Growing in Christ can be a joy and a pain. Obviously, we receive joy because we are becoming more like Christ, understanding God's ways better and putting our own ways behind us. Oh, but the pain! The pain of change. The heart breaking pain. We are often afraid of change because we are comfortable with the way things are right now, or we have a fear of the unknown. We are not promised a guarantee that the situation will work out the way WE WANT. We must remember that God's ways are always best. I've never been disappointed in His plans. I've read stories & heard stories when other people go through situations that seem unbearable. When we read the wonderful lessons of many Biblical people, the Bible doesn't always go into detail on the thoughts & feelings those people experienced. The truth is that our trials will change us. We can either grow better or bitter. How many times have we heard of another person's terrible stories and we are amazed at their strength & courage because we may think that if we went through that same situation, we would fall apart? In our weakness , we are made strong in Christ. HE ALONE is the source of our strength! In fact, at my church, Thomas Road Baptist Church, the words, "Not I, But Christ", are highlighted on the back wall behind our choir on Sunday mornings. Our pastor, Jonathan Falwell, said that when his dad Jerry Falwell, passed away 5 years ago, Jonathan began to think about how he could not continue on following in his dad's footsteps in the pastoring of the church. His inspiration was the words--"Not I, but Christ". Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." There are a number of examples of personal trials I could share here. I have had a number of times in my life where I poured more into a relationship than the other person. In my own flesh, I would have given up on these relationships. It is tiring & draining to be the only one communicating when another person seems to be shutting you out. I would have definitely given up and said obviously this person(s) does not want me to be a part of their life anymore. But, because I loved God with all my heart and I knew that God loved this person too, I did not give up. It was painful to feel rejection. I never knew if that person would ever come around to communicating with me anymore. I just knew that when I meet God one day, He could not be disappointed because I gave up trying. So, I encourage any friend reading this (including myself) to keep pressing on toward the high calling God has for each of us. Even through the pain you may be going through, keep working through it and asking God daily for the strength to do what He desires of us.
1 Peter 4:12-13 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
Dear Heavenly Father,
I love You and adore You. When there is no one I can trust, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can completely trust You. Thank you for providing so generously for me and my family. Thank you for loving us unconditionally. May your Holy Spirit work in the lives of every member of my immediate and extended family, my friends & loved ones, and all the read this devotion. Change my heart, O God! Make it ever new! Change my heart, O God! May I be like You! You know my downsitting & my uprising and are aquainted with all my ways. (Psalm 139:2-3) I long to hear You say "Well done my good & faithful servant!" In the precious name of Jesus, I pray. AMEN!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Christ--our coach, The Holy Bible is our playbook, We are the "team"
I (Valorie) did not write the following devotional. It was written by a lady from the Tuesday Bible study at my church. I felt it was quite worthy of reposting. “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” John 13:14-16(ESV)
Ever wanted a private tutor for life? How about someone who would coach you on the fundamentals and help you understand the team strategy? We have the best coach ever - Christ Himself. When you study His ministry, you’ll see He led by example and left behind the best playbook. He didn’t pick a certain economic background to minister to; He helped everyone. He also didn’t place a lot of emphasis on material things; He was basically homeless. He was the King of Kings but had no problem being the servant washing someone’s feet.
Below are some keys to living the Christian life as exemplified by Christ Himself:
- Have a quiet time every day-Mark 1:35
- Serve others and never think more highly of yourself- John 13:14-16
- Love one another-John 13:33
- It’s okay to grieve and cry-John 11:35
- Don’t judge others-John 8:7
- Be obedient to God’s will-Luke 22:42
The Bible is our guidebook through life. It’s better than Barnes & Noble because in one book you have love stories, poetry, history, self-help, marriage, parenting, and relationship advice. We just have to take the time to study it and get the tips directly from our Coach on how to live the Christian life.
“Dear God, Thank You for being our coach, mentor, teacher, and tutor by sending Your Son to be the example to follow. May we study His life and strive to live it out in our own lives.”
For His Glory
Katrina RedmanTRBC Coffee Break
Monday, July 16, 2012
Setting goals & changing habits........this sounds like a topic for a New Year's Resolution. It's really the story of my life. I feel like I can never get out of my bad habits & permanently adopt new ones....healthier eating, daily exercise and of course daily Bible study & prayer. But, I was inspired this morning to read that our church's Women's Ministry Leader & a few others are doing a 21 day challenge and I thought that was perfect for me to do too! My Sunday School teacher, Dr. Elmer Towns, even spoke on setting goals yesterday--the short term & the long term goals. He used Joshua & the Israelites as example in Joshua 1:10-11 "And Joshua commanded the leaders of Israel, 'Go tell the people to prepare food and get everything else ready because in 3 days (short term goal) we will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land God has given to us." (long term goal).
Here's some reminders on our goals.
Our Short Term Goals:
1. Walking in obedient fellowship gives us confidence. "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." I John 1:7
2. Grow through the scriptures. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
3. Practice all kinds of prayer, worship, communion, fellowship, request, intercession for others, thanksgiving, and fasting.
4. Share your faith with others.
5. Know the enemy and principles of spiritual warfare.
6. Be spiritually victorious. "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place." 2 Corinthians 2:14
Our Long Term Goals:
1. Find and follow God's plan for your life. Romans 12:1-2
2. Write out spiritual and natural goals
3. Grow in personal discipline and effective service.
4. Expect opposition and trials (James 1:2-4)
5. Finish well!
Why are goals important? They challenge us to press ahead and do better, to change. As believers, that is exactly what we need to be doing every day. We need to continue growing in Christ, doing better, and changing to be more like Him. We know that we will never reach perfection and be completely Christlike in all our ways. This is not to discourage us. It is actually a relief to know that I do not have to be perfect for God to love me & accept me into His family. I simply know that the greatest blessings & even wisdom is found through obedience. God doesn't tell us to be obedient when we "feel" like it, or when it seems right in our own eyes. We are to always be obedient, even when we don't "feel" like it. As Romans 12 speaks of running a race and finishing well.........that is exactly what I want to do. It is a challenge for sure. My body, my personal desires are to do my own thing. Lord, forgive me and give me the strength & perseverence to make every day & every moment count for You! 21 days.......I CAN do it through Christ---who gives ME strength!
Lord, I thank you for loving me more than any person could ever love me. May my thoughts be 24/7 towards You. Consume me from the inside out. May I think of You as I am making food choices, may I think of You as I purposely choose to exercise my body that is Your temple, and may I think of You as I pray & talk to you continually about concerns & requests, just as we talk to a best friend & tell them our innermost thoughts. I pray for Lisa, Cheryl & Lynn who are also on this 21 Day Commitment that You are speaking to them & encouraging them & strengthening them in body, mind & spirit. In Jesus name, Amen!
Here's some reminders on our goals.
Our Short Term Goals:
1. Walking in obedient fellowship gives us confidence. "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." I John 1:7
2. Grow through the scriptures. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
3. Practice all kinds of prayer, worship, communion, fellowship, request, intercession for others, thanksgiving, and fasting.
4. Share your faith with others.
5. Know the enemy and principles of spiritual warfare.
6. Be spiritually victorious. "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place." 2 Corinthians 2:14
Our Long Term Goals:
1. Find and follow God's plan for your life. Romans 12:1-2
2. Write out spiritual and natural goals
3. Grow in personal discipline and effective service.
4. Expect opposition and trials (James 1:2-4)
5. Finish well!
Why are goals important? They challenge us to press ahead and do better, to change. As believers, that is exactly what we need to be doing every day. We need to continue growing in Christ, doing better, and changing to be more like Him. We know that we will never reach perfection and be completely Christlike in all our ways. This is not to discourage us. It is actually a relief to know that I do not have to be perfect for God to love me & accept me into His family. I simply know that the greatest blessings & even wisdom is found through obedience. God doesn't tell us to be obedient when we "feel" like it, or when it seems right in our own eyes. We are to always be obedient, even when we don't "feel" like it. As Romans 12 speaks of running a race and finishing well.........that is exactly what I want to do. It is a challenge for sure. My body, my personal desires are to do my own thing. Lord, forgive me and give me the strength & perseverence to make every day & every moment count for You! 21 days.......I CAN do it through Christ---who gives ME strength!
Lord, I thank you for loving me more than any person could ever love me. May my thoughts be 24/7 towards You. Consume me from the inside out. May I think of You as I am making food choices, may I think of You as I purposely choose to exercise my body that is Your temple, and may I think of You as I pray & talk to you continually about concerns & requests, just as we talk to a best friend & tell them our innermost thoughts. I pray for Lisa, Cheryl & Lynn who are also on this 21 Day Commitment that You are speaking to them & encouraging them & strengthening them in body, mind & spirit. In Jesus name, Amen!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Come on! Let's edify someone today!
1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing."
When was the last time that you edified someone or someone edified you? Would you even like to be edified? It's not a word that we typically use today, so perhaps I will explain the definition.
EDIFY: to build up, strengthen a person, instruct or improve spiritually.
My first thought is that the Bible is the greatest edification we have! Nothing compares to it! God's Word provides so much wisdom and definitely builds us up, strengthens us , instructs and helps us grow spiritually!
A comparable word more common today would be "encourage". However, to encourage is actually a little different.
ENCOURAGE:to inspire with courage or confidence.
I'm very glad I looked these two words up because edifying seems to be the same as encouraging, but perhaps goes a little deeper.....because we are to lift up others in Christ. It's definitely a Biblical term. It would be true to say that we can encourage others without edifying them. How interesting. As a follower of Christ, I want to edify, and I hope you want to do that too!
If you read the passages preceding 1 Thessalonians 5:11, such as verses 1-11, and understand that Paul was giving a description on the Day of the Lord and how He will come as a thief in the night. The reason we are to "edify" one another is because we need to be lifting up other believers to walk close to the Lord and be ready for His return. The idea is that we must take advantage of every opportunity to serve Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:16 "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil") How true! Jesus paid the price for my sins and your sins, and when I give Him my life, the least I can do is give Him my time & talents. There are opportunities every day to serve the Lord, witness for Christ, to be a channel of blessing and advance the cause of Christ. How many times do we waste precious moments because we choose to do our own thing? We either don't want to spend the time edifying another person, or we want to focus on our problems, or Satan has us "busy" doing other things that are of little importance. I'm definitely speaking to myself here! If no one reads my blog, I pray that God will transform my heart to get busy doing the best things for Him. Why should I want to read that magazine that tells of current movies & TV shows and what's going on with celebrities? Does it matter that I've played an hour or more of "games" on my computer or ipod? There are many time wasters in a day and many excuses. I am guilty. I hope I'm not getting too far off track, but a dear friend shared with me something she heard a pastor say that really changed her way of thinking. The pastor asked if people could think back and remember their 3rd grade picture. You may be trying hard to remember........what did you wear? What was the background in the picture? You might say, I think I was wearing a blue shirt. No. Maybe it was green. Maybe there were trees in the background. Well, my friends, one day we will be in Heaven. We may be talking to each other and say something like, "Do you remember when we lived on Earth? What was that like? Can you remember our time on Earth? I think such & such happened." Friends.....this life is like a vapor. The things we get caught up in now are not of much importance as we think. We need to examine if the things that occupy our time are really worth it? There are souls that need to be reached. People are hurting and they definitely need our EDIFYING! Do you have a phone? Make some phone calls & lift up people and let them know they are important. Encourage them to get into God's Word which certainly edifies! Do you have a computer? Send emails. I remember when we first got email and we were writing letters to friends & family. It was great to hear from people and be encouraged. I know stamps are getting costly, but it sure does mean A LOT to get a good old fashioned letter in the mail! When I take the time to do that, I am so excited thinking about the other person getting a hand-written letter! There's no doubt that is a blessing for both!
I may be going out on a limb here. This is very much out of my comfort zone to say this. I am not a person that likes to hurt another with my words, if I can help it. But, upon further studying of the many verses on edification, I would even say that edifying would include telling another believer if you see they are doing something or having an attitude that is in contrast to God's Word.....yeah.....that would be a little something we call sin. The fine line with that is that the Bible also tells us not to be judges of one another, because we all sin. Remember Jesus saying in John 8:7 that " He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." In that example, this woman was being judged for her sins and about to be killed. I've always felt that I shouldn't say something to another person in regard to their sin, because I am a sinner too, and I have no right to point out their faults when I have my own. However, going back to edification in the body of believers, in Ephesians 4 talks about the conduct of the church---the body of believers. If you read these verses, it tells us how to treat one another, "walking worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, with all lowliness & meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. In verse 11, Paul talks of the spiritual gifts that God gave to us and the purpose of the gifts in verse 12 " For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ....." There is more to that, but in verse 15 "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." This entire passage speaks of the body of Christ and our role that we need to be lifting each other up and doing our part. Sad to say, but we aren't always doing that. Once again, I am guilty. Friends, this isn't just people in our own church that we need to be edifying---but ALL believers. And, we are to speak the truth in love. Yes, I know that not everyone handles the truth very well. I am guilty of that too. But, I have been "called out" before and others brought my actions & attitude to my awareness, and although I did not like it at the time, I examined my ways and realized I was at fault and changed. Speaking the truth in love is vital. We can really hurt people with our words, coming across very judgmental, so this definitely needs to be prayed about if you are edifying another believer bringing to attention their faults in the body of Christ. I just finished my ladies Bible study at church where we studied the book of James. I feel that James was a man that didn't beat around the bush and he got to the point and told it like he saw it. The first two chapters of James, he wrote in general like he was giving words of wisdom for others, often saying ye or you--depending on which Bible translation you read. However in chapter 3 when James talks about controlling the tongue, he seems to add himself referring to "we". Sounds like James had to work on the issue on "speaking truth to one another"! It is a fine line knowing what to say and when to say it. We must pray for discernment and ask God to give us the right words. Wow. If we prayed before we spoke, our speech would have power behind our words! We are living in days where there is so much criticism of each other---on the internet, on talk radio, on television, in newspapers, in our homes........ Let us make a change and lift up, encourage and edify one another. It will cost you. To do so will take your time, but you will reap rewards and blessings that will make it worth the cost.
Lord,
I love You and want You to know how grateful I am for Your Word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I thank You for speaking to my heart today and opening my eyes to study edification. Thank You Lord for edifying me! Forgive me when I do not use my time wisely, when I do not spend a single day opening the Bible and hearing from You. Help me Lord to know the things that are important to do, and the things that are a waste of my time. Every day, I need to open this wonderful book and study and learn that I may grow. May everything I do bring glory to You---the words I speak, the thoughts I think, the places I go. Help me to to be an encouragement to others.I pray for my friends & family that they will desire to walk closer to You and we will all edify one another in the beautiful body of Christ.
In Jesus' name, AMEN
EXTRA: If you would like to read more on edifying, here are some verses. Read them in full context; meaning that you should read entire passages to see exactly what the meaning is behind that particular point of edification.
Romans 14:19 "1Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may EDIFY another.
Romans 15:2 "Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to EDIFICATION."
1 Corinthians 8:1 "Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity EDIFIETH."
I Corinthians 14:3-4 "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to EDIFICATION, and exhortation, and comfort.He that speaketh in an unknown tongue EDIFIETH himself; but he that prophesieth EDIFIETH the church."
1 Corinthians 10:23 "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things EDIFY not."
Ephesians 4:12 "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the EDIFYING of the body of Christ"
2 Corinthians 10:8 "For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for EDIFICATION, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed."
2 Corinthians 13:10 "Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to EDIFICATION, and not to destruction.
1 Timothy 1:4 "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly EDIFYING which is in faith: so do."
When was the last time that you edified someone or someone edified you? Would you even like to be edified? It's not a word that we typically use today, so perhaps I will explain the definition.
EDIFY: to build up, strengthen a person, instruct or improve spiritually.
My first thought is that the Bible is the greatest edification we have! Nothing compares to it! God's Word provides so much wisdom and definitely builds us up, strengthens us , instructs and helps us grow spiritually!
A comparable word more common today would be "encourage". However, to encourage is actually a little different.
ENCOURAGE:to inspire with courage or confidence.
I'm very glad I looked these two words up because edifying seems to be the same as encouraging, but perhaps goes a little deeper.....because we are to lift up others in Christ. It's definitely a Biblical term. It would be true to say that we can encourage others without edifying them. How interesting. As a follower of Christ, I want to edify, and I hope you want to do that too!
If you read the passages preceding 1 Thessalonians 5:11, such as verses 1-11, and understand that Paul was giving a description on the Day of the Lord and how He will come as a thief in the night. The reason we are to "edify" one another is because we need to be lifting up other believers to walk close to the Lord and be ready for His return. The idea is that we must take advantage of every opportunity to serve Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:16 "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil") How true! Jesus paid the price for my sins and your sins, and when I give Him my life, the least I can do is give Him my time & talents. There are opportunities every day to serve the Lord, witness for Christ, to be a channel of blessing and advance the cause of Christ. How many times do we waste precious moments because we choose to do our own thing? We either don't want to spend the time edifying another person, or we want to focus on our problems, or Satan has us "busy" doing other things that are of little importance. I'm definitely speaking to myself here! If no one reads my blog, I pray that God will transform my heart to get busy doing the best things for Him. Why should I want to read that magazine that tells of current movies & TV shows and what's going on with celebrities? Does it matter that I've played an hour or more of "games" on my computer or ipod? There are many time wasters in a day and many excuses. I am guilty. I hope I'm not getting too far off track, but a dear friend shared with me something she heard a pastor say that really changed her way of thinking. The pastor asked if people could think back and remember their 3rd grade picture. You may be trying hard to remember........what did you wear? What was the background in the picture? You might say, I think I was wearing a blue shirt. No. Maybe it was green. Maybe there were trees in the background. Well, my friends, one day we will be in Heaven. We may be talking to each other and say something like, "Do you remember when we lived on Earth? What was that like? Can you remember our time on Earth? I think such & such happened." Friends.....this life is like a vapor. The things we get caught up in now are not of much importance as we think. We need to examine if the things that occupy our time are really worth it? There are souls that need to be reached. People are hurting and they definitely need our EDIFYING! Do you have a phone? Make some phone calls & lift up people and let them know they are important. Encourage them to get into God's Word which certainly edifies! Do you have a computer? Send emails. I remember when we first got email and we were writing letters to friends & family. It was great to hear from people and be encouraged. I know stamps are getting costly, but it sure does mean A LOT to get a good old fashioned letter in the mail! When I take the time to do that, I am so excited thinking about the other person getting a hand-written letter! There's no doubt that is a blessing for both!
I may be going out on a limb here. This is very much out of my comfort zone to say this. I am not a person that likes to hurt another with my words, if I can help it. But, upon further studying of the many verses on edification, I would even say that edifying would include telling another believer if you see they are doing something or having an attitude that is in contrast to God's Word.....yeah.....that would be a little something we call sin. The fine line with that is that the Bible also tells us not to be judges of one another, because we all sin. Remember Jesus saying in John 8:7 that " He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." In that example, this woman was being judged for her sins and about to be killed. I've always felt that I shouldn't say something to another person in regard to their sin, because I am a sinner too, and I have no right to point out their faults when I have my own. However, going back to edification in the body of believers, in Ephesians 4 talks about the conduct of the church---the body of believers. If you read these verses, it tells us how to treat one another, "walking worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, with all lowliness & meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. In verse 11, Paul talks of the spiritual gifts that God gave to us and the purpose of the gifts in verse 12 " For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ....." There is more to that, but in verse 15 "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." This entire passage speaks of the body of Christ and our role that we need to be lifting each other up and doing our part. Sad to say, but we aren't always doing that. Once again, I am guilty. Friends, this isn't just people in our own church that we need to be edifying---but ALL believers. And, we are to speak the truth in love. Yes, I know that not everyone handles the truth very well. I am guilty of that too. But, I have been "called out" before and others brought my actions & attitude to my awareness, and although I did not like it at the time, I examined my ways and realized I was at fault and changed. Speaking the truth in love is vital. We can really hurt people with our words, coming across very judgmental, so this definitely needs to be prayed about if you are edifying another believer bringing to attention their faults in the body of Christ. I just finished my ladies Bible study at church where we studied the book of James. I feel that James was a man that didn't beat around the bush and he got to the point and told it like he saw it. The first two chapters of James, he wrote in general like he was giving words of wisdom for others, often saying ye or you--depending on which Bible translation you read. However in chapter 3 when James talks about controlling the tongue, he seems to add himself referring to "we". Sounds like James had to work on the issue on "speaking truth to one another"! It is a fine line knowing what to say and when to say it. We must pray for discernment and ask God to give us the right words. Wow. If we prayed before we spoke, our speech would have power behind our words! We are living in days where there is so much criticism of each other---on the internet, on talk radio, on television, in newspapers, in our homes........ Let us make a change and lift up, encourage and edify one another. It will cost you. To do so will take your time, but you will reap rewards and blessings that will make it worth the cost.
Lord,
I love You and want You to know how grateful I am for Your Word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I thank You for speaking to my heart today and opening my eyes to study edification. Thank You Lord for edifying me! Forgive me when I do not use my time wisely, when I do not spend a single day opening the Bible and hearing from You. Help me Lord to know the things that are important to do, and the things that are a waste of my time. Every day, I need to open this wonderful book and study and learn that I may grow. May everything I do bring glory to You---the words I speak, the thoughts I think, the places I go. Help me to to be an encouragement to others.I pray for my friends & family that they will desire to walk closer to You and we will all edify one another in the beautiful body of Christ.
In Jesus' name, AMEN
EXTRA: If you would like to read more on edifying, here are some verses. Read them in full context; meaning that you should read entire passages to see exactly what the meaning is behind that particular point of edification.
Romans 14:19 "1Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may EDIFY another.
Romans 15:2 "Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to EDIFICATION."
1 Corinthians 8:1 "Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity EDIFIETH."
I Corinthians 14:3-4 "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to EDIFICATION, and exhortation, and comfort.He that speaketh in an unknown tongue EDIFIETH himself; but he that prophesieth EDIFIETH the church."
1 Corinthians 10:23 "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things EDIFY not."
Ephesians 4:12 "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the EDIFYING of the body of Christ"
2 Corinthians 10:8 "For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for EDIFICATION, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed."
2 Corinthians 13:10 "Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to EDIFICATION, and not to destruction.
1 Timothy 1:4 "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly EDIFYING which is in faith: so do."
Friday, March 2, 2012
Getting to the heart
I'm just loving this Beth Moore Bible study on the book of James! Oh how I wish I could bring all of my friends & family to Bible study.....or better yet, just sit & talk as a group or even one on one with a cup of coffee, hot chocolate or glass of iced tea. I take the time to share what I am learning with you, because I want God to work in your life and help you to fall in love with Him. The following are 9 questions to give you introspection into your life. Perhaps you could write them on a separate sheet of paper to see your answers.
1. What is the biggest battle you have going on inside of you?
2. How long has it been going on?
3.The whole idea of battle implies that several different sides of the situation (for example, options, feelings or conflicts) are clamoring against one another inside of you. If you are the uneasy home to an internal wrestling match right now, try to describe the sides at war.
4. We each have internal, unspoken conflicts with any number of people, but most of us have a few people in our life with whom we actually engage in external conflict or quarreling. Who are those people for you?
5. Now, switch tracks with me for a moment. What is something you've wanted for a long while that you do not have?
6. Do you know someone who has this thing, situation, or relationship that you've longed for? If so, who? Keep in mind that naming the person doesn't automatically mean you envy them. What we're establishing right now is whether or not your deep longing is a sustainable reality on this Earth. That said, who possesses what you really long for?
7. Have you consistently and earnestly asked God for this thing, situation or relationship? If so, name a couple of reasons why you think you haven't received it.
8. Can you identify any link between the person or people with whom you are most prone to quarrel and something you want but do not have? If so, what?
9. Has anything good or beneficial come to you or to others as a result of your lack (whatever you wrote in question #5)? If so, list every bit of fruit you can identify or even remotely discern.
These questions were actually derived from God's Word!
James 4:1-3 New KJV "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet[a] you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Now, reading James 4:1-3 in the Message "1-2Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.
2-3You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way.
Before this Bible study on the book of James (as taught by Beth Moore), I had read those verses and never felt they applied to me, because I had no desire to "kill" anyone or risk "violence" to get my hands on something I did not have. However, not having something that I want, does put me in a discontent place and cause me to perhaps feel bitter at times or resentful. Just plain old unhappy with myself. I realized after answering these questions that I have not been consistently giving this to the Lord and asking for His help. I also realized that because of my situation, I have a lot of fruit and the gain of God's fruit was much more profitable than the thing/situation that I desire in question #5. Perhaps now with this insight, I am ready to pursue on the path God has for me, rather than fight it on my own.
Dear Lord.....as always, You are wonderful! Today I lift up my dear friends that desire to get to the heart of their issues they deal with. Many of us are in personal battles practically our entire life. Lord, we give this to You, on a day after day basis. Give us wisdom and the desire to obey You and trust You wholeheartedly that we will focus on bearing fruit for You rather than wasting our time with consuming thoughts of what we do not have. We have been given much and have all that we need. May we be doers of the Word and not hearers only! Thank you Lord for what You are going to do in my life and the lives of my precious friends & family that I lift up to You! AMEN
1. What is the biggest battle you have going on inside of you?
2. How long has it been going on?
3.The whole idea of battle implies that several different sides of the situation (for example, options, feelings or conflicts) are clamoring against one another inside of you. If you are the uneasy home to an internal wrestling match right now, try to describe the sides at war.
4. We each have internal, unspoken conflicts with any number of people, but most of us have a few people in our life with whom we actually engage in external conflict or quarreling. Who are those people for you?
5. Now, switch tracks with me for a moment. What is something you've wanted for a long while that you do not have?
6. Do you know someone who has this thing, situation, or relationship that you've longed for? If so, who? Keep in mind that naming the person doesn't automatically mean you envy them. What we're establishing right now is whether or not your deep longing is a sustainable reality on this Earth. That said, who possesses what you really long for?
7. Have you consistently and earnestly asked God for this thing, situation or relationship? If so, name a couple of reasons why you think you haven't received it.
8. Can you identify any link between the person or people with whom you are most prone to quarrel and something you want but do not have? If so, what?
9. Has anything good or beneficial come to you or to others as a result of your lack (whatever you wrote in question #5)? If so, list every bit of fruit you can identify or even remotely discern.
These questions were actually derived from God's Word!
James 4:1-3 New KJV "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet[a] you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Now, reading James 4:1-3 in the Message "1-2Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.
2-3You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way.
Before this Bible study on the book of James (as taught by Beth Moore), I had read those verses and never felt they applied to me, because I had no desire to "kill" anyone or risk "violence" to get my hands on something I did not have. However, not having something that I want, does put me in a discontent place and cause me to perhaps feel bitter at times or resentful. Just plain old unhappy with myself. I realized after answering these questions that I have not been consistently giving this to the Lord and asking for His help. I also realized that because of my situation, I have a lot of fruit and the gain of God's fruit was much more profitable than the thing/situation that I desire in question #5. Perhaps now with this insight, I am ready to pursue on the path God has for me, rather than fight it on my own.
Dear Lord.....as always, You are wonderful! Today I lift up my dear friends that desire to get to the heart of their issues they deal with. Many of us are in personal battles practically our entire life. Lord, we give this to You, on a day after day basis. Give us wisdom and the desire to obey You and trust You wholeheartedly that we will focus on bearing fruit for You rather than wasting our time with consuming thoughts of what we do not have. We have been given much and have all that we need. May we be doers of the Word and not hearers only! Thank you Lord for what You are going to do in my life and the lives of my precious friends & family that I lift up to You! AMEN
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Willing to Yield?
When we think of yielding, we usually think of those traffic signs that are upside down triangles, where we are supposed to stop if necessary to allow another driver at their approach to proceed. We definitely want to obey this traffic rule, to avoid an accident. However, in our Christian life, do we remember to yield as well?
James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
Wisdom is from above, as God freely gives it to us. James began his letter in 1:5 simply stating "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
As a follower of Christ, I want wisdom! I don't want to do dumb things that will cause me stress & frustration. So, I will ask God to bless me with His wisdom, to know what to do in all situations---even during those times when I need a quick response and I don't have time to pray. James tells us that God's wisdom is pure, peaceable and gentle. Pure = free from contamination. Peaceable = to avoid strife, not argumentative. Gentile =kind, mild, not severe or rough. When I think about those words, I know that I definitely want lots of God's wisdom! We hear enough negative language in our day to day adventures, that this kind of wisdom is refreshing. Then, we come to the "willing to yield" portion. I pondered a number of minutes on the times during the day when we have opportunities to be "willing to yield". Of course, there is the obvious, as mentioned at the beginning, when I referred to driving, but there are times of opening a door for someone and letting them enter first, or even the kindness of letting someone with less items go ahead of you in a checkout line. What about in conversations; are we willing to yield and let someone else have their turn to talk? In an argument, are we willing to listen to the other person and how they feel?
The greatest example of yielding was portrayed by Jesus. Matthew 27:50 "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit." Jesus knew that His purpose was fulfilled as He was willingly surrendering His life for the sake of you and me. Thank you precious Lord, for yielding for me!
But wait! There's still more to this verse. God's wisdom is full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Mercy = compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power. Think on that for a moment. God's wisdom is full of mercy. It is compassionate. This isn't just a compassion shown toward those we love. Nope. That is way too easy. Anyone can do that. We, who call ourselves Christians or believers are different. God's wisdom is without partiality, which means that we are not to favor one over another or show a preference or liking. We are to love & show mercy to the unlovable. We are to show mercy to the ones that are in need, and we are to do it without expecting anything in return. We are not to do this for approval of others or a pat on the back or our own praise. We do this in the name of Jesus, who demonstrated mercy to us. Let us not be hypocrites that say we love God, but we fail to love our neighbor. True wisdom is shown just in our daily living. God will bring into our paths and lay on our hearts the dear people that we can pour mercy & love upon. If God blesses you financially, then help those in need. Perhaps you can do this anonymously. It doesn't matter who gets the credit---God blessed you with the resources, didn't he? If money is tight, then simply bring value to people with words. Find worth in people and bring them dignity. Verbally tell someone something that will encourage them, or even take some time to write a note. You may be thinking, that you can't do this.....especially if you are doing it for a stranger or an enemy. That's the great thing about God.....He can do it through you! Our enemies are people too that deal with hurts, pain, & stress. In our flesh, we may not want to give them the time of day. Pray and let God use you to reach out, trusting that God will heal the many issues they have and eventually heal the heart of that person!
"Lord, You are so amazing and Your love is endless! Thank you for showering me with love and wisdom and all good gifts that You want to abundantly bless us with. I pray for my friends & family that we are all growing closer to You and walking in obedience every day with hearts being changed and conformed to be Christlike. I pray for the enemies of each of my friends & family members, that You are also working in their hearts. With God ALL things are possible! With all the evil going on in this world, we must remember that You are in control and will make all things new and good. We trust You alone and praise You for all that You have done, are still working on, and will be doing in the days we have yet to see! AMEN!"
James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
Wisdom is from above, as God freely gives it to us. James began his letter in 1:5 simply stating "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
As a follower of Christ, I want wisdom! I don't want to do dumb things that will cause me stress & frustration. So, I will ask God to bless me with His wisdom, to know what to do in all situations---even during those times when I need a quick response and I don't have time to pray. James tells us that God's wisdom is pure, peaceable and gentle. Pure = free from contamination. Peaceable = to avoid strife, not argumentative. Gentile =kind, mild, not severe or rough. When I think about those words, I know that I definitely want lots of God's wisdom! We hear enough negative language in our day to day adventures, that this kind of wisdom is refreshing. Then, we come to the "willing to yield" portion. I pondered a number of minutes on the times during the day when we have opportunities to be "willing to yield". Of course, there is the obvious, as mentioned at the beginning, when I referred to driving, but there are times of opening a door for someone and letting them enter first, or even the kindness of letting someone with less items go ahead of you in a checkout line. What about in conversations; are we willing to yield and let someone else have their turn to talk? In an argument, are we willing to listen to the other person and how they feel?
The greatest example of yielding was portrayed by Jesus. Matthew 27:50 "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit." Jesus knew that His purpose was fulfilled as He was willingly surrendering His life for the sake of you and me. Thank you precious Lord, for yielding for me!
But wait! There's still more to this verse. God's wisdom is full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Mercy = compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power. Think on that for a moment. God's wisdom is full of mercy. It is compassionate. This isn't just a compassion shown toward those we love. Nope. That is way too easy. Anyone can do that. We, who call ourselves Christians or believers are different. God's wisdom is without partiality, which means that we are not to favor one over another or show a preference or liking. We are to love & show mercy to the unlovable. We are to show mercy to the ones that are in need, and we are to do it without expecting anything in return. We are not to do this for approval of others or a pat on the back or our own praise. We do this in the name of Jesus, who demonstrated mercy to us. Let us not be hypocrites that say we love God, but we fail to love our neighbor. True wisdom is shown just in our daily living. God will bring into our paths and lay on our hearts the dear people that we can pour mercy & love upon. If God blesses you financially, then help those in need. Perhaps you can do this anonymously. It doesn't matter who gets the credit---God blessed you with the resources, didn't he? If money is tight, then simply bring value to people with words. Find worth in people and bring them dignity. Verbally tell someone something that will encourage them, or even take some time to write a note. You may be thinking, that you can't do this.....especially if you are doing it for a stranger or an enemy. That's the great thing about God.....He can do it through you! Our enemies are people too that deal with hurts, pain, & stress. In our flesh, we may not want to give them the time of day. Pray and let God use you to reach out, trusting that God will heal the many issues they have and eventually heal the heart of that person!
"Lord, You are so amazing and Your love is endless! Thank you for showering me with love and wisdom and all good gifts that You want to abundantly bless us with. I pray for my friends & family that we are all growing closer to You and walking in obedience every day with hearts being changed and conformed to be Christlike. I pray for the enemies of each of my friends & family members, that You are also working in their hearts. With God ALL things are possible! With all the evil going on in this world, we must remember that You are in control and will make all things new and good. We trust You alone and praise You for all that You have done, are still working on, and will be doing in the days we have yet to see! AMEN!"
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Hoarders
If you didn't know this, there is a reality TV show called "Hoarders". My husband & I watch this show in amazement that people can live their life among filth. This show definitely gives me a desire to turn off the TV and clean my house! The people I have seen are more than just collectors of stuff, or even accumulate a few piles of clutter in their home. If this were simply the case, I would be guilty! In all of the episodes I have seen, the hoarders are dealing with depression resulting from a deep loss in their life. Not only have they lost a loved one or lost a dream they had, but they have lost a grip on life itself. Then their days turn into weeks which turn into years where they stop to do their daily chores to make their home comfortable. The show has some expert counseling organizer come in that helps the home owner understand that their situation is not healthy and they need to rid of the stuff to enjoy their home again. Again, in every episode I have seen, family members are also brought in to help clean and help encourage their loved one. Quite often, the visiting family member has to step outside because they are so overwhelmed by the living situation. They can not believe that their loved one is living in such horrible conditions. I've seen people break down crying because they did not realize how bad things had become. I was recently thinking that if someone took us to visit our loved ones and we could actually SEE the sin hoarding in the lives of our loved ones, we too would break down & cry and say "Oh, I didn't know their problem was THIS bad!" I am not at all pointing a finger at others. I completely know I have my own sins. The more I read God's Word, I am convicted. Not just to the point that I say "Ouch. That is a sin that I deal with and go my own way." If I am to believe that God's Word is true, then I need to be a doer and not just a hearer only. I have to change. I HAVE TO CHANGE. If I read verses over and over that tell me that I am to help the poor......then, I need to help the poor. If I read verses over and over that tell me to love others......then, I need to love others. Not just pick & choose who I want to love, and not just love those that I have something in common with. When God said we are to love others, He meant to love every single person that has a soul that God sent His Son to die for.....black, white,brown, yellow, red, purple.....ha ha, there's no purple people....just wanted to see if you are actually reading this! What are we saying to God when we choose not to obey? James 1:21-25 "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." OH! How I want to be blessed! Don't you? Bible study author Beth Moore says it best..."The reason we stay in bondage to our sins is simply because we DELIBERATELY choose not to obey. We choose not to live what we have learned from God's Word."
Oh, Lord.....the One that loves me more than any other person. There's nothing that comes close. You don't just love me....but You love each and every person. That amazes me. People that do not love You back. People that disregard You, disrespect You, and yet, you still love them. Once again, I ask You to help me love those same people. Don't let me give up hope on them. Give me Your words to be an encouragement and lead them to the cross. The greatest decision I ever made was to trust Christ. He has guided me in the rest of the decisions and I know He can do that for every person. I choose to trust Christ every day. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I will also choose every decision to be for the glory of my Saviour. This world is not easy. I am left in tears most days. I understand when I asked You to break my heart for what breaks Yours, this is what I should expect. You have changed my heart. The things I knew in my head, are now in my heart. Now, Lord, bless me with the talents & abilities & resources to use my hands & feet for You. Help the hurting dear Lord. Provide for our needs. Protect us in our travels. Give us wisdom to know what to say and when to say it. In these times when people are quick to speak and say things that are hurtful, may I be different and represent You by being slow to speak and slow to anger. Thank you for blessing us so abundantly. In the name of Jesus my Lord & Savior, I pray. Amen!
Oh, Lord.....the One that loves me more than any other person. There's nothing that comes close. You don't just love me....but You love each and every person. That amazes me. People that do not love You back. People that disregard You, disrespect You, and yet, you still love them. Once again, I ask You to help me love those same people. Don't let me give up hope on them. Give me Your words to be an encouragement and lead them to the cross. The greatest decision I ever made was to trust Christ. He has guided me in the rest of the decisions and I know He can do that for every person. I choose to trust Christ every day. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I will also choose every decision to be for the glory of my Saviour. This world is not easy. I am left in tears most days. I understand when I asked You to break my heart for what breaks Yours, this is what I should expect. You have changed my heart. The things I knew in my head, are now in my heart. Now, Lord, bless me with the talents & abilities & resources to use my hands & feet for You. Help the hurting dear Lord. Provide for our needs. Protect us in our travels. Give us wisdom to know what to say and when to say it. In these times when people are quick to speak and say things that are hurtful, may I be different and represent You by being slow to speak and slow to anger. Thank you for blessing us so abundantly. In the name of Jesus my Lord & Savior, I pray. Amen!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Am I loving unconditionally???
I believe that every person has a desire & longing to be loved unconditionally. It is getting to be a rare thing to find a person that does love you in such a way. Most people have their limits. With most people, you can probably hurt them to the point that they have felt such pain & hurt that they can not forgive you. If a person can not forgive you, then they certainly can not love you. Then, there are people that love you because you do what they want. You make them happy. You spend time with them. You encourage them when they are down. They ask you to do them a favor and you do it. However, if you don't do what they want, they are frustrated with you. After a while, bitterness sets in and perhaps jealousy, resentment and a host of other feelings. The sad truth is that this is not real love.....the agape love that God freely gives.
1 Corinthians 13.....the well known chapter that speaks about love. When this chapter speaks of love, Paul (the author), is referring to the agape love....the selfless love. In our English language love is a word we use it to mean many things. We may love pizza, and of course, that is a different love from the love we have for our family. Or we may say we loved a certain movie. These are just a few examples of how often we use the word love, but the Biblical love is much, much deeper. I usually read KJV, but I'm using the Message today as it kind of rewords without me having to explain.
1 Corinthians 13:"1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
11When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love."
It's so easy to think of others and whether someone is sincerely loving us in this manner. Don't be discouraged if you have trouble thinking of someone that loves you unconditionally. Remember there is ONE that does love you NO MATTER WHAT! John 3:16 says that "God so LOVED the world (you & me) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever(that's us!) believes in Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life." He loved us before we were born. He loved us when we were sinners. He loves us on our worst days. He restores us. He encourages us in His Word. The Bible is a love letter to us. God does not point out all of our faults & call us a failure. He points out our sins, so that we may change and become holy. He forgives all sins. He's on call 24 hours of the day, 7 days a week. God is patient. He wants the best for us. He gave us talents & ablities, and only wants us to nurture and grow. It is true that God is jealous. I used to not understand this, because we think jealousy is a sin. But, God's jealousy is because He is our creator and provider....the giver of life and all things good.
It's easy to love when the love is reciprocal. When two people are giving to the relationship, it is so easy to love. Love is most difficult when one person is giving and the other person is not. There could be many reasons why someone does not show love. The attitude of most people that I see & hear would tell you to just give up and move on. They will say that it's not worth your time & energy to love someone that does not properly show you love back. If I'm really a Christ follower---His disciple, then I will choose to obey God. 1 John is an absolute wonderful book that speaks in more detail on the love of God!! I John 3:20 "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" It is easy to say we love God when it doesn't cost us anything more than weekly attendance at church. The real test of love for God is how we treat the people right in front of us--our family members and even other believers--because, after all, we are in the "family of God". We cannot truly love God while neglecting to love those who are created in His image.
I am examining myself today and if you, my friend, are reading this, I challenge you too, to examine yourself to see if you really are loving others unconditionally. It is NOT easy. We definitely can not do it on our own. I know of some very good people that are not Christ followers, and they can not possibly give God's love. God's love is not in them. God's love is in me, because I accepted Him into my life and His Holy Spirit dwells within me......so I should daily walk in obedience to Him and ask Him to help me love the unlovable....the one's that don't love me back, the one's that don't love me the way I think they should. If someone close to you---a friend or family member has very little to do with you, or they say or do hurtful things to you, I know the deep desire is to move on and try to forget that person. We think our life is much more peaceful without that person that caused us to hurt. But, I know there is a hole in your heart when you love a person and they seem to have shut you out. I encourage you to reach out and show them God's love. We do not know what is going on with another person and why they act the way they do. Send cards, write letters, call, send appropriate gifts that show you care. If you can financially afford it, be generous with your money. It's not your money anyhow---everything we have is from God. Use your money, your time, your words for God's glory. God is a healer of broken hearts and broken relationships. Speak words of kindness, and pray for God to help you guard your tongue to say hurtful words in return. Pour out prayer on all those you love. We all are going through our own battles. You may think this is not worth your time, but remember that Jesus felt we were worth it. Love people and see them the way God does. Each of us was worth dying for.
Heavenly Father, I am so grateful to have your love. Your unconditional love. I can not imagine not having your unconditional love. When I feel so unworthy, You lift me up and remind me that You value me. I am so blessed and I need You every moment, every day to guide my decisions and help me to be the person You created me to be. Forgive me Lord, when I have purposed to not show love to certain people because they have hurt me. I remember when Jesus was dying on the cross for my sins and He asked for You, the Father, to forgive the people because they did not know what they were doing. Lord, take away my selfish thoughts and create in me a clean heart that is full of God's love. There is so much going on in this world that hurts me to think about and I can only imagine how much it hurts You. Thank You again for Your Word. Thank You for the great encouragers in my life and I ask that You use me to be an encouragement to others. I give You all the glory and praise! In Jesus' precious name, AMEN!
1 Corinthians 13.....the well known chapter that speaks about love. When this chapter speaks of love, Paul (the author), is referring to the agape love....the selfless love. In our English language love is a word we use it to mean many things. We may love pizza, and of course, that is a different love from the love we have for our family. Or we may say we loved a certain movie. These are just a few examples of how often we use the word love, but the Biblical love is much, much deeper. I usually read KJV, but I'm using the Message today as it kind of rewords without me having to explain.
1 Corinthians 13:"1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
11When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love."
It's so easy to think of others and whether someone is sincerely loving us in this manner. Don't be discouraged if you have trouble thinking of someone that loves you unconditionally. Remember there is ONE that does love you NO MATTER WHAT! John 3:16 says that "God so LOVED the world (you & me) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever(that's us!) believes in Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life." He loved us before we were born. He loved us when we were sinners. He loves us on our worst days. He restores us. He encourages us in His Word. The Bible is a love letter to us. God does not point out all of our faults & call us a failure. He points out our sins, so that we may change and become holy. He forgives all sins. He's on call 24 hours of the day, 7 days a week. God is patient. He wants the best for us. He gave us talents & ablities, and only wants us to nurture and grow. It is true that God is jealous. I used to not understand this, because we think jealousy is a sin. But, God's jealousy is because He is our creator and provider....the giver of life and all things good.
It's easy to love when the love is reciprocal. When two people are giving to the relationship, it is so easy to love. Love is most difficult when one person is giving and the other person is not. There could be many reasons why someone does not show love. The attitude of most people that I see & hear would tell you to just give up and move on. They will say that it's not worth your time & energy to love someone that does not properly show you love back. If I'm really a Christ follower---His disciple, then I will choose to obey God. 1 John is an absolute wonderful book that speaks in more detail on the love of God!! I John 3:20 "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" It is easy to say we love God when it doesn't cost us anything more than weekly attendance at church. The real test of love for God is how we treat the people right in front of us--our family members and even other believers--because, after all, we are in the "family of God". We cannot truly love God while neglecting to love those who are created in His image.
I am examining myself today and if you, my friend, are reading this, I challenge you too, to examine yourself to see if you really are loving others unconditionally. It is NOT easy. We definitely can not do it on our own. I know of some very good people that are not Christ followers, and they can not possibly give God's love. God's love is not in them. God's love is in me, because I accepted Him into my life and His Holy Spirit dwells within me......so I should daily walk in obedience to Him and ask Him to help me love the unlovable....the one's that don't love me back, the one's that don't love me the way I think they should. If someone close to you---a friend or family member has very little to do with you, or they say or do hurtful things to you, I know the deep desire is to move on and try to forget that person. We think our life is much more peaceful without that person that caused us to hurt. But, I know there is a hole in your heart when you love a person and they seem to have shut you out. I encourage you to reach out and show them God's love. We do not know what is going on with another person and why they act the way they do. Send cards, write letters, call, send appropriate gifts that show you care. If you can financially afford it, be generous with your money. It's not your money anyhow---everything we have is from God. Use your money, your time, your words for God's glory. God is a healer of broken hearts and broken relationships. Speak words of kindness, and pray for God to help you guard your tongue to say hurtful words in return. Pour out prayer on all those you love. We all are going through our own battles. You may think this is not worth your time, but remember that Jesus felt we were worth it. Love people and see them the way God does. Each of us was worth dying for.
Heavenly Father, I am so grateful to have your love. Your unconditional love. I can not imagine not having your unconditional love. When I feel so unworthy, You lift me up and remind me that You value me. I am so blessed and I need You every moment, every day to guide my decisions and help me to be the person You created me to be. Forgive me Lord, when I have purposed to not show love to certain people because they have hurt me. I remember when Jesus was dying on the cross for my sins and He asked for You, the Father, to forgive the people because they did not know what they were doing. Lord, take away my selfish thoughts and create in me a clean heart that is full of God's love. There is so much going on in this world that hurts me to think about and I can only imagine how much it hurts You. Thank You again for Your Word. Thank You for the great encouragers in my life and I ask that You use me to be an encouragement to others. I give You all the glory and praise! In Jesus' precious name, AMEN!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
What Can Wash Away My Sin?
When I wash dishes, I often think about the great hymn, "What Can Wash Away My Sin". As I clean each dirty plate & cup, I'm thinking about how Jesus' blood cleansed us and made us whole again. Some dishes are easier to wash than others. Perhaps the food wasn't on the plate very long, so those dishes are easier & faster to wash. Then, you have the dreaded baked on stuff that might have to soak for a long time. You might even have to do a lot of scrubbing to make it clean again. I like to compare the easier to wash dishes to the daily confession of sins. When we go to God on a daily basis and ask forgiveness, we live in His righteousness. However, if we continue to live in sin and do not ask God to forgive us, those sins become a habit and they are harder to come clean like the terrible baked on food on our pots & pans.
Psalm 51 is the most perfect confession of sin found in the Bible. These are David's words pleading with God to forgive him of all the sin associated with his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. If David was a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22 refer to this), I am reminded that we are capable of any type of sin as well. Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" No one knows my heart and my intentions. Only God is the only One that knows my heart. God knows what I am capable of doing and what you are capable of doing. We are all capable of sin. John 5:17 tells us that "All unrighteousness is sin." When I used to teach Sunday School & AWANA's, we would explain to the kids that sin was anything that displeased God. Sin is contrary to what God's Word teaches us. Unconfessed sin leaves us feeling miserable. Such a person will see the negative in God's blessings while others are overjoyed! Sin---no matter how small or how great---has an effect. First of all, it separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that He will not hear." Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Sin separates us from God and the punishment from sin is death. We know we are all going to die, but for those who have asked forgiveness for our sins and accepted that Christ died for our sins, we receive God's gift of eternal life! Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." And how do we become a believer? It's very simple! Romans 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. "Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Do you know for sure that you are saved? All you have to do is believe in your heart that Jesus was the One that died for the punishment of your sins, and then you confess your sins to God. Open up the Bible to Psalm 51 and use David's words as your prayer. Once you have confessed your sin by talking to God in prayer, you are now a child of God and you receive the gift of eternal life in Heaven! Keep reading His Word and keep praying and you will grow every day. When you go through those difficult times, you will learn to trust God more and more and that will help you mature. Psalm 116 "I LOVE the Lord, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live!"
Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your Word and all that You have done in my life. You have changed my life and I am so glad that I confessed my sins and accepted Christ as my savior! I ask You Lord to lead someone to read this blog today that needs to confess their sins to you and be forgiven and get a new life. Thank You for loving me every day of my life....and You love each and every person. You love the person(the sinner) but hate the sin. Help me to love others in that same manner. AMEN!
Psalm 51 is the most perfect confession of sin found in the Bible. These are David's words pleading with God to forgive him of all the sin associated with his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. If David was a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22 refer to this), I am reminded that we are capable of any type of sin as well. Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" No one knows my heart and my intentions. Only God is the only One that knows my heart. God knows what I am capable of doing and what you are capable of doing. We are all capable of sin. John 5:17 tells us that "All unrighteousness is sin." When I used to teach Sunday School & AWANA's, we would explain to the kids that sin was anything that displeased God. Sin is contrary to what God's Word teaches us. Unconfessed sin leaves us feeling miserable. Such a person will see the negative in God's blessings while others are overjoyed! Sin---no matter how small or how great---has an effect. First of all, it separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that He will not hear." Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Sin separates us from God and the punishment from sin is death. We know we are all going to die, but for those who have asked forgiveness for our sins and accepted that Christ died for our sins, we receive God's gift of eternal life! Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." And how do we become a believer? It's very simple! Romans 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. "Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Do you know for sure that you are saved? All you have to do is believe in your heart that Jesus was the One that died for the punishment of your sins, and then you confess your sins to God. Open up the Bible to Psalm 51 and use David's words as your prayer. Once you have confessed your sin by talking to God in prayer, you are now a child of God and you receive the gift of eternal life in Heaven! Keep reading His Word and keep praying and you will grow every day. When you go through those difficult times, you will learn to trust God more and more and that will help you mature. Psalm 116 "I LOVE the Lord, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live!"
Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your Word and all that You have done in my life. You have changed my life and I am so glad that I confessed my sins and accepted Christ as my savior! I ask You Lord to lead someone to read this blog today that needs to confess their sins to you and be forgiven and get a new life. Thank You for loving me every day of my life....and You love each and every person. You love the person(the sinner) but hate the sin. Help me to love others in that same manner. AMEN!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Walk so close to God that the things of this world are unattractive
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
I've been really getting into Bible study. Feeding my spirit rather than feeding my face. I used to think about food all the time and what and when I was going to eat again. Now, all I can think about is when I can get into my Bible again. I was driving in the car this morning and started thinking about the Matthew West song, "The Motions". I know I've been through the motions before. It's so easy to do. We go to church and we know how to talk the language. But, I don't have a desire to just read my Bible to demonstrate that I know facts about God. I sincerely want to know HIM. I want my heart to break because of the things that break His heart. I want to know what makes Him happy and what makes Him sad. I don't just want to know these things in my head. I want my heart to change.
Then I got on the scale today to see if there's been a change in my weight. I have definitely been eating less and choosing healthier, lower calorie foods. I know I have to be patient with weight loss, but I also know from experience that I won't see a change until I get moving. That's not much different than our Christian life. We can read the Bible and feed our brains until we are fat with knowledge about God. However, we won't see a change until we become "doers of the Word". James 1:22-25 says, "But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." I could go on & on with the details of this passage, but I'll just get to the heart of it all. James is talking about our faith and how we will have trials. Having faith means that we will obey God's Word---what we hear. Being obedient is when we put that faith into action. This is to involve every area of our lives....our speech, our conduct, our habits, our behaviors at all times.
Coincidentally, I am preparing to study the book of James in my weekly Bible study at church that begins next Tuesday. We will be using Beth Moore's "Mercy Triumphs" study. Here I am today thinking of how much I want to deeply know God and He lays this all on my heart and ties it all together in such a way that I I feel Him so near. Two weeks ago, when I felt God desired for me to write my own devotional, it was overwhelming to me. I cried as I said the words out loud to my daughter that I should write down the things God lays on my heart, as I knew it was a big commitment. Another challenge that I am feeling greatly overwhelmed with right now is to memorize the book of James. I know the benefits of hiding God's Word in our hearts, as I was an AWANA leader for years and I loved to hear those kids recite their verses and understand what God's Word meant to them! I even learned the verses too.....because we learn by repetition after all!! Still, I feel overwhelmed looking at these 5 chapters of James......108 verses. I can not do this on my own. I refer to Philippians 4:13 "I can do ALL things through Christ which strenghteneth me."
Lord, I absolutely LOVE You! You deserve all glory! I praise You! Thank you for Your Word, Your Holy Spirit, Your Son that died for my sins, for all that You created that we enjoy! Thank You for the wisdom You give so freely and Your unconditional love. Help me to love everyone and see them as You do. Help me to be obedient to You and seek Your kingdom. Today I am also hurting for some dear friends and I ask that You comfort them and guide them . Lord help mend broken relationships and help the hurting that have lost loved ones. I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN!
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
I've been really getting into Bible study. Feeding my spirit rather than feeding my face. I used to think about food all the time and what and when I was going to eat again. Now, all I can think about is when I can get into my Bible again. I was driving in the car this morning and started thinking about the Matthew West song, "The Motions". I know I've been through the motions before. It's so easy to do. We go to church and we know how to talk the language. But, I don't have a desire to just read my Bible to demonstrate that I know facts about God. I sincerely want to know HIM. I want my heart to break because of the things that break His heart. I want to know what makes Him happy and what makes Him sad. I don't just want to know these things in my head. I want my heart to change.
Then I got on the scale today to see if there's been a change in my weight. I have definitely been eating less and choosing healthier, lower calorie foods. I know I have to be patient with weight loss, but I also know from experience that I won't see a change until I get moving. That's not much different than our Christian life. We can read the Bible and feed our brains until we are fat with knowledge about God. However, we won't see a change until we become "doers of the Word". James 1:22-25 says, "But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." I could go on & on with the details of this passage, but I'll just get to the heart of it all. James is talking about our faith and how we will have trials. Having faith means that we will obey God's Word---what we hear. Being obedient is when we put that faith into action. This is to involve every area of our lives....our speech, our conduct, our habits, our behaviors at all times.
Coincidentally, I am preparing to study the book of James in my weekly Bible study at church that begins next Tuesday. We will be using Beth Moore's "Mercy Triumphs" study. Here I am today thinking of how much I want to deeply know God and He lays this all on my heart and ties it all together in such a way that I I feel Him so near. Two weeks ago, when I felt God desired for me to write my own devotional, it was overwhelming to me. I cried as I said the words out loud to my daughter that I should write down the things God lays on my heart, as I knew it was a big commitment. Another challenge that I am feeling greatly overwhelmed with right now is to memorize the book of James. I know the benefits of hiding God's Word in our hearts, as I was an AWANA leader for years and I loved to hear those kids recite their verses and understand what God's Word meant to them! I even learned the verses too.....because we learn by repetition after all!! Still, I feel overwhelmed looking at these 5 chapters of James......108 verses. I can not do this on my own. I refer to Philippians 4:13 "I can do ALL things through Christ which strenghteneth me."
Lord, I absolutely LOVE You! You deserve all glory! I praise You! Thank you for Your Word, Your Holy Spirit, Your Son that died for my sins, for all that You created that we enjoy! Thank You for the wisdom You give so freely and Your unconditional love. Help me to love everyone and see them as You do. Help me to be obedient to You and seek Your kingdom. Today I am also hurting for some dear friends and I ask that You comfort them and guide them . Lord help mend broken relationships and help the hurting that have lost loved ones. I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Looking back on the past 20 years........
Today is January 10, 2012. It is my son Andrew's 20th birthday. That's kind of a milestone. Hard to believe he's not a teenager anymore. We were blessed, blessed, blessed that he did not give us trouble during the teen years. Let me also say, that we are doubly blessed, to have a 16 year old daughter, Rachel, that has not given us trouble either. I am not saying that they have not experienced their personal ups & downs, only that they continued to be obedient as best they could during their hard times. I sincerely pray that God will continue to give us wisdom and love in our relationship with these two wonderful children. Typically, when it is a person's birthday, they are thinking "Woo-hoo! It's my birthday! Where's the presents & the cake?!" However, I've come to realize that from a mother's point of view, I am always reflecting on the day that child was born. Now, that it's been 20 years, I am reflecting on whether I accomplished the job that I started 20 years ago when I earned my title, "mom". Is God pleased with me? I know that I was not perfect. There were many times I had to read the instruction manual---the Bible. I listened to sermon after sermon and read books by many well known Christian authors. I listened faithfully to Dr. James Dobson's "Focus on the Family".
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with ALL thine heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."
Children relate God to boredom if they are only taught about God in formal teaching settings. According to these verses, parents are to teach their children and talk about God and set an example at home and wherever you go. I will tell you from experience that this really does work! We spent many hours riding in the car through the years. When the kids were in preschool & elementary school, they were active in AWANA's, so they always had Bible verses to learn. I would write the Bible verses on notecards and we practiced during 5 minute trips to the grocery store or bus stop. Every time we got into the car, it was a time of learning. Children learn by repetition. The reason practice makes perfect is because it is simply repetition. The more we do something, the more it becomes easier and even habitual. I think it helped to start this when they were very young, and try to make it fun and give them lots of praise.
When I married Andy, I was just 20 years old. Due to his job and schedule, it was best for me to be a stay-at-home wife. I was ok with this, as I had really prayed about it. However, during those early years I struggled to feel like a worthwhile person because I did not finish college and/or have a successful job like many of my friends. I still trusted God that He knew what was best for me and that my personal sacrifice of not finishing college would be for God's glory. I can whole-heartedly say that it was all for God's glory! For one, I did not realize that I would deal with infertility issues, so it was a good thing that I had my kids when I was young. When I was 27, I realized that when I meet God, He will not care whether I went to college or what kind of job I had. He only cares about my faithfulness to Him. This was a life changing concept for me! I understood that the world views success as where you went to college, your career, the kind of car you drive, the kind of house you live in, the amount of money in the bank....but God doesn't care about any of those things! I could finally feel at peace that as long as I was seeking to please the Lord, that was all that mattered and everything else fell into place.
Still realizing that after 20 years, I'm struggling with this weight....and that's pretty frustrating. However, since I started writing this blog, my mind is on God more and not so much on food, so I'm feeding on His Word more than I'm feeding my stomach. I have to be patient and know that the weight loss will be slow. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy celebrating the 20th year of Andrew's life!
Thank you Lord for blessing us with Andrew and Rachel. You deserve the glory and credit for the wisdom You gave us in Your Word, the Bible. Help us Lord to love unconditionally and keep our family close to You. AMEN!
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with ALL thine heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."
Children relate God to boredom if they are only taught about God in formal teaching settings. According to these verses, parents are to teach their children and talk about God and set an example at home and wherever you go. I will tell you from experience that this really does work! We spent many hours riding in the car through the years. When the kids were in preschool & elementary school, they were active in AWANA's, so they always had Bible verses to learn. I would write the Bible verses on notecards and we practiced during 5 minute trips to the grocery store or bus stop. Every time we got into the car, it was a time of learning. Children learn by repetition. The reason practice makes perfect is because it is simply repetition. The more we do something, the more it becomes easier and even habitual. I think it helped to start this when they were very young, and try to make it fun and give them lots of praise.
When I married Andy, I was just 20 years old. Due to his job and schedule, it was best for me to be a stay-at-home wife. I was ok with this, as I had really prayed about it. However, during those early years I struggled to feel like a worthwhile person because I did not finish college and/or have a successful job like many of my friends. I still trusted God that He knew what was best for me and that my personal sacrifice of not finishing college would be for God's glory. I can whole-heartedly say that it was all for God's glory! For one, I did not realize that I would deal with infertility issues, so it was a good thing that I had my kids when I was young. When I was 27, I realized that when I meet God, He will not care whether I went to college or what kind of job I had. He only cares about my faithfulness to Him. This was a life changing concept for me! I understood that the world views success as where you went to college, your career, the kind of car you drive, the kind of house you live in, the amount of money in the bank....but God doesn't care about any of those things! I could finally feel at peace that as long as I was seeking to please the Lord, that was all that mattered and everything else fell into place.
Still realizing that after 20 years, I'm struggling with this weight....and that's pretty frustrating. However, since I started writing this blog, my mind is on God more and not so much on food, so I'm feeding on His Word more than I'm feeding my stomach. I have to be patient and know that the weight loss will be slow. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy celebrating the 20th year of Andrew's life!
Thank you Lord for blessing us with Andrew and Rachel. You deserve the glory and credit for the wisdom You gave us in Your Word, the Bible. Help us Lord to love unconditionally and keep our family close to You. AMEN!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Count your blessings AND your trials
We are all probably familiar with the hymn "Count Your Blessings", but do we actually adhere to that when we need to? In January 2000, my family was in the process of a move. Most of our worldly possessions were packed on a huge moving truck and in storage somewhere in Virginia. Meanwhile, 6 hours away in Ohio, my husband , myself & our two young children lived in an extremely small apartment with a Murphy bed ( a bed that folded up into the wall ) and a couch where we took turns sleeping. It was a damp, cold apartment and the laundry area was 3 flights downstairs. The dryers did not work well, so I would bring my damp clothes and hang them all over in the apartment to dry. This also involved ironing the clothes, which I'm not too fond of doing. We were cramped, to say the least. New Years Day 2000 seemed to be a bright sunny day, and I folded up the Murphy bed so the kids could have more room that day. They both began to dance around the room, and our 4 year old daughter danced until she was dizzy and she fell on the floor hitting her arm on the coffee table in the process. She cried and cried about this arm, and I felt she was probably tired and needed a nap. When she woke from her nap, she started crying again. Needless to say, we took her to the ER that evening as she had definitely broken that arm. The home we were wanting to buy had an issue because the previous owner had built a huge attached garage.....but part of the garage was not considered on the property, but rather on a "right of way". We had to wait for the county commissioners to vote for this situation at their next meeting. We weren't positive how this vote would go. Our storage truck would only hold our things for 30 days, if I remember correctly and after that time we would have to pay $100 a day. Moving can be expensive, so we didn't have extra money to pay for that expense. Things were getting stressful & tense. I remember that I was trying to trust God in the entire situation, but my worry meter was quite high. I couldn't sleep at night.....which says a lot as I am a blessed person to be able to fall asleep easily and sleep well. One night I quietly got up while the rest of the family slept soundly, and I began to "count my blessings". I needed to see them written down, one by one. Certainly, according to the famous hymn, I was surprised that all the Lord had done! He was supplying our needs---maybe not all of our wants---but He definitely was supplying all that we needed. Most importantly, our family was together and I learned that the change in my attitude was contagious. There's a saying "If momma ain't happy, then nobody is happy" was quite true at that point. We just had to trust that He was going to work the rest out in His perfect timing. The outcome was that was exactly what happened. The county commissioners passed the right of way for the garage and we were able to get our things moved into the house from the moving truck just in time that we didn't need to pay extra. That was 12 years ago, and I've since learned that while counting blessings is good, we must also consider our trials as blessings as well.
James 2:4 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Notice, James doesn't say IF we face trials, but WHEN we face them. Difficult times are the times when we learn the most. If we lived every day of our lives having all that we wanted & needed & never had a problem, we would not mature & grow. When I meet a strong Christian nowadays, I realize that they didn't become that person by having an easy, worry free life. That strong Christian has a story to tell. They have been through some difficult times and learned to trust the One who could help them in their trials. I know from experience that it only makes me love Him more!
O Heavenly Father, today I thank you for not just the good things You do in my life, but for the trials & heartaches too. I know that as a parent, I want to protect my children from harm, just as You want to protect us from harm as well. Sometimes, we have to learn from experience and You allow us to go through those painful times. It's such a comfort knowing that as my Father, You are my Comforter and Provider every step of the way. Thank You for the wisdom that You give so freely. Thank You that we can have a relationship with You that is so personal and we can be ourselves. Thank You for the blessings that You have for us on this earth, but most importantly, for the eternal blessings! AMEN
James 2:4 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Notice, James doesn't say IF we face trials, but WHEN we face them. Difficult times are the times when we learn the most. If we lived every day of our lives having all that we wanted & needed & never had a problem, we would not mature & grow. When I meet a strong Christian nowadays, I realize that they didn't become that person by having an easy, worry free life. That strong Christian has a story to tell. They have been through some difficult times and learned to trust the One who could help them in their trials. I know from experience that it only makes me love Him more!
O Heavenly Father, today I thank you for not just the good things You do in my life, but for the trials & heartaches too. I know that as a parent, I want to protect my children from harm, just as You want to protect us from harm as well. Sometimes, we have to learn from experience and You allow us to go through those painful times. It's such a comfort knowing that as my Father, You are my Comforter and Provider every step of the way. Thank You for the wisdom that You give so freely. Thank You that we can have a relationship with You that is so personal and we can be ourselves. Thank You for the blessings that You have for us on this earth, but most importantly, for the eternal blessings! AMEN
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Do you really want my opinion?
Everyone these days wants to give their opinion....and they believe their opinion is right. You can find people's opinions all over the internet, on TV, or simply by listening to the gossip of others. A friend of mine said that when she had her baby, she was given advice(opinions) from everyone and it drove her crazy! Even kids today are more opinionated than they used to be. Perhaps that is why we have more problems with bullying & harassment & well, even depression. People feel that it is their right to speak up and tell what is really on their mind. They do this without the consideration of the feelings of others. I constantly read & hear of people referring to others as stupid & idiots. Does this make God pleased to hear us talk like this? Oh Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours! Philippians 2:3 "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory (selfish ambition or conceit); but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves." It seems like there are so many big ego's all around and very little encouraging anymore.
The Bible has plenty to say about this. Since this blog is mainly for me.....remember I am doing this study for myself first of all. For those of my friends that read it, I pray God's Word lovingly reminds us that we need to be careful with our speech, attitude & opinions of others. Christianity is about being like Christ.....not people being like me. So, let us take the time to read the following verses.
Romans 14:12-14 "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way."
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away."
James 3:8 "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similtude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."
James 4:11 "Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his own brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but it thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?"
Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings; That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights of the world"
1 Peter 4:9 "Use hospitality one to another without grudging."
Hebrews 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."
1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Wherefore comfort(encourage)yourselves together, and edify (build up) one another, even as also ye do.
Lord, I adore You with all my heart. You created each of us for a special purpose. Help me to see others as you see them. When I disagree with another person, give me the words to say that are gentle & kind, or help me to keep my opinions to myself and change my heart to see the truth. Thank You Lord for Your Word and may it live in me everyday that others may see that I am Your child. Help me to apply this study today to my life. Help me to show love to others that are difficult to love. Let me love people because You created them and You love them too. Amen!
The Bible has plenty to say about this. Since this blog is mainly for me.....remember I am doing this study for myself first of all. For those of my friends that read it, I pray God's Word lovingly reminds us that we need to be careful with our speech, attitude & opinions of others. Christianity is about being like Christ.....not people being like me. So, let us take the time to read the following verses.
Romans 14:12-14 "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way."
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away."
James 3:8 "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similtude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."
James 4:11 "Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his own brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but it thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?"
Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings; That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights of the world"
1 Peter 4:9 "Use hospitality one to another without grudging."
Hebrews 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."
1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Wherefore comfort(encourage)yourselves together, and edify (build up) one another, even as also ye do.
Lord, I adore You with all my heart. You created each of us for a special purpose. Help me to see others as you see them. When I disagree with another person, give me the words to say that are gentle & kind, or help me to keep my opinions to myself and change my heart to see the truth. Thank You Lord for Your Word and may it live in me everyday that others may see that I am Your child. Help me to apply this study today to my life. Help me to show love to others that are difficult to love. Let me love people because You created them and You love them too. Amen!
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