All posts tagged: encouragement

Dressed for the Appointment: Hope for the Promises to Come

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*Revised from December 26th, 2012 Several years ago I was led to write a short message reminding many of my friends on Facebook to keep holding on to the Word of Faith and promise that Christ Jesus had given unto them. Now, years later, I am urged to do it again. The Lord laid this question upon my heart that only you can answer for yourself, really, and here it is. “Are you dressed and are you ready for the open door?” It is easy to be given a dream and a prophetic vision for your future/destiny/purpose, but it is a whole other thing to not only hold on to it but to be prepared for it at all times. With many of the trails that we face within the monotony of life, it is easy to lose hope in the dream, allowing it to be transformed into the elusive ‘carrot on a stick’ dangling just out of your reach. “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and …

The Hill: A Word of Faith & Musical Interlude

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SPECIAL NOTE: In the face of current circumstances and the pandemic as well as economic fear, the Lord in His grace and mercy, reminded me not only of this glorious song by Travis Greene, but the revelation He had given me concerning it. And although it has been four years since this message was written, it is very relevant right now, especially as many in the Body of Christ, tremble in the shadow of sickness and the enemy. Family, be encouraged, and remember as we draw into the season of Passover and Resurrection, that the BLOOD STILL DEFEATS DEATH!  Be encouraged and look to that beautiful Hill called Calvary where the Blood of the Lamb, Christ Jesus, was shed for us and covers us even now! ~Candice Coates As I was having worship and pray and listened to the song, The Hill by Travis Greene, for the very first time, my spirit was overwhelmed with the Lord Yeshua Jesus’ comfort and truth! And in so, I heard Yeshua Jesus say, “Share this with them.” Meaning …

A Reason to Rejoice

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“Rejoice always.” ~I Thessalonians 5:16 I‘m sure that whether you are a Christian or not, you have heard that the shortest verse in the bible is John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” While this is true on one hand, there is a verse that rivals it for the two-word title and that is a passage found in I Thessalonians 5:16, “Rejoice always”. While the two verses seem to have a world between then in meaning, I want to encourage you of how they both give us a reason to rejoice and empower us to do so in the Lord God Christ Jesus. In John 11, we find Christ Jesus at the tomb of His beloved friend, Lazarus who has passed away, and Jesus, fully understanding the grief of those around Him wept along with them. He being, fully God, and fully Man took on the role of complete friend and shared in the sufferings of those around Him even though He knew what He was capable of doing as the God of all creation. Even with His …

The Triumph of Transition: The Glory in Going From One Dimension to the Next

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“It’s not all easy, but I think it’s all awesome.” ~KRIS LANGHAM I am pretty certain if anyone sat down and told a caterpillar the work that it was going to take not only for it to transform into a butterfly but just to able to break free of the future environment that would keep it safe–which would also soon become the very thing that would potentially hold them back and captive–that they would rethink the whole metamorphosis thing and likely stick to a flight-less existence. But then…maybe not. I think the guaranteed results of flying would be too much to resist. Nevertheless, transformation takes time and transition. Being able to fly is a right that comes from gaining power and strength from the struggle found in the process born of transition itself. If a caterpillar never struggled to break free of its cocoon–the place that once was its protection while in transition–it would never have the strength to take to the skies. There are dreams and greatness in each of us, but to see …

He Remains Faithful: Trusting Christ Beyond the Winter

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“If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him. If we persevere, we will also rule with Him. If we disown Him, He will also disown us. IF WE ARE FAITHLESS HE REMAINS FAITHFUL, FOR HE CANNOT DISOWN HIMSELF.” ~II TIMOTHY 2:12-13 Today, I just want to encourage you all in the love of our Savior and Shepherd, Christ Jesus. Although we are just shy over a month and a half into the new year and decade, many of us are still in the winter of our lives and we see nothing but the frozen images of what life used to be and the scattered images of what we hope it to be. But we are unable to see with our natural eye what soon will be. And because of that truth, we need to remain in Trust, knowing that Christ Jesus is indeed working on our behalf, perfecting what He began in and for us (PHILIPPIANS 1:6) even though we may not see it, feel it, or hear it. For just …

Creative Winters: Waiting for the Fruits of Spring

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“Winter is the silent intermission for glorious spring! There is life beyond our frozen earth waiting to break forth in its season.” ~CANDICE COATES There are these moments that come in our creative journey whereas it seems that nothing is happening. We feel as if we’ve hit a wall in our writing, our art, our everything. But just like in nature, just like with God who took a day off from his work of creation, we too have our creative winters. When your creativity slips into silence, allow it a moment of rest. Though it may seem as creative winter in your world, be confident that spring is just around the bend. Ebbs are always followed by flows. As King Solomon so eloquently put it in Ecclesiastes 3:1,(1-8), “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” If the Lord has promised you a destination, trust that He will keep His word to you. I have found that some of my best creative seasons came after a time of rest. This …

Taking Hold of Greatness: Being Willing to Take Steps Backward

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“Sometimes doing great work requires taking several steps backward.”         ~CANDICE COATES I don’t know of a single human being throughout the span of time who has not desired some level of success and greatness. I am not talking about the greatness that world conquers sought, the empty success that only leaves you with an insatiable high for more in all the wrong ways, the kind that leaves victims wounded, and bloodied in your wake. I am talking about the great work of authentic meaning and self-expression. I am talking about that work that comes from an honest and sincere heart, that one that you can whisper to God with a smile and say, “We did good, eh?” Be it your art, your writing, your marriage, your conquering of the daily grind whereas you force yourself to say, “This is the day the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it! I will do well today no matter the odds, no matter the discomfort.” This is the great work I …

How to Make Waves in Life: Stepping into New Seasons

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“If you don’t dive in, you’re not going to make any waves.” ~Somebody Awesome Let’s be honest, basking in the presence of something beautiful is a wonderful thing, but being fully submerged within it can be so much more fulfilling and exhilarating. It’s similar to being at the pool, or the ocean on a hot summer’s day. You’re never truly refreshed until you have taken the dive in! The same is true for us and any advancement that we would like to have in life. Talking about an idea or a plan is a wonderful thing, but until you take a dive and actually start implementing the things you are talking about, you are only basking in its beauty. “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” ~PSALM 34:8 Consider that this truth is relevant in every area of our lives, especially in our walks with Christ. The deeper we go in Him the sweeter we find Him to be, the more we realize how awesome and …

The Secret of the Stars: Reaching For Your Dream

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“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new discovery for the human spirit.” ~HELEN KELLER The only ingredients that you need to fail in this life are Fear, Doubt, and Pessimism. All three of these are the poison that saps out our creative power and imagination. When Christ Jesus created the heavens and the earth, He did so by speaking. He spoke from His imagination. Proverbs 23:7 says as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs further goes on to warn us that we will live by the fruit of our lips and above all else, to guard our hearts for out of it flows the source of our lives. (PROVERBS 12:14, PROVERBS 18:21, PROVERBS 4:23) When our hearts are filled with pessimism and doubt, we speak with negativity and bring forth the fruits of failure. But when we speak with faith, when we allow ourselves to dream, imagine, and do by faith, we are giving life to victory. We are …

Plan BIG!: A Word on Vision Casting

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“When God is your partner, make your plans big!” ~ D.L MOODY Plan BIG! You’d think that that exhortation would make every person who heard it celebrate with a motivated fire for action when in reality it makes a lot of people shrink back in fear and hide under the heavy blankets of safety and mediocrity. Dreaming is not so much of an issue for most of us. But dreaming big . . . well, that has the power to not only knock the wind out of many of our sails but sink our boats completely. Like me, I suppose you are wondering why that is. If we are honest with ourselves we would have to admit that insecurity and the scrutiny of others are what holds us back. The old ‘what will people think?’ phrase acts as the perfect glitch in our plans of action. The very thought of failing in front of others, especially those who’ve minimalized our former dreams with the constant song of ‘you can’t,’ strikes us immobile. Them witnessing our …