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God’s Grace is Sufficient

Creation

I don’t know about you, but when I read the story of God creating this world, I start to imagine.  No matter how vivid our imagination, it is a feeble attempt.  Just think of the perfect temperature, the beauty of the flowers and trees, the transparency of the rivers, lakes,  and streams of water, and how the animals, with their majestic beauty down to the creepy-crawly, presented no fear.
For those who love to plant a garden, can you imagine how easy it could be to grow anything?  It would be a gardener’s paradise.  We wouldn’t have to worry about the soil being too hard or rocky; there would be perfect nutrition in the ground, no need to weed, and an automatic watering system that took no work to set up.  It sounds like heaven to me.
And what about the animal lovers?  I would be in that category.  There are so many animals I wish I could enjoy.  I have always loved horses and the thought of having one and being able to ride.  Having a monkey as a pet has been a dream of mine.  Throughout my life, mostly, I have stuck to cats and dogs, which I love dearly.  The pain and suffering when one passes away are heart-wrenching.  But in the new creation, there was no death or fear, only life, love, and peace.  It is hard to imagine a life absent of fear and full of love and peace in our world today.  God created Adam and Eve to enjoy the beauty of His creation.  They had no fear or sadness; peace, joy, and love were all.

Then came sin

I think all of us have probably questioned at one time or another why Eve would make a choice that would destroy her peace and happiness.  Eve had everything that she could have possibly wanted.  But the devil caused her to believe that she was missing out on something great!  And Eve believed him.  The reality is that we are no different.  If we trust God and the Word He gave us, why do we go in another direction all the time?  The bottom line is that we think we might be missing out on something.  And we are not trusting that God has our best interest in mind.  We are not any different from Eve.  Many times in our lives, we allow the convincing words of others or circumstances to convince us that something is okay.  And after the fact, we realize this was not in God’s plan.
On the other hand, Adam decided to eat it when he was presented with the fruit, knowing it would be wrong.  He knew it would be wrong to eat the fruit; even though he may not have understood the consequences, he knew it was wrong.  How could you know what death is if you have never seen it?  But he should have trusted God’s Word that it was not a good thing.
Imagine what must have been going through his mind.  He had to be concerned about what would happen if he didn’t eat the fruit when his wife had already eaten it.  If he chose not to eat it, he could lose her forever.  He was not choosing to love God above anything else.  But again, we are not any different.  How many times do we put other things before God?  God has to be number one in our lives at all times.  We can not let people, things, circumstances, any rabbit trail, whether of a religious sort or not, or even ourselves get in the way of making God number one in every area of our lives.

Then comes…

If we didn’t know the end of the story of Adam and Eve, it would appear hopeless.  But then came grace.  Their choice had significant consequences, but God’s love and grace gave them a second chance.  Their choice to sin should have brought instant death.  The grace of God, willing to give His only Son as a substitute, and Jesus willing to accept the consequences of sin, gave Adam and Eve and each of us another chance.
Imagine what it must have been like for them.  Adam and Eve had never experienced death.  They had never seen anything die.  God, in His mercy, sacrificed a lamb in their stead.  The lamb would have been their friend.  All the animals would have been like pets to them.  And to see two of these precious lambs dying because of their sin must have been excruciating.
The only way we can even come close to getting a glimpse is to think about one of our pets.  I relate primarily to our dogs.  It would be excruciating if one of our dogs had to be put to death for my sin.  We love our pets so much.  But they also had to realize that this sacrifice pointed to the One that would ultimately take the consequences of sin.  What joy they must have had that Jesus was willing to do this for them while simultaneously being sad that they had caused so much pain and suffering.
It pains my heart as I write, thinking about myself and how easy it can be to bring hurt and pain to the One that has done so much for me.  God loved the world and gave His Son so that I may live.  Why is it so difficult to remember what He has done for me?  I don’t think I am the only one with this problem.  We get so caught up in daily life that we forget to contemplate what He has done for us.  Yes, we may go through the motions of daily Bible study and prayer, but we fail to connect with God fully.  Spending time with God, going to church, or any religious thing we may be involved in can become just a ritual and lose all meaning.

God’s Grace

I love God’s promise: “My grace is sufficient for thee:  for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Our weaknesses are His strengths.  This is the most exciting news!  No matter how weak we think we are, He is even stronger.  We can’t create; we can only submit to God creating in us.  As David, we can say, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalms 51:10).  We can’t clean our hearts!  No one can empty themselves of self.  The only thing that we can do is consent for Jesus to accomplish the work in us.
It is easy to look around at others and be like the Pharisee, thanking God that I am not like “those” people.  But I want to be as the publican, “standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner” (Read Luke 18:10-14).  We are all sinners in need of God’s grace and mercy.  And “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him (Jesus), seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).  God through His Spirit is the One that draws, convicts, forgives, cleanses, makes the changes, recreates, He does it all.  Our job is to consent, and we will find rest when we consent!
Dear Father,
Please, take my heart; I can’t give it to You.  You created me; my heart is Your property.  I need You to keep it pure.  I am so weak, selfish, and unchristlike; please save me despite me always getting in the way.  You are the potter, and I am the clay; mold and fashion me, so I love Your pure and holy presence so that I can feel the rich current of Your love flow through me.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Surrender fully to God today and let Him do the work within You.
I love you all!
When have you felt the closest to God?  I would love to hear your story!  Comment below or private message me.
Note:  This platform for my blog will be going away soon, so if you would like to continue to get my blogs, message me.
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Spiritually B A L A N C E D Part 2 of 8

B A L A N C E D

Be open to the Holy Spirit

Acknowledge that you’re a sinner

Lament for your sins

Allow God to work in your life

Nourish yourself with God’s Word

Commune with God

Exercise faith in God

Draw strength from God

Keeping our lives balanced can be a challenge whether it is physically or spiritually.  And the next part in our series for a balanced life is no exception.

Acknowledge that you’re a sinner

It can be difficult to truly acknowledge we are a sinner.  We might be able to say it but to really understand what it means is a totally different story.  So the question would be, what does it mean to acknowledge that we are a sinner?  And how can we know that we are a sinner?

Start with…

The first way to know whether or not we are a sinner is to start by looking at other people,  right?  Wrong!!!  But isn’t that what we do a lot of times?  We look at ourselves as better than those people so we must not be that bad.  So we don’t see ourselves as we truly are.  But we are not any better than the next person.  We can look at the most horrific sin out there and think how horrible but that could be us because we have all been born with sinful flesh.  We are no better than anyone else.  “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23.

Now you might be saying but I haven’t murdered anyone or committed adultery.  That may be true but in God’s eyes, sin is sin.  Sin separates us from God.  And remember to hate someone in God’s eyes is classified as murder and what you think in your heart can be adultery.  “…Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” Matthew 5:28.  It is about what is in our hearts and minds.

Begin by…

Where we need to begin is at the cross.  We need to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and what He has done for us.  The more we focus on Him we see ourselves as we truly are and that is what brings us to the point of acknowledging that we are a sinner.  We cannot realize our need until we come to the point of seeing ourselves as we truly are.  Jesus said, “…For without Me ye can do nothing” John 15:5.  We can’t even see our wretchedness or our worth without coming to the cross.

When we focus on others we look at ourselves as “rich, and increased with goods, and having need of nothing;” and we don’t recognize the fact that we are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” Revelation 3:17.  But when we behold Christ we see our need.  And as we behold Him we can recognize our sinfulness and our need for a Savior.  And that all of our righteousness is as filthy rags but His righteousness is complete.  We need to ask Jesus to come into our lives and let His righteousness live out in our lives.

Dear Father,

We need You to even realize our sinfulness.  But I am so grateful to You that as we come to the cross and realize how sinful we are, the cross also shows us how much we are worth.  Thank You for the love and worth that You have shown to us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Come to the cross today and every day for the rest of your life!  Jesus loves you with unfailing love and is waiting for You.

Love you all!

If you are someone that already comes to the cross each day what blessing has it been for you?

If you have not yet read part 1 in this series check it out here:  Spiritually B A L A N C E D Part 1 of 8

 

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“What Has Eclipsed Your Life?”

Eclipse!

We all remember a time in our life where there was a total solar eclipse.  It was so fascinating to watch.  Depending on what your age was when you watched it, the thoughts about what was happening were different.  A solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets between Earth and the sun, and the moon casts a shadow over the Earth.  It may not always be a total eclipse.  Also when an eclipse happens it may not be visible from where you are.

It fascinates me to think about how this occurs.  This can only occur at the phase of the new moon.  And actually, there are four types of eclipses:  total, annular, partial and hybrid.  When you think about the sun being around 864,000 miles in diameter, where our moon is only around 2,160 in diameter, it seems like an impossible event.  But the moon is closer to the earth than the sun thus this event is able to happen.  Although there are some differences between the different types of eclipses I am not going to get into that here.  The main point I want to make here is the difference in power and size between the sun and the moon.

Illustrations

There are so many spiritual illustrations a person can see through looking at an eclipse.  I have in the past talked about the moon and how it would have no light except for the reflection of the sun.  And it is the same with us as Christians.  If we don’t allow the Son of righteousness to shine on us so that we can reflect Him, we are nothing.  We are dark so no one can see Christ and we really have nothing to give to others.  But as I was reflecting on this again another thought has come to me.  There are so many illustrations that God can give us through nature.

There are different kinds of eclipses.  Some are full eclipse but others are different variations of partials.  As Christians, it can be easy to start allowing the world to creep into our lives.  It can be gradual and almost undetected at first because of how slowly it comes into our lives.  It can be something very small and we think, “Oh, this is really no big deal.  I don’t want to be different so I will just compromise a little bit.”

At that moment of compromise, the shadow of the “moon” (the devil) starts to cover the “sun” (Son of righteousness).  And we don’t really detect or notice.  I know when I have watched an eclipse it seems like it is taking “forever” but in reality, it is happening very quickly.  It seems that with each step of compromise it gets easier for the next one and then the next one until we wonder how in the world we ever got here.  And it happens more quickly than we could ever imagine.

It is that moment of realization when you feel so far away from God.  You feel as if you are in the dark.  But the fact is that the “sun” is still shining.  It is us that have changed not God.  He still loves us and wants to fully shine on us.  But because He is a true and loving God, He never forces His way into our lives.  He has given us the freedom to love and serve Him or to reject His ways.

God is still here

I am so grateful for God’s mercy and love.  And that He never leaves us or forsakes us.  He keeps “shining” even though we can’t see it.  He is waiting for us.  And He has promised, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9).  We can confess and He will forgive. And the most wonderful thing will happen.

When we watch an eclipse it slowly covers and then slowly goes away, right?  But when we confess our sins and ask God to forgive us, the response is immediate.  The “eclipse” of the devil doesn’t slowly go away, He has to immediately leave.  And then we receive the full “Sun” (Son of Righteousness) shining upon us.  What a miracle!!  And what love God has for us.

I love these verses that show the love and power of God.  “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity…” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).  The captivity that the devil has placed upon us by “eclipsing” us from the “Sun” will be removed as we come to God and seek after Him.

Dear Father,

Lord, You are all mighty and powerful and can accomplish all things.

You have defeated armies and healed people both physically and emotionally.  You have forgiven all who come to You with a contrite heart.

Please show us areas in our lives that we need to confess so that our lives do not become a total “eclipse”.  We praise Your name that You can forgive and cleanse us with Your shed blood.  And that You will accomplish the work that needs to be done within us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Go to God.  He will forgive and cleanse you.

Love you all!

Do you have a story to share how God has reached out, forgiven, and saved you?  I would love to hear your story.  Comment below.

 

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“The Best Gift”

Gifts!

Christmas is just a day away!  It is hard to believe it has been another year.  Thinking back over the years what has been the gift that meant the most to you?  I definitely remember mine.  It is amazing how so many Christmases can pass but at least one or two really stick out.

I especially remember the year I was probably around 10.  My brother bought me a gift he was so excited about.  I remember getting the catalogs that had all the Christmas ideas in them.  You that are older all remember them, right?  There were the Sears, JCPenny, Montgomery Wards catalogs and probably some others that I don’t remember.  We would pour over those catalogs dreaming of having the gifts there.  They had all these wonderful things for you to use with your dolls and I loved to dream about them.

Then that wonderful Christmas came.  Even to this day, I don’t remember what else I got, I just remember that one special gift my brother got me and I still have it today.  It was a baby highchair.  It was made out of wood with a cushioned seat and a cushioned back that was removable.  I used that chair so much and got so much joy out of it.  As I recall it was a real sacrifice.  My brother paid $10 for it.  That seems inexpensive to us today but at that time when you paid around $0.65 for a gallon of gas, you had to work really hard to earn $10.  Now that my brother is gone it is even more precious to me.

Giving

Now that I am older what I love most about Christmas is not the gifts I receive as much as giving.  It is so fun to see the expressions of joy on the face of a child when they receive a gift.  Our children loved to get clothes even before they hit their teenage years.  They were responsible to buy their clothes so if they didn’t have to buy clothes it was a great thing.

I have always been a practical buyer.  On the other hand, my husband always bought gifts that were too old for their age or too frivolous to last long.  But for several years now I do most of the Christmas shopping and everyone contributes money.  Then every gift someone gets is from everyone.  As the children get older the gifts get more expensive so this is very helpful, practical, and works well.

Don’t Forget…

We don’t want to get so caught up in all that is happening and forget the best Christmas.  Now we all know that Christ was not born this time of year.  But this is a time to remember.  He was the very best gift that anyone of us has received.  At least it has been offered to us but it is up to us to accept the gift.  And unwrap the gift.  We can unwrap the gift of Christ every day as we open His Word.  And He gives us the most precious gift of the Holy Spirit that can lead and guide into all truth.  Just like I love the joy of seeing others receive a gift, Christ is overjoyed when we receive His gift and unwrap it.

We cannot unwrap the Gift without the Holy Spirit.  The fact is, we can do nothing without the Holy Spirit indwelling in us.  We may be able to try or seem like we are doing the right things.  But if we are doing it with our strength and not allowing the Holy Spirit to do it we will be as the 5 foolish virgins.

Unwrapping

Have you ever asked for a gift for Christmas?  There was something you really wanted or needed and you asked in hopes you would get it.  As a kid and you saw the presents under the tree did you ever wonder if it is what you asked for?  And then you decided to carefully open it to see?  I never did that but I have known people that have done it.

When they carefully opened it they were so excited to see they got what they wanted.  But then Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, depending on when you open when they opened their gift the excitement wasn’t the same.  It seemed almost disappointing.

It makes me think about how God gave us the gift of His Son.  And when Jesus left this earth He gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit.  When we unwrap the Word of God with excitement to see what Gift He has for us the excitement doesn’t last.  And it is because we open the Gift before the time.  We think we want a sneak peek and the excitement seems so real but it wears off in time because we unwrap it before the time.

We get in a dig into the Word, unwrapping each text and seeing all the things that God wants us to do.  And we start to implement them into our lives but there seems to be a problem.  We are doing all the “right things” so we just keep plugging along.  But we are angry, unforgiving, critical, finger-pointing, etc.

The Gift within a Gift

Even though we have unwrapped His Word we have forgotten a Gift that will make the unwrapping and the doing not about us but about Him.  We can do nothing without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  God gave His Son as a gift to us but without the Gift that Jesus gave to us, we are nothing.  Jesus said, “Without Me, ye can do nothing” John 15:5 last part.  And “without Me” is the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

We choose but He does the work!  The parable of the wise and foolish virgins is a good example.  They were all church members, following the Lord in everything.  But the wise virgins were allowing the Holy Spirit to do the work through them, nothing of themselves.  Whereas, the foolish were doing it with their own strength.  They were both waiting for the coming of the Lord but when He came the foolish were lacking the indwelling workings of the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus lived and walked this earth as you and I, He did nothing of Himself.  It was only through the power of His Father.  If He used His own power for anything He would have had an advantage over us.  We can have the same power because it is the Power of Jesus through His Holy Spirit.  And if our own “power” gets in the way we will be as the foolish virgins.  We need to allow Christ through His Spirit to change us so that we have nothing to boast of ourselves but of Him.

Two gifts

So to me, there are two great gifts to be thankful for this Christmas season.  The first gift is the gift of Jesus Who came from the glories of Heaven to this sinful earth to live a life fully through the power of His Father.  And He died for all the sins of this world so that we have an opportunity for Heaven.

The second gift is the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This gift gives us the ability to be ready for Jesus’ second coming.  We are saved through the precious blood shed by our loving Savior so that we can have forgiveness for our sins.  And through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can live a victorious life.  Although we are saved by Jesus shed blood we are rewarded by our works, which should be the work of the Holy Spirit living through us and nothing of ourselves.  So the reward of Heaven will be given us as we ask the Holy Spirit to live within us and by allowing Him to perform the work that needs to be done in our lives.  We need to ask for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit each day.

Dear Father,

Thank you for the gifts that You have given to us.  I pray for the power of Your Spirit to come and dwell within our hearts.  Come dwell in us not only during this Christmas season but every day for the rest of our lives.  Help us to turn to You during every time of need asking for Your Spirit to perform the work within us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Remember if Jesus could do nothing of Himself we surely cannot either.  Allow the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to do the work through you today.

Love you all and I pray you have a blessed Christmas.

Can you share an experience where you felt the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life and you knew it was nothing of yourself but a gift?  I would love to hear your testimony below.

 

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“How Are You?”

Questions

We get asked many questions every day and the question is how honest are we?  How many times a day do you get asked, “How are you?”  I believe we all get asked that question multiple times a day, especially if you’re working outside the home, going to church, school or shopping.  And what would your answer be?  I usually say, “I’m doing good.”  Is that always true? No!  Who wants to tell everyone how their day is really going?

Pain

There is so much pain today. It is masked by smiles, joking, laughter, etc.  Also, it may even be masked by other things like anger, unkindness, judging, gossiping, etc.  It is easy to point our fingers at others either in a way to make us feel better about our problems or to make us feel sorrier for ourselves.

The reality is that no one is exempt from a day, week, month, or even year of disaster.  It seems that things around us are getting worse and worse.  Almost every day I hear someone say at work, “Did you hear…?”  This world is falling apart as we speak.  Things are getting more and more evil.  Satan is working his hardest to destroy.  And there are many, many, many people struggling and suffering.  Some are obvious and others are hiding behind a mask.  And even with the ones that seem obvious they are behind a mask more than you may think. People are hurting.

Church

As Christians, you would think the church would be a safe zone.  A place where you would feel loved and accepted even when it may seem obvious that you’re struggling.  But, sadly, most of the time this is not true.  In a so-called Christian environment, there seems to be more judging than any other place.  This is not the way God intended for our Christian community to be.

How did Jesus say that others would know that we are His disciples?  “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also loved one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” John 13:34, 35.  And how has Jesus shown His love to us?  He laid down His life for us.  “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13.  If nothing can separate us from the love of God as stated in Romans 8:38, 39, then there should be nothing that separates us from the love of our Christian brothers and sisters or in loving our Christian brothers and sisters.

Fear

There is a fear that comes to all of us.  We come to church trying to fit in and always look as if we have it all together.  And we smile and look cheerful while our hearts are hurting.  We are falling apart inside but fear to let anyone know.   Our thoughts are that we have to be always strong because we are Christians and we should always have things all together.  But inside we may be miserable.

There are some that are doing all the “right things” for fear that they won’t be loved or even liked unless they do.  They are concerned about what other people are going to think about every decision they make.  So they try to make all the “right” decisions at least at church.  Then they end up looking “good” but being one thing at church and another thing outside of the church.

And then there is another group, which a lot of time is where some young people fall.  A lot of times they get to the point that they don’t care anymore what people think.  The reality is they do care but they are trying to quit caring because they are tired of living a life to please others.  They quit coming to church because to be themselves they can feel the cold shoulder, they can feel the non-acceptance.

The reality is they should want to please God more than to please people.  But in their struggle, they have no one to turn to because the Christian community seems to shun and not love those that are struggling.  The love of Christ is gone and a Pharisaical attitude has taken its place.

Sinners

I can guarantee that all of those that tend to point fingers or make others feel unaccepted are not perfect.  It is easy to point the finger.  But the reality is that we are all sinners.  We all struggle each day with temptation and we fail at times.  Those that seem “rebellious” are hurting inside and God so much wants to reach their heart.  But oftentimes Christians are a stumbling block to those that are struggling.

Unfortunately, as humans we tend to look at other humans and care what they think or how they treat us.   And then we interpret what they say and do with God.  Thus we suddenly have no desire for Christianity.  And then “Christians” wonder why.

We are all sinners and we all struggle each day.  In God’s eyes sin is the same no matter how “little” we may think it is.  “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment” James 2:8-13.

As Christians

Christ’s method alone will bring those around us to a saving relationship with Jesus.  What is His method?  Study His life.  As Christians, we should be the most loving people.  We are going to be known for our love.  Do those around us feel so safe that they can come to us if they are struggling with anger, depression, discouragement, etc.?  Or are we so “perfect” that we expect others to be the same?  I have seen what damage those who look at others and see them as not “perfect” enough to be in their group cause.  Is that really how Jesus looks at us?  Thanks be to God that it is not.  If God looked at us the way we deserve to be looked at we would be in big trouble.  But thankfully He looks at our potential rather than our failings.

Dear Father,

We need Your love not only for ourselves but we need Your love to change our hearts.  Forgive us for not allowing the love that You give us to shine through to others.  Help us as we look at those around us, to see Your Son hanging on the cross for them.  I know that I need Your forgiveness.  Cleanse us all and give us Your heart of love.  Thank You for Your love and mercy toward each of us and help us to show the same to others.

In Jesus,

Amen

I challenge you to see others through the eyes of Christ and love them as He loves them.  If you are hurting and feeling alone and unaccepted I challenge you to reach out.  There are those that do love you.

Love you all!

Do you have a story where you loving someone “unlovable” and how it changed their life? Or maybe you are someone who had someone love you unconditionally, how did it change your life?  I would love to hear your story! Please share it below.

 

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“Really? What Does It Mean?”

Really?

These days you hear all kinds of words flying around, words of truth, gossip, lies (which are really the same as gossip), etc.  In a world where we could be more intelligent than ever, there is so much ignorance.  In an age where everyone wants to be accepting of everything, they are really accepting of nothing.  They want everyone to be tolerant but they are not tolerant themselves.  Accept me for who I am but do not expect me to accept that you don’t agree with me.

We live in a world where love is so misunderstood.  People don’t feel loved unless you agree with everything that they think is good and right.  They don’t feel loved by you if you have your own beliefs or standards of living that may be different than their own.  Unconditional love is unknown in this society.  The “love” of today is a selfish “love” it is not true love.

I remember when I was a kid my mom had a best friend.  Their lifestyles were totally different.  Each one was making different choices in life but they were still best friends and loved each other.  But today it is way different.  It is hard for me to even use the word love when speaking of our society.  There is this mentality, “Take care of me, accept my ways because they are right”, “love” me but I will only “love” you if you agree with me.  The fact is that you cannot really be a true Christian and not treat people with the true love of God.  But what does true Christ-like love look like?

Christ-like love

There are so many concepts out there as far as what Christ-like love looks like.  I think our human nature tends to take over and starts’ defining what we think Christ-likeness is.   But for the most part, it does not come even close to what Christ-likeness is all about.  So where do we even start?

What is unconditional love?  Is it a love that has no law or boundaries?  There is definitely a class of people that have that belief.  Is it a love that fences you in so tightly that you feel controlled?  And there is a class of people that also believe in this way as well.  And there are probably many other options out there.  But I believe Christ-like love is very difficult for us to comprehend.  It is beyond our scope of imagination.  But I believe the Bible gives us a perfect example that we can follow in the life of Jesus.  It is with His love and methods alone that we can win the hearts of men to true love.

You don’t have to agree with someone in their beliefs or ideas to love them.  True love is beyond self.  Self teaches, “You don’t love me unless you agree with all my ideas and beliefs.  Therefore I won’t love you and I will do what I can to destroy you.”  It is true that not everyone goes as far as to destroy someone’s reputation, business, family, etc.  We live in a society that makes us feel “poor me” if someone doesn’t agree with me.  But in reality, none of this is true love it is selfish love and is definitely not Christ-like love.

True Love

True love sighs and cries for the evils of this world, looks passed what things appear to be and sees the potential in each individual.  The only way that we can have this kind of love is to be filled with the love of God.  We are not capable of having this love with our own strength.  When we look at each individual we need to see Christ hanging on the Cross for them.  Christ died for every individual.

As Paul says in Romans 8:38, 39, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  If nothing can separate a person from God’s love then why do we try to separate people from our love?  We may be the only “Jesus” they ever meet.  We should be so reflecting Christ that when people have been with us they should be able to say, “I felt like I have been with Jesus.”  And this is nothing of ourselves.  It is Jesus living in us and reflecting through us as we surrender all to Him.

True love does not condone sin and the standards of Christ.  But God gives everyone freedom of choice to choose and we should do the same.  One of my favorite stories is found in John 8:1-11.  This is a story worth reading and I would encourage you to do so.  Here is a couple of verses.  “When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, ‘Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?’  She said, ’No man, Lord.’  And Jesus said unto her, ’Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.’”  She had sinned but Jesus did not condemn her, He loved her.  But He did give her admonition to go and sin no more.

Forgiveness

Although all have to go to God for the forgiveness of their sins we do have a part to play in forgiving.  We can’t forgive someone’s sins for them but we can forgive them for the wrong that they have done to us.  And we can love them through the process.

How could Jesus endure the shame and suffering that He endured here on earth without the love of God?  And the amazing part is that He still showed love and pity to all those that were treating Him with disdain and cruelty.  The love of God is so deep and unexplainable but we can have that same love if we allow Christ to dwell within our hearts.

God loves us so much He has given us the freedom of choice.  We can accept Him and allow Him to change our lives into a character that is fit to live with Him.  Or we can choose our own desires and ways.  He still loves us although He does not accept sin.  His ways and law never change because His law is the essence of His character; it is a part of Himself.

“Tolerance”

Satan’s ways and those who follow his ways do not give every person freedom of choice. The devil only gives “freedom” of choice to those who follow his ways and that is not a true freedom of choice.  He wants to convince all that God is not giving you freedom.

Satan convinced Eve in the Garden of Eden that God was trying to keep something good from her.  But if she ate the fruit she could “know” everything, she could know good and evil.  Knowing evil was not a good thing and led this world into sin.  God never intended for us to know evil.  And what misery it has brought to us all.  But the devil wants to convince you differently.  Thus he brings contention and arguing to our world.  He brings “tolerance” into the equation but tolerance on his terms, which is not tolerance at all.  He is only tolerant of his ways.  When it comes to God’s ways he is not tolerant.  Thus you see the chaos in this world today.

God’s way

There are only two powers in this world of ours and we get to choose which power we want to follow.  We can choose the power of the evil one that is “tolerant” of all those that choose his ways.  Or we can choose God’s ways.

God’s way is a way of love, a love that came to die for you and for me so that we could live with Him forever.  He loves the sinner so much that He doesn’t want to leave them in a state of sin.  But while we were yet sinners He died for us (Romans 5:8).  He does not condone sin but He loves in spite of the sin.  He lovingly draws the heart of the sinner to repentance.  God’s love is so unconditional that He never gives up on you and me.  He sees potential in us.  His heart yearns to give us peace and happiness, which comes with repentance and forgiveness.  The freedom is so amazing.

I want to go with God’s way in my life.  Does that mean I am going to be perfect at it? Probably not, but I am going to strive to look at others as Jesus looks at them.  I want to see Christ dying on the cross for them and love them with Christ-like love.  A love that does not condemn.  I want to have a love that shows in my face when others are not tolerant of my choice to follow Christ’s ways.

As Christ was beaten, spat upon, and condemned to death He still showed love and pity for those around Him.  That is a love that is hard for our minds to comprehend but it is the love that we must have to be a follower of Christ.  And with the love of Christ that flows through us plant seeds that can bring change to the lives of many.  We can only do this as we allow the Lord to dwell in our hearts.  Judgment will come to those that want “tolerance” for themselves with no consideration for others.  My heart longs to plant as many seeds as possible so that each of those individuals will surrender their lives to Christ so that in the judgment they will have been forgiven with the blood of Christ and be saved.  What a glorious day that will be.

Dear Father,

We live in a sin-sick world that must grieve Your heart beyond words.  But You have an amazing love for all.  I pray for that love to flow through me so that others may see Your love.  You are waiting with open arms to save all who come to You surrendering to Your ways.  I want to praise You for Your ways of forgiveness, peace, and life.  The joy that comes to life with full surrender to You is so amazing.  Thank You for loving us with such amazing love.  Today I want to surrender my life to You again.  Prompt my heart to be more like You in showing your love to those around me.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Surrender your life to Jesus today.  Love all those around you with the true love of God, not with condoning sin or joining in with sin, but with a love that makes people know that they can come to Christ.  You may be the only “Jesus” they meet.  How are you representing Him?

Love you all!

Do you have a testimony of how the love of God has changed your life?  I would love to hear your story.  Share below.

 

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“Oh No, I’m Bleeding!!”

Open wounds

Have you ever cut yourself and you were bleeding all over?  It seems like a ridiculous question because of course, the answer is yes.  We all have had some time in our life where we have injured ourselves.

Whatever profession you have decided to take there are always risks.  When you are learning anything in life there is a time when more accidents happen.  And hopefully, you learn something in the process so that the next time you’ll remember what you don’t want to do.  But even if you are seasoned in your profession you never know everything.  You are always learning.  If you come to the place that you think you know everything there is to know in your profession, you really are not a blessing to anyone.  Know it all’s are not learners.  And just because your seasoned doesn’t mean you still don’t have accidents.

I have a young friend who is learning construction.  As my friend has been learning, he has had several accidents that have resulted in blood.  And some of his accidents could have been really bad.  There are other times where there could have been a serious accident but he was spared by the hand of God.  I think he may have two guardian angels.

It made me think

It made me start to think about how this is a good example of our spiritual lives.  When you become a real Christian, it is a process.  You may be wondering what I mean by a real Christian.  Well, you may have grown up in and around Christians but that does not make you a Christian.  What makes you a Christian is your own connection with God.  We cannot have a connection vicariously through our parents or anyone else, it has to become our own.  How would that work in your profession?  It would not!  You have to learn yourself with the help of the master teacher.

Spiritually speaking God should be our teacher.  He is that Master and can truly teach us how to be a Christian.  Can we learn from others?  Yes!  But ultimately we need to be learning from the Master.  When you get a job there may be others that know things within your profession that you can learn from but you better be sure it lines up with the master teacher (your boss) or later on there will be some repercussions.

I have followed what others said and it turned out to be wrong.  Or I have even given wrong advice that turned out to be wrong.  The one that gets the most reprimanded is the one that did it wrong, not the advice giver.  Why is that?  Because the master teacher (boss) says you should not rely on what others have told you but go to the one that knows, your boss, supervisor, etc.

So how does that look when it comes to our walk as a Christian?  We can learn from others but we always need to be sure that it lines up with the Master Teacher.  In the end, when we follow the advice of others and do not follow through with checking it out with the Master Teacher, we will receive the repercussions of our decisions.  We are responsible for our own decisions.

Growth takes time

Just like when your learning a profession it takes time, so does growing as a Christian.  In any profession, there are those times that we may choose to do something that we know isn’t the best thing but we know that we can get it done more quickly.  It may not be bad in and of itself but our master teacher (boss) has said he wants it done a certain way.  And most of the time, in the end, we may have made a mistake that could have caused us harm or someone else.  It is the same in the Christian walk.  Sometimes we choose deliberately to do something that we know is not pleasing to the Master Teacher (God) but we think we know best but in the end, we discover God always knows best.

Then there are those times that we are going along at work and after the fact, we realize we have made a wrong move.  Sometimes the consequences are minor but sometimes more severe.  In our Christian walk when we are walking along there are going to be times that we make a mistake that we did not even realize until after the fact.  It could be that we are still in the growth process and the Lord has not revealed it to us yet or it could be we did something without thinking.

In whatever case we find ourselves, I am so thankful for a God that is forgiving.  We can come to Him with a contrite heart and He will forgive.  And just like God is so merciful to us we should be merciful to others.

One of the faults that can break down the camaraderie in the workplace is to have a superior feeling.  If others around you feel like they can’t ever do anything right and that you feel superior to them it breaks down any relationship.  This happens within the Christian walk as well.  We have to be careful not to be pointing our fingers at others and thinking ourselves superior because we are following this rule and that rule.  The fact is we can be lost just because we have an attitude of superiority.  In the workplace, you can end up losing your job.  In the Christian walk, you can end up losing your salvation.

We need to allow everyone to grow as God leads them.  And God leads everyone on a different path because everyone’s journey is different.  The best thing we can do for someone is to love him or her and pray for them.

Growing

So how do we keep growing?  When we start in a profession there is definitely a learning curve and the same is in our Christian walk.  So do I eventually learn it all and don’t have to keep learning?  The answer is no.  This applies to the workplace as well as the Christian walk.  When we stop learning we become stagnate.  No matter what profession you have chosen there are always changes that take place due to new technology.  And if you don’t keep learning you’re going to fall behind and eventually probably lose your job.  The same is true in our Christian walk if we don’t keep learning we stop growing in our knowledge of the truth.

Some may say it isn’t really the same because our profession changes because of new technology but God’s truth has always been the same.  My question would be, has the technology always been there but we are just learning about it?  I would say the affirmative yes.  It has just taken someone to come along and discover the technology.  We all have the opportunity to discover the “technology” of truth from God’s Word but we all discover it differently because that is how God works.  We should not rely on people to discover the truths of the Bible and then tell us, we should be discovering it ourselves.  Because even if someone has discovered a truth in the Bible we are supposed to study for ourselves and see if those things are so.

Dear Father,

I am so grateful for Your saving grace.  As I cling to You and stay in Your Word You will lead me into all truth.  Keep us faithful to You.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Stay connected to God each day.

Love you all.

What accidents have you had in life that you can draw a lesson from?  I would love to hear your story.  Share below in the comments.

 

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“I Will Never Speak to You Again!!!”

Have you ever…

Have you ever said or done something that you wish you could take back?  And whomever you said or did it to has made it very clear that they want nothing to do with you?  Or maybe someone has said or done something to you and you have let them know that you’re done.  You don’t want anything more to do with them.

This can also happen if a person feels like another person is not what they should be.  They don’t act like me or think the way I do so they must be mean or evil.  I want to feel comfortable with the person that I am with so I will shun anyone that takes me out of my comfort zone.  This doesn’t always come with words it can just be an obvious shunning.

Sad

Since we have had two recent deaths in my family this has hit close to home.  In both cases, we spent time with family, some of which we have not seen in years.  But one thing stood out is the division within the family.  Someone said or did something I didn’t like so, therefore, I do not want any more to do with them.  Or their lifestyle or how they think about things is different than me so I am just going to write them off.  The sad part is that some of these people claim to be Christians.

And what makes me even sadder is the fact that this takes place within the Christian church as well.  I see people that are struggling spiritually and others shun them because they don’t fit their criteria.  And what happens eventually to the ones that are struggling?  They leave the church and a lot of them give up Christianity altogether.  Why would they want to be a Christian?  They have gotten a false picture of what Christianity is all about through people who claim to be Christians.  But the reality is, if we are not being like Christ we are not Christians.  So what constitutes a true Christian?

Story

I want to share a story I recently read as an example of a true Christian. This story took place during the genocide in Rwanda.

“‘I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:9–11)

Several years after my family returned from mission service in Africa, I was working in the in Portland, Oregon. The genocide in Rwanda had taken place about four years before this. When we heard about it, we felt sick. We had been to Rwanda. We thought it was an amazing country and had many Christian friends there.

One day a visitor came to my office. Her name was Adele, and I noticed that she had a big scar on her forehead. Adele had just come from Rwanda to visit her daughter in the United States. She wanted to tell me her story.

Adele had been married to a pastor in Rwanda. When the genocide started, she, her son, and her husband ran to the church with many other church members, thinking they would be protected there. Similar attacks, but on a much smaller scale, had happened years before, and at that time the people had fled to the churches for safety. As the members were praying inside the church, thugs came and surrounded the building.

‘You have to come out!’ they yelled to the people inside.

They asked for the pastor, Adele’s husband, so he went out. ‘We’re going to kill you!’ they said.

‘Can I pray for you first?’ he asked.

They agreed, and he prayed for them. Then they took a machete and dealt him a deadly blow to the head. In a rain of terror, the machetes and other weapons began swinging upon the defenseless church members.

Adele looked over and saw her son raise his hand to wave goodbye to his mother. Just then, his arm was cut off. Moments later, he was hit and killed. All of a sudden, Adele went unconscious. She was hit in the head, and that is why she had the terrible scar.

Three days passed, and someone who was walking by saw a little movement among the piles of decaying bodies. The person went over, touched Adele’s body, and found that it was still warm. She was still alive!

He picked her up, put her in a little Toyota pickup, and took her to the dispensary. While she was recovering at this little hospital, she had a dream. In the dream, she was in heaven. Jesus spoke to her and said, ‘Look and see.’

She looked and saw her son and husband. Jesus said, ‘It’s going to be all right—you’re going to see your family in heaven.’

That assurance gave her such courage and hope. ‘It’s the only way I survived all this,’ she told me later.

Adele got well and returned home. About four years later, she was at the marketplace in her village. Looking down toward the end of the vendors’ tables, she saw a young man with long, matted hair. He had been hiding out in the jungle. As she looked at him carefully, she recognized him as a young man who her husband had baptized—the same young man who had killed her son!

Adele walked up to him, and he began to tremble. He thought, of course, that she had been killed in the genocide. ‘What are you going to do to me?’ he quivered. People were starting to turn around to look.

All Adele had to say was, ‘You killed my son,’ and they would have killed him right there. Instead, she said, ‘You come with me now.’ Trembling, the young man followed her to her house. ‘What are you going to do to me?’ he asked again.

‘Just sit down,’ Adele said.

She got some water and began to wash him and cut his hair and clean him up. She gave him some food. Then she took some of her son’s clothes and said, ‘Put these on.’

‘What are you going to do to me?’ the young man repeated, almost frantic.

With tears in her eyes, Adele said, ‘I have no one, and you have no one. You have killed my son, so now you must become my son.’

Then they had prayer together, and they wept together. About six months later, the young man was put in prison for killing other people. Every week Adele would go to see this young man in prison and take him food and clothes.

I have since been to Rwanda and visited Adele. She has told her story at my meetings there. It is an amazing story. Adele is a living example of the greatest miracle of all—the miracle of forgiveness. 

Through faith we receive the grace of God; but faith is not our Saviour. It earns nothing. It is the hand by which we lay hold upon Christ, and appropriate His merits, the remedy for sin. And we cannot even repent without the aid of the Spirit of God. The Scripture says of Christ, ‘Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.’ Acts 5:31. Repentance comes from Christ as truly as does pardon. (DA 175)”

— Elder Duane McKey

Forgive

This is an amazing story to me and really shows us the power of forgiveness.  This is not something that we can accomplish through our own strength.  It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us that we can accomplish this.  Probably a lot of us, after reading this story, have realized how small our trials are.  It can make us wonder why we have not forgiven.

One of the reasons that we find it so difficult to forgive is pride.  We feel that we have a right to feel the way that we do so we keep not forgiving.  We can think, “If I forgive them they aren’t going to change.”  It has nothing to do with them changing, it all has to do with us.  As it says in the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”.  God does not forgive us if we do not forgive. (See Matthew 6 9-13)  We can’t edit His prayer to our liking.

It makes it even more clear in Matthew 6:14 & 15, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

We even deny that we have not forgiven.  We say we have forgiven but then we shun them.  This is not true forgiveness.  Does Christ shun us?  And as Christians, we need to be like Christ.

What makes me even sadder is what will happen within the Christian church.  People shun people because they do not think as they think, which is really a part of forgiving.  Their thoughts are that if you are a Christian you should be doing this, this and this.  And because you are not doing those things they sometimes politely, but others times not so politely, ignore you.  You suddenly are no longer their friend.  They may reason that they are trying to protect themselves from false but the reality is they are not being like Christ.

If we think a person is doing something that will keep them out of heaven should we shun them for fear of contamination?  The answer is a clear no.  We need to be their friend and be a living example while reflecting Christ.  Love them and when they see a reflection of Christ in our lives they will want what we have.  But if they only see a critical spirit they will run the other direction as fast as possible.  A critical spirit does not draw to God and is not of God.

There is something very important to remember.  The parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25, they were all doing the right things.  They were all good Christians, even the foolish virgins.  Many scholars today, which I agree, believe that the oil in the parable represents the Holy Spirit.  As I see it we can do all the right things but still be lost.   If we are not doing them with the power of the Holy Spirit working through us and we are just doing them on our own we are like the foolish virgins.  We are out of oil (The Holy Spirit).  And we are not any better off than the person we are critical of because they don’t do the things that we are, which to me is unforgiveness.

If we really grasp the meaning of all this, we will be on our knees praying for others and loving them instead of pointing fingers.  In our hearts, we will be forgiving them and being a living example of Christ-likeness.

But how can I…

The reality is we cannot forgive and be a Godly witness, without judging and pointing fingers unless we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

  • Prayer

Prayer is the key that unlocks heaven for us. We need to spend much time in prayer.  In order for God to hear us, we need to make sure that we do not have any iniquity (sin) in our lives.  Whether it is thoughts or actions.  “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” (Psalms 66:18).  So the first thing we need to do is confess before God specifically anything that we have done that has been displeasing to Him.  We may not even know what it is we have done.  Maybe we have forgotten or we are not aware of some things we are doing that are displeasing to Him.  We don’t need to worry.  We can ask Him to show us and He will reveal to us anything we need to confess.

As we come to God in confession He will forgive.  Then we are able to ask anything according to His will and He will hear and answer.  “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14,15).  This is such a great promise.

Now we know that we can ask for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit so that God’s will can be worked out in our lives.  “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”  (See Luke 11:9-13)

We know that it is His will that we forgive others and that we have a love for one another.  So we can ask God to give us forgiveness through the power of the Holy Spirit.  And we can ask for His love to flow through us.  “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).  We need to power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this in our lives.

  • God’s Word

We need to spend time in God’s Word.  And we need to do more than just read the surface.  We can be on a schedule of reading the Bible through in a year but are we really getting something out of it.  Take the Word verse by verse and don’t move on until you understand what you are reading and how you can apply it to your life.

  • Memorize Scripture Verses

Memorizing Scripture verses, for when those times of temptation or discouragement come, can help you through.  I recently heard someone share about reading through the book of Psalms.  A lot of what is in Psalms are prayers.  The suggestion was to read a chapter a day or less splitting the longer ones into two or three days.  Choose a marker color for promises and as you read underline the ones that speak to you as a promise.  This may be different for each person.  Then when you are in a time of prayer you can claim those promises.  Start putting those promises to memory so when you are in need of prayer, no matter who you’re with or where you are, you have a verse to claim.

Conclusion

As I said earlier my heart aches.  We have but a short time upon this earth whether we die at the average age of 80 or the Lord comes.  Life is way to short to not forgive and love.  Others may not forgive or love us but it all starts with each one of us.  We have to look at ourselves and allow the Lord to change us.  And as we are changed there is a higher chance that those we love will also change.  But God gives everyone the freedom of choice to change or not to change and we have to have that same kind of love that God has.

The thing that is great about the forgiveness and love that God works in us through the power of the Holy Spirit, it brings us happiness.  It gives us a freedom that is so amazing.  The stress of holding on to unforgiveness is a heavyweight and when it is gone, what a relief.

Dear Father,

We need the power of Your Holy Spirit.  As we come to You with a heart that is open to Your forgiveness and Your will we ask for Your leading in our lives.  We ask You to give us Your Holy Spirit.  Give us forgiveness and love for others that only You can give.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Come to God today confessing and then asking for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit so that you can have the power to forgive and love others.

Love you all.

Have you had an unforgiving spirit that the Lord has helped you overcome?  Share the results below.

 

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“It’s Too Painful!!”

It’s painful!

There are a lot of things in life that come along that are painful.  We may even feel that they are too painful.  I am sure we have all been there.  Maybe you have lost a spouse, a child, or even had some kind of misfortune yourself that has left you maimed in some way.  We live in this sinful world and none of us escape pain, there are different forms but we all have experienced it.

I can’t imagine the pain of family and friends to a young woman killed in an accident and just a few days have gone by and there has been another accident where another person died.  These are sad and tragic.  And things happen sad and tragic like this every day all over the world.  It becomes even more of a reality when it happens to someone you know or is a friend to one of your friends.  It makes you realize how fragile life is.  We never know when something like this can directly affect us.

My heart pains for those that were at fault as well.  Can you imagine living with the fact that you killed someone?  It was a moment of misjudgment that you can’t take back.  Who knows the reasons for the misjudgments?  Maybe they were doing something that is against the law, texting, speeding, etc.  It definitely makes me think every time I go to do something.  Even doing something not against the law can distract us, depending on what state you are in.  Whatever the reasons it is tragic.

Life is short

It made me think about a connection between the accidents and how this can apply to me as a Christian.  We need to really think about how short life really is.  When we walk out the door each day, we never know if we are coming home again.  We may lose a loved one today as well.  The question is, do you have everything right with each person in your life?  Whether you’re the victim or the one that loses someone you will never be able to make things right again.  Or tell them how much you love them.

The other question to ponder is am I really ready to go.  Have I made everything right with God?  Am I living according to every word that proceeds from the mouth of God?  Do I love God with all my heart, soul and mind and my neighbor as myself?  We need to be having a moment-by-moment connection with Christ so that we will be ready when tragic hits.  We need to be fully surrendered to Him allowing Him to work in our lives.

Stumbling block

As Christians, are we going through life paying attention to what we are reflecting to others?  What you reflect to others could mean their eternal life or eternal death.  Are you distracted by worldly things that are giving others the thought that it is an appropriate thing to be doing as a Christian?

If I am driving along and I break one of the laws of the land and someone is killed the judgment is more severe than if I did something unknowingly.  As a Christian, we are held accountable for being a stumbling block to others.  What we do as a Christian says to others that what you are doing is acceptable to God.  We have a great responsibility as Christians to be a Christ-like witness to others.  Everything we do is a reflection on Christ Himself.  We don’t want to get to heaven and realize someone is not there because of our misjudgment that caused a tragic “accident” in their lives and they were eternally lost.  I think all of us have been there and done things that have not been the right kind of witness to others.  And I praise the Lord for His forgiveness.  We need to stay so connected with Christ that we reflect Him perfectly.

Dear Father,

We are faulty human beings.  Forgive us for those failures that have caused others to stumble.  Help us to stay so connected to You that we will reflect You perfectly because without You we are nothing.  Thank You that You never leave us or forsake us.  Be with those we may have injured in this life and draw their hearts to You.  Bring someone into their lives that will show them a good example of You.  Give us an opportunity to be that person again, reflecting You in the right way.  Thank You for Your patience and everlasting love.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Fully surrender your life to Him today so that you can perfectly reflect Him.  Remember He does that work; we just need to allow Him.

Love you all.

How has God worked in your life and showed you the way?  I would love to hear your reflections.

 

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“Are You Aligned Or Do You Need To Adjust?”

Have you ever planned your day?  You have everything lined up exactly in a way that should make everything go smoothly.  But then things start happening and your day is falling apart.  It can be so frustrating.  It may be so disastrous that you don’t even want to start another day.

I work at a print shop and run the digital.  We often have a two-sided card, flyer, postcard, etc. to print.  Most of the paper I run is too heavy to duplex.  Besides, it takes longer to print when you duplex.  So I run one side at a time.  Now when you are setting up for printing it is very important that you have a gutter and crop marks.  This makes it a lot easier for the guys that have to cut things out.  We may be printing a sheet of business cards 20 up on a sheet and they need to have the marks to know where to cut.

Once I am done printing the first side I take the paper and replace it back in the drawer for printing the second side.  You start by printing one so you can check to make sure you put the paper incorrectly.  You don’t want the picture on the second side to be upside down.  On the most part I know, now, how to put the paper in so it is rarely put in the wrong.  There are exceptions when designs are out of the ordinary.

The other thing that I am looking for is to see if my gutter and crop marks are aligned.  I take a utility knife and cut the crop mark on the front and look at the back and see if it came through at the crop mark on the back.  If not there is a problem.  If I sent it back for the guys to cut without it being aligned right there would be things cut off the back side that should not be cut off.  It may cut off words, pictures, logos, etc and it would not be acceptable to the client.

If my crop marks are not aligned I have to go onto my computer and make some adjustments until they are perfectly aligned.

It made me start to think about our spiritual lives.  We need to be aligned with God.  I picture myself on one side of the picture and Jesus and His Word on the other side.  The gutter and crop marks need to be aligned.  If they are not then I need to do some adjusting in my life.  When I am adjusting the alignment in the print shop sometimes it takes a couple or more times to get it just right.  I think in our spiritual walk it is the same way.  We do some adjusting in our lives thinking that we are aligned but then we realize we need even more adjusting.  In our walk with God, we will be always adjusting as we learn more and more.

In the print shop if I were to send something back to the cutters to cut without those gutters and crop marks it can be disastrous.  But a lot of times they can cut things out if they realize to start with that they are not aligned.  It takes painstaking time and a lot of times the objects may end up a little smaller than planned.  In our spiritual lives if we don’t stay aligned with God He works to reach our hearts with means that may not be so pleasant.  There will be a cutting away process that is painful.  And we may come out a little “smaller” than if we would have chosen His route to start with.  There will be wounds that He wanted us to be able to avoid.  But often we go on in our stubborn ways and think we know better.

The question is, “how do I get aligned with God?”  It starts with having a relationship with Him.  We can’t get to know someone and build a relationship with him or her without spending time.  We need to spend time with God so that we can get to know Him.  We need to spend time in His Word and in prayer with Him.  Prayer is a two-way conversation.  We often pour our hearts out to God but we forget to be silent and listen.

  • Spend time in His Word with much prayer. Reading God’s Word is the way to get to know Him.  I recently ran across some information that I believe can be helpful to you on how to study your Bible.  This can make it easy and fun.  It is “How to Study the Bible With the 5RS Method”, by Alicia Michelle.
    • Read the verse. This is pretty simple you just read whatever verse you have picked out.  I think starting with the book of Proverbs may be a good place to start.  Pick a chapter and go for it, starting with one verse each day.
    • Rewrite the verse. Then you write it down.
    • Restate the verse. Here you will restate the verse using different words that still convey the same message.  You are just expressing it in a different way that may make it more meaningful to you.  You can do this by taking each of the words and finding synonyms.
    • Relate the verse. Take a moment and really think about what this verse is about and how it can apply to your life.  What are you learning in this verse that you want to put in action?
    • Respond to the verse. This area involves prayer.  Responding to the verse through prayer.  Asking God’s help with what action you want to make in changing your life.

These are some easy things we can do that can help us get aligned with God.  As we learn and follow what the Lord teaches us we will grow in Him.

Dear Father,

As we study Your Word send Your Spirit to enlighten our hearts.  Convict us on what changes we need to make so that we can be aligned with You.  Thank You for Your love and forgiveness.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Get into the Word today.  Make it a daily habit.  You will draw closer to Him and be aligned with Him as You study the light and take heed to the light.

Love you all.

What is your method of connecting with God and becoming more aligned to Him?