I have to tell you all that these past few weeks have been very trying on me to say the least. It’s now been eleven years since my Dad has gone to be with the Lord, he passed away suddenly on December 3d, 2002, though it seems as it was just yesterday. My Mother went to be with the Lord on the 18th of November this year, although she had been ill for quite sometime it no more lessened the pain of her loss. In life we will experience many different kinds of hardship, and sometimes dealing with those events become overtaxing to say the least. In the Bible We learn that Christ and the Holy Spirit are continually interceding on our behalf. And we discover that we are the recipients of an inheritance that cannot be measured in human terms. John 14:26 says this, “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.
I don’t think that one can ever totally be prepared for the death of a loved one, no matter how much prior preparation is involved. I thank God that I have been blessed with a great support group, my wife is my strongest supporter, always there for me 24 hours a day, always willing to hear what I have on my mind, and a few close friends that I consider family, that never turn a deaf ear to my pleas.
I am a very strong supporter of intercessory prayer; Intercessory prayer is prayer for others. Its prayer whereby someone pleads with God on behalf of another or others who desperately need God's intervention.” Remember that intercessory prayer is the sweetest prayer God ever hears. Jesus was an intercessor while He was here on earth. He prayed for those who were sick and possessed by demons. He prayed for His disciples. He even prayed for you and me when He interceded for all those who would believe on Him. Jesus continued His ministry of intercession after His death and resurrection when He returned to Heaven. He now serves as our intercessor in Heaven.
When it comes to seeking intercessory prayer, I have to tell you that I have been known to get the ‘cart before the horse ‘so to say. Sometimes we get so caught up in wanting God to ‘fix ‘a situation that we are either in or going through, we sometimes get the order of who we want to pray mixed up. We need to be ever so aware that if you are married that your spouse should be aware of who is being asked, and that the person that you are asking to pray is aware that your spouse knows what is going on. Remember God, knows our mind, body, and emotional structure and knows what helps or hurts us. Few things will strengthen your marriage more than discussing things together, weather it’s a minor or major decision.
I encourage you to always lean on God for all answers in life, one of my favorite bible passages is Proverbs 3:5-6.Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. So take time,and process your thoughts,after all God already has it all figured out, all we have to do is trust in Him, don’t possibly mess up a good marriage or potentially ruin a great friendship because of you over anxiousness.
May God bless you beyond comprehension during this 2013 Advent season .Blessings
Monday, December 2, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Are you Seeking God's Guidance?
Life is full of decisions, and if we want to make the right choices, the ones that glorify God and benefit us and others, we need the Lord’s guidance, Right?
We need to ask, “Is anything in my life hindering me from hearing what you are saying? If so, what is it?” Cleansing comes by confession, 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We must submit (SURRENDER) to whatever God instructs us to do. Sometimes we find it difficult to do, we want to know step two before we complete step one of God’s will, we must surrender ourselves.even our children to His timing and guidance. Obeying the will of God is both a humbling and an uplifting experience, remember 1 Peter 5:6 says therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.
In Mark 11:22-24 it says , And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 24 Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. we learn that when we ask, we must believe He is going to give us what we have asked for ,so we must trust that God will show us what to do ,Right? BELIEVE!!!
We must be willing to WAIT, and RECEIVE, Isaiah 64:4 says that God promises to act on our behalf if we will be willing to wait upon Him, we need to learn not to run ahead of Him and try to fix things ourselves, that will only lead to disappointment, God promises that He acts on our behalf when we wait for Him ,, when we obediently seek the will of God, we can be sure that He’ll hear us and give us the wisdom we need to make the right choices, so once we know His will, we have a responsibility to embrace His direction and obey Him completely., we learn this from the book of Mathew chapter 7 vs. 7&8, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receive, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
We can find great peace and confidence knowing that we are making decisions based on the guidance we receive from our heavenly father above. There may be many around you that will not understand or even agree with your decisions, but you will because you have heard from the one that matters the most.
Our lives are so strongly affected by our daily choice to seek Gods guidance in each and every circumstance that we encounter, from the very moment in life that we become aware of God and who he is and what He can and will do in our lives if we will only surrender to his will in our life is so so very important.
If we call God “The Great Physician” we need to stand on that, if we surrender a need to him we need to surrender it and believe that God will take care of it, why? Because he said he would, trust in what you hear from God; believe in what he says He will do! Blessings
We need to ask, “Is anything in my life hindering me from hearing what you are saying? If so, what is it?” Cleansing comes by confession, 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We must submit (SURRENDER) to whatever God instructs us to do. Sometimes we find it difficult to do, we want to know step two before we complete step one of God’s will, we must surrender ourselves.even our children to His timing and guidance. Obeying the will of God is both a humbling and an uplifting experience, remember 1 Peter 5:6 says therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.
In Mark 11:22-24 it says , And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 24 Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. we learn that when we ask, we must believe He is going to give us what we have asked for ,so we must trust that God will show us what to do ,Right? BELIEVE!!!
We must be willing to WAIT, and RECEIVE, Isaiah 64:4 says that God promises to act on our behalf if we will be willing to wait upon Him, we need to learn not to run ahead of Him and try to fix things ourselves, that will only lead to disappointment, God promises that He acts on our behalf when we wait for Him ,, when we obediently seek the will of God, we can be sure that He’ll hear us and give us the wisdom we need to make the right choices, so once we know His will, we have a responsibility to embrace His direction and obey Him completely., we learn this from the book of Mathew chapter 7 vs. 7&8, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receive, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
We can find great peace and confidence knowing that we are making decisions based on the guidance we receive from our heavenly father above. There may be many around you that will not understand or even agree with your decisions, but you will because you have heard from the one that matters the most.
Our lives are so strongly affected by our daily choice to seek Gods guidance in each and every circumstance that we encounter, from the very moment in life that we become aware of God and who he is and what He can and will do in our lives if we will only surrender to his will in our life is so so very important.
If we call God “The Great Physician” we need to stand on that, if we surrender a need to him we need to surrender it and believe that God will take care of it, why? Because he said he would, trust in what you hear from God; believe in what he says He will do! Blessings
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Are Your Storms Bigger than God?
Have you ever been caught in a storm Totally off guard, you didn’t even see its approach, of course you have is probably you're response , but my next question to you is what do you do when you find yourselves in the middle of that sudden storm? Everybody knows that there will be storms. The trick is to learn how to respond to the storm. In a fierce storm, there is only one thing to do and only one way to survive. You have to put the ship in a certain position and keep her there
The same thing is true for the believer, when the storms of life overwhelm us, there is only one thing to do. We must place ourselves in the comfort of God and He will keep us there until the storm is past. Yes, God’s comfort is faithful. What a great promise that every time we have trouble He will be there with comfort. The faithful and consistent comfort of God depends upon nothing but the character and heart of God.
I have had the honor and most of the time the pleasure of raising two beautiful girls that I love with all my heart. there were times that they made me very angry They disobeyed me and sometimes even disappointed me, but if they were hurt, sick or in trouble, the anger, disappointment and even the disobedience was overruled by my love for them and a driving need to comfort them. If my imperfect heart responded to my children that way, think about the perfect heart of our heavenly Father .
The most difficult times to continue believing the promises of God are during the storms of life when the waves of emotions are so great they threaten to tip your boat and spill you into an ocean of despair. ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ Jeremiah 29:11 .
Few things in this unstable life are completely dependable, but God’s comfort is one of them. When the hard times come, we can hold on to the promise that is found in Jeremiah 16:19, “Lord, you are my strength and my protection, my safe place in times of trouble.”
Life is busy. Each day we have activities, tasks and distractions that vie for our time and attention. If we aren’t careful and deliberate, our relationship with God can suffer as a result. The Lord doesn’t want to be an after-thought and He doesn’t want to be penciled in to our schedules. He wants us to prioritize Him. Focus our hearts on Him. Worship Him. Be with Him. Rest in Him.
I will close with this prayer:
Thank You, God, for Your faithfulness to me and for the comfort You give in the midst of my storms. I admit that I don’t understand that faithfulness and comfort but I accept it right now in my life. I choose to say and to believe, “Yes, the storm is big but you are bigger!” Help me to rest in you, knowing that you are my comfort and my hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Blessings :-)
The same thing is true for the believer, when the storms of life overwhelm us, there is only one thing to do. We must place ourselves in the comfort of God and He will keep us there until the storm is past. Yes, God’s comfort is faithful. What a great promise that every time we have trouble He will be there with comfort. The faithful and consistent comfort of God depends upon nothing but the character and heart of God.
I have had the honor and most of the time the pleasure of raising two beautiful girls that I love with all my heart. there were times that they made me very angry They disobeyed me and sometimes even disappointed me, but if they were hurt, sick or in trouble, the anger, disappointment and even the disobedience was overruled by my love for them and a driving need to comfort them. If my imperfect heart responded to my children that way, think about the perfect heart of our heavenly Father .
The most difficult times to continue believing the promises of God are during the storms of life when the waves of emotions are so great they threaten to tip your boat and spill you into an ocean of despair. ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ Jeremiah 29:11 .
Few things in this unstable life are completely dependable, but God’s comfort is one of them. When the hard times come, we can hold on to the promise that is found in Jeremiah 16:19, “Lord, you are my strength and my protection, my safe place in times of trouble.”
Life is busy. Each day we have activities, tasks and distractions that vie for our time and attention. If we aren’t careful and deliberate, our relationship with God can suffer as a result. The Lord doesn’t want to be an after-thought and He doesn’t want to be penciled in to our schedules. He wants us to prioritize Him. Focus our hearts on Him. Worship Him. Be with Him. Rest in Him.
I will close with this prayer:
Thank You, God, for Your faithfulness to me and for the comfort You give in the midst of my storms. I admit that I don’t understand that faithfulness and comfort but I accept it right now in my life. I choose to say and to believe, “Yes, the storm is big but you are bigger!” Help me to rest in you, knowing that you are my comfort and my hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Blessings :-)
Friday, September 6, 2013
What Time is it???
Have you ever experienced times of frustration in your life because it seems that you have gotten ahead of God, and it was not a season for Him to do something through you but rather, to do something to you? I’ve also missed some opportunities along the way because I did not adequately prepare for, or make, the right shift at the right time. We read in the book of Daniel 19-23 that night the answer to the mystery was given to Daniel in a vision. Daniel blessed the God of heaven, saying,” Blessed be the name of God, forever and ever. He knows all, does all: He changes the seasons and guides history, He raises up kings and also brings them down,
he provides both intelligence and discernment, He opens up the depths, tells secrets, sees in the dark—light spills out of him! God of all my ancestors, all thanks! All praise! You made me wise and strong. And now you’ve shown us what we asked for. You’ve solved the king’s mystery.”
It is important for us to understand the season of life that we are in. Otherwise, we won’t find ourselves doing things that are conducive to what God wants to accomplish through that particular season of our life.
I remember reading a story of a man who rushed into a train station, out of breath anxiously asking the ticket booth agent “what time does the 8:01 train leave?” “8:01” was the answer he got, “well the man said, its 7:59 by my watch. The town clock says its 7:57, and the station clock is 8:04, so which one do I go by? “, “you can go by anyone you want to the agent replied, but you can’t go on the 8:01, it’s already left”
Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is a time in life for everything, and that God is a God of timing, and not just any old timing, but “perfect Timing “we need to understand that timing and the seasons God has ordained for our lives ,way to often we try to reap during planting season, plant during the harvest season, we run when we should be resting and we tend to rest way to much when we should be busy doing the work God has set before us. Doing the right thing at the wrong time, even though it’s with good intentions, will cause us to miss the train every time!
You may be struggling through hard times right now, it may seem like you’re in a battle that is totally out of your control. You possibly feel totally overcome by fear and anxiety, uncertain if things will ever get better. Don’t give up, hang on, your struggles wont be wasted, they may even be necessary to bring about Gods propose in your life
We need to say.”never again do I want to be sitting in the train station ,bags packet, ticket in hand watching the train that was to carry you into the propose God had or your life disappearing of into the distance “
Be open and aware of what God has for you and your life, he is a God of infinite love, accept His plan for you, it’s a “Good” thing, and He will see you through it.!
Blessings
he provides both intelligence and discernment, He opens up the depths, tells secrets, sees in the dark—light spills out of him! God of all my ancestors, all thanks! All praise! You made me wise and strong. And now you’ve shown us what we asked for. You’ve solved the king’s mystery.”
It is important for us to understand the season of life that we are in. Otherwise, we won’t find ourselves doing things that are conducive to what God wants to accomplish through that particular season of our life.
I remember reading a story of a man who rushed into a train station, out of breath anxiously asking the ticket booth agent “what time does the 8:01 train leave?” “8:01” was the answer he got, “well the man said, its 7:59 by my watch. The town clock says its 7:57, and the station clock is 8:04, so which one do I go by? “, “you can go by anyone you want to the agent replied, but you can’t go on the 8:01, it’s already left”
Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is a time in life for everything, and that God is a God of timing, and not just any old timing, but “perfect Timing “we need to understand that timing and the seasons God has ordained for our lives ,way to often we try to reap during planting season, plant during the harvest season, we run when we should be resting and we tend to rest way to much when we should be busy doing the work God has set before us. Doing the right thing at the wrong time, even though it’s with good intentions, will cause us to miss the train every time!
You may be struggling through hard times right now, it may seem like you’re in a battle that is totally out of your control. You possibly feel totally overcome by fear and anxiety, uncertain if things will ever get better. Don’t give up, hang on, your struggles wont be wasted, they may even be necessary to bring about Gods propose in your life
We need to say.”never again do I want to be sitting in the train station ,bags packet, ticket in hand watching the train that was to carry you into the propose God had or your life disappearing of into the distance “
Be open and aware of what God has for you and your life, he is a God of infinite love, accept His plan for you, it’s a “Good” thing, and He will see you through it.!
Blessings
Friday, August 2, 2013
Cast your worries
Have you ever found yourself asking this question,” How can I turn all my worries and problems over to God”?
We often become discouraged and bogged down in life’s cares. The fact that both the Old and New Testaments address this problem the same way indicates that God knows problems and worries are inevitable in this life. Thankfully, He has given us the same solution He gave in both Psalms and Peter’s letter. “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” Psalms 55:22 and “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”1 Peter 5:7
He has promised to “work all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
There has been many times in my life that a close friend, or family member has become sick or encountered a situation in their lives that seem to be totally devastating and the outcome of their life has become forever changed because of it. I often find myself dropping to my knees, throwing my hands in the air and casting it totally on the Lord, and no all my worries haven’t left me, I still seem to hang on to them no matter how much I want to accept that God is in control.
It doesn’t matter whether you are born with a silver spoon, plastic spoon, or no spoon at all. It’s not the circumstances by which you come into this world, but what you make of them once you arrive that matter
It’s deeply human to worry, and, no matter what our beliefs are, whenever we feel we’re losing control of our lives and destiny, we’re going to look for some kind of reassurance that everything will be alright eventually. My guess is we cannot stand not knowing. Whether good or bad, we just HAVE to know.
You see Trials develop godly character, and that enables us to "rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us”
Through all of life’s trials and tribulations, we have the victory. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ." Although we are in a spiritual battle, Satan has no authority over the believer in Christ. God has given us His Word to guide us, His Holy Spirit to enable us, and the privilege of coming to Him anywhere, at any time, to pray about anything
I will close with this verse
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Blessings
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
God ,,,He can be your refuge!!
“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because GOD, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (The Message) I love that scripture and it can speak volumes to you if you let it. The lord tells us that he will never leave us, never forsake using other words he will always be by our side, no matter what we are facing or the situations we may be going through.
If we continue too seek him ,his presence is with you no matter what, and he enables us to stand toe to toe with all of hells demons and boldly declare “ I don’t care what you say or how you try to make me feel, the Lord is with me!” Romans 8:31 says So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture.
You see we tend to forget that the Lord has experienced everything that we are going through. He is a very loving and forgiving God that desires more than ever to help us in our time of need. we get in this mind set that we need to explain the whole situation to him, well we don’t, what we need to do is simply acknowledge him and say to him “Lord you have been right here by my side all along, you know exactly what I’m going through, I cant seem to put it into words, but I can say this, Please help me!”
So I say to you ,is this your time of need? And if it is did you know that God is available to you at all times no matter where you may be. you don’t have to run home and retreat to your “prayer closet” or some secrete place hidden from everyone else.nope God invites you to come boldly into his presence anytime ,anywhere, as you are. He doesn’t require you to get all cleaned up, prepare a rehearsed prayer, no no no NO! come as you are to him in your time of need, that’s all! you can go in confidence that he will answer and he will always keep his word.
We need to live by Gods promised word for us and not by what we see. if we will be faithful to God we can’t spend our time nursing our doubts or the untrue thoughts that satan places in our minds. we need to recognize the enemy and we need to encourage ourselves and others daily in the Lord, especially in our most difficult times. In our darkest time we need to be bold and shout at the enemy saying “I will not put up with this, Gods word is true and He loves me, He will never leave me or forsake me ,no matter what you tell me”
We can boldly say in the midst every trial we may face, no matter what mountain lay before you” I will rejoice because I have a place to go in my time of need, I have a source, and He is everything to me “Amen
Blessings!
If we continue too seek him ,his presence is with you no matter what, and he enables us to stand toe to toe with all of hells demons and boldly declare “ I don’t care what you say or how you try to make me feel, the Lord is with me!” Romans 8:31 says So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture.
You see we tend to forget that the Lord has experienced everything that we are going through. He is a very loving and forgiving God that desires more than ever to help us in our time of need. we get in this mind set that we need to explain the whole situation to him, well we don’t, what we need to do is simply acknowledge him and say to him “Lord you have been right here by my side all along, you know exactly what I’m going through, I cant seem to put it into words, but I can say this, Please help me!”
So I say to you ,is this your time of need? And if it is did you know that God is available to you at all times no matter where you may be. you don’t have to run home and retreat to your “prayer closet” or some secrete place hidden from everyone else.nope God invites you to come boldly into his presence anytime ,anywhere, as you are. He doesn’t require you to get all cleaned up, prepare a rehearsed prayer, no no no NO! come as you are to him in your time of need, that’s all! you can go in confidence that he will answer and he will always keep his word.
We need to live by Gods promised word for us and not by what we see. if we will be faithful to God we can’t spend our time nursing our doubts or the untrue thoughts that satan places in our minds. we need to recognize the enemy and we need to encourage ourselves and others daily in the Lord, especially in our most difficult times. In our darkest time we need to be bold and shout at the enemy saying “I will not put up with this, Gods word is true and He loves me, He will never leave me or forsake me ,no matter what you tell me”
We can boldly say in the midst every trial we may face, no matter what mountain lay before you” I will rejoice because I have a place to go in my time of need, I have a source, and He is everything to me “Amen
Blessings!
Friday, June 7, 2013
Don’t Blame Fate When Things Go Wrong
Have you ever had a conversation with someone and all they do is complain? I mean no matter what you say to them it’s like its shooting over their head and they just keep on complaining. We humans find it very easy to play the “blame game”, its so easy for us to present an endless inexhaustible list of reasons for the awful circumstance s in our lives. We have a very strong tendency to blame fate for the things that happen in our lives, well STOP IT!
We read in Job 5:7-16 5 “Call for help, Job, if you think anyone will answer!
To which of the holy angels will you turn? The hot temper of a fool eventually kills him, the jealous anger of a simpleton does her in. I’ve seen it myself—seen fools putting down roots, and then, suddenly, their houses are cursed. Their children out in the cold, abused and exploited, with no one to stick up for them. Hungry people off the street plunder their harvests, cleaning them out completely, taking thorns and all, insatiable for everything they have. Don’t blame fate when things go wrong trouble doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s human! Mortals are born and bred for trouble, as certainly as sparks fly upward.(my favorite version, The Message)
We ask “why this happening to me”? When we are bewildered by life, we cry out to anyone who will listen, “What is the point of what I’m going through?” Our thoughts become confused, our emotions spin wildly out of control, and our steps slowed. Scripture answers these questions. In response to “Why,” it tells us that we live in a fallen world filled with sinful people that even the redeemed struggle with sin, and that Satan, the “ruler of this world” has great influence here. No wonder why trials happen!
But isn’t there something else that we should be wise to consider? Namely, what is God’s purpose in our adversity? It could be that He desires to get our attention because we have ignored His other signals. Or it could be to keep our attention on Him. We read in Exodus 16:3 The Israelite s said to them, "If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” to the Israelite s , it must have seemed a great trial to have no food left at the end of each day. But God knew that if He provided more than one day’s supply at a time, the people would stop looking to Him. This “trial” kept their attention on their Provider.
I believe that Adversity can be a great tool to remind us of God’s great love for us. We can become so used to His love that we don’t appreciate it until we hit that proverbial “bump in the road”. What’s more, hardships can help us to know the Lord in a deeper way. To experience Him as our comfort requires that there be a need for comfort. Or perhaps He wants to lead us into self-examination. We tend to ignore our wanderings from God’s ways. When we’re stopped by an obstacle in the road, we have time to discover the wrong turns we’ve made.
We as followers of Christ should always seek a godly response to disappointments that they we may face. Since our Lord always has a perfect plan for our lives, the wisest reaction is to anticipate the good he will do and wait His perfect timing. God will Sheppard you though setbacks and sorrows while growing your faith
I close with this scripture, Romans 8:28 and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose!!
Blessings!
We read in Job 5:7-16 5 “Call for help, Job, if you think anyone will answer!
To which of the holy angels will you turn? The hot temper of a fool eventually kills him, the jealous anger of a simpleton does her in. I’ve seen it myself—seen fools putting down roots, and then, suddenly, their houses are cursed. Their children out in the cold, abused and exploited, with no one to stick up for them. Hungry people off the street plunder their harvests, cleaning them out completely, taking thorns and all, insatiable for everything they have. Don’t blame fate when things go wrong trouble doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s human! Mortals are born and bred for trouble, as certainly as sparks fly upward.(my favorite version, The Message)
We ask “why this happening to me”? When we are bewildered by life, we cry out to anyone who will listen, “What is the point of what I’m going through?” Our thoughts become confused, our emotions spin wildly out of control, and our steps slowed. Scripture answers these questions. In response to “Why,” it tells us that we live in a fallen world filled with sinful people that even the redeemed struggle with sin, and that Satan, the “ruler of this world” has great influence here. No wonder why trials happen!
But isn’t there something else that we should be wise to consider? Namely, what is God’s purpose in our adversity? It could be that He desires to get our attention because we have ignored His other signals. Or it could be to keep our attention on Him. We read in Exodus 16:3 The Israelite s said to them, "If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” to the Israelite s , it must have seemed a great trial to have no food left at the end of each day. But God knew that if He provided more than one day’s supply at a time, the people would stop looking to Him. This “trial” kept their attention on their Provider.
I believe that Adversity can be a great tool to remind us of God’s great love for us. We can become so used to His love that we don’t appreciate it until we hit that proverbial “bump in the road”. What’s more, hardships can help us to know the Lord in a deeper way. To experience Him as our comfort requires that there be a need for comfort. Or perhaps He wants to lead us into self-examination. We tend to ignore our wanderings from God’s ways. When we’re stopped by an obstacle in the road, we have time to discover the wrong turns we’ve made.
We as followers of Christ should always seek a godly response to disappointments that they we may face. Since our Lord always has a perfect plan for our lives, the wisest reaction is to anticipate the good he will do and wait His perfect timing. God will Sheppard you though setbacks and sorrows while growing your faith
I close with this scripture, Romans 8:28 and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose!!
Blessings!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Fear?? i shall not!!
This past Sunday at our church, pastor Troy reminded the congregation that he will be starting his next series titled “FEAR”, and I truly believe that lives will be changed by this teaching.
John 14:27 says this, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Jesus shared these words with his disciples on the night before his crucifixion, those words were meant to give them comfort and reassurance through what could possibly be their darkest hours of their faith and Christians over the years have drawn from this scripture to bring them through their darkest trials.
We read this scripture and we say we understand it, but do we truly embrace what Jesus was saying, do we ? DO YOU? there are so many Christians today living with troubled hearts and are living in fear, secretly plagued with panic ,turmoil, and even sleepless nights because of it. Many Christians find themselves unable to find peace of mind, for many of them peace comes and goes leaving them worried ,restless and battered.
Jesus came to this world he suffered and died, for what?? So that we mite walk with him, God, without fear, enjoying his peace all the days of our lives. to some that seems almost impossible because of their situation. They don’t see how it could be when they are facing periods of suffering ,testing and uncertainty ,we feel overwhelmed and fear grips our hearts ,how can we stay in peace when all seems out of control
In the book of Romans we read this , 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
We are able to have peace because Jesus has justified us before the father. To “justify” means to pronounce one guiltless, it proclaims our debt fully paid by Christ and that God is satisfied .Being justified means more than just being forgiven, it also means that God has declared you and me Holy in his eyes, that is so reassuring to know.
We need to worry less, stop living in fear, and STOP condemning yourselves. you(we) don’t have to live in guilt ,fear, or constant anxiety any longer. if you have confessed you sins and truly believe in the power of the blood of Jesus ,those sins are gone, forgiven forgotten, FOREVER! Blotted out, you’re justified.
In closing I want to share this scripture out of the book of Romans (the Message) 8:18 1-2 With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
The Lord says “come boldly into my presence, make your request known to me, and ask that your joy may be fulfilled” now that’s true peace.
Blessings!
John 14:27 says this, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Jesus shared these words with his disciples on the night before his crucifixion, those words were meant to give them comfort and reassurance through what could possibly be their darkest hours of their faith and Christians over the years have drawn from this scripture to bring them through their darkest trials.
We read this scripture and we say we understand it, but do we truly embrace what Jesus was saying, do we ? DO YOU? there are so many Christians today living with troubled hearts and are living in fear, secretly plagued with panic ,turmoil, and even sleepless nights because of it. Many Christians find themselves unable to find peace of mind, for many of them peace comes and goes leaving them worried ,restless and battered.
Jesus came to this world he suffered and died, for what?? So that we mite walk with him, God, without fear, enjoying his peace all the days of our lives. to some that seems almost impossible because of their situation. They don’t see how it could be when they are facing periods of suffering ,testing and uncertainty ,we feel overwhelmed and fear grips our hearts ,how can we stay in peace when all seems out of control
In the book of Romans we read this , 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
We are able to have peace because Jesus has justified us before the father. To “justify” means to pronounce one guiltless, it proclaims our debt fully paid by Christ and that God is satisfied .Being justified means more than just being forgiven, it also means that God has declared you and me Holy in his eyes, that is so reassuring to know.
We need to worry less, stop living in fear, and STOP condemning yourselves. you(we) don’t have to live in guilt ,fear, or constant anxiety any longer. if you have confessed you sins and truly believe in the power of the blood of Jesus ,those sins are gone, forgiven forgotten, FOREVER! Blotted out, you’re justified.
In closing I want to share this scripture out of the book of Romans (the Message) 8:18 1-2 With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
The Lord says “come boldly into my presence, make your request known to me, and ask that your joy may be fulfilled” now that’s true peace.
Blessings!
Friday, April 12, 2013
Don’t be Bound!!
Don’t be Bound!!
I want to ask you this question , are there truths in your life that seem to hold you back, bind you? I can hear some saying right now, Tim surely you know that the truth sets you free, it says so in the bible. You are right it does in John 8:31-32 it says , Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.”Last Sunday Pastor Troy shared about a time when he presented the question to Tim O “ why do you believe what you believe?’and that leads me to my next topic.
Over the years I have met some Christians that have little or no foundation for what they say or believe. Unfortunately some Christian’s belief system has been solely established based upon someone else’s beliefs. understand this , you can become easily deceived by someone else's teaching if you don't know the truth for yourself, and you can easily become confused by a doctrinal challenge if you don't know why you believe what you believe.
Being a Christian you should seek to know the truth for yourselves. Its not good enough to blindly believe what we are told. We must personally know the truth in order to be free to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. We are susceptible to false doctrines, others’ understandings, and deception if we lack a personal knowledge of biblical truths.
There is a method that we can use to know the truth in God’s word. 1) 1)Examination: Examine the scriptures, in their proper context
2) Evaluation: Evaluate the information; this is where you check the context of the scriptures
3) Determination: Arrive at a conclusion as to the basic principle or teaching.
4) Verification: Verify what you have learned, review the facts , discuss it with other Christians
5) Application: Apply what you have learned to your own life. be receptive
This method is to help you to know the truth in God’s word for yourself and not totally rely on someone else understandings . This is not the only method that you can use to acquire biblical truth. There are many theological methods that may be used to discover the teachings revealed in the Bible.
Think about this, when you go to the doctor, most people tend to get a second opinion when faced with making a major medical decision ,or when looking to purchase an expensive item one tends to ask several people their opinion on which brand to buy right? it is time to begin to seek truth for yourself. Learn what the Bible really teaches without relying solely on what others tell you. Begin to study your Bible, talk to other Christians about what you believe, learn more about what you believe and correct yourself as you go on Know what the life of a Christian should be according to the scriptures.
I close with this scripture, 2 Corinthians 3:17
Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. The Message.
Blessings!!
I want to ask you this question , are there truths in your life that seem to hold you back, bind you? I can hear some saying right now, Tim surely you know that the truth sets you free, it says so in the bible. You are right it does in John 8:31-32 it says , Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.”Last Sunday Pastor Troy shared about a time when he presented the question to Tim O “ why do you believe what you believe?’and that leads me to my next topic.
Over the years I have met some Christians that have little or no foundation for what they say or believe. Unfortunately some Christian’s belief system has been solely established based upon someone else’s beliefs. understand this , you can become easily deceived by someone else's teaching if you don't know the truth for yourself, and you can easily become confused by a doctrinal challenge if you don't know why you believe what you believe.
Being a Christian you should seek to know the truth for yourselves. Its not good enough to blindly believe what we are told. We must personally know the truth in order to be free to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. We are susceptible to false doctrines, others’ understandings, and deception if we lack a personal knowledge of biblical truths.
There is a method that we can use to know the truth in God’s word. 1) 1)Examination: Examine the scriptures, in their proper context
2) Evaluation: Evaluate the information; this is where you check the context of the scriptures
3) Determination: Arrive at a conclusion as to the basic principle or teaching.
4) Verification: Verify what you have learned, review the facts , discuss it with other Christians
5) Application: Apply what you have learned to your own life. be receptive
This method is to help you to know the truth in God’s word for yourself and not totally rely on someone else understandings . This is not the only method that you can use to acquire biblical truth. There are many theological methods that may be used to discover the teachings revealed in the Bible.
Think about this, when you go to the doctor, most people tend to get a second opinion when faced with making a major medical decision ,or when looking to purchase an expensive item one tends to ask several people their opinion on which brand to buy right? it is time to begin to seek truth for yourself. Learn what the Bible really teaches without relying solely on what others tell you. Begin to study your Bible, talk to other Christians about what you believe, learn more about what you believe and correct yourself as you go on Know what the life of a Christian should be according to the scriptures.
I close with this scripture, 2 Corinthians 3:17
Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. The Message.
Blessings!!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Grace,Hmm,,are we getting it?
Well for you that have been reading my last few blogs you won’t be surprised that I am going to talk a little more on the great topic of “GRACE”. Pastor Troy at new Life Assembly has really been bringing it lately, and if you haven’t been there you are missing some very good messages.
Grace is such a small and even a simply spelled word, yet it encompasses so very much. I don’t think God intended grace to be hard to understand, I don’t think he even intended for us to have a hard time accepting it, we do it all by our selves.
The first thing Paul tells us about grace is that we are saved by it. It is important to understand that salvation is not only the initial new birth experience, when a sinner receives Jesus as Savior and Lord, in a narrow sense it is that, but in a broader sense the idea of salvation encompasses the entire Christian life. Paul is certainly not saying that we are saved initially by grace, through faith, and then we switch to another principle to continue in the Christian life. We start by grace through faith, and we continue by grace through faith.
GRACE MAKES EVERYONE EQUAL
Because salvation is by grace and "not of you", all human differences are eliminated. This is another terribly offensive thought to people who think they are better than everyone else. But the truth is, as far as God is concerned, we are all in the same boat. First of all, Paul tells us in Romans 3 that because we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s standards, we are all alike before God, without any differences.
I am going to refer to a few statement that the Pastor used in his most recent sermon,( I hope you don’t mind pastor Troy) Does the term “Spiritual Racist hit a nerve with anyone? I know I can hear you now. “Tim how could you say that, how dare you put that label on me “Well its not hard to become one. Racism is just one small form of prejudice, and this prejudice could be preventing you from living the life that God intends for you to live. We need to get rid of the stereotypes we place upon people without even knowing them, and accept them as they are, and love them unconditionally. We place conditions on people and don’t give them the ability to know Jesus.
We are the vehicle by which God is able to introduce people to him, and that vehicle is the church you and I. we must always recognize that our only righteousness before God is that which is bestowed upon us by his grace, and that we still have nothing to boast about except what God has done in our lives by his grace.
As far as God is concerned, he has already saved the whole world, but the whole world has not heard and responded in faith, but by grace God has already provided salvation for the whole world. That’s why we share the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that the whole world will hear what God has already done, and respond in faith. We don’t have to twist God’s arm and persuade him to save anyone; God has already moved and provided salvation freely, by grace through faith.
I will close with this quote penned by J. Vernon McGee, When I hear Christians say, "I don't do this, and I don't do that, and I am following a set of rules," I immediately recognize that they know very little about the grace of God. They are trying to live the Christian life in their own strength. But Paul says, "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”
Be confident in gods love, and learn to have that “open door policy”, as God’s grace is, we need not be so quick to judge,
Blessings.
Grace is such a small and even a simply spelled word, yet it encompasses so very much. I don’t think God intended grace to be hard to understand, I don’t think he even intended for us to have a hard time accepting it, we do it all by our selves.
The first thing Paul tells us about grace is that we are saved by it. It is important to understand that salvation is not only the initial new birth experience, when a sinner receives Jesus as Savior and Lord, in a narrow sense it is that, but in a broader sense the idea of salvation encompasses the entire Christian life. Paul is certainly not saying that we are saved initially by grace, through faith, and then we switch to another principle to continue in the Christian life. We start by grace through faith, and we continue by grace through faith.
GRACE MAKES EVERYONE EQUAL
Because salvation is by grace and "not of you", all human differences are eliminated. This is another terribly offensive thought to people who think they are better than everyone else. But the truth is, as far as God is concerned, we are all in the same boat. First of all, Paul tells us in Romans 3 that because we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s standards, we are all alike before God, without any differences.
I am going to refer to a few statement that the Pastor used in his most recent sermon,( I hope you don’t mind pastor Troy) Does the term “Spiritual Racist hit a nerve with anyone? I know I can hear you now. “Tim how could you say that, how dare you put that label on me “Well its not hard to become one. Racism is just one small form of prejudice, and this prejudice could be preventing you from living the life that God intends for you to live. We need to get rid of the stereotypes we place upon people without even knowing them, and accept them as they are, and love them unconditionally. We place conditions on people and don’t give them the ability to know Jesus.
We are the vehicle by which God is able to introduce people to him, and that vehicle is the church you and I. we must always recognize that our only righteousness before God is that which is bestowed upon us by his grace, and that we still have nothing to boast about except what God has done in our lives by his grace.
As far as God is concerned, he has already saved the whole world, but the whole world has not heard and responded in faith, but by grace God has already provided salvation for the whole world. That’s why we share the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that the whole world will hear what God has already done, and respond in faith. We don’t have to twist God’s arm and persuade him to save anyone; God has already moved and provided salvation freely, by grace through faith.
I will close with this quote penned by J. Vernon McGee, When I hear Christians say, "I don't do this, and I don't do that, and I am following a set of rules," I immediately recognize that they know very little about the grace of God. They are trying to live the Christian life in their own strength. But Paul says, "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”
Be confident in gods love, and learn to have that “open door policy”, as God’s grace is, we need not be so quick to judge,
Blessings.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Are We who we should BE,,,Are We?
At
New Life pastor Troy
has been teaching a series on “Grace” ,and to say the least is has had a
profound impact on me and my life. The word grace is a very common word that is
used almost if not daily by not only Christians but also non believers .we use that
phrase “By the grace of God’ without even realizing what it really means. How
many times have you said this, "I could care less",,, well think about what you
just said, it means you
care. What you MEANT to say means the exact opposite. Next time Substitute
with: "I could not care less", "I have never cared less about anything”
Are you still with me? You see the things we say can have a great impact on
those that hear it. Our actions can have a profound impact on the people that we
have daily interaction with, and we need to very aware of those actions, and
there impact.
There are two very powerful forces in
the world, which have been here ever since the time when Eve partook of the
forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Those two forces are sin and grace. A
very great power is sin, a power dark, mysterious and full of force.
No matter how
sinful man may be, yet the light of day descends upon him unasked for and
unsought. Such is the grace of God; where it comes it comes not because sought,
or deserved, but simply from the goodness of the heart of God. Such is the
grace of God. It does not visit us because we ask it, much less, because we
deserve it; but as God wills it, and the bottles of heaven are unstopped, so
God wills it, and grace descends. No matter how vile, and black, and foul, and
godless, men may be, he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and that
free, rich, overflowing goodness of his can make the very worst and least
deserving the objects of his best and choicest love.
James 1:19 says, be slow to speak, slow to wrath.
if we as Christians took time and did this on a regular basis I truly believe
that the positive impact we have on others would greatly out way the negative.
We also need to meditate on this scripture,
Proverbs 29:20 - Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope
for a fool than for him. We need to Force ourselves to analyze every situation and consider the consequences of
what we might say or do. "If I say or do this, will it be good for others,
or am I just angry and will regret the statement later?" Count to ten.
Maybe take a walk or ask for time to calm down and think. But instead of
clamming up, set an appointment: a specific time to discuss the problem later.
So how many of you are scratching your
heads right now saying,”Tim what and how does this all relate to me being who I
should be?,,, thanks for asking that question ,let me expound on what the word
of god says about it.
Psalm 32:3-5 says: “There was a time when I
wouldn’t admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and
filled my days with frustration. All day and all night your hand was heavy on
me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted
all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, ‘I will
confess them to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”
“For the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:2 The
Christian life is a life of freedom: freedom from guilt and freedom to live as
God intends, which is ultimately the most satisfying life. It is a process of
growth, of becoming like Christ and reflecting Christ. And it takes time to grow!
So I present this question to you,: Are
you who you should be” are you who God wants and expects you to be? Has sin
clouded your relationship with God? Has sin become something that you just
sweep in a pile then push under the rug never to deal with it? As with all sins, God does not just tell us what to
quit. He also tells us what to do to correct our problem.
I read this quote in a book written by Charles. H.
SPURGEON,, To sum up all in one, what I mean is this: there have straggled in here
this morning the poor working man, the struggling mechanic, the gay young fop,
the man who leads a fast life, the wretch who leads a coarse life, the woman,
perhaps, who has gone far astray; I mean to say to such, you are lost, but the
Son of man is come to seek and to save you. I mean to say to you, sons and
daughters of moral parents, who are not converted, but perhaps feel yourselves
even worse than the immoral, I mean to say to you that you are not past hope
yet. God will love you freely, and this is how his love is preached to
you—"Whosoever believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved."
Come as you are; God will accept you as you are. Come as you are, without any
preparation or fitness; come as you are, and where the cross is lifted high
with the bleeding Son of God upon it, fall flat on your face, accepting the
love manifested there, willingly receiving this day the grace which God
willingly and freely gives.
As sinners, without any
qualification, as sinners, as undeserving sinners, my Lord will receive you
graciously and love you freely.
As sinners, without any
qualification, as sinners, as undeserving sinners, my Lord will receive you
graciously and love you freely.2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
So are you who you should be? Don’t answer me, TELL GOD, talk to him, commune with him, and get to know him like he knows you. I want to close with this prayer,,
Dear Lord God Almighty Keep us from looking in the mirror and admiring our own beauty, which is not beauty at all. Let the True Beauty be in us - Your Holy Spirit of Truth and Grace. Keep us from pride and love of self, which is our enemy. Bless us with absolute, total, unselfish Love. Which is only possible through Your Holy Spirit We give you our lives. Do with us as You Will. Make our lives useful to Your Service. The only ambition we have is to humbly, and honestly do Your Will. We want to lift up Your Name Jesus, not our names. We want to make known the power of Your Holy Spirit, Jesus. We want you to claim us for yourself, and use us according to Your Divine purpose. And no matter the job or task that you assign to us, we will be contented, and full of Joy, to do Your Holy Will, Jesus.Let Your Holy Spirit, Jesus, live in us forever, and give us purpose, hope, and peace and joy, and Eternal Life. For without you, we perish. In Your Holy Spirit, Jesus, we pray! Amen,
Blessings!!
Monday, February 4, 2013
With God's Grace.,,,,,it's free!!!!!
Wow, I look at the calendar on the wall and as much as I want, I just seem to struggle with the reality that 2013 is upon us. It may seem hard for some of you that know me , but I can still remember when my parents got their first color T.V. set.1969,yup I’m dating myself, but I’m ok with that. Over these years I can’t begin to recall how many times I said “this is going to be the year of change’, only to fall back into the same old routine, oh there was change, but it was short lived. I always seemed to have a valid reason to for my lack of commitment, or so I thought it was valid. After all life was hard and I knew God would understand, right?
I believe that our pride often prevents us from giving credit where credit is due. Rather than saying God has blessed us in a certain situation we often say something like this, it took a lot of hard work but I finally did it. It may be true that we worked hard but God made it possible. God gave us the abilities to think and act the way we needed in that situation. God gave us the skills needed to accomplish the task, the determination to see it through, the inspiration and encouragement to believe it could be done, and the grace to allow all the circumstances to fall into place. In many cases all we have to do is suit up and show up. God is behind every good thing in our lives—we fail to honor God when we take credit for what He has done.
” One of life's most bittersweet moments is when you finally realize you don't have it all figured out. It hits you like a hammer and there's a crushing period of discouragement, but there is an up side. By the process of elimination, you've gotten rid of what doesn't work. Now how do you find out what does? Have you ever tried to run with your arms full? It's hard, and the more things you're carrying, the harder it becomes. Jesus says, "Come, follow me," Mark 1:17, , but Jesus walks fast because he has a lot of ground to cover. If you want to follow Jesus more closely, you have to throw away some of those things you're carrying. You know what they are. The more empty your arms, the closer you can get to him. Surrender to God and obedience to his ways brings what we want most in life. That's the only way we can be right.
This past Sunday in church Pastor Troy encouraged us to give those things that have been hindering us to God, what ever they are, unforgiveness, death of a loved one ,lets call them “ The crevices we try to ignore”
We're not even sure what those crevices contain. Is it unforgotten sin? Is it doubt? Is it the memory of some good we might have done but were too selfish to do at the time? These crevices prevent us from being right. We can work and try all our lives, but we can't seem to reach them. Every day we see people trying to get right on their own. From miserable celebrities to self-destructive politicians to greedy business people, the harder they try the worse their lives become. We can't get right on our own
I read this poem and would like to share it, it says so much in such a simple way, the author didn’t want to share his name,
Walking by Your strength,
With increasing length,
Of extravagant, brotherly love.
And when one displays a bitter shove,
To turn the other cheek,
Having a heart that’s meek.
This is how I pray,
In Your everlasting ray.
Teach me, oh Lord, forevermore,
Lets make 2013 the year that we make a change, and lets make it the year that we apply gods grace to our lives as we make that change. God’s Grace is amazing as John Newton so accurately stated in the song he wrote because he knew his life was evil and out of that life he lived he saw God’s AMAZING GRACE! The song goes like this:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see.‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed!Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come; ‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, Than when we’d first begin.
God’s Grace is so amazing because we truly don’t deserve it and that is the point, that is Grace, God’s unmerited favor towards us, not because of who we are or what we have done, but because He has freely given it to us through Jesus Christ! And that Grace is extended to all, all can receive it but not all will and that is the tragedy! It is a free gift that is found in Christ and even up to the last minute of a persons life, they have a chance to receive it, that is GRACE! Blessings
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