Did You Know?!

Did you know that God Loves You?!  Yes, that's what I said.  God Loves You!!!  It doesn't matter what you've done, or who you've been, or what's happened to you in your life or where you've been, God Loves You.  He loved you so much that he sent his One and Only Son Jesus Christ to pay the price for all of those things in your life that you look at and say, "Look at what I've done, God wouldn't want me".  

The truth of the matter is that he Loves you and he wants you to put your hands up to Him and say, "I am Yours.  Take me and make me into the person you want me to be".  He's waiting for you to quit trying to work your way into heaven. There is no way that any of us, from the best, to the worst, can work our way to heaven.  We just can't do it.  God knew that we couldn't do it, but He had a plan, and that plan played itself out in the life of His son Jesus Christ.

The truth is, we in our own strength could never make ourselves good enough, but right now he is holding out his hand, and waiting for you to accept His free gift of eternal life.  What was that free gift?  The gift of the Cross.  Jesus went to the Cross and became the atonement for our sin, and wrong doings.  He paid the penalty.  What do we have to do to recieve this free gift?  Open our hearts up, and accept what he did for us, and let Him come into our lives and let Him change you from the inside out.  He will fill you so full of love that it will spill over and affect those around you.

It doesn't matter who you are, what you've done, or where you've been in life, God wants you to accept this free gift that He is offering.  He's waiting for you to say Yes to Him... He Loves You, and wants you to have this gift.  You don't have to make yourself perfect, or good enough first.  It can't be done.  Accept the Grace of God, and He will give it freely, because He Loves You! 

John 3:16-18

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Open Our Eyes To God's Way

We always talk about what God can do for us, and that's all well and good, but why not think and talk about what God can to through us if we just Open ourselves to him, and let him lead.  Many times we want to be in control, and do it our way, or do what We think should be done, without asking Him what should be done, or how he wants it done.

 Many times when things don't go the way we want it to go, we blame God, and say he didn't do his job, when in fact we were doing a job that wasn't ours to do in the first place.  Many times we get angry with God because he's not answering our prayers, but we have already envisioned the way in which God is supposed to answer our prayers, and he has a different vision as to how he's going to answer.  We get angry and impatient because we want to see things happen right away, when God is trying to do something even greater that we can't see.  

Let's open our eyes to what God is doing, and try to see the bigger picture.  Let's not have tunnel vision, and try to put God in a box.  When we do that, we limit God.  That box is too small for him, and he doesn't like being put in that box.

Just remember, there are times that what we want may not be the Best that God has for us.  What we want is mediocre compared to what God is doing, and what he has for us.  Let's learn to Trust in Him, and to not lean on our own understanding.  His ways are greater than our ways, and we may not always understand correctly what he's doing.  

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Just A Few Thoughts On Love: God's Style

I looked up the word love in the Bible dictionary, and after reading the rather lengthy definition, I realized that His love is so vast that I can't even begin to fathom it.  I am always amazed at what Jesus did for us at Calvary.  He went to the Cross out of love for us.  He didn't have to do it, but he did.  He made the largest sacrifice.  I sometimes wonder if I would do the same for him.  Then I remember that if I am operating in His love, then yes, I would be able to do the same.

We are to let God's love flow through us to those around us.  With His love we will be able to have an effect on a hurting and dying world.  If we are able to love with the Love of Christ we will not sit in judgement over the lost, but we will be reaching out to them.  When we try to do things with our imperfect human love we at some point come to a screeching halt, because it can't go where our Lord's perfect love can go.

God's perfect love casts out fear.  If we let his love cover us, and flow through us to those around us, then we will be able to overcome the fear that is within us.  His love also means that he can show mercy where we will, in our own imperfect love would not be able to do so.  With his love flowing through us, forgiving others will come easier than if we were working in our own imperfect love.

When I hear that song How High, How Deep, How Wide Is Your Love, I am reminded that his love is an everlasting love that will never end.  It's always there, and he loved me even before I was born.  He had a plan for my life before I was born.  He knew everything that would happen to me in this life, and he already knew everything about me, and he Loved me.  He loves me more than any person could ever love me, and I know that because he loves me, I can come to him with anything and he will never leave me, no matter what it is.  He loves me enough to let me know when I am grieving him, and he helps me to make any and all changes in my life that need to be made.

God is love, and he love you so much that he sent his son to die on the Cross to pay the penalty for any and all sins that you could ever commit.  If you are feeling like you could never be loved by God, or that maybe you've messed your life up so much that he would never accept you, then I want you to know that there is nothing that you could do that would make him not accept you.  He already loves you and wants you to come to him, and grab a hold of his love, and let him take over in the drivers seat of your life.  If you let Him take over you will have the biggest big brother ever, and he will always be there for you.

May God bless you...

Our Main Focus

I was watching something on TV today, it was a Christian show called, Praise The Lord, when something struck me.  I've been doing it wrong all along.  I've been doing things for others, but my focus in doing them was wrong.  Instead of doing things for others to get recognition from them, I should be doing everything I do as unto the Lord.  I shouldn't be looking for recognition from the people that I do things for, but I should be looking to God for everything.  When I do something for another person, I should do the best job that I can do, with my eyes toward heaven, and fixed on Jesus.  If I do things with a worldly point of view then I will be disappointed, because the world isn't always as thankful, and ready to be greatful for the things that I might do.

I also think that if we look at worship as a once a week thing that we do on Sunday morning, then we are going to be greatly limited in our walk with the Lord.  Worship should be an everyday, every minute thing.  We should go about our day and give our whole being, and day to the Lord as an act of worship every day.  Worship is not just about singing Praise to the Lord, but it's is all about an attitude.  It's all about having our being completely consumed by the Lord, and doing His will.  

I must say that I've been looking at this incorrectly for quite some time, and I need to make some changes in the way I see things, and how I do things.  I need a complete attitude change.  Not only do I need to do everything I do as unto the Lord, I need to do everything I do as an act of worship.  God is Good.  Thank you Lord for helping me to see this, and help me to make these changes.  Amen!

Forgiveness

Forgiveness--You've heard the term forgive and forget... I've always wondered how that could be done, but now I realize that forget doesn't mean that you should forget that it ever happened, it's more of a thing where you leave the pain, anger, and what ever other bad feelings you might have behind and go forward.  If we try to wipe something from our memory like God does, we will be frustrated, because that's not possible.  We can, however, put it behind us, and it can be used in a positive way to help others who might be going through the same thing.  Forgiveness is something that we all must do in order to live a victorious life.  I remember having a long period of unforgiveness, which brought about bitterness, anger, resentment, and finally depression.  Only when I started forgiving did I start finding my way out of the dark hole I found myself in.


Matthew 18:22
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.


Matthew 18:35
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.


So God doesn't like it when we are unforgiving.  There is a condition of forgiveness.  If we don't forgive then He doesn't forgive.


Reading for Reflection....


Never tire of forgiving, and so give the devil no hold.  Be merciful and compassionate, spontaneously and whole heartedly.  The Lord forgives you all day long;  in the silence of your heart, then, do the same, untiringly and sincerely.  ~From The Jerusalem Community Rule of Life by Pierre-Marie Delfieny.

We are not compassionate, forgiving people simply by reason of our birth.  We learn to forgive as we learn to love, beginning with early role models, continuing through life experiences and with reflection on the ways in which we respond.  Compassion is not a gift.  It is an attractive quality that we may wish to choose for our lives.  Like courage, it is born of a series of choices we make to forgive or not forgive, to love or not to love.  Courage, along with love and forgiveness, shows itself in adversity.  ~From Growing Strong at Broken Places by Paula Ripple.

My thoughts--Forgiveness is an interesting thing.  Without it there is no healing.  The way I see it healing starts with forgiveness and a willingness to put the hurt and pain behind us, and move forward.  Once we've been able to do so, then we are much better prepared to help other through to a place of healing.  Jesus forgave all the way to the point of death and beyond.  Because of that, I should be able to forgive others.

It's Broken, But It's Beautiful

This all started with something a friend of mine said to me while we were walking on the beach this week.  She said as we looked at a broken shell on the ground, "It's broken, but it's still beautiful."  That statement hit me and I pondered it the rest of the afternoon.

I think that at the point when we become our most vulnerable and open to God and what he has to say is when we are broken and on our face before him.  We may be in a broken state, but what he see's is beauty, because he can see his plan for us, and he can see that we have become pliable, and moldable, and he can start his work in us.

You see, if we never come to a point where we become broken, and spilled out, then we never become soft enough for God to transform us into the person that we are to be.  No one ever see's what's inside, and the beauty of the Lord will never shine out from us.  If you are in a place of brokenness right now, know that you are beautiful.  You may not be able to see it, but God does, and others do also.  
Broken And Spilled Out by Steve Green
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPXAju9z7Cs

Perseverance or Patience

James 1:2-4

New International Version (NIV)

 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

King James Version (KJV)

 2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

I put both versions, because one says perseverance, and the other says patience.  I like the word perseverance here, although the word patience is a good word also.

Perseverance is an interesting thing to me.  It's the hardest thing to do, but yet without it you don't learn and grow to maturity in faith.  The way we learn perseverance is when we go through trials.  The Lord may test my faith at times, but holding on and keeping faith and persevering through the trial will make my faith stronger, because I an exercising it.

Faith isn't just believing that God is who he says he is.  Faith is believing that he can do what he says he can do, and trusting him to do it.  Faith is continuing to trust even when you don't think you can continue, because you want an answer now, or you don't understand why God has said no.  It takes persevering through trials in order to make this faith grow.

Word of Jesus

John 3:14-17

 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3:16 is probably one of the most used verses in the Bible.  It's the first verse that I ever learned by heart.  I find the verse after it, verse 17, to have a great deal of significance also.  He wasn't sent to condemn the world, but that the wourl might, through him, be saved.  Jesus knew what his purpose was, and why he was here, and I believe in these 4 verses, he was telling Nicodemus what that purpose was.  I believe there was a purposed to everything he said and did while he was here on earth.  In this little talk with Nicodemus he seems to have revealed that purpose to Nicodemus.

In verses 14-17 Jesus pretty much lays out the plan God has for his life.   When he says, "evenso must the Son of man be lifted up", he was talking about himself on the cross, and then in 15 and 16 he talks about what the benefit for man would be.  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  Then he goes on to say that he wasn't there to condemn, but to save.  

Every time I read these verses, I am reminded of what Jesus did on the cross, and the sacrifice he made so that I could be reconsiled with God the Father.  He didn't have to do it, but he did, because he loved us so much.  His love for us is what held him to the cross, and it's why we can have a personal, and vital relationship with God, not just God the Father, but with God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit also.  

It starts with having faith enough to believe that Jesus died for our sins, and that through Him we have eternal life.  It starts with letting him take the wheel and letting him drive us in the direction that he needs us to go, and trusting him for the strength, endurance, and faith to make it through.

Just A Few Thoughts On Praising God During Trials.

This is just me talking, and giving a few tips.  I don't have any certain scriptures, except maybe the whole book of Psalms.  What did David do when he was down.  Just read his Psalms and you will see.  Even when he didn't feel like it, there was always praise on his lips to the Lord.  He was always thankful, and praising God, even in the midst of his troubles.

I figure if David was able to do that, then I should be able to praise the Lord, even when I'm in the midst of a trial.  So I started doing this, not just when I'm feeling good, and everything is going right, but also in my down times.  I will still go through the trials of life, we all do, but when I praise Him through the trial, I find that the weight of oppression is lifted from me, and I am able to walk.

If I praise the Lord, and I focus on Him, then my eyes are on Him, and not on me, or the trial that is in front of me, and He is bigger than any trial that I might be going through.  He is big enough to carry me through and keep me from drowning in my trials.  He can carry me through to the other side, and put me back on solid ground, because he is our foundation...

Romans 3:23-25

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

 Ok, I thought I'd just look at what a few of these words mean in order to give a better understanding of these verses.

First, lets look at the words have sinned:  The Greek word is hamartano.  The general definition is to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), (figurative) to err, especially (moral) to sin:--for your faults, offend, sin, trespass.

to miss the mark, swerve from the way.  In the NT, used metaphorically:

The definition connected with this verse in particular is ... Generally, to sin, spoken of any sin, used in an absolute sense.

So basically this is saying that we have all missed the mark, none of us has hit the bullseye, so to speak.  We've all fallen short of a perfect score, and have erred.

Second, lets look at the word glory:  Since I'm not exactly sure which part of the definition goes with this verse, I picked one that most closely fits.  Of that exalted state of blissful perfection which is the portion of those who dwell with God in heaven.  As spoken of Christ and including the idea of His royal majesty as Messiah, and of glorified saints, i.e. salvation, eternal life.

So far, I see that anything that I do to earn salvation can and will not give me what I'm looking for, because I, in my own doing, can never be perfect enough.  I fall short of God's Glory, or God's perfection.

Third, lets look at the word freely:  In the Greek this word is dorean.  This word means without a cause, freely, for naught, in vain.

We have been justified without cause, in other words, he didn't have to do it, but he did.  By His Grace...

Fourth, lets take a look at the word grace:  The Greek word for grace is charis.  Also spoken of the grace which God exercises toward us, the unmerited favour which he shows in saving us from sin.

When we look at this grace, we find that we didn't do anything to earn it.  It is unmerited favour that he shows toward us.

Fifth, lets lat a look at the word propitiation:  The Greek word for propitiation is hilasterion.  This word means "an atoning victim"

Jesus was that atoning victim.  He was the sacrificial lamb.  Through faith in His blood, we are washed clean.  We are freed from sin's hold on us.

Sixth, lets take a look at the word remission:  The Greek word for remission is paresis.  To let pass by, A letting pass, remission in the sense of overlooking, not punishing.  Used only in Romans 3:25  Paresis differs from aphesis, which implies pardon or forgiveness, i.e. not just an absence of punishment, but the removal of guilt.

Wow, so through faith in His blood we are granted remission of sins.  That means that, not only is there no punishment, but he removes the guilt of that sin from us.  We are, in a sense, truly washed clean.

Lastly, lets take a look at the word forbearance:  The Greek word for forbearance is anoche.  Self-restraint, i.e. tolerance:--forbearance.  From anecho, to bear with, suffer.  Forbearance, a holding back, delay.  In the NT, self-restraint, forbearance, patience.

Wow, I like this word.  Our sins pass through the forbearance of God.  That means he holds back, and uses self restraint, and patience.  He must have a great deal of patience.

So, Every one falls short of Gods Grace.  There is no way, in our own endeavors, that we can earn this grace that God gives as a free gift to anyone who will accept Him as their propitiation, or atoning sacrifice.  We can have remission of sin, which is much more than just a pardon, or forgiveness, or an absence of punishment, but it is also the removal of guilt.  His Blood washes away, not just the sin, but the guilt from that sin.  What Jesus did for us when he went to the Cross is more than any man can do for himself.  We need that atoning blood to wash us clean, because we are not perfect enough, nor will we ever be perfect enough to make it to heaven, and to earn the Grace of God on our own.  Jesus paid the price, all we need to do is accept Him as our atoning sacrifice, by faith, and be washed clean.  Then we are a new creation in Christ Jesus.