Aspiring To Be Summer 2016 by Aspiring to Be Magazine

SUMMER 2016

ISSUE NO. 2

ASPIRING TO BE MAGAZINE

THIS WILL P.A.S.S.

LIVING A LIFE FOR JESUS

RIVERS OF HEALING

PEACE DURING THE STORMS OF LIFE

JOY OF THE LORD

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Images: Free via Lightstock.com

aspiringtobemag.wordpress.com

A2B table of con tents 02 Letter From the Editor 03 This Will P.A.S.S. 06 Rivers of Healing

09 Joy of the Lord 11 Living a Life for Jesus 13 Peace During the Storms of Life 14 Recommended Resources

A2B

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, Our first issue was a huge success thanks to you. Our heart is that if we bless just one person with our writing then it's been well worth the effort in putting this magazine together. We all pray that God uses the words that we write in order to help you in your daily spiritual walk.. Our hope is that we have encouraged, uplifted and empowered you to be ALL that God has created you to be. God Bless, Dianna

Dianna Auton is a Homeschooling mom to 3 girls and wife to her best friend for over 17 years. She is a blogger, author, reviewer and a coffee drinker. She enjoys reading, writing, hiking, photography and shopping. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Christian Education from Calvary Bible Institute. Her passion is encouraging women of all walks of life to be all that God has created them to be.

A2B

THIS WILL P.A.S.S. BY SARAH BETH LANHAM

Do you feel overwhelmed by life’s pressure? Are you under attack from the enemy? Well, I have good news for you. No matter what you are going through, this will PASS! It may seem like it’s never going to end and it’s not getting better, but worse. Still, no matter what, the thing you are going thru is temporary. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You will see a brighter day if you don’t give up. Jesus said in John 16:33 “In the world you will have tribulation...” Jesus promised us that we would have trials that we would face but He didn’t end it there. He went on to say, “...but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” The Amplified version says, “...I have overcome the world (I have deprived it of power to harm you.)” Thank God for Jesus! We always have victory through Him because His victory is our victory! Let me share something with you that has helped me. I was facing a trial that I thought was going to be a lifelong event. I went to my pastor for counseling and he said 3 words that I have already shared with you that changed my life. He said, “This

will pass.” Those are 3 simple words, but it dawned on me that what he said was really true. I felt like I could breathe again. The trial wasn’t over that day, but in the end, he was right. It did pass. The Lord then shared with me how to get through a trial until it does pass that will help us come out victorious. It comes from the letters in the word P-A-S-S.

P=PATIENCE. Be patient! The trials we face do not give us patience but WORKS the patience we have to help it grow. James 1:2-3 says, “My brethren count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations knowing this, that the trying of your faith WORKETH patience. But LET patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” That sounds like a good state to be in. Perfect and entire, wanting nothing. We can let or allow the trials we face to work for our good by allowing them to work or cultivate our patience. The only way our patience can grow and increase is through trials or tests that come our way. However, facing trials does not automatically guarantee that our paitence will increase. It is a choice that we must make by

THIS WILL P.A.S.S.

choosing to encourage ourselves thru the trial by the word of God and time in His presence and allowing the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. God will provide us with HIS strength and enable our patience to see us through whatever we are facing. We don’t ever have to throw in the towel or give up! We are more than conquerors through Christ!

A=ACT ON THE WORD. Do not REACT to circumstances. I want you to read that again. Act only on the Word. DO NOT REACT to circumstances. We can’t let this be too simple for us. This small truth is life-changing if we actually will do it. When we are being pressed on during a trial, there is pressure on us to react to that pressure. If we do that, we are letting something from the outside govern our actions. We cannot let circumstances lead us and dictate to us. The Holy Spirit should be our guide to our every decision and action. This is not always an easy thing. Sometimes, it is the hardest thing we will ever do. Our flesh may scream to have its way. It will want to murmur, complain, talk about the problem and worry about the problem. Ps. 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” God will give you light to shine upon your path if you submit to him through acting on his word. If God says you are healed, then act healed! If God says you are free from depression, then act free! If God says he will meet your every need according to his riches in glory, then act like all your needs are met! If God says to cast all your care upon him, then act worry free! If God says he took the punishment of your peace, then act peaceful! Act on the Word! Don’t react to the enemy! S=SPEAK THE WORD ONLY. Notice the word "only". It will be tempting every day and almost every moment to speak the problem and fearful thoughts, but don’t let yourself. If you can control your tongue, you can control your destiny.

A2B

You have the power of death and life in your tongue and you will eat the results of what you speak (Proverbs 18:20-21). It is easy to speak the Word when everything is okay but it takes faith to speak the Word to your problem in the midst of it. Mark 11:23 tell us to speak to our mountain: “For verily I say unto you that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Speak to your mountain and tell it to leave in Jesus’ name. Then, only speak what the word of God says about your situation. Take the sword of the Spirit and cut the devil’s head off with the word of God. The Word is alive and powerful! Be on the offense. If the enemy can get you to stop speaking what the Word says about your situation then he will have you on the defense instead of on the offense. Resist the devil according to James 4:8. The word “resist” means "to actively fight against". We actively fight against the devil with the Word of God thru speaking it with our tongue. Let the Word fight for you. All you have to do is SPEAK IT!

S=STAND. Ephesians 6:13 says, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to STAND.” When you have used your patience and it is being developed, you have continually acted on the Word of God, and you have been speaking the Word only, then just stand in your victorious position in Christ. Things will change. God cannot fail. Just keep standing when you have done all you know to do. Sadly, this is when most Christians throw in the towel. They get tired and faint, but we don’t have to. We are commanded to BE strong and courageous. God would not command us to do something that we could not do. We are not alone. God is with us and God is IN us. His strength in you will make you

THIS WILL P.A.S.S. the overcomer. Keep up the faith. Stay in the fight and never give up because no weapon formed against you will prosper and this thing will pass!

Sarah has been married for 3 years and has one daughter who just turned a year old. She works part time as an Occupational Therapist and she values being able to be home with her daughter most of the time. Sarah's heart is to teach Gods Word and to help others lead a fulfilled Christian life. She loves people and has a heart to see Gods blessing evident in the body of Christ.

A2B

RIVERSB Y ROF HEALING ACHEL STORMS In Ezekiel 47:1-12 we read about a river of healing waters flowing from the temple of God. I want to share with you some characteristics of this river and how they are representative of the outpouring of God’s Spirit in these last days.

1. The healing waters flowed from the temple of God. v.1) "Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced the east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar." First, I want to point out that water is representative of the Spirit. In John 7:38 Jesus says, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Verse 39 goes on to say that Jesus spoke this concerning the Holy Spirit who would be given to those who believe.

In verse one it says the river was flowing from the temple of God. In the Old Testament the temple was a building where the presence of God dwelt among His people. Today, we are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16), and the Holy Spirit dwells in us (2 Timothy 1:14). Again, John 7:38 says that those of us who believe will have rivers of living water flowing out of our hearts. As we spend more time pressing in through prayer and fellowship with our Father, we will tap into these rivers releasing an outflow of the Spirit. So, it is out of God’s presence that the rivers of the Spirit flow.

2. The prophet kept going deeper into the river. v.2-6) "He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water running out on the right side. And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles.

RIVERS OF HEALING

A2B

Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waste. Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river. When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other."

gathered.

I think we all will agree that God is progressive. As the prophet went to new depths in the river, so do we go to new depths in the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” It has proven true that for each of us individually and also corporately as the body of Christ, that every time we experience a genuine move of God by His Spirit we are taken to new depths of revelation and manifestation. There are new doors to be unlocked and greater measures of His glory to be released.

We are called to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17). Where the Spirit flows, the fish will gather. People are drawn by the Spirit. All we need to do is spread our nets! There is a great harvest to be reaped, but laborers are needed (Matthew 9:37-38; Luke 10:2).

3. The rivers brought healing to the sea.

I believe these trees are ministers of God. Isaiah 61:3-4 speaks of trees of righteousness that will rebuild, raise up, and repair. There are different kinds which are representative of different offices or callings. They bear fruit for spiritual nourishment and bring healing to those who are wounded. They are able to do this because they are planted by rivers of living water (Psalms 1:3; Jeremiah 17:8).

v.8) "Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed." I believe that the sea represents humanity. When the rivers of the Spirit are flowing, nations are affected. The Spirit of God will bring healing wherever He goes.

4. Where the river flowed, a multitude of fish

v.9-11) “And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. “It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many.“But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt."

5. Trees grew along the river banks. v.12) "Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”

Today, we are on the verge of a great move of God. In order for this to happen, we have to tap into the rivers of the Spirit and allow Him to move freely without limitation. Many times we are so caught up in good

RIVERS OF HEALING

works and programs that we forget that none of it matters if the Spirit isn’t in it. Now is the time to remove the limits. Now is the time to release God’s Spirit. Now is the time to reap a great harvest for the Kingdom.

Rachel Storms is a happily married mother of three girls. As the youngest daughter of a minister, she has been brought up under the instruction of the Bible. Having traveled with her family often, she has been exposed to various denominations and concluded that the basis of faith is and always will be founded upon the truth of God’s Word. Rachel is passionate about teaching others. Her greatest desire is to reach out to the lost and the broken with the compassion of Jesus Christ.

A2B

JOY OF THE LORD BY CHRISTY HENDERSON

For a few minutes think about what the word joy means and how it affects your life. No, don’t keep reading. Pause and really think about it, the joy of the LORD is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Why is the joy of the Lord so important? What is the effect of this joy? Where do we find this Joy? What is the process of keeping this joy? Humm…there’s more to it than I thought. As I was walking our dog in the field I asked the Lord, “What should I write about?" I knew if He gave me the subject it would be more effective. He simply said, “Joy of the Lord”. It was beyond me how much in the next few weeks I would need this joy. Shortly after the Lord gave me the subject to write about, I got a job. Needless to say, it is a very challenging job. I have never faced physical or mental stress like this before. One reason being I had fallen a few years ago and was home bound for 8 months. I was working 3 part-time jobs when this happened. Since then I hadn’t worked a public job. It took a toll on my emotions and body. With some

family issues I was already dealing with, this new job was the last thing I needed, or so I thought. I pray in the spirit on the way to work and home, covering everybody and everything God brings to mind. That is important, but I realized I am singing to myself while working. The joy and peace I received through singing gives me the strength to get through the difficulties of this job. I traded the stress for joy. I never knew it worked like this before. Added bonus here, time seems to fly by faster as I get more done in a shorter period of time. Yay!!! If you find yourself tired and struggling to fight the good fight of faith (1Timothy 6:12), maybe it’s because you have lost your joy. Joy produces strength and strength is needed to fight. 1King 1:40 “And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.” (ASV) The word rent here means: the earth shook because of their joy. The strength that joy generated was so great it shook the ground. As we tap into joy it gives us Gods

JOY OF THE LORD

strength which makes us strong enough to get through difficult situations. In simple terms: joy is an avenue to gain strength to help you keep going through all the struggles you face. It’s like pouring water on a violent fire; it puts out the harshness of the struggle and makes it His fight not ours. Rejoice, sing, dance, praise God and generate this joy to the point it changes the atmosphere in and around you. Don’t mistake happiness for joy. The meaning of happiness according to Merriam Webster Dictionary is "the state of being happy, an experience that makes you feel happy, a pleasurable or satisfying experience." Happiness is a feeling that is just for the moment. It doesn’t last and it gives you glimpses of good feelings when you bring things to memory. I encourage you to make the decision to tap into this joy. Especially when situations seem impossible and you don’t feel like it. God’s gift of joy changes you from the inside out. It will change your gray atmosphere into His great light.

A2B

Christy Henderson has been married for 25 years and has two beautiful girls. They are both married and she is looking forward to grandbabies. She is thankful for two special friends who remind her that she has a solid rock in Jesus Christ when life gets crazy. One thing she loves to do is minister to the hurting.

A2B

LIVING A LIFE FOR JESUS: It isn't easy but it's worth it. BY ASHLEY CHAMBERS

Growing up in a small town, everyone I knew was either churched or proclaimed Jesus as savior. Even with limited knowledge about following Christ, it wasn't difficult for me to follow Him. As time moved forward, the world I once lived in drastically changed as did I. The world grew further from God, Jesus, and all things Christian while I actively pursued it all with a zeal like never before. Jesus gave His life for us but in addition He also bore all our sickness and disease and gave us authority through the power of the Holy Spirit over the enemy and his schemes to destroy us. Knowing this, how could any persecution outweigh the benefits we have in Christ? We will be mocked, hated, lose relationships, and some will be martyrs for the life we choose. However, Jesus said He came to give us life abundantly. In Him there is hope, unexplainable Joy, purpose and so much more. A life in Him guarantees relationship. When we pray He always listens and responds. He has a good plan for all of us. He desires to see us fulfill our God given purpose and He equips us to succeed. We should give our all out of love and gratitude. A life in Him is a life of prayer, reading, studying and meditating on His Word. Serving others in love and through the gifts and talents He has given us. Praising, worshiping and honoring Him through tithes, offerings, dance, song and our actions. He promises that with the measure we give it will be given back to us. I don't know if that excites you but it sure excites me! As a human being it's tough facing rejection. To view persecution as a worthy cause seems crazy to most. This is one cause I choose to bear my cross for and walk the line necessary to finish my race and finish it strong. Will you? Living a life for Jesus isn't easy, but it's worth it.

LIVING A LIFE FOR JESUS

Ashley Chambers is a deep thinker and big dreamer who casts those thoughts and visions onto paper. Her purpose is to inspire others to see their potential and choose to be bold and courageous as they journey through this foreign land we call Earth. She runs the Facebook page Count it ALL Joy Where she encourages others in their Faith and challenges them to be intentional about their walk.

A2B

PEACE DURING THE STORMS OF LIFE BY DIANNA AUTON Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (NLT) Storms of life tend to hit when you least expect them. You can be going right along and dealing with daily life and all of a sudden you’ve been side-swiped by a tragedy. It could be anything from financial troubles to the death of someone you love. But regardless of what it is, you can be left wondering where God is in all of this. When we keep our thoughts and minds fixed on God, we can get through any tragedy regardless of how bad it looks or how hard it seems. Even in the thick of it when you can’t see a way out or you don’t see the plan keep your heart and mind fixed on the heavenly Father. His word is true. He will walk with you. Usually carrying you even when you don’t know how you can go on or how to move forward. He will guide you. When you fix your mind on God he will give you perfect peace. The whole world can feel like its whirling and spinning out of control but God can give you a peace that only he can give. A peace that no one else will understand. A peace that carries you through. Keep your mind on Christ and walk in peace. Excerpt from Simple Devotions for Women

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

A2B

Do You Write? Are you a writer? Do you enjoy encouraging others in their spiritual walk? If so we are looking for contributors to add to our growing list of writers. If you are interested you can go to http://aspiringtobemag.wordpress.com/contribute for more inoformation or to submit an article.

A2B

aspiringtobemag.wordpress.com

Available on amazon