Hello everyone,<\/p>\n
We are an excited bunch around here today.\u00a0 This month\u00a0is the official 1 year anniversary of New Life Design.\u00a0 We can’t believe that it has been a whole year since we “set up shop” and “hung out our shingle” as we say.\u00a0 We are indeed grateful for all that Father has done over the past year.\u00a0 The step of faith was so worth it!!<\/p>\n
As I reflect back on this faith journey so far, I am reminded of the verses in Hebrews 11 that I spent much time pouring over before we announced the plans for NLD.\u00a0 This chapter journals the experiences of many saints who lived by faith and brought honor to the kingdom of God.\u00a0 One part in particular beckons my attention day after day and that is verses 13-16.\u00a0 Let me share them with you….<\/p>\n
“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.\u00a0 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.\u00a0 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.\u00a0 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one.\u00a0 Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”<\/p>\n
These people were controlled and sustained by their faith.\u00a0 Even though they had not seen with their own eyes the fulfillment of the promise before they died, they kept their focus on God who sustained and controlled them.\u00a0 Scripture is very quick to say that they did not focus on what they had left behind but on what was ahead of them and the call of God “to go”.\u00a0 I am intrigued by the part of verse 15 that says that if they had been thinking of what they left behind they would have had opportunity to return.\u00a0 But to return would have been disobedience.\u00a0 In the Amplified Bible verse 15 says, “…they would have found constant opportunity to return to it<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n I am finding that with this faith jouney our key lies in where we set our minds!\u00a0 Where is our daily focus?\u00a0 What is our attitude each day?\u00a0 Regardless of whether you are in the midst of a huge faith step, battling with your own fleshly ways, or just desiring to live a victorious Christian life – the key is focusing our minds.\u00a0 Another verse in the next chapter of Hebrews helps us with this.\u00a0 Chapter 12:1b-2a says, “…let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus<\/strong>, the author and perfecter of faith…”\u00a0 Our victory is not found in striving, laboring, toiling, and working.\u00a0 No!\u00a0 It is found in fixing our eyes on Jesus!\u00a0 Period….end of sentence.\u00a0 Just as you don’t work, labor or strive to put away all those fleshly behaviors, you don’t work, labor or strive to get more faith either.\u00a0 The answer is found in placing our focus on our Father and who He is and who we are in Him.\u00a0 Victory over the flesh will come and you will see greater faith than you could have imagined bubbling up inside of you as you fix your focus – set your mind on Father.\u00a0 We received our salvation by faith as we looked to Jesus so what makes us think we will receive victory in these other areas any other way?\u00a0<\/p>\n For these characters in Hebrews 11, I find upon deeper study that their faith was promted, aroused and actuated.\u00a0 It was not created, grown or develped.\u00a0 Some of you may be familiar with 2 Peter 1:3 that says, “seeing that His divine power has granted to us<\/strong> (meaning He has already given it to us) everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”\u00a0 He has already given us everything we need….all the faith, all the victory over sin, all the patience etc… that we need for daily living.\u00a0 You have what you need within your spirit because you have Christ’s life in your spirit.\u00a0 If we take responsibility for setting our mind, focusing our attention on Him each day, allowing Him to live His life out through us then we will never lack anything that we need for each day.\u00a0<\/p>\n So, we invite you to celebrate with us this huge mileston that Father has brought about and continue to set your mind, focus and attention on Him each day.\u00a0 You will begin to see your faith aroused, promted and actuated!\u00a0 You will indeed find victory over the flesh!\u00a0 Experiencing Christ’s life as your source is an awesome adventure, and as we have found today, it leads you to milestones that you never thought possible!!<\/p>\n Dana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello everyone, We are an excited bunch around here today.\u00a0 This month\u00a0is the official 1 year anniversary of New Life Design.\u00a0 We can’t believe that it has been a whole year since we “set up shop” and “hung out our shingle” as we say.\u00a0 We are indeed grateful for all that Father has done over the past year.\u00a0 The step of faith was so worth it!! As I reflect back on this faith journey so far, I am reminded of the verses in Hebrews 11 that I spent much time pouring over before we announced the plans for NLD.\u00a0 This chapter journals the experiences of many saints who lived by faith and brought honor to the kingdom of God.\u00a0 One part in particular beckons my attention day after day and that is verses 13-16.\u00a0 Let me share them with you…. “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anewlifedesign.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anewlifedesign.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anewlifedesign.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anewlifedesign.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anewlifedesign.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/anewlifedesign.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anewlifedesign.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anewlifedesign.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anewlifedesign.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}