What’s sticking to you?

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good afternoon!  Happy Friday-Eve.  It’s been a busy week, but God is so good.  I thank Him for a sound mind.

TFTD: What’s sticking to you?

Proverbs 4:20-24 (NIV)

²⁰ My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. ²¹ Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;²² for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. ²³ Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. ²⁴ Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

 

Today I am going to get straight to the point, what and who is sticking to you?  Are you that type of person who absorbs everyone’s emotions?  Do you allow people to attach themselves to you like leeches and suck the very life out of you?  Or perhaps you attract people who will add to your life instead of always taking away from it.  It’s important to guard yourself from people who try to influence you to sin, people who complain all of the time, people who are negative, angry folks and the list goes on.  There is something to that statement, “You are the company you keep” or “Guilty by association”. If you are around a certain person long enough you will take on their mannerisms, attitudes and beliefs.  If you don’t believe me, look at children and their parents.  Little kids naturally take on the behaviors of their parents because that is who they are exposed to the most.  It’s almost like the parents personality jumps off of them and sticks to their kids. The same is true in your daily walk, if you hang around someone who is alway miserable, chances are you will walk around miserable too.

It’s important to protect your spirit. Don’t allow people to dump on you. Don’t become that sticky paper that was intended to catch flies. That paper was intended to catch things that would die. The question is are you a magnet for dead rotten things? Do you allow things and people to attach to you that will fester and rot your mind, body and spirit?  Really take a moment and ask yourself, “What and who is sticking to me?”  As believers, we should surround ourselves with like-minded people.  Now I’m not saying that you shouldn’t associate with people who are unsaved or who are living in sin because those are the very people you will be able to minister to in GOD’S TIME!  However, I am saying that you shouldn’t make yourself a magnet for folks who are living contrary to the Word of God.  You don’t want to take on the mannerisms of the people who have gone a stray.  You don’t want to put yourself in a position where you become tempted to sin.

Even the Word warns us about this:

Galatians 6:1 (NIV)

6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

Don’t get caught up thinking you can save the world and end up falling.  Examine your work environment, your inner circle, your ministry groups, your social organizations, etc. and ask yourself if you are attracting the wrong people or perhaps you are the wrong person that other people keep attracting.  HELP LORD!  Take time to seriously seek God and if it’s time to leave some relationships behind do so.  Politely cut off the negative banter at work and in the church.  Don’t engage in conversations that are riddled with jealousy and spite.  Take that sticky paper off and allow that stuff to bounce off of you.  God wants to use you, but He can’t get what He needs to pour into you if you are consumed with junk.

What’s sticking to you? 

Have a blessed day. 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Spiritual Accountability Partner

 Sunshine’s Reflections

Good afternoon!  I pray your had a blessed weekend!

TFTD: Spiritual Accountability Partner

Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV)

¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Galatians 6:1-2 (NIV)

6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

During my spiritual journey to physical weight loss, God has shown me the importance of having accountability partners.  Accountability is the willingness to accept responsiblity for one’s actions!  When you have an accountability partner they will help you become responsible for what you say that you are going to do.  I have accountability partners for when I exercise, with my nutrition and even with my rest.  It helps to have someone check-in on you when you are working on your physical man, but the same is true for the spiritual man.

God didn’t intend for us to fight all of our battles by ourselves.  God knew that we would need HELP!  His word tells us that we should be like iron sharpening iron.  We should help make each other better.  We should encourage others, correct one another in love, forgive one another and the list goes on.  Now your spiritual accountability partner shouldn’t be someone who is not connected to the Spirit.  Just because someone goes to church doesn’t mean that they are spiritually equipped to be your accountability partner.  Spend time in prayer asking God to reveal to you the people you are supposed to link up with.

We all need someone who will help us get up after we spiritually fall.  A spiritual accountability partner can give you guidance on the warning signs of sin.  They can reel you in before you go to far off the deep end.  Do you have spiritual accountability partners?  Do you have someone who will pray for and with you, someone who will tell you when you are wrong and offer suggestion to get things right, someone who will encourage you to go to church and develop a deeper relationship with Christ?  I think friends are good, but a spiritual accountability partner is a special type of friend because they have your spiritual health in mind.

Let’s stay connected and take responsibility for our actions.  Let’s become spiritually accountable!

Have a blessed day!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Crucified flesh

Poetry Corner

Good afternoon!  What a week this has been!!!  I pray your week has been going well. 

Galatians 5:22-26 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Crucified flesh

by: Nicole L. Ellis, MBA

 

Lustful desires gripping the flesh

Images, thoughts and behaviors keep you buried in mess

Bound by sin and headed for destruction

Although the spirit is willing the flesh will lead you to corruption

Enticed by things that aren’t pleasing to the Most High

Trying to diminish your wrong which leads you to live a lie

Lies that cloud your judgement and sense of decency

Becoming a prisoner to the flesh can cause you to lose all sensibility

It’s time to tame this beast and bring it under submission

Confession is needed in order to gain true remission

Remission of your sins comes from God above

He sent His Only Son to die for you out of love

Your flesh must not be masked it must die

It must be nailed and bound for its injustice and crucified

It must experience the agony of defeat

Causing all of the sinful lust to retreat

The only way a Christian can live at their best

Is by dying to self through a crucified flesh.

 

What desires do you have that are unpleasing to God? What sins do you need to leave at the altar for God to destroy? Seek Christ and ask Him to help you crucify your fleshly desires.  We should not try to sugar coat sin, we need to call it what it is and then destroy it with the help of the Lord.  When was the last time you crucified your flesh? 

 Have a blessed day!

 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Spiritual Intimacy

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good afternoon!  Happy Monday to you all.  I pray you had a blessed weekend.

TFTD: Spiritual Intimacy

James 4:8a(ESV)

⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

John 17:22-23 (ESV)

²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Deuteronomy 6:5 (NKJV)

⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Intimacy is defined as a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person or group.  It can also mean a close association with or deep understanding of a place, subject, period of history, etc.  Jesus doesn’t just desire us to have a close relationship with Him, rather an intimate relationship with Him.  Christ desires a close affectionate and loving relationship with Him where we have a deep detailed knowledge of who He is.  It’s not sufficient to just accept Christ and continue living in sin because you know He is a forgiving God.  It’s time to go the extra mile and add spiritual intimacy to your relationship with Christ.

When a man and woman are “courting” there is typically a physical attraction that sparks the interest of the other person.  As time goes by and they get to know one another better they can begin experiencing an emotional attraction and connection.  After a couple enters into marriage they can begin diving into a level of intimacy.  Intimacy only comes from being intentional about getting to know one another beyond the superficial.  It’s diving into the deeper understanding of a person and what’s mind-blowing is this level of intimacy doesn’t have to come with physical touch.  This is what God wants from us.  He wants us to become so interested in who He is that we will be intentional about reading and studying His word.  We will meet Him to pray, we will lay before Him in worship, we will shout Hallelujah for He is worthy of all the praise.  God wants us to experience spiritual intimacy with Him.

Are you ready to become intimate with the ONLY one who will not break your heart or bruise your mind?  Are you ready to learn about Jesus on a deeper spiritual level?  There is peace and safety in the arms of God.  Spiritual intimacy requires that you become vulnerable with Christ.  You have to let go of your reservations and truly give Him all of You.  The great news about God is that He will never let you down!!!  NEVER!  If we take chances with our heart with men and women who are guaranteed to hurt us because we are imperfect creatures, then why not try your heart with One who cannot lie?  God wants you to draw close to Him and He will promise to draw close to you.

Are you ready to experience spiritual intimacy? 

Have a blessed day!

 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Spiritual Rain

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  May the grace of God continue to overshadow you all.

TFTD: Spiritual Rain

Isaiah 55:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,

Have you ever needed it to rain in your life?  I don’t mean the rain that comes from the sky and waters the grass and the trees, but a spiritual rain that falls over your mind, body and soul?  I’m speaking about the showers that come from heaven and offer a spiritual refreshening?

Rain in the natural is liquid water in the form of droplets and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on Earth.  A droplet alone is not much, but when it’s joined together on a consistent basis it can cover large grounds.  You may have missed it.  When we allow Jesus to reign in our life, Jesus begins pouring out small blessings (droplets) that may not seem like much, but over time they can consume our life and be responsible for depositing all of the spiritual overflow that we experience.

When you submit to the will of the Lord, His spiritual rain will wash the dirt of sin off of your mind and heart.  His spiritual rain can consume you and drive out anything that is causing you hurt, harm or danger.  In order to experience the rain, make sure you live a life that is pleasing to Christ.  It’s also important to keep a repentant heart and submit to godly correction.  The beauty about serving Jesus Christ is that He is waiting to shower down over your family, your mind, your emotions, your finances, your career and so much more.

Are you ready for the rain?  I urge you to drop the umbrella (your false sense of protection) and trust God with your whole heart and get ready to experience the rain!

Have a blessed day! 

 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The company you keep

Sunshine’s Reflections

 

Good morning!  Praise God for a new day.  I’m back!!!  Took some much-needed time at the request of God to lay before Him and have Him fill my cup.  God has a way of giving you just what you need for the journey ahead.  I pray that you have remained faithful in your devotion time.  Ministry is about relationship and out of your relationship with God pours sincere authentic ministry to others.  

TFTD: The company you keep

Proverbs 13:20 (NKJV)

 He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. 

Every one needs a positive support system and spiritual accountability partners.  Life can be a lonely journey if you try to go at it alone.  A common misconception for believers is that we live this boring strict life.  So many people struggle with finding balance between living a holy consecrated life and a life in the world.  We try to scratch the itch of the party scene while remaining in church.  At some point in our lives we have all been down this road and if not, if you live long enough you will.

As believers, we have to be careful of the company we keep.  Although our spirit is willing to serve Christ our flesh can be weak.  Don’t hang with folks who validate your sin.  Don’t hang out with people who never offer spiritual correction because they are contributing to your demise instead of your redemption.  The scripture tells us that when we walk with wise people we will be wise, but if we hang around fools we will be destroyed.  I can’t explain it any better.  If you surround yourself with people who are living destructive lives you will be destroyed right along with them.  Real friends won’t let you crash and burn.  Real friends will let you vent and check your mess and hold you accountable.

Take a moment to examine your inner circle.  Write a list of all of their names and underneath their name write what they contribute to your life and what you admire about them.  Honestly ask yourself if they contribute to your spiritual growth or your spiritual demise.  You may be surprised to find that it’s time to clean house and abandon ship.  Some of the relationships you are in have expired and serve no godly purpose.  Ask God to help you examine the company you are keeping. 

Don’t become destroyed by people you call friend, brother, sister or lover. 

Have a blessed day.

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.