! Take those thoughts captive and experience your breakthrough!




Have a blessed day! Receive what you need today!

#24 - Political Strength - What's it mean?

Good morning! The boy has already been up & fed, and now snoozin again. :) Really enjoyed & learned a lot last night on #blogchat via Twitter. If you are on Twitter, follow me: @amyjmccart. I often post great quotes I read, updates on when I post a new blog, etc. Social Media/Marketing is here to stay, so my plan is to take advantage of it! Jumping in with both feet! :) It's a great way to pursue your passion, and learn from people who know more than you! Especially with Social Media! And, the best thing is, It's FREE! You can also add my husband to your Twitter followings: @tylermccart. He's really gifted in areas of leadership, business, entrepreneurship, public speaking, sales, purpose, passion, the Word and being a great husband and daddy! :) Check out his Vlogs via his YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/tylerhmccart). Great stuff on finding your purpose, pursuing your passion, seasons of growth, etc. 


Ok.... well let's get rolling this morning...

Proverbs 28:2 - When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but when the ruler is a man of discernment, understanding, and knowledge, its stability will long continue.

Proverbs 31:25 - Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it].

I know we have looked at strength in the Hebrew before, but this morning I would like to take a look at it again. Strength is talking about: might, strength, material, physical, personal, social or political. Our Proverbs 31 friend has political strength. And right now, we need some men AND women of God who have this Political Strength! I recently read a quote that was really an awakening. Dr. Mike Murdock tweeted something quite interesting that I had not thought about, but he said "Obama's response towards Israel will determine God's judgement on America." But, this is true! When we read about the end times, we know that all will turn on Israel & God's judgement will begin. I don't know about you, but I'm excited about going home to be with Jesus. I am excited about being raptured and walking streets of gold, but I also feel like I have a lot of life yet to live, a lot of memories yet to create, children yet to be born (Trinity, Timothy & Taylor) and things to accomplish for the Kingdom. There are people who need to know Jesus before it's too late. For our NATION to have stability that will continue long, it is IMPORTANT, not just important, it is CRUCIAL that we have a person of God in office who will lead with GODLY discernment,  understanding & knowledge! 


Another reason why it is important to VOTE! Did you vote in your recent primaries? (Last week!) I wear the "I VOTED" sticker with great pride. That is part of our RESPONSIBILITY! To prayerfully elect godly men & women into office to bring our nation back to a nation that our founders would be proud of. To honor the men & women who DIED FOR OUR FREEDOM, and KEEP this nation the LAND OF THE FREE! It is not a matter of black or white, our president could be green. IF it is a godly man or woman of God who will RISE UP and STAND ON THE WORD, they have my vote!  


So, political strength. How can you begin to have it? You have no desire to run for office? You have no passion to get involved in your upcoming elections, debates, etc? Let me offer a way for you to begin to take part.


I recently got this from Founder of Outreach America, Gary Newell, and it is very helpful. What to do when fear or sin creeps up in your life.... the 4 R's. I had to do this just this morning.... let me tell you why and how to use the 4 R's through my experience this morning...


Using the 4 R's: Recognize, Resist, Reckon, Redirect

• RECOGNIZE - Father, right now I recognize that when I heard the door nob shake a little bit, the first thing that came to my mind was fear. I repent of this fear. I had fear that some man was going in to Tyler Jr's room and taking him out of his crib. Right now I RECOGNIZE that fear. And because I recognize it, I want to thank Satan for allowing me to see that I obviously haven't totally turned Tyler Jr over to You. So, right now, I RE-TURN over to You Tyler Junior. I put him back in YOUR care! And while I am recognizing this, simultaneously, I also want to lift up to you President Obama & Lady Gaga. I pray for their salvation. I pray that they would have a Damascus Road experience. That, like Saul, who persecuted Your People, who persecuted and killed Christians, walked the road to Damascus, scales came over his eyes and he could not see. You allowed the literal scales to come OFF his eyes, and he could finally SEE! Because of that experience, his name was changed to Paul and he wrote a large part of the new testament. Right now, I send forth ministering laborer's of the gospel that will go out and minister to President Obama & Lady Gaga. That those people that go forth will speak to them and they will hear, that these ministering laborer's in their lives have great influence with Lady Gaga & President Obama. Their words have great weight to them. I pray also those closest to them would get saved and be an influence to them. Father, I pray that President Obama & Lady Gaga would have this Damascus Road experience. That they would go from not being Christians, to being RADICALLY SOLD-OUT to YOU! That they would make the sort of impact that Paul did on Your people! That they would become MINISTERS of the GOSPEL! I call President Obama & Lady Gaga SOLD OUT BELIEVERS in the NAME OF JESUS!
• RESIST - I now RESIST Satan and tell him that he HAS TO FLEE from me! I will have no part in fear. I will not be like Job (Job 3:25) and live in fear. Get behind me Satan! I resist you!
• RECKON - I RECKON myself dead to fear! I RECKON myself dead to sin. A dead person can not have fear. A dead person can not sin. So, right now, I reckon myself dead to this fear for Tyler Juniors safety. A dead person can not fear or sin. 
• REDIRECT - Right now I REDIRECT my thoughts and stand on the WORD! I call Tyler Junior SAFE all the time! I claim Psalms 91 protection upon him AT ALL TIMES. I thank you Father that angels have charge over and around him at all times! I thank you that he will grow up to be a godly man. He will make an impact all over the world for Your Kingdom. He will make a greater impact for the Kingdom than Tyler & I. He will leave an amazing legacy for seeing people saved, healed, whole & utilizing their calling. He will make a WORLD-WIDE difference! I call him SAFE in Jesus Name! Thank you that BIG ANGELS are standing guard around him at all time, and that NO ONE can mess with him! 

The Purpose of the 4 R's: 

1. Recognize - Recognizing your sin, repenting, turning this area of challenge back over to the Lord & praying for some people who are influential. Kind of like an "I fell, I lost the ball, I fell short, but now I'm not only going to ask for forgiveness & get it, but I'm going to CHARGE THE HILL! I'm going to come back fighting!"
2. Resist - Doing what the Word says. Resist Satan and he has to flee from you!
3. Reckon - Calling yourself dead to this sin now and in the future. It will not have control over you!
4. Redirect - Find scripture that will back up this area of sin. Find scripture that will "counter" this area. For me, the sin was fear of safety, so I found scripture that promises safety. Now, I can stand on the WORD, which is more powerful than anything else!

A few things about the 4 R's... imagine, any time you sin, you fear, you gossip, you say unkind words, you look at pornography, you lie, women- when you don't submit to your husband, or you try to control your husband, when you manipulate someone to get your way..... WHATEVER area of sin that you may do (we have all fallen into sin!)..... IMAGINE, just IMAGINE applying these 4 R's each time you sin! One thing that I found was interesting that Gary said was that  gradually the sin came further and further apart. Gradually, he found that he was not having problems with the area of sin that was a struggle. Why? Because imagine Satan's thoughts every time you sinned and then you went through the 4 R's. Man, he gets ticked off! He thinks, "Dang it! If every time I cause Amy to sin she is going to pray radical things and salvation for these influential people.... man, I don't want her to sin. I'll go cause someone else to sin. Someone who isn't going to put up such a fight. Someone who is just going to be complacent and continue to let me pull them off the road into a ditch. I'm not going to mess with Amy. She is screwing up my plan for President Obama & Lady Gaga. I do not want them to be Christians because they have such influence." 


SO, you have no desire to be in politics. Well a few things you can do to make a difference. 

1. Utilize your RIGHT to VOTE! VOTE for godly men & women into office. If you don't, your lack of voting is allowing men & women who are NOT of God to be in office. Don't base it upon color. Base it upon the WORD! Do they believe for and pass bills that would line up with the Word? (Abortion would not line up with the Word, do they believe for that?)
2. Pray for those in office! - Make it a priority to pray! You are directly affected if you don't. Especially if America does not support Israel.... judgement is upon us. Your prayers matter! Pray BOLD prayers! Pray people into President Obama's life that will change things. 

_________________________

PS - If you don't agree with me. I still love you! :) That is ok. Don't feel like you have too.... but boldness, truth & transparency is important. I definitely don't claim to know it all...but, I'm going to tell it how I see it. 

Thanks for reading! :)