Category Archives: spiritual

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hey! wait a minute

02 Tuesday Jul 2013

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Spring finally came after our first winter in Nashville. I was driving with the windows down enjoying the beautiful day. While stopped at a traffic light I took a deep breath only to be greeted by the horrific smell of freshly cut grass. Yes, I said horrific!

Some people love the smell of fresh cut grass; for me it brings back the worst childhood memories. Suddenly I was back in the fifth grade sitting on the grass at school watching giant red welts take over my body, and itching for the rest of the day. Then sneezing uncontrollably all the way home with no Kleenex to wipe my nose, snot flying everywhere using my new pancho for a Kleenex. I was a vision of loveliness!

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“Hey! Wait aaaa minute”; interrupting this trip down memory lane, I reminded myself the Lord healed me of allergies over eighteen years ago (sometimes it’s good to interrupt yourself). Immediately I started praising God for healing me.

So what happened? Something I smelt (the freshly cut grass) and saw (stuff floating in the air) triggered my memory back to the days of allergy attacks. I got caught off guard through my senses.

Thoughts come at you contrary to what the Word says. Maybe what you are seeing is so in your face you can’t see anything else, the circumstances may be screaming at you “you’re not going to make it”; no matter, it’s our job to bring those thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:3-5), and to walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7) and not by what we see, hear, feel, smell or taste.

Memories or circumstances can trigger your senses and pull you out of the faith realm. Following your senses will only cause you to keep your eyes on the circumstances and not the promises of God. Which is exactly what the enemy wants, to keep the battle in the sense realm; victory will never come on that battlefield.

At that moment I had a choice, I could fall into the trap of my senses or I could continue to thank God for what He has already done for me. I chose right; I sneezed once and said, “I will have none of that devil, the Lord healed me and that is the end of it! I am not dwelling on this any longer”. I don’t care what the mold spore or pollen count is, I don’t care that I am seeing huge floating things in the air, and I don’t care that the news is saying this is the worst allergy season ever… I am healed and I will not be subject to what I see, smell, and hear.

Several weeks later I was driving down the Highway; up ahead was a storm coming towards me fast and furious. Within two minutes I was in the thick of it; rain coming down like a solid wall. I couldn’t see two feet in front of the car. I didn’t panic; I heard the Lord say, “keep your eyes fixed on your lane”. The Lord gave me a point of reference. About three minutes later I passed through it.

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The enemy will try to come at you with all he can; he tries to create fear through circumstances. He tries to get your eyes off of the Lord and His Word, which is our point of reference. He wants you to focus on the storm. But if you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, fixed on His promises, fixed on His Word you will come through the storm. Even if the storm seems to take forever to pass, your job is to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus the Author and Finisher of your faith (Heb 12:2 NASB). It will pass!

A few more scriptures:

2 Cor 4:18 NIV “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen”

Isaiah 43: 2 NASB “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you”.

Isaiah 59:19 “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him”.

I would love to hear your thoughts! 

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stand still~ part two

02 Sunday Jun 2013

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Last week I left you with two statements:

~Standing is not passive but active  

~Standing is a position of rest and trust

These are absolutely true statements, yet the words rest and active seem to contradict one another. Is rest an activity? Well… if you live in the Costadini household it is!

Rest is a place of trust; we can rest knowing that the promises of God are true. Trusting in Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross, which has provided our every need. So we rest, we cease from striving, knowing that it was a gift and we can never earn it by our works.

Hebrews 4:11 says we are to “labor to enter into that rest”. It might be a fight getting there but when you are there, you rest, you trust, you have a peace.

believeWhen we get to that place where we’ve done all;                                              we are now simply required to stand.

What does standing still activity look like?

~Put on the armor of God– Never stand unarmed

Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the full armor of God. Why? So we can resist and stand our ground against the enemy.

~Count His faithfulness

Do you remember the Psalmist (Psalm 77) I wrote about last week, the one questioning the Lord? In verse 10 he comes to the conclusion he was lacking God’s help because of his grief. He quickly gets over it and says: “I shall remember the deeds of the Lord”; and for the rest of the psalm he meditates, he remembers God’s goodness, and the Lord working in the life of the Israelites.

Sarah did this as well; in Hebrews 11 the writer tells us that she “judged (counted, considered) Him faithful who had promised”. Sarah knew the faithfulness of God. While standing you must count His faithfulness. What has He done in your life?

~Rejoice

James tells us to count it all joy in the trial. The joy of the Lord gives you the strength to continue to stand. So start rejoicing!

PraiseHimSea.lg_~Praise & Thanksgiving

God inhabits the praises of His people; your praises release God’s glory, His power in your life. Thanksgiving is the attitude of gratitude. Be thankful for what He has done and is going to do in your life.

~Confess the Word

Hebrews tells us to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised IS Faithful”. Make the Word of God the final authority in your life. Keep speaking God’s Word; He is faithful to bring it to pass.

~Fix your eyes on Jesus

He is the author & finisher of your faith. Isaiah tells us that those who keep their minds stayed on the Lord will be kept in perfect peace. Be immoveable!

~Pray in the Spirit

Jude says: “build yourself up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit”

~Enforce Your Authoritystory

Jesus tells us in Luke “Behold I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over ALL the power of the enemy”. Be bold!

 

 

 

~Determine to live by the Word, faith and love

Faith in God’s Word will only work by love. Walking in love must be a way of life in order for you to resist the enemy.

When we stand well in the trial we are ensured rest, peace, strength, joy and ultimately victory.

Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord!

I would love to hear how you stand in a trial.

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stand still~ part one

23 Thursday May 2013

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Have you ever been in the place where you look back at all the promises God has given you, (not to mention the promises in His Word) and say my life is not what the Word says it should be? My dreams have not been realized, I am not living in victory or that abundant life the Lord promises us in John 10:10. I am in that place as I write, a place of reflection.

God never promised us a life of tiptoeing through the tulips; Jesus said “in the world you will have tribulation” and then He encouraged us by saying: “be of a good cheer I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). James tells us that the testing of our faith produces patience and we are to let patience have its perfect work. Why? So we will be complete lacking nothing.

Test and trials come to every believer no one is exempt from this. What we do in these trials will determine our growth, maturing in our faith. It’s OK to question what’s going on. It’s OK to ask the Lord “where are You?” “Why isn’t this coming to pass?“

questioning womanLook at what the Psalmist says in Psalm 77: “my spirit ponders: will the Lord reject forever? Will He ever be favorable again? Have His promises come to an end? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Sometimes you get in a place of questioning; AND IT’S OK. Just don’t stay in that place… that place can lead to despair and hopelessness. Ask the questions and move on. My experience has been that the Lord will either encourage me to continue standing or give me direction.

God’s direction may be that you have missed the mark somewhere; or you have bitterness or unforgiveness in your heart; maybe you’re not walking in love with others, or you have unrepented sin. Regular heart check ups are good to do. If all is OK, where do you look next?

Well what is your mouth saying? Is it in agreement with the Word or are you griping and complaining or speaking doubt and unbelief about your situation? This is an area where most of us miss it. We walk by what the circumstances are screaming at us and not by faith. When delays come, ultimately faiths confession will bring you the victory. So make sure your mouth is lining up with the Word of God.

You might be thinking OK Maria, I’ve done all that….now what? That brings me to two scriptures:

In Exodus 14:13 Moses and the children of Israel had their backs up against the Red

Beautiful Sky- taken today in Franklin, TN

Beautiful Sky- taken today in Franklin, TN

Sea with the Egyptians coming at them fast and furious; Moses said to them “fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord”.

Then Ephesians 6:13-14 tells us: “and having done all, to stand: stand therefore”. When we have done all humanly possible, we are simply required to stand.

I will leave you with two statements….

~Standing is not passive; but active

~Standing is a position of rest and trust

Next week I will continue this thought of “standing still” and give you an idea of what “standing still” entails.

I would love to hear your thoughts….

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directionally challenged

14 Tuesday May 2013

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A few weeks ago while driving home from an area I thought I knew; I found myself going in the completely opposite direction. Nashville has a unique Interstate system to say the least; and if you aren’t paying attention you can get lost in a heartbeat.

My thinking was, I got to my destination with help, I know the way back, I don’t need navigation, let’s just go. Well go I did, and 20 minutes out I realized I was headed for images-6Memphis, TN and miles from a place where I could correct my situation.

When I finally got back on the right route; the Lord spoke to me….”being directionally challenged cost you”.  Yes, Lord it did… it cost me precious time and resource (gasoline/money).

Where did I go wrong?

My first mistake: “I thought I knew”.  How many times we think we know God’s Word and His will for our lives and we end up miles off course. This is how Eve was deceived in the garden… she thought she knew God’s Word, the devil came in with a little twist and there they were on the outskirts of paradise. It cost them.

My second mistake: I didn’t bother to pull over and consult my navigation. It was right there…. waiting for me to ask directions. Which is something I don’t usually have a problem with… not sure what happened there.  Maybe I was embarrassed or still full of pride thinking I knew where to go; a few reasons why we fail to get help when needed; and it costs.

The solutions to my mistakes are obvious: know the specific directions and allow yourself to be helped. In other words: don’t think you know it all and don’t be so proud that you’re ashamed to get help.

When we have these attitudes it will cost us, not only in the spiritual realm but in the natural as well. What’s the solution? Know His Word; know His specific direction for your life, and ask for His help along the way, especially if you get off course.

In Psalm 119 we can read about the “Excellencies of the Word of God”. Yes, it is the longest chapter in the Bible, but really worth the read specifically in the Message Version.

The Psalm opens with: “You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set”.

Here’s a few more snippets:

Vs 9-16: “How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word”.  “Don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted”.

Vs 17-24: “I’m a stranger in these parts; give me clear directions”

images-3Vs 25-32: “Barricade the road that goes Nowhere; grace me with your clear revelation. I choose the true road to Somewhere, I post your road signs at every curve and corner”.

 Vs 33-40: “Guide me down the road of your commandments; I love traveling this freeway”!

Vs 97-104: “I never make detours from the route you laid out; you gave me such good directions”

Vs 105: “By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path”

Directionally challenged? Try the map of God’s Word. Get started by:

~Placing great value on the Word of God-it’s treasures will keep you on the right road

~Knowing God’s Word-it will guide you and show you the steps to take for every situation

~Walking in God’s Word-great reward comes with obedience to His Word; His Word gives life

Would love to hear your thoughts!

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the power of confession

23 Tuesday Apr 2013

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Over the years in ministry I have made an observation in others as well as in my own life. Most Christians do not see their faith through to the end, especially if it’s taking months or even years to come to pass. In my own life, I at times have failed to confess the Word of God until what I was believing for, came to pass.

I was lazy with my faith confession. Who me???? a woman in ministry??? Noooo! YES!!! Just because a person is in ministry doesn’t mean things come automatically; all it means is we have to work out our faith for the ministry AND we have to work out our faith in our personal life.

In this new season I find myself in, I have had the time to spend confessing the Word of God over our life and our planted seed. I have been seeing amazing results.

Here are a few things I have observed:

In the beginning it seems useless….you thought I was going to say something spiritual here! I am saying it seems like nothing is ever going to happen! It feels like you are bird mimicking God’s Word. Thoughts go through your mind “this isn’t working”, “I’m bored”, “why am I doing this, I could be doing something else”.  I found that if you stick with it, for me it took about 30 days; you will notice some things will start to happen. So keep on keepin’ on!

Speaking God’s Word is like a fire and a hammer. “Is not my word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29

When you speak God’s Word into your situation it is like a fire and a hammer; it’s flaming hot, fiery, it burns through enemy lines. The hammer pounds, drives, it breaks, scatters it dashes into pieces.  The rock here means a fortress or a stronghold; the word “pieces” means fragments. So God’s Word is like a hammer that pounds, drives, and scatters the stronghold or problem into fragments. But it takes repetition; just like a hammer hitting a nail repeatedly will drive it into the wood.

229683649716199922_njubtfV5_cHear yourself speak God’s Word this will cause His Word, to get into your spirit.  Read Romans 10: 8-17; two verses I want to point out: verse 10: “for with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made”. Verse 17: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”.

Confession is two-fold: you hear yourself speak God’s Word; it gets deposited in your spirit. The more you hear, the more you believe it in your heart; confession declares, confirms and seals the Word of God in your heart. This can only happen by repetition. Now you believe His Word, with no doubt in your heart, mix your mustard seed size faith with that and watch what happens.

Confession brings joy, excitement, praise and thanksgiving into your situation. I have been doing the same confessions everyday for four months; I am more excited about them today than I was four months ago. When something gets in your spirit you get excited, joy comes, praise and thanksgiving come; I start to get excited I jump up and down, dance around…. Charlie, our dog looks at me….”there she goes again”.

What am I doing? I’m “holding fast the confession of my hope” Heb 10:23. In this verse the words hold and fast are the same Greek word they mean to hold down, keep in memory, to possess, to retain; this is what happens in your spirit. You possess God’s Word it is now yours; you now have its reality in your spirit.  Nothing will make you waver from God’s Word.

Confession brings vision. There is a scripture in Psalm 118: 5 “Out of my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free and in a large place”. I thank the Lord daily that He has set me free and in a large place. I then start to imagine what that “large place” looks like; this is vision. What does your large place look like? Start to speak it out; the Lord will show you things, He will help you to see with the eyes of faith; if you can see it in your spirit it will come to pass.

Another scripture I confess over myself and my family is Psalm 5:11-12.  “As with a shield you will surround him with goodwill, pleasure and favor.  I envision my family and I with a shield or a cloaking device of favor surrounding us; any time the enemy comes at us he bounces right off that shield of favor. Silly as it may sound, but it gives me a visual of walking in God’s favor.

I want to encourage you to speak God’s Word over your life, and into your circumstances. Speak God’s Word over your husband, your children. Even if you are in a good place you can always use favor and blessings. If you continually plant seed, you must continually water that seed with the Word so you will get a continual harvest.

Find scriptures and make your own confessions out of them. If you need some help getting started you can email me maria.costadini@comcast.net

carve time for the Lord

02 Tuesday Apr 2013

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It seems these days our lives are so jammed packed with schedules it’s difficult to find time to spend with the Lord. In order for our relationship to grow deeper we must spend the time in His presence, His Word and in praise and thanksgiving.

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Some days I think how in the world can I get this all in? You might be reading this thinking, are you crazy lady? I don’t have time to develop any relationships, let alone one with the Lord. Do you know what I have to do each day to make things happen? Where will I find the time for this?

Trust me, there are ways you can find the time. If we have time to sit and watch a movie, TV or find the time to spend on social media (OUCH!)….. then we can find time to develop our relationship with the Lord.

Reading a spiritual post on FB or twitter does not count towards your Bible reading for the day. Just saying. What I think those do is help us to keep our mind focused on Him throughout the day. But it should not replace intimate time in His Word and in His presence.

All of these are time suckers; I am not saying don’t do them, please hear my heart on this. What I am saying is make the Lord your first priority.

Here are a few suggestions on how to carve out time for the Lord:

  • Get a good study Bible: You can use this for the days when you actually have the 9780785258803_p0_v1_s260x420time to really spend in the Word. I am using a great one: “New Spirit Filled Life Bible”- New King James Version by: Jack Hayford.  Psalm 119:162 says: “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure”; Rejoice over His Word like you found a great treasure.
  • Get a Bible app on your smart phone: Use this for the days when you are on the go. I use “YouVersion” app. It’s great. I need structure, so I put myself on a few reading plans. What is so cool about this is you have it with you wherever you go; most of us have our smart phones attached to our body in some way or another. So when you are at lunch, waiting in a doctor or dental office, waiting for the kids at sports practice, or in the line to pick them up from school; whenever you have a wait: pull out your phone and read the Word.
  • Take advantage of car time: You can pray en route, listen to CD’s or podcasts of your favorite ministers. A few times a week I listen to a message, but most of the time I utilize it for prayer. Caution: be aware of your surroundings; don’t get so caught up in prayer you forget you’re driving. And whatever you do don’t pray with your eyes closed!
  • Talk to the Lord, praise Him, and thank Him throughout your day. This keeps your mind on Him; when your mind is on Him, He will keep you in perfect peace: Isaiah 26:3
  • Don’t make unrealistic demands on yourself. Sometimes we think we have to read a lot of chapters to spend time in His Word; you can do that and not even know what you’ve read. The key is putting what you read into practice in your daily walk. So read a verse or one chapter and meditate on it throughout your day, and put it into practice.
  • If you miss it: Don’t let the enemy beat you up and tell you that you are no good. Just tell the Lord you are sorry and move on. This happened to me last week. My youngest daughter came for a visit; I spent my time with her and slacked on my daily reading. I ask the Lord to forgive me and I didn’t allow the enemy to make me feel guilty about it. I just picked up where I left off and moved on.

to every season

20 Wednesday Mar 2013

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Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven” NKJV

This scripture is saying that everything and every season has its proper time or cycle. l look at this as- you won’t be in that season forever! That’s good news!

There are many different seasons we can go through; not every season is a negative

Spring is almost here!

Spring is almost here!

season or one that has a darkness surrounding it.  There are seasons of harvest, success in every area of life or a desert season. There are seasons of growth, seasons of reflection, seasons of sowing, of reaping, seasons of rest, refreshing, seasons of busyness and seasons of testing our character and the trials of life.

No matter the season we are in, the Lord requires that we be diligent to do some things. The Bible tells us that: “the soul of the diligent will be made fat”: Proverbs 13:4. In other words those who are diligent, focused, who have mined or dug for gold, will be made fat, or satisfied. Here are a few things that can be done in every season of life so you will be satisfied.

  • Spend time in the Word of God: Take the time to study and memorize the Word, plant it in your heart: Psalm 119:11.  In Colossians it says that hiding in Jesus are treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We must dig for His treasures; which will help us to grow and stay strong.  Read Colossians 2: 2-3 to see what the Word will do for you.
  • Confessions/ Speak the Word: Find scriptures that you can speak over your situation. Life and death are in the power of the tongue: Proverbs 18:21. Speak God’s Word over your life!
  • Prayer: Spend time praying in the Spirit it will build your faith: Jude:20. Pray with your understanding. Build your relationship with the Lord by talking with Him. Then leave some time to hear what He has to say; don’t do all the talking. It should be a two-way conversation, so take time to listen for His voice.
  • Praise & Thanksgiving: Praising God will keep you from complaining. Praise Him regularly for what He is to you and thank Him for what He has done for you. God inhabits the praises of His people: Psalm 22:3. So keep on praising Him.
  • Go to church: Church is where you get strengthened, encouraged and comforted. Don’t ever let the season you are in keep you from the family of God. We need one another.

You need to be diligent in the good seasons, or you will sow for a season of lack in any area. Many do all the right things when they need the Lord to come through; but after the answer comes they relax their grip on the Lord until the next crisis comes along.

To be honest, I have had a few of these seasons over the years. Two come to mind and both ended up in a season of lack and a desert (spiritually dry) season. In a season of harvest we feel we have earned the right to relax spiritually. As long as we live on this earth we don’t have that luxury, not with an enemy that is looking for an opportunity to take you out.

Don’t be like the sluggard in Proverbs 6: 6-11: “a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep- so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler”. Be like the ant that “provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest: so she can eat all winter!,

a new season

06 Wednesday Mar 2013

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I am sitting at my kitchen table watching the snow fall hard and fast; wondering when this winter will end. Sometimes we are in a winter season waiting anxiously for it to end. I find myself in that season as I write.

However, I am not waiting anxiously for it to end, I know that the Lord wants to do a deeper work in me during this season. We all go through seasons in our life in the natural and in the spiritual. What we do in these seasons determines the depth of growth in our life.

A while ago the Lord spoke to my heart: “embrace this season”.  I quickly looked up the word embrace; it means: accept or support a belief, theory or a change willingly and enthusiastically. Hahaha! Are you joking? Accept this season or this change in my life willingly AND with enthusiasm. I love the Lords sense of humor.

I started to ponder on that and realized that we can go through anything one of two ways, complaining or praising.  When we choose to praise God through the season we have the joy of the Lord and then we have strength to make it through.

Nehemiah 8:10  Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (NLT)

Let me tell you a little bit about my season. My husband and I recently resigned as senior pastors of the church in which we were shepherds for over 15 years. We felt the Lord stirring our hearts in a different direction in ministry: as itinerate ministers. We had the Nashville, TN area strong on our hearts as a base for this ministry. So in December, we moved from California to Tennessee.

We went from constantly being busy to absolutely nothing and at the same time we became empty nesters. It is like empty nest x 200, natural and spiritual children. We went from ministering to others to ministering to our pets. When all the excitement of the move and the holidays were over; I actually started to embrace this season.

I began to look at this season as a season of refreshing and renewing, a season of deeper growth. Just like a seed; it first has to be buried in the ground in order to grow strong. It must be watered and then it will burst forth.

Use your winter season as a season of input and watering in order for you to grow and burst forth.

Check out the parable of the growing seed and the mustard seed: Mark 4:26-32.

Here are a few pics from the last leg of our cross country trip:

Missouri near the Ozarks

Crossing the Mississippi River from Missouri & then the Ohio River into Kentucky

Downtown Nashville