What NOT to do with God’s Promises

One of the main things I teach people to do when they’re going for a goal or objective is to pray and get a confirmation from the Lord that what they want is what God wants for them. When you get a feeling of peaceful assurance that you’re on the right path, you can proceed forward in faith, resting on God’s promises.

The problem that arises next for most of us is the human need to make God’s promises happen. We start feeling that “if it’s to be, it’s up to me” when the truth is “what God originates He orchestrates.” But surely we can’t sit back and do nothing? We must take action. True faith engenders action – right? Yes, it does, but there is a difference between taking inspired action and forcing an outcome.

I think the very best example of this was Sarai in the Old Testament (Genesis 16). Do you remember the promise God made to Abraham that he and Sarai would have a son? The problem was they were in their 90’s and Sarai’s time for bearing children had long since passed. God promised, yet nothing seemed to be happening. So, Sarai, in classic “take matters into my own hands” fashion set to work to help God fulfill His promise.

She had a handmaiden named Hagar who was of child-bearing years. In this period of time and part of the world, if your handmaid had a child by your husband, it was the same as if you had given birth to the child. It was the early form of surrogate motherhood. So, Sarai, went to her husband and suggested he take Hagar to wife and let her bear a son. It would be Sarai’s by proxy … thus fulfilling the Lord’s promise. After all, it wasn’t logical that a 90-year-old woman could ever bear a child herself – right?

So Abraham follows his wife’s advice, Hagar conceives and then begins to lord her pregnancy over Sarai. Sarai goes to Abraham and admits she’s made a mistake. Now what can she do about this prideful maid? He tells her that Hagar is her maid, and she can deal with her however she wants.

Sarai is harsh with Hagar and Hagar flees. An angel of the Lord appears to Hagar and asks her where she’s from and where’s she’s going. She explains that she’s fleeing from her mistress, Sarai. The angel tells her to return to her mistress and submit herself to her hands. The angel also prophecies to her about her son Ishmael and his impressive future.

Hagar replies with something quite insightful, “God sees me.” She marvels so much over the fact that God sees her — notices her — that the name of the well where she met the angel is called Beer-lahai-roi meaning, “The well of him who liveth and seeth me.”

I believe this desire to be seen, to be noticed and to matter is at the root of all Hagar’s actions toward Sarai. Here she is a servant, and Sarai tells her to have Abraham’s child so it can be hers. Sure, Hagar went along with this plan, but how much choice did she really have in the matter? She was a bondwoman.

Might her acting out toward her mistress be her way of saying, “Am I not human? Don’t I have feelings? Shouldn’t I have a say in how my body is used and for whom my children are born? Does anybody see me? Does anybody think my feelings matter here?”

How many times in our rush to fulfill God’s promises do we trample over other people to make it happen? Sarai used Hagar, and then was upset that Hagar didn’t handle it well. How did she expect her to handle it? I think this story is a classic example of our propensity to take a promise God has made, start trying to control how it happens, and forget completely about the feelings and rights of other people. We rarely stop to look through another person’s eyes to see that they might not be too happy about how we’re manipulating them or using them to reach our objective.

Had Sarai just waited — not taken action to manipulate things — she would have seen that God was actually going to help her bear a son herself. God literally meant what he said, and He didn’t need Sarai’s help to make it happen.

So the next time you feel the need to help God keep His promises, try stepping back and asking Him what action you should take — if any. Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing to do is to just be still and know that He is God!

God Wants a Unified and Powerful People

My recent post about Dr. Michael J. Duckett’s, The Progression, stirred a bit of hubbub, which made me want to post a little more on why I feel it’s important for Christians to …

develop a feeling of friendship and unity in our midst regardless of theological differences, and
embrace and activate the creative power we possess as children of God.

The way I see it, the “signs of the times” are upon us and we are living in the last days. I anticipate that Christ’s return is very near, and in the not too distant future, He will usher in a peaceful rein upon this earth:

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorry, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. Revelations 21:3-4

The question is, are we ready for Him? Are we ready for an incredible period of peace and unity? If we’re bickering, arguing and finding fault now, are we suddenly going to change our habits and the very nature of our beings simply because Christ is with us? I seriously doubt it. I believe we must become a peaceful people.

Notice there's no doorknob on this door! "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelations 3:20

Our ability to live in unity with one another may be the very invitation Christ needs to dwell among us. So, while I may not agree with everything a fellow-Christian may believe, I can still love and respect her and value the truths she shares with me from her perspective. While I may not agree with 100% of an entire presentation in a dvd or book, I can glean the truth and knowledge that is there. In order to do that, I must search diligently in the Light of Christ to identify truth when I see it. And the way to recognize it is by listening to the Spirit of God.

No human is perfect. No one has everything right or all the answers, but within each of us are valuable truths, talents and gifts that we can share with others. If I discount the truth you have to share or diminish your gifts and talents because you aren’t “right” about everything or use the same terminology I use, then it’s my loss.

I believe Christians have within them the ability to transform this world and work miracles. God gave us dominion over this earth and all things in it, but we …

refuse to step up to that ability — succumbing to being acted upon instead of acting for ourselves; or
are afraid of our ability to create (slapping labels like “New Age” on it); or
use our creative ability for vain, gluttonous and prideful purposes.

I don’t want Christians to learn how to use the laws of the universe and their creative ability so we can all get rich and prosperous and show off to others that God is blessing us. I want Christians to utilize this creative power so we can clothe the naked, feed the hungry, liberate the captives, and administer relief to the sick and afflicted.

What if we used this creative power to liberate children kept in cages in human trafficking rackets in Nicaragua or Costa Rica? What if we used this creative power to build orphanages and safe houses? What if we used it to develop healing programs for those who have suffered trauma? What if we used it to provide food, clothing and shelter for those in poverty?

What if we used this creative power to “wipe away all tears” NOW? It may sound idealistic, but I believe that if we stepped forward and lived in peace and love NOW, we would be sending out a planetary invitation to Jesus Christ — “Come, Lord Jesus, dwell among us.” Certainly, a segment of the world will continue to travel in darkness, but Jesus showed us that it only takes one God and a handful of disciples to change the world.

Can’t we be those disciples now?

The Progression by Dr. Michael J. Duckett

Have you been trying to use the Law of Attraction without success? Or maybe you have trouble reconciling it with your Christian beliefs. It’s my hope that this article will shed some light and provide you with a valuable resource for further study.

Consider with me for a moment that the universe is made up of two main parts:

1) Fine intelligent matter that will obey thoughts that are impressed upon it by a higher intelligence through focus, faith and feeling. Wallace Wattles referred to this as “thinking stuff” in his book “The Science of Getting Rich.” This intelligent matter wants to move into physical form and is waiting for a higher intelligence to impress its plans upon it — to give it direction.

In Romans 8:19 Paul wrote, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”

In Greek “earnest” in this verse means “eager hope” and “creature” means “creation or material universe” and “manifestation” means “revelation.” So let’s reword this verse a bit and substitute these definitions:

“For the eager hope of the material universe waits for the revelation of the sons of God.”

In other words, the matter of the universe is waiting for the children of God (us) to have a new idea or an “aha moment” — an intense, moment of light where we impress our focus, faith and feeling upon the matter of the universe and it can start moving into form.

2) There is a radiant intelligent light that acts as a communication system. It is in all, through all, and brings life to the universe. In essence, it is a hardwired communication system to the intelligent matter. The matter wants to obey it. The matter trusts it.

Now, I believe the source of this radiant intelligent light is God. God is a personal, literal Being, a Personage as real as you or me. From Him radiates this intelligent life-giving light. It might be referred to as the Light of Christ, the Glory of God, or the Mind of God. I often call it God’s communication system. God then communicates to the intelligent matter to organize and create things.

We, as God’s children are made in His image and have the capacity to utilize God’s communication system to impress our thoughts and feelings upon intelligent matter. As we impress our thoughts and feelings upon this intelligent matter, we create things as well.

One of the best explanations I’ve seen for how this works is Dr. Michael J. Duckett’s DVD, The Progression. It explains far beyond what the movie The Secret taught and answers many questions that it did not address.

In The Progression, the terms “God” and “Mind of God” are used to denote the combination of both the thinking stuff and God’s communication system.

It’s common for people to call God’s communication system “God.” Personally, I would say that God is the Glorified Being from whom this light radiates. But, I suppose this light is God the same as a strand of my hair is “Marnie.” It’s part of me, it’s from me, it’s extending out from me. It’s not a complete depiction of me, by any stretch, but it is an extension of me for sure. Where you see my hair, you know I’m nearby. 🙂 So I won’t quibble over terminology any more.

Dr. Duckett brings up several important points in The Progression that are lacking in other explanations I’ve seen: The following are a few.

1) The intelligent matter will obey what you give your focus, faith and feeling to — whether that’s something wanted or unwanted, “good” or “bad.”

2) Honesty and integrity are critical. The intelligent matter works best when it is operated upon through God’s communication system. When the intelligent matter is acted upon via God’s communication system, it responds more readily in positive ways. In essence, it knows it can trust the being that is giving it commands. In order to use God’s communication system, one must be aligned with integrity, love and the promotion of good.

3) One must take immediate action upon impressions in order to receive more inspiration and direction.

4) Dr. Duckett emphasizes the role of love and seeking the good of all. Because God is love and His communication system requires good intentions, one will be more successful in using God’s laws for their highest good when he or she lives in harmony with love.

I’ve been so impressed with The Progression that I’ve agreed to help Dr. Michael Duckett get the word out about it. You can view a segment of the DVD here. That is my affiliate link. If you like the movie and would like to be an affiliate too, there’s a link on that page with details. I anticipate this DVD will become very popular in the days ahead.

Free to Be You

Twenty years ago I was a young mother with two small children and a new home business that we depended on to make ends meet. As a result, I was under a lot of stress. At times my two-year-old daughter could be quite the handful. Not only was she competing for my attention with a baby brother, but also my fledgling business that was taking 40-50 hours per week of my time.

This child, who had once received the undivided attention of her non-working mother, didn’t know what to do. So, she acted out to get my attention. Who could blame her? The flowing water faucet of attention she once received was now reduced to a trickle. This “bad behavior” was something new to me, so I turned to my own mother for advice.

My mother, a kind yet authoritative presence recommended stern punishment for this misbehavior. It wasn’t what I was used to doing, but I didn’t know what else to do. After all, my mother was the ultimate in motherhood. Shouldn’t I follow her advice? I began disciplining my daughter the way I thought my mother would have disciplined us if we’d acted that way.

Frankly, for me it didn’t work like it did for my mom. This only exacerbated my frustration. Yet, I kept on trying to be my mother — except my mother never resorted to yelling, screaming or losing control. She didn’t have to. She was the ultimate in self-control. She could give us a look and we’d behave. Why couldn’t I be like her? Why didn’t my children obey when I tried to be authoritative?

I look back on those years and sincerely regret my actions toward my eldest daughter. I was way too hard on her. All she really needed was some of my love and attention.

Back in those overwhelming days I often lamented, “I used to be a good person until I had children.” I realize now that trying to be someone I wasn’t only amplified an already stressful situation.

I have six children – girl, boy, boy, a 5-year break and another girl, boy, boy. I believe God gave me a do-over with these younger ones. He’s given me a second chance to learn to be me.

While my mother was very successful with her authoritative style, I’m not believable as an authoritative personality. It’s not me. I’m laid-back, inconsistent and affectionate by nature. For me to morph myself into an authoritative style added more stress and frustration to my already overloaded plate. The anger, yelling, and inevitable guilt that resulted in those early years all occurred because I wasn’t being true to myself. I was trying to be someone I’m not.

Somewhere along the way, I learned to be me. My younger children have quite the different mother than my older ones did. I’m not saying I’m perfect or that I don’t ever “lose it,” but the stress of trying to be someone I’m not isn’t there anymore. I’m free to be me and as a result, my children are much more well-behaved, adjusted and loved.

Most of us grow up trying to model someone else – a parent, a teacher, or a mentor. We think because the way they do things works for them, that they should work for us. What we don’t see is that at a core level we can be very different personalities. What works for me might not work for you. Not only that, but in trying to make ourselves fit someone else’s mold, we can become our worst selves.

I no longer look at myself and think having children made me my worst self. It may have for a time, but in the end, being a mom has made me my best self.

My friend Lisa Rae Preston has developed an enlightening system for living as your true self. It’s called STEP Into Destiny. The first step is to understand yourself – what your core passion is – what makes you the happiest by God’s design. The next step is to start operating more from your core. The result will be less stress, more joy, and more success in life.

Take the STEP into Destiny Passion Test today. You may find that some of the stress and challenges you face in life are because you’re trying to operate from someone else’s core and not your own. Don’t make my mistake and live with years of regret. Don’t let those around you suffer the ramifications of you trying to be someone you aren’t. You owe it to those you love to be the “you” God created you to be!

You Call Me Yours

I’ve spent the last couple weeks with my good friend Lisa Rae Preston, the creator of the STEP Into Destiny quiz and author of the soon-to-be-released book with the same name. I think of all the wonderful things I’ve learned from my friend over the years, but the one that stands out to me is that Lisa highlights the beauty of God’s heart. She helps me know and feel how much my Father not only loves, but also delights in me.

Today, she introduced me to a song that I instantly fell in love with and I had to share it here with you! It’s called “You Call Me Yours” performed by Prelude.

Songwriters: Reginald Timothy Stone and Christy Sutherland

I hear You calling out my name as only You can do
Your voice it covers all my shame, the old You turned to new
No matter how things look to me
You see a destiny, a perfect promise.

You call me beautiful. You call me righteous.
You call me worthy of Your Son’s own precious blood.
You call me holy. You call me strong at my weakest.
Forgiven and pure, You call me Yours.

It’s hard for me to understand exactly what You see.
I slip and stumble everyday but still You say believe.
You say you finish what you start.
You’ve seen me from my heart and not the bruises.

You call me beautiful. You call me righteous.
You call me worthy of Your Son’s own precious blood.
You call me holy. You call me strong at my weakest.
Forgiven and pure, You call me Yours.

You call me beautiful. You call me righteous.
You call me worthy of Your Son’s own precious blood.
You call me holy. You call me strong at my weakest.
Forgiven and pure. You call me Yours.

When I’m Like Niagara . . .

A few years ago, we stopped at Niagara Falls on a family road trip. Having never seen anything like it, we stood there amazed by its majestic grandeur and awesome power. We felt inexplicably joyous, as if a healing strength emanated from the rushing waters and sprayed on our faces with the windy mist.

I could have stayed there for hours basking in the comforting strength of it, filled with reverent wonder at one of God’s most incredible creations. How could anyone be near Niagara and not know that God exists in a living, tangible way?

Yet, I hadn’t thought about Niagara in some time… until today.

Every once in a while I wonder if I’m making the impact I could be making in the world. I often feel as if I’m on the verge of something big, but can’t quite step into it. Everything I do feels like tiny little steps that aren’t going anywhere fast enough.

This morning I prayed about why I keep having this gnawing feeling that I’m coming up short, never doing enough, never being fully who I can be – or perhaps who I already am. I feel like a glowing ball of light crammed into a two-inch box. As silly as it sounds, I can’t seem to find my way out of it. When will I learn that the box has absolutely no power to contain me other than the fact that I think it can?

I have come to understand that God created me to be a fountain putting forth the good things He gives me. I’m to become a conduit of His love, light and truth to others. I’m to share what He’s giving me and never selfishly try to contain it for myself. Because of this, I’m periodically drawn back to Jesus’ words to the woman at the well:

“Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:13-14

As best I can, I’ve tried to stay connected to Christ and allow His living water to spring forth within me, out to bless others. But no matter what I do, it never seems to be enough. The box always seems to be getting in the way.

This morning as I was praying I felt as if God asked me, “When will it be enough, Marnie?”

Immediately Niagara Falls flashed into my mind, and I answered, “When I’m like Niagara!”

When I’m a rushing waterfall of Living Water that showers and mists the world for good;
When people know Jesus Christ because they know me;
When people around me hear God’s voice like the rushing of great waters;
When anyone who comes within my sphere of influence feels an inexpressible love, joy, and peace;
When my life has become a masterpiece of God’s creations – testifying of His majestic power, strength and love to others . . .

Then it will be enough.

But how can I ever be like Niagara? Is it even possible? I believe my ability to be Niagara comes down to …

The strength of my connection to Jesus Christ.
Opening myself up completely to Him – letting His love and glory hollow out my soul and kick off the sides of that box.
Letting Christ wash me clean of any and all obstructions.
Being willing to fall and know that it’s all part of His plan.
Letting go and allowing His abundance to rush straight through me and out to others.

Yes, when I am like Niagara, it will be enough.

Restoring Hope in a Troubled Marriage

A lady emailed me in response to my Step-by-Step Formula for Resurrecting Hope. She’s going through a painful situation. Her husband left her for another woman. Still married to the man, he continues to flaunt his misconduct by living with the other woman and giving his wife a hard time about her belief in God. She wrote asking my advice on what to do.

Some people might tell her “divorce is wrong” and she should hang on to hope that this marriage can be restored. Others might tell her to ditch her husband and move on. Honestly, it’s not my place to say either way. It’s not my place to judge what God will or will not do in her situation. Only God can answer that for her. All I can do is set her on a path which will lead her to God’s answer for her.

I have a feeling there are others out there who struggle in marriages that are dying on the vine, and so I’d like to address this concern with the SAM experiment. Here’s the advice I gave her and that I give anyone struggling in a painful marital situation.

1) Get very clear on the ideal husband you’d like to have – the ultimate – how he would act, treat you, be, etc. Get very specific. What are his beliefs? How does he take care of himself? How does he treat you? Etc. Be prayerful and seek the Lord’s input on this list. Let this list be your “Sam.”

2) Let go of “who” SAM is. It may or may not be your current husband. Let go of the “who” and give that to God. Allow Him the possibility of transforming your husband, radically changing your view of him, teaching you to unconditionally love your husband the way he is, or of bringing someone entirely new into your life. Put your Hope in Christ … not in an individual!

3) Keep a lookout for anyone or anything that comes into your life that aligns with SAM. It may be a stranger who helps you out of the blue. It might be a child. It may be your husband, or it may be a friend or sister. Anyone.

Example: In my situation, Sam appeared as an elderly gentleman at the landfill when my truck broke down and wouldn’t start. Together we figured it out and got the engine started. Another time, Sam appeared as my 9-year-old son. I came home from a week at a church girl’s camp, and he’d totally reorganized his room without being asked. What once looked like a tornado aftermath was neat and tidy. What’s more, he’s kept it that way for over a month!

4) Be grateful for those SAM moments – express gratitude to God and to anyone involved for them. Document your SAM moments in a notebook or journal.

In the case of my 9-year-old, I took him aside and thanked him for what he did, letting him know why it meant so much to me that he would organize his room and how it made me happy and lifted my burdens.

5) Continue to be prayerful through this process because God is going to teach you things that I can’t tell you. He knows what you should do and who you should or should not have in your life. But the clearer you become, the more evident God’s hand will become in your life and the more you will see what you should do.

Once you’ve made your list of the ideal, ask yourself if there is anything you need to be or do in order to be prepared for this person to walk right into your life. If that ideal husband appeared tomorrow, what would you need to be ready for him? Do you want to be in better shape? Would you want a hair cut? Would you want some aspect of your home in better condition? I was telling this to a young single friend of mine and she said she’d keep her legs shaved. 🙂

For example, if “Sam” is in great shape, eats healthy and has lots of energy. Could you keep up with him if he appeared in your life tomorrow? If not, then you know you need to work on your own health and body. See what I mean? Be who you need to be so that there’s nothing between you and your ideal.

Throughout the process be prayerful. Ask to see your situation through God’s eyes. And be sincerely grateful for the tiniest glimpses of SAM in your life!

Step-By-Step Method for Resurrecting Hope

Over the last few months, I’ve stumbled upon a step-by-step method for resurrecting hope when hope feels dead and gone. I call it my SAM Experiment. Hope you enjoy this video explanation and give it a try for yourself!

Please tell me how it goes for you in the comment area below.

Have You Lost Hope? Find it Again!

Have you lost hope in some area of your life? Perhaps financially, or maybe your marriage is struggling, your child is having problems or your health is poor. In this video, I share what I learned from my own apparently hopeless situation. All is not lost. There is always hope! With God nothing is impossible. Here’s how…

If the video doesn’t appear for you above, you can watch it here.

Be sure to watch the second part to this video which covers a step-by-step method for resurrecting hope.

Reach Out and Be Healed

In the New Testament we read of the miraculous healings that Jesus performed – healing the blind, the lame, those with palsy or leprosy. Whether tormented by devils or taken to the grave, nothing was beyond His ability to heal and make right.

Have you ever been sick or struck with an emotional trauma and wished He were nearby that you might simply reach out and touch the hem of his garment and be healed? Did you know that He IS nearby? Closer than you realize. He is always there, waiting for us to reach our hands out into the darkness and find the light. He is “the light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not” (John 1:5). But it takes an act of faith to extend ourselves and trust that He is there.

The following video is the testimony of one woman who did just that at our recent Light the World: Birthing Your Destiny Retreat. She reached out and found Him there.

To view the video if it doesn’t display, click here.

Light The World Now!

Author Archives: marniep