I can think of many testimonies where women have been delivered from the bondage of shame and fear. When I was in Kazakhstan we were conducting a very large woman’s conference, and at the end of the meeting this very little lady came up to me holding a gold chain. She grabbed my hand and put the chain in it saying, “Leslie, my husband is in prison for sharing his faith and I am all alone in my home. I have three small children and I have come from far away. I felt so ashamed and so alone—they closed up the church and the government is against us. I have always asked myself, what did I do to cause this to happen? What sin did I commit that might have sent my husband to prison?  But today you have given me hope and reminded me that it is the blood of Jesus that paid the price, and what my husband and I are doing we are doing because Jesus Christ has come to us. Now I know I do not have to be ashamed, I am not the cause of this! I now can come before God with an open face, and I am giving this chain to you to remind you that the women of Uzbekistan will never forget that they have been created in the image of God, and we can come boldly into His presence.”

She ended by saying, “Now I return to my country and I will lift up my head, for I am not ashamed that I am a Christian created in the image of God!”

For many, salvation through Christ means an escape from eternal judgment. Often as I stand on the open fields of world evangelism, whether I am preaching or standing among the crowd, I find myself declaring the salvation prayer as if it were the first time I said it. Why? Because I understand the value of this word – SALVATION!

I am not simply uttering a religious prayer, but I am making a proclamation of my deliverance from fear, my redemption from sin, my discovery of healing, and the reality of God’s peace! This most simplistic Salvation prayer opens my heart and my mind once again to the reality of God’s promises for me—HIS CHILD!

I vividly recall a time when I was speaking to our partners via the internet, and I sensed such a strong presence of the Lord as together we made this simple salvation confession. Not an elaborate religious prayer—but a confession of the heart and a trust in the reality of Jesus and what He promised for me and for you.

I cannot explain how such a simple prayer can transform people, churches, and even nations. YET—I can declare to you that I have seen God respond to a simple heart desiring to know Him as Savior, healer, protector, deliverer, and comforter time and time again!

Let’s not make prayer difficult! Keep it SIMPLE! That’s how He designed it! Religion is the extra ingredient of unbelief added to the simplicity of Christ’s cross. Faith is the simple confession of a heart trusting in what He has done for us!

I want to encourage you in your awareness of your ability. Scripture reveals that we are known and called from the foundations of time. We are not an accident and our uniqueness should always be considered a gift. Each of us has a special role that has nothing to do with the role of others. God alone gave us life and calling so He alone is equipping us.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world.” Ephesians 1:4

I want you to know that the Lord has always had His hand on you to help you in your calling. We live in a new era where each of us is a priest. The priesthood of believers. We who call on Jesus’ name are equally welcome into the throne room of our father.

 “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.”  Galatians 1:15

Our calling is to reveal the life giver. Jesus did for us what no man could do. He became the source of all things for this life and the next, and the world is waiting to hear it and see truth demonstrated.

When the ship was going down and all hope was lost, an angel appeared to Paul and said to be of good cheer, he must appear before Caesar. We all have a Caesar to appear before. We all stand in place of Jesus on this earth to speak of the unseen God to a searching world. You are called to your Caesars. Go to them!

People who encounter Jesus have not changed much in 2,000 years. Unless they are trained to understand the truth, they begin to just stand and wait for a gift from heaven instead of using the gift of righteousness that has already been given to them (see Rom. 5:17).

They stand in churches and wait for a sermon to inspire them. They stand in schools and wait for an education to anoint them. They stand in seminars and wait for the free gift of a prophetic word to call them out. But there is a real danger in waiting. It is the main cause for the failure of the Church structure today. Inactive people find themselves in a very destructive mode.

If you ask a beekeeper when the most dangerous time is to deal with a hive, he will say that it’s when the bees have stopped producing honey and the hive is full. Thousands and thousands of bees swirling around with no work to do causes great agitation. They begin to look at the beekeeper and each other as enemies.

That’s when they begin to sting.

Churches that have lost the larger purpose of outreach begin an inward-spiraling cycle of backbiting, scorn, and criticism. This is destructive to the church and the very people they are called to work with.

The angels are still crying out to people, “Why do you stand here waiting? There is no gifting better than the one you have: to be blessed with the indwelling presence of Jesus Himself. There is no training better than what you have: to be led by the Holy Spirit within. There is no prophecy better than what you have: to declare over your life what Jesus has already done for you, and who you are in Him!”

There is no need to wait for what God has already given. However, there is a need to believe in yourself, and that you are gifted by God Himself to carry out His purpose for your life.

“We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose” (Romans 8:28 AMP.)

WOW! I get excited when I read this passage. God is a partner in our labor working things together for us! What a pleasure it is to trust in Him, knowing that He is working behind the scenes on our behalf.

Recently in prayer I heard myself saying, “God, YOU are my partner and I have total confidence that You are bringing in the resources, people and establishing the plans in Your time frame!”

There’s a lot of change surrounding each one of us due to difficulties in this natural world; however, in this time of transition we use our faith and our passion to latch on to God’s will, and to the wealth that is available for transfer into the hands of those in the kingdom of God!

We are not down and defeated without hope or alternatives, BUT WE ARE UP, EXPECTANT AND DREAMING OF NEW POSSIBILITES IN CHANGING TIMES!

The wonderful facts of Christianity raise us from nobody to somebody, from simple to wise, from weak to courageous. These unmatched facts become living realities in a person when that person hears and chooses to believe them. What makes us like God and not like robots, is our ability to choose!

We can choose to see wonderful days ahead. We can choose to expect good favor coming our way. We can choose to anticipate everything lining up in our lives as we rejoice in our Maker.

The alternative is to live in fear. We can choose to fear that the economy will go down and take us with it. We can choose to fear that the doctor’s reports of cancer, heart disease, or a thousand other diagnoses are the final word. We can choose to fear tomorrow and fold up.

Or, we can spread our wings of faith and exclaim that everything will work out! The facts of our faith put us in the realm of God. Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).

There is no time like the present for worldwide reflection on what the future will hold for us as we peek over the edge into the New Year. Some are holding on in fear and trembling, many are afraid to predict anything good as the media pundits continue their barrage of bad news.

I can with confidence, however, predict that we are more than conquerors in every situation as the scripture declares. That is not written for fair weather economies, but for all time.

Why do people fear if they believe that the Creator of the universe lives inside of them?

Why do people expect the worst when all things are possible to those who believe, as Jesus has spoken?

Why do people think it will be a time of isolation, when Jesus said I will never leave you nor forsake you?

Our greatest days are right ahead of us as we navigate the waters in these rapids of the river of life. Every river has a little rough water but no concern. The boat was designed for the rapids. This is when it performs its best!

Relax in God’s boat. Jesus is in the boat with you, so enjoy the ride as it takes you through some twists and turns this coming year. You will be the better for it!

Discovery is a powerful word that opens up vast opportunity. Children have no limits on their curiosity or willingness to try out new things. In fact, their openness is so great that it could cause personal injury or peril. As we grow older, we seem to lose the ‘YES’ in life, and words like ‘routine,” institution,’ ‘insurance,’ ‘protection,’ and ‘safety’ become commonplace in our vocabulary.

I remember moving to Russia and finding a society that was based on the word “NO.” How could it be that this dynamic, creative society was cloaked in such negative expectation? Yet, for many of us today, regardless of our society, we allow the phrases “No! You can’t!” “No! You shouldn’t!” “No! That’s not right!” “No! It’s not possible!” to control our destinies!

Let’s realize today that Christ takes the parentheses off our lives. He puts a plus on our future because He says, All things are possible, only believe! Mark 9:23 paraphrased

I remember an experience with a new roommate in college. We went to the local shopping center for lunch, and as we were walking through the long corridors, my roommate suddenly began having a panic attack. She fearfully repeated, “Leslie, Leslie – why are all these people staring at me? What’s wrong with me??” At first I didn’t understand what she was saying, and frankly, I didn’t even notice! Then it dawned on me, they weren’t staring at her. I told her to walk several steps behind me and see what happened. She was so relieved to see nothing was wrong with her, and that they were actually staring at me!

I have spent my life being the tallest person in a classroom, on a basketball team, in a restaurant, at my office, or just about anywhere. Recently, I remember stopping for the day in Mumbai. As we enjoyed the sights, people began following me, wanting to take pictures with me. Small groups of young people, women with children and entire families kept gathering around me for pictures! I didn’t know what to think…I’m tall? I’m unique? Do they think they recognize me? I finally realized I wasn’t going to see any sights, so I just decided to enjoy the people!

Have you ever felt self-conscious? Have you ever wondered if the whole world is staring at you? I have. According to Psychology Today, self-consciousness keeps us fighting the battle to control our self-image. But obsessing over our shortcomings inevitably traps us in embarrassment and shame.

How do we rise above self-consciousness and triumph in life? First, contrast self-consciousness with self-worth. Self-consciousness is an awareness of differences and shortcomings compared to others. Self-worth is built upon an internal perspective of ourselves. It is discovery of our intrinsic value, lived out through our dreams of the future. The dictionary states self-worth is the sense of one’s own value as a person. It is self-esteem or self-respect.

Self-worth can find its basis in biblical truth by knowing that we are created in God’s image; by understanding that we are wonderfully made; by realizing that our lives were written in God’s book before we were born!  This Creator has chosen to live in the hearts of people! You can identify with Him today! How? By simply calling upon His name! God in heaven, Who revealed Himself to us through His Son Jesus is waiting right now for you to call upon Him! Why wait? Call on Him now!

Today we continue equipping our toolbox with tools that will help free you from mental clutter and keep you motivated toward achieving your aspirations!

Tool #2: Try a New Activity! 

I am constantly learning! Why? Despite all the information we have at our fingertips, one of life’s greatest obstacles is the fear of the unknown.

Information is power to change, and education is one of the greatest sources of personal growth! The electronic age allows access for skilled and unskilled, alike. I learn through internet articles, professional journals, on-line courses and personal coaches.

What have you wanted to do but were afraid to attempt? Overcome that fear by trying ONE new activity! Why not go back to school? Or take an on-line course? Having trouble getting started? Find a coach or trainer who can motivate you in your new activity. Many free on-line training and coaching tools are available!

Are you low on funds? Become a volunteer! You can often learn a new skill while volunteering at places needing help. Volunteering has been one of my greatest learning methods! It’s totally free, it only costs your time! Go ahead and get started—you CAN do something now!