There is Hope for the Holidays

October 18, 2019 Gaspar Anastasi

For many, the holiday season isn’t a happy time. Families and friends make great efforts and sacrifice to gather together in celebration. However, the holidays can trigger memories of past hurts, personal failures, losses and broken relationships.

The rest of the time people can successfully stuff these memories, but this time of year, they come rushing back, bringing deep depression, loneliness and hopelessness.

We ponder the marriage that could have been; the joy we could have if our loved one hadn’t died; how much we could bless others if we hadn’t lost our job…. Some of us long to be with family that are lost to us because of wrong choices.

Research says that most suicides occur during the holiday season. The sad part is that many of us are too caught up in the frenzy of activity to notice all the hurting people around us.

They are our co-workers, students and friends. You may not be aware that you could be a great source of emotional and mental stability… and hope.

God created us to need each other. He tells us that in at least 14 “one another” scriptures that emphasize the need and responsibility we have for each other. Here are just a few: Love one another; be kind to one another; pray for one another; be hospitable to one another; forgive one another; honor one another; prefer one another.

As people of God, here are some things to do to not lose hope…. whichever side of the fence we’re on.

1. Take another look. Reach out to someone who fits a category I mentioned and invite them to spend this holiday season with you and your family. It may save a life. At the very least you will help them through the toughest times. Don’t take no for an answer, because they will likely resist you, embarrassed to admit their need.

2. Get rid of preconceived ideas. If you’re the one who is alone, hurting or depressed, take the initiative to reach out. Ask someone you are close to if you can spend time with them this holiday season. They may be too busy with their own lives to notice your need. I guarantee they’ll apologize for not being sensitive enough to have asked you in the first place. Let go of the preconception that people don’t want or care about you, when in fact they really do!

3. Don’t be narrow-minded. God is the source of your life and wants to meet your needs. Allow Him to do it the way He wants, not the way you think He should or with the people you think He should. God will use unlikely people to bless you (or people you never wanted Him to use). You could be missing God’s blessings by being narrow-minded. Take another look before you say no to one person in order to say yes to someone else.

This holiday season, let’s not lose our hope. Let’s connect as the people of God as commanded in John 13:34, 35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

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Dancing in the Dark

May 18, 2019 Gaspar Anastasi

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Making positive change, Overcoming depression

Over and over in Genesis when God is creating, the scripture says “And evening and morning were the first (second… sixth…) day.” Notice night always comes before day. Our God who declares the end from the beginning goes to work in the evening of our lives when it is darkest, when everything looks dead and hopeless, when you feel like giving up. That’s when He suddenly speaks into the night and commands, “Let there be light!”

We all must go through night seasons in life. That’s a fact. And it is crucial that you put your effort into enduring difficult times in faith, rather than circumventing them. Otherwise, you just might miss your miracle.

A womb for the miraculous

Start seeing the darkness that surrounds you as a womb for the miraculous, and an incubator for the incredible. Suddenly, in one day, God can resurrect the very thing you thought was dead forever and prosper it as never before. But you must be willing to lay it down in faith.

In Numbers 17:1-8, God commanded the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel to lay down their rods before Him. Each of them was carrying around a dead stick which represented their will, their abilities and their human power. But once he laid it down, in the course of one night, Aaron’s rod budded blossomed and bore fruit. A miracle!

When God gets hold of the dead thing you lay down—the bad relationship, the rebellious kids, the lost job, the uncertain future—your crisis becomes the crucible for God’s creative power.

Endure the night

Not only must we endure our own night season, we must let others go through theirs as well. When we try to rescue our children or loved ones from problems over and over instead of letting them go through them, we only prolong their time in the fire.

If you cut a butterfly free from its cocoon it will die because it didn’t get the strength it gains in the struggle while breaking out. When you take away a person’s struggle, you kill the character, the discipline, the humility, etc. that would have developed in the process. That’s why Jesus rebuked Peter for trying to dissuade Him from going to the cross and why He called Judas friend. Jesus knew He had to endure the night to obtain our salvation.

So what do we do while we’re waiting for daybreak? Declare what you want to see happen. Speak light into the darkness just like God did. He has already given you the word. Now He is saying, “You speak it!”

Declare truth til daybreak

Say, “I am a tither and God is opening up the windows of heaven and pouring me out a blessing so great I can’t contain it all.”

Say, “Healing is the children’s bread and by Jesus Christ’s stripes I am healed of ________!”

Say, “My household is saved because a sanctified wife makes a sanctified husband and children.”

Don’t moan and groan. Endure joyfully. Say what God says and start to praise Him even in the dark. Dance and shout as you visualize your miracle coming to pass. Then get ready. Once you get a vision, day is about to come. …

When It Seems Like Life is Against You

October 27, 2018 Gaspar Anastasi

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Making positive change, Overcoming depression, Success & victory

If you’re like me, sometimes it seems like everything is going wrong and even life itself is working against you! Stress at work is off the charts; your financial problems are getting worse and your marriage and family life is in turmoil. And to make matters worse, it seems like God has turned a deaf ear to your immediate, desperate needs.

Jacob in the Bible experienced the same thing. It started in his mother’s womb, having to fight with his twin brother Esau, then being forced to leave home as a young man because he took Esau’s birthright. He also had to work 14 years for his wife Rachel because Laban tricked him into first marrying Leah, her older sister.

Jacob’s heart broke when Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin. Later on he thinks his favorite son Joseph was killed by wild animals as reported by his eldest son.

During a severe famine his finances are devastated and the Egyptians take his sons Simeon and Benjamin hostage in exchange for food. In Genesis 42:32-36 he makes this summation of the state of his life, “All these things are against me”. In other words Jacob is saying, “life itself is against me; how can I survive?”

These important steps will help you if you find yourself in the same position as Jacob:

#1. Don’t let your problems impress you more than the God you serve. Idolatry is when you have more fear and respect for something (your problems) than you do for your God. 1John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love”.

When you truly comprehend God’s love and protection in the deepest part of your heart, fear of failure and destruction will lose its long-term hold on you.

#2. Create an atmosphere of faith by rehearsing what God has done for you in the past, believing He will do it again. We are our own worst enemy when we create a negative atmosphere by complaining and saying our situation is hopeless.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “It’s impossible to please God without faith”. It pleases God to deliver you from your current struggles. Give Him an atmosphere where he can work on your behalf. You have the ability to invite God into your impossible circumstances.

#3. Stop talking with the snake. Yes you heard me correctly! Many of us talk with satan and his gang more than we do with God. You can tell whom you’ve been talking to by your negativity, complaining and hopelessness.

Come into and agreement with what the Lord says about your circumstances…. not with what satan wants you to say. Matthew 18:19 says “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” What an amazing promise! Let’s start agreeing with God from now on.

#4. Don’t judge a thing too soon. Don’t make a permanent decision on a temporary circumstance because God says that what you face today is temporary.

Maybe you didn’t have a good start but your finish is what counts. With God’s presence in your midst, temporary circumstance you find yourself in can suddenly become a blessing.

#5. Remember, God is working in it so don’t quit no matter how it looks or feels. Don’t grow weary in planting good seeds during trials. Galatians 6:7 says, “God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows that he will reap.”

#6 Know that the trials and tests we go through releases God’s glory. So don’t give up, give in, or back down. God’s deliverance from life’s problems is guaranteed. Jacob had Joseph, Simeon and Benjamin restored to him when it looked like life had defeated him. He also was restored financially.

He had moments of weakness but he finished strong in faith. God even named Himself “the God of Jacob”.

When all looks lost and it seems like life itself is closing in on you, remember it’s not over till it’s over and you are on the winning team. There is nothing you and God together can’t overcome.

Put these simple but profound principles into action and watch life turn around for you today.

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Don’t Wait Until Things Get Better

October 20, 2018 Gaspar Anastasi

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Finding significance in life, Overcoming depression, Success & victory

Many of us live negative and discouraged lives, hoping that things will get better one day. You may not like where you are. You might not like your job, your house, your location or even the people in your life.

You have a choice. You can waste years trying to change your circumstances. Or you can let God change you!

It’s easy to stay focused on the few negative things we face instead of the many positive things with which God has blessed us. When we do, we miss out on enjoying this great gift of life that God has given us.

As long as we continually murmur and complain about what we don’t have and how bad life is, God will allow us to stay right where we are. It’s sad to say it, but some of us spend over 40 hours a week depressed and discouraged over the negative things in our life.

God doesn’t promote negative, complaining people with bad attitudes. So the quickest way out of where we are today is to celebrate the gift of life and choose to be happy. Yes, it’s a choice!

Choose to have a good attitude and become the best that you can be right where you’re planted. Learn to prosper right there, even though you may be uncomfortable. Don’t make the mistake of waiting until everything gets better before you get happy and positive.

Start believing God for the best, right where you are. God’s miracle power is not limited by your circumstance… only by your negative and hopeless attitude. Become the best Christian you can be, right where you are.

Remember, you’re the light of the world and your light shines the best and brightest in the darkness. God wants to mature you and build His character in you, so your lifestyle will draw people to Him.

Are people being drawn to God or chased away from Him because of the way you live and your attitude? Look around. How many have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus in the last year because of you?

It’s in the rough places, the difficult and uncomfortable places that God reveals your heart. When we are in those tight places and feel like our lives are on hold, God reveals our corrupt, selfish heart… our it’s-all-about-me-and-nobody-else attitude.

Like David prayed in Psalm 139:23 and 24, ask God to search your heart. The truth is: It is not about you, but about how God can advance His kingdom through you. And, there are times that God keeps you where you are so you can be a blessing to someone else. That’s why we must be willing to be uncomfortable for a season and learn to encourage ourselves during that time.

Stop trying to fix everything and everyone in your life. Simply be fruitful where you are planted! True contentment isn’t having everything you want. It’s not wanting to have everything (Philippians 4:12 &13).

We love to hear from you! If this post has been a blessing to you, please leave a comment below.…

Break Free. Live Well.

October 13, 2018 Gaspar Anastasi

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Overcoming depression, Success & victory

The two statements above are totally dependent on each other. You can’t live well unless you break free from the bondages that hinder you from a life of success and prosperity. And you’ll never break free from those bondages and live your God-given destiny unless you learn to live well on a consistent basis.

Here are some suggestions that have helped me to accomplish both:

Know your purpose in life. I believe the greatest tragedy is not dying before your time, but living without purpose.

You can’t know your purpose in life apart from knowing God. He created us for a reason and discovering God’s purpose for your life happens when you discover who God really is and how important He is to you (Ephesians 2:10).

When I was about 27 years old, I invited Jesus Christ into my heart, and I discovered why I existed. Thus began my journey toward breaking free and living well!

It took me 27 years to discover who God really is, to have a personal relationship with Him and then begin my journey of living with His purpose in mind. Make sure Jesus is in your heart and not just your head.

Know that you are valuable. What I mean is that you are unique and different from everybody else. You don’t have to try to be like them. You don’t want to be a cheap copy of a great original. You’re not in competition with others. You’re uniquely made with God’s fingerprints all over your life.

Your value isn’t based on what other people think of you. The only opinion that counts is God’s.

Celebrate your differences and God-given uniqueness, instead of hiding or denying them. When I accepted that truth, it liberated me from the boundaries I and other people had placed on me.

You have what it takes to finish the race. God has already placed in you everything you need to succeed and fulfill His purpose in your life. When I discovered that, my success wasn’t something I was waiting for in the future. Instead, I recognized it was already in me and it changed the way I live.

God always starts with the end and then backs up to the beginning. He already placed in you everything you need to fulfill the purpose for which He created you.

I began looking inside myself for success instead of looking on the outside for other people to make me successful (Ephesians 3:20). How liberating it is to know you’ve got what it takes to finish the race, to fulfill your reason for existence!

It’s all up to you. I had to take responsibility for my own choices and decisions instead of blaming God and others for what was going on in my life. I stopped looking to other people to give me what God had already deposited in me. My success was waiting to be released.

Start discovering the treasures God has already placed in you by believing what He says about you. You and I were created for success, not failure. And if you’re going to break free and live well, these 4 steps are essential.

Stop living in bondage; break the cycles of defeat; and start living out God’s potential in your life. The best is yet to come!

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