Messages to Encourage

This morning I heard two really great messages I would love for you to check out. The first one was from Dr. Charles Stanley and it is titled Contentment In All Circumstances; the second one was from John MacArthur and is titled The Authenticity of the Risen Savior.

Even if you don't have time to listen to but one now... come back and try to listen to the other one later! They are worth the time!

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again…
~ Psalm 42:11, NLT

May you be encouraged and blessed!

Standing Firm

A peek inside my "strange" mind... Yesterday, I saw a piece of my hair attached to something...blowing... I saw it, then I didn't... it would at times blend in with the background and then I would see it again... Any way this led me to thinking about something....
About how at times in our lives we can be "blowing in the wind" or "tossed among the waves"... Are we blending in with our culture? Are we being swayed? Do you have times you feel like you are drowning in your circumstances or life? See Eph. 4:14 & James 1:6.

Honestly, if we are not standing firm (Gal. 5:1; 1 Cor. 16:13), putting on the full armor... if we are not abiding in Christ, it can be so easy for us to start to blend in... It wouldn't be all at once but little concessions here and there and all the sudden we are all the way down a road we are not even completely sure how we got on... Am I making sense to anyone? Allowing ourselves to be swayed by persuasive speech or our fleshly desires... To be swallowed up by the cares of this world and drowning in our present circumstances with no thought for our eternal future.

I pray my brothers & sisters you are standing firm and holding fast to what the Word has taught us (2 Thess. 2:15)... Be on guard and put on the full armor of God... that is how we can truly live, live free and experience the abundant life Christ came to give us. Seek Him and hold fast!
(Check out Jesus's comments on John the Baptist and his standing firm in Matt. 11:7-10).

Listen to the Word

First off let me say how incredibly good the Lord is to us... How faithful & loving... He knows what we need and when we need it and He provides! Just walk faithfully with Him, trust Him and lean not onto your own understanding! I pray He will strengthen and support you today and always to walk in His ways and to know Him more. On another note I heard two really good messages today:

Please go and take a listen to Jim Andrews message today on 1 Tim. 6:3-4. Especially take a listen to the end part! You can go to the 15 min. mark ... It is so true!

Also take a listen to Alistair Begg's message from today - Bring Out the Book, Part B - Nehemiah 8:1-12.

Have a blessed day!

A hope and understanding that fails not

Psalm 25 -
2in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame...3No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame...4Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
5guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long...
7Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.
8Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
10All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great...
15My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
17The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.
18Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins...
20Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.

Have you come to a point in your life where you felt as David did? Have you ever had a time in your life where you wondered "Why God?"... why me (as maybe Moses wondered), why now, why here, WHY....? David cries out to God... he places his hope and trust in Him and he tells us that no one who does so will ever be put to shame (v. 3). He prays for the LORD to guide him and teach him to walk in His ways and His truth... to teach him. He prays and ask for forgiveness and declares that the LORD is good and upright... that all of the LORD's ways are loving and faithful for those who keep His covenant. ALL of the LORD's ways are loving and faithful for those who are truly seeking Him and endeavoring to walk in His ways! ALL OF THEM... even if we can't see it at the time. Even if we like David feel lonely and afflicted and have great troubles upon our heart... God can and will free us - He is the only one who can, the only one who saves.... He is who we take refuge in and trust in and hope in ... He is all that we need, because our hope is in Him we will not be let down!!! Trust Him!

That is what I keep hearing from the Word and what the Spirit keeps leading me back too... Trust, hope, faith... love. I keep getting another reminder... His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8). He is not a human that He would think like us; that He would become tired or weary in doing good ... we cannot fathom His understanding (Isa. 40:28). He is the LORD, the everlasting God, the Creator... his ways are not ours...

I say all of this to say... we cannot always know or understand why we are going through what we are going through, or where the Lord has us today... but that we can trust Him to do what is best for us, as we are seeking Him and following His ways (Rom. 8:28)... He desires the greatest good for our lives... not the fleeting temporary happiness, but our greatest good - for all eternity and upon this earth.

Do we think that we serve a Lord who does not understand? (Heb. 2:10-18; Heb. 4:15-16). I say to you He not only understands... for us He endured much more! (Isa. 52:13- Isa. 53:1-12). Are you lonely, despised, afflicted, rejected? Are you suffering? Oh beloved He understands!!! Cry out to Him, cry out to Jesus! May He comfort you, free you from your anguish and be gracious to you. May you rest and take shelter in Him who intercedes on your behalf and who has endured and done much for you to live free, to know and to love him! Call out to Him today... He is near!

Oh most gracious and loving Father, come and comfort us now and draw us ever closer to you. Help us to trust in you to guide us and to provide for us and to lead us...even when we cannot see what lies ahead... let your Word be a lamp unto our feet and a light for our path; that with each step we take, we take it in faith and following so closely to you that we cannot stumble. Hold us close and bring us LORD deeper and deeper into a loving, growing relationship with you. For you oh LORD can do anything! Nothing is impossible with you!!! You can even bring life to dried up bones! Breathe a fresh word of hope and life into us today! Amen. (Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 119:105; Luke 1:37).

Healing... and the Word

First let me start off by asking you to pray for me... I am not feeling very well today and so this will be a brief post. Also I would love to encourage you to scroll down on the right side of my page to Things you should check out and take a listen to Walk in the Word (James MacDonald's message) from yesterday and today. Also interestingly enough John MacArthur has a message that ties into it - see the link Grace to You and go to today's message. Or click on the titles I listed and that should take you there too.

Feeling as I do ... how appropriate for God to take this opportunity to point a few things out to me in Scripture... I was reading Matt. 9:1-8 earlier, when it came to me in regards to this passage... What do I desire more of God... to be healed (physically) or spiritually? When I am seeking after God what am I seeking after Him for? Is my prayer time and time in the Word constantly for myself (my current condition, circumstances) or is it for eternal purposes? I know that the Lord cares about me and about my day and the things I am going through... but what do I care more about? Myself or Him? I guess what I am trying to say is that the heart of the issue that is bugging me is am I seeking God out of wrong motives? Am I seeking God for what He can do for me, through me, or in me; more than I am just seeking to know Him and love Him more?

LORD forgive me for those times when I am so self-focused and my motives are wrong as I come to you... I can be so selfish and fleshly at times and it grieves me because I know it grieves you. Lord I stand back and question myself ... what is it that I do for you? Do I love you wholeheartedly? Honor you? Obey you? Serve you? Live for you? LORD I want too do all those things and I pray and ask for you to empower me to do so! Help me to daily die to self and to live for Christ. Gal. 2:20. LORD let it all be for the glory of YOU!!! Amen.

Fear...

Ok, yes this is my second post of the day... sorry! I have to first thank my dear friend, Jenny who has now taught me how to link scripture verses!!! Oh Jenny, my blogger teacher.... THANK YOU! Wow great stuff...so now if I type in a scripture verse or passage you can just click on it and it will pull up the verse/passage! You may have to hit the back button to come back to my blog to finish reading... but isn't that a time saver! =)

Ok now on to the title... Fear. I was reading the end of Matthew 8 on the demon possessed men... and what hit me the most was in v.34, where they asked Jesus to leave. Here Christ had come and done a miracle... He had rid these men of demon possession (who had been terrorizing the area)... You would think at this point there would be a lot of rejoicing, but there was not... Instead the whole town came out to meet Jesus and in fear of what they didn't know or understand asked him, pleaded with him to leave their region. How incredibly sad is that! Jesus was there among them ... when I think of what could have transpired in their region but was lost because their fear had a greater hold in their lives than their hope.... or trust. We see it still ... people who fear (losing their position, family, friends, others opinions... on & on we could go) Christ, fear change... and in the process they lose out on the greatest thing that could ever happen to them. It is more than sad, it is a travesty! Even those of us in Christ have our moments when we let our fear win out more than our faith... Oh that it would not be so!

Storms in our lives - Part 2

I read Matthew 8 again today on Jesus calming the storm and what stood out to me this time was in v.26b "and suddenly there was a great calm" (NLT). And it hit me ... how just as suddenly as the storms can come upon us in our lives, Christ can just as suddenly bring calm and peace to us in our circumstances. Oh, sure we may still be sitting in the water out on a boat (your circumstance) but there is now calm/peace.
Oh Lord you do that for us, time and time again... You amaze us & awe us (v.27)! Why do we have so little faith... to not fully see you for who you are? Calm me now Lord Jesus... help me to trust, rest & abide in you. Thank you Lord, thank you for all you do and even more praise you for who you are!

Storms in our lives

I was reading last night and today about Jesus calming the storm... (see Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:36-41; Luke 8:22-25) and it struck me things happen, life happens without warning or suddenly things change. In the blink of an eye our circumstances can change... but does our peace, our faith all of the sudden flee us? In these times do we hold fast to what we know to be true? (Isaiah 54:10) Do we keep our focus on Jesus? (Heb. 12:2) Do we panic; is our faith shaken? Or as Jesus put it: "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"

You understand that a good number of the disciples had been fishermen, they had endured storms... I am sure this one was a sight to behold! However, had they not been with Jesus, witnessed miracles? Was he not even then among them!?! Yes! And that applies to us as well... for we know that He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). As a believer I am sure you can testify to times you have seen the Lord at work in you and your life... but some how, just like the disciples, when the storms come they can overwhelm us and make us forget all of that.... Of course this isn't always true ... but we each have our moments, right?

Yes, we should go to the Lord and cry out to Him in our distress... that is not the issue. The issue is when we cry out to Jesus are we crying out in fear or in faith? Do we believe in our God more than we do our circumstances? Are we believing in His promises and believing that we have nothing to fear? (1 Jn. 4:18; Rom. 8:31) We should because the God of all Creation is on our side!!! And he has told us not to worry or be anxious, not to fear... (Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:6).

Another way to look at this, or example I should say is to look at Luke 1:18-20 & 34-38. As you read these verses do you see the difference? Mary asked a question about what seemed to most an unbelievable thing... but she believed, she just wanted to understand how this would happen to her! However, when Zechariah questioned the angel it was not in faith but in unbelief that such a thing could happen. And that is the point I am trying to make... Cry out to Jesus but do so in faith, believing that He is in control... ( You should check out Daniel 3:16-27, as a good example).

(Prayer) - Oh LORD forgive me and help me to over come my unbelief. Grant me LORD faith that is great enough to move mountains and a steadfast spirit within me. May I not let my circumstances dictate my reactions but my faith in you determine my course. Let it all be for your glory! Amen. (Ps. 51:10; Matt. 17:20; Mark 9:24)

Following Jesus

I was reading this morning in Matthew 8 on the Cost of Following Jesus... It is so easy to say I will follow you where ever you go Lord. It is however, much harder to live out, as Jesus pointed out in this scripture passage (v.18-22). Because are we really willing to follow Him at all cost... even if it means we loose some friends, comforts, are rejected, despised, abused, neglected, scorned, treated unfairly, have to leave (home, friends & family behind), or even if it means we lay down our life literally?

This made me think of John 21:18-19, where Jesus told Peter what kind of death he would have that would glorify God. It made me think of Paul and the other apostles, prophets & believers who laid down their earthy lives for something far greater than themselves. (See also Hebrews 11:35-40). We seem to have too great a view of this, our earthly life and too little a view of what is eternal... the promises, the Kingdom, our God! This life is nothing in comparison to what lies ahead!

I was at a Beth Moore conference not too long ago where she spoke on our inheritance in Christ... it was amazing... one of the key points she hit home was that we are inheriting a real kingdom, we will be in the presence of God, surrounded by other people... we will not just sit around on clouds and play harps ... we will truly live! We have an inheritance in eternity, we have a portion (lots), there are eternal rewards... but all of this is nothing in comparison to fully knowing & seeing God! This life is but a shadow of what is to come... Believe it!!!

Oh that we would be encouraged by the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us (Heb. 12:1, but please go ahead and read the whole chapter-so good!). That we would press on and run the race that is before us (1 Cor. 9:25-27), to win a prize that lasts! Oh beloved ones, follow Jesus in truth and give Him your all... every corner of your heart, mind...self. When He ask you to follow Him my prayer is that you will immediately follow & obey (Matt. 5:19-20). You will be greatly blessed... Believe Him, believe His Word, His promises... believe that He can make all things new and that includes you! Oh may you be blessed, to live fruit filled lives to glorify God!

Expectations & Faith

I was reading this morning in Matt. 8:5-13 and a few things hit me... Yes, the faith of the Roman soldier, but also Christ's amazement at his faith... there is more I want to say here but first let me start off with a personal story...

Don't you love how God teaches us in our everyday circumstances. Well, the scripture passage this morning reminded me of one such a time. I remember being at the airport a while back... I was flying by myself and I remember it hadn't been the best of days, so as I stood there I took a moment to look around and people watch. As I looked around I wondered who I would be sitting next to on the plane ... As I was thinking about this there she stood... this young woman, who looked like she lived in a very different world than me. She was dressed in all black (Gothic look), black nails, shoes, clothes (well you get the picture). She had piercings & tattoos all over her body... and I thought oh please don't let me be seated next to her. This was definitely not one of my shining inner-self moments, it was so fleshly. Ahhh... Well wouldn't you know that of course that is exactly who I sat next to on the plane! I am smiling now as I write this...(God I love you!) She sat down next to me - me who had my bible out and wanted some quiet time... She dug through her bag below her feet and I started to notice that her tattoos were all about Christ... and instead of a horrible smoke aroma that I expected, was this pleasant scent. She pulled out her ipod and put her headphones in and leaned back in her seat, I think she closed her eyes. She apparently didn't want to have a conversation either... All of the sudden though I was enthralled by her. I wanted to stare at her and investigate all of her tattoos & I was curious about her, about her life... I wish I could say that I started up a conversation with her but I didn't, apparently I wasn't curious enough.

Any way it was at this opportunity that God taught me I shouldn't judge others by their appearance... Who says that you have to be clean cut to love Jesus, to serve Him or to minister to others. Maybe by her appearance she can far better minister to people that I could not... I say all of this to say that it is not what is on the outside that counts but our heart within.... This girl may have a much deeper knowledge & understanding of Christ, than I do... She may be bearing much fruit in her life for Christ... Sometimes it is the unexpected who have great faith, passion, love, devotion and live very fruitful lives for Christ. This reminds me of the Apostle Paul and the early Church... who when he was persecuting the Church could have imagined all that he would one day do for Christ. What a deep faith and love he had for Christ!

Which brings me back to the passage this morning... Here was this Roman officer coming and saying to Jesus "Lord"...not teacher, healer, etc. He acknowledged him as Lord... and what is even more amazing (because you realize that Christ came and was preaching to the Jews not the Gentiles, although there were Gentiles who believed and were saved) is his great faith & humility! Many times those Christ came to preach to looked down on him and did not offer him even common courtesy. (Example - Luke 7:36-50, [esp. v.46]) They were not humble... Yet, here was this Gentile saying, I am not worthy to have you come into my home but if you say it I believe it will be done! Wow! It is amazing! (By the way check out Luke 7:1-10 for a little more insight).

Here was this Gentile calling Jesus Lord, showing humility and great faith. Jesus is amazed, that here in this Gentile is such a great faith, greater than he has found in all of Israel! He then goes on to say that many Gentiles will come from all over the world to sit down at the feast in the Kingdom with Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob... but that many Israelites, for whom the Kingdom was prepared will be cast out into the darkness... Why? Because they did not believe... they did not have a heart for or faith in their true Messiah! It is not just those who will proclaim a right to be in the Kingdom that will be cast out; there are many others who claim by heritage or by their cultural Christianity that the know the Lord but He will say He knows them not. (See Matt. 7:21-23)

I say all of this to say, do not discount those who seem far removed from what you expect of a Christ Follower... God can save and use ANYONE! In Him we can all be made new (2 Cor. 5:17)! Praise Him!!! Love Him! Serve Him! And love others...

A Life Worthy... (Part 2 of Growing in the Knowledge of God)

I hope you have taken the opportunity to read 2 Peter 1:1-12. There is so much here ... I cannot do this Scripture passage justice... I hope you will study it and dig into it for yourself & edify us further.

Let's start at the beginning where it reminds us that it is through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ that we have received this precious faith... It is not by our own works/good deeds but by His ... and it is precious!!! Let that soak in...all that Christ has done for you and is doing for you and will do for you... We have & serve an awesome & mighty God! Secondly, we can have an abundance of grace & peace through the knowledge (personal knowledge) of God & of Jesus our Lord! Praise Him!

And here is where we need to put forth all effort to know & understand all that God has given us in Christ! We are so blessed, loved and cared for... There is nothing & I mean nothing that He has not done for us or provide us with to live a holy & pure life upon this earth... He has given us everything we need to live godly lives! But in comes our part... do we seek after, pursue, follow, obey, use & employ all that He has given us to do so?

In verse 3 we are reminded that He has supplied us with all we need for life & godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his glory & goodness, not our own. First stated in v. 2 & repeated in v. 3, through in greek can be translate to "in" & knowledge in greek, "full knowledge"... would mean that in full knowledge we can have all of this... it is attainable as we grow in our knowledge, understand & relationship with the LORD we will be changed (transformed) to bear much fruit in our lives (See Gal. 5:22-25).

As a commentary pointed out to me on the life & godliness, you 1st need a spiritual life before there can be true godliness. Having knowledge of God is the first step to life (Jn. 17:3) & it is not by godliness that we attain life but by life that we attain godliness! (See Commentary Critical & Explanatory the Whole Bible). We are called by God to live for Him & His purpose, to live lives worthy of God (Rom. 8:28; 1 Th. 2:12), & in doing so He works all things out for good.

In verse 4 it mentions great & precious promises... Can you think about what a few of these are? How about eternal life for starters (Jn. 3:16), an eternal kingdom (2 Peter 1:11), the gift of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13), the promise that we will one day be made perfect (1 Jn. 3:2) like Christ and these are just a few... I am sure you can think of many more. We are through Christ & by the power of the Holy Spirit able to participate in the divine nature and in doing so escape corruption of the world ("moral decay"), caused by evil desires (lit. "lust"). By our relationship with the Lord we can & are enabled to do this... this growing relationship & how it changes us from the inside out is how we keep ourselves from being polluted by the world (James 1:27). We can participate in this divine nature, which means we can become more like Christ because we have as believers the: Promise of new birth - 1 Peter1:3 & 2 Cor. 5:17; Promise of God's protecting power - 1 Peter 1:5; Promise of God's enabling power - 2 Peter 1:3 That is a lot to think about summed up in just one verse! (Also check out 2 Peter 2:19-20; 1 Jn. 2:15).

It then further goes on to state that for this reason (v.4) we should add to our faith (belief & trust in Christ as our Savior)...

• Goodness- (lit., "moral excellency", or "virtue")


• Knowledge- (Spiritual knowledge which come through the Holy Spirit & is focused upon the person & Word of God). (See The Bible Knowledge Commentary) See also Col. 2:2-3.


• Self-Control- (having your passions under control)


• Perseverance- ("staying under" - used in the NT frequently to refer to steadfast endurance under adversity, not giving in or giving up)


• Godliness- (refers to piety, man's obligation of reverence toward God)


• Brotherly Kindness- (care & concern for others and their needs)


• Love - (agape- desiring the highest good for other's, the kind of selfless love God has shown to us).

It is interesting to note how each of these builds upon the other... We must first have faith that causes us to desire to live virtuous lives and seek to know God more... which is where Knowledge comes in, and this then gives us the tools we need to practice Self-Control and in doing so to Persevere, all culminating into a life lived for God, exhibiting godliness! These first five have to do with our inner life & relationship to God and the last two have to do with others... Because we have lives that love & honor God we are now able to love others, not just those that love us but to love others with a true & selfless love, desiring what is best (of the highest good) for their lives. (Check out the following verses in relation to the above: Heb. 10:36; Rom. 12:10; 1 Th. 3:12).

In verse 8 it goes on to talk about us having these qualities in increasing measure... In other words this is not a one day & we are done deal... it is a daily, on going, ever learning and drawing near to God... we will not know all, or be perfect until Christ's return. Verse 8 also states that these qualities will keep us from being ineffective & unproductive in our knowledge of Christ. For we can have a knowledge that bears no fruit (John 15:2)... The more we know the LORD the more we should desire to live lives worthy of the Lord & bear much fruit for His glory! And by seeking to add all the above (daily) we should bear much fruit. (see Col. 1:10 & Tit. 3:14).

However, if anyone does not have these qualities verse 9 then tells us they are nearsighted, blind and have forgotten that they have been cleansed from past sin. Christ did the work...walk in the light as He is in the light! See 1 John 1:7 & 9. Christ came and set you free from the darkness, He gave you spiritual sight, He came to set you free! (See Luke 4:18; Gal. 5:1; 1 John 2:11)

We are then encouraged in verse 10 to be all the more eager in living out our calling and election, that by doing this we will not fall. God is more than able to keep you from stumbling, submit your heart, life & will to Him! (Jude 24) He will bring you into His glorious presence cleansed/pure and with great joy! We have an eternal home with Him! (See v.11; 2 Tim. 4:18; 2 Peter 3:18). It is good for us to be reminded of these things (v.12) even though we may know them... it is good to remember & to let the Word do it's work in us daily... to let it sink deep into our hearts because we are eternal beings and we (should) live for an eternal purpose. What has been entrusted to us lives on forever (See 2 John 2).

In summary... Praise be to our LORD who has so richly blessed us in Christ... who has given us all that we need to know & love Him, and live fruitful lives ... Who protects us, keeps us and enables us as we go through life in this dark world. Who has given us a hope and a future... Do you get how incredibly loved and cared for you are!?! Oh I pray that you do... that you know deep down in your heart and soul the great love of God! He knows you by name... You are His, you are precious in His sight. Praise Him!!! (Eph. 1:3; Jer. 29:11; Eph. 2:4-10; Jn 3:16; Ps. 17:8; Zech 2:8)

Growing in the Knowledge of God (Part 1)

I have more to write on this & will be back later...but for now check out - 2 Peter 1:1-11. Study it & dig in deep... I would love to hear your thoughts!

You can type the Scripture into eBible.com (scroll down to it on the right side of my page) to read it online.

Chosen & Loved...

Ephesians 1 ~Spiritual Blessings
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.*7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

I have heard Beth Moore speak on these verses before and found them to be so amazing... Today I sit here and think of how personal our God is... He is not some God that sits off far & away looking down upon us. He is here, very present in our daily lives. God cares about all the details of our lives (Ps. 37:23) and that is so amazing. Amazing that the God of all creation loves me, chose me even before the creation of the world to know Him and love Him...to live a holy & blameless life for His glory. (See also Phil. 2:15) That God's plan has always been to adopt me into His family & bless me through Jesus Christ, my Lord & Savior... and this greatly pleases Him!!! God our great treasure, treasures us - wow, how humbling is that! Knowing that God's sweet love has saved me, redeemed me because of Christ...he has accepted me & sees me as pure and blameless. God has so blessed us!! He has given us kindness, love, mercy, grace, wisdom & understanding that we may know Him (more & more); and that we might live for & love Him in return.
Praise you LORD! Oh, let this sink in deep to the marrow of your bones - that God LOVES you (and not in a human faulty way but in a sacrificial and true love that does not fail). God cares deeply for you and about all the details of your life. He will not forsake you & nothing and I mean nothing can ever separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! Glory!
(See Ps. 37:28; Ps. 94:14; Hebrews 13:5; Rom. 8:39)

The Narrow Gate

"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it." (Jesus) Matthew 7:13-14 - (emphasis mine)

As I was reading this these words really stood out to me... Many will choose the easy way, it will be a choice they make... because let's face it, in this fallen world we live in it is hard to go the narrow way (to walk righteously, to live for God)... the world entices, it promises us fun, prosperity, and all that our heart desires... it can't fulfill these things (maybe temporarily but nothing lasting).

What stood out even more is that there are the few who FIND the gateway to life... I started thinking about this, what it means to find it. Sure there are those times that we stumble upon or encounter something of great value... but really to find something of great value we search for it, seek it out... there is an action, a choice associated. You actively seek out this great treasure... the treasure that has been there waiting for you all along.
Take a look at these verses: Jeremiah 29:13; Proverbs 2:4; Matthew 7:7-8
God's word tells us that if we seek we will find... that we should search out wisdom/truth (God) as if we were searching for lost money or a hidden treasure. See also Colossians 2:2-3; Matthew 13:44-45. I don't think that we should just write off these verses as if they are only meant for nonbelievers to come to Christ... For those of us in Christ, we have a great treasure (2 Cor. 4:7)... Should we become saved & that is it, we stop seeking to know & love God more? I don't really call that a relationship. Do we then keep to ourselves and hoard this great treasure we have been entrusted with instead of sharing it with others? We should value this great treasure we have and seek to know and love the LORD more and more every day... we should desire for others to hear about & know this great treasure we have found. We still have a choice to make... a daily choice to live for God, to seek to know Him more and to love others. Let your light shine in the darkness!!! God will be glorified, praise be to our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ!

The Golden Rule - Matt. 7:12

Ok now that I have been REAL with you... (see previous post) let me be a little more real in what God is teaching me. Sure most of us have heard the Golden Rule and maybe we think we are living by it...
This morning as I was meditating on this nugget of truth when it hit me... deep down I have a fundamental problem here. See I may in general do unto others as I would have them do unto me BUT... ah there in lies the problem, "in general" is not always. I may be polite, courteous, kind, thoughtful, loving but I am not always all of those things... I can at times be critical, judge, put myself (my wants, needs, desires) ahead of others and even more importantly God. See most of us recall the first part of the verse but do you remember the last part? It says that all that is taught in the law and by the prophets is summarized in this... ALL OF IT! Just think about some of the things that are in the law and the teachings of the prophets... It really all does come full circle back to this (see Matt. 22:37-40) to loving (putting) God first and loving others... which Christ has told us and shown us by his self-sacrificial love...
It sounds so simple (loving others) and yet why do we find this so hard to do? Maybe because none of us are perfect and we are all different... but more importantly maybe it is because we are more self focused than God & others focused. We have a greater love for ourselves than we do God and others (that may sound harsh but I have found it to be true)... When we view it in that light, oh what grievous sin it is!
How am I any better than the prideful ones who came before me... How am I any less sinful? As you think back to the beginning and the fall of Satan, what was his great sin? PRIDE! He had such a great self love and put himself above God... He thought he was greater, mightier and more powerful than his Creator!!! WOW! Maybe we like to think oh we don't ever do that... but let's call sin what it is sin and pride when we see it... For pride is sin and it is deadly... and are we not prideful when we seek our own way and reject God's.... when we say no to Kingdom things and yes to worldly ones... When I think I know what is best for me above what God has said and that I have a better plan and outcome for my life than what God desires for me. How prideful to think that way... that I who am but dust can even come close to the sovereignty of the Living God- the Creator of all things! Oh LORD forgive me!
God beyond a shadow of a doubt knows what is best for my life... He can see the BIG picture and not the microscope view I have upon this earth... Do not believe the lies of the enemy, God does have what is best in store for you, he does have plans to prosper you and give you hope and a future (Jer. 29:11)... God does work out all things for good (Rom. 8:28) for those of us in Christ.
Give God all of your heart, mind, soul & strength (Mark 12:30) - love Him whole heartily and give Him all the glory for He alone is worthy! He will not fail you and He will not forsake you... Our God is good all the time - He is good!

Being REAL

The LORD has been teaching me and refining me a lot of late... I started praying a little over a year and a half ago for Him to open my eyes to the sin in my life/heart and to change me... to help me to live for Him and not for myself... WOW! You better believe that if you ask God for something in accordance with His will He is going to do it! It has been a hard, humbling road I have been traveling... He has been showing me sin in my life previously overlooked, glossed over or ignored... and it hasn't been pretty. He has been challenging me and changing me... I am being refined.
So in that I would love to come and type you uplifting notes and really not open up to you about what is really going on inside... well, He just won't let me do that right now. It is not where He has me for this season or what He is doing... He wants me to be REAL, real with Him, myself and others... even if it isn't pretty or maybe what you want to hear (however maybe it is something we all need to hear). I am sure the enemy would love for me to hide my sin and pretend I am some perfect human being that I am not... The enemy would love for me to listen and believe the lies that are pushed my way... but I refuse and will not - for I know Christ has come to set me free and that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me... I know I have victory in Christ and that the enemy is defeated! Praise Him!!!! May God be given all the glory...
See these verses:
Gal. 5:1; Phil. 4:13; 1 Cor. 15:57; Isa. 61:1-3; Eph. 1:7; Rom. 3:23-24; John 8:36

God of gods

Check out this video a friend sent me, that was created at her church... it is awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyO0HYhPd6Q