God's Not Dead

I watched the movie God’s Not Dead tonight. The intellectual argument part was good but so not might thing as I just can’t process what someone is saying that has so much profound stuff in it without hearing it again and again or reading it so I can really process the words. In any case, it was a very good movie. I looked outside and saw the sun had just set behind the mountains but some sunshine was still coming through the clouds making a beautiful display so I decided I would take a walk with God. Along this walk God brought it to my attention that we are on a journey like a person walking down a path, we are going to encounter people and situations as we go along each day. God is working in us in each and every one of those people and/or situations that happens in each of our days. He is showering love on us, convicting us of our sins, drawing us to come closer to Him, encouraging us, bringing us wisdom, reminding us about Himself and His love, and so much more. Each day in everything we do God is working in and through us. He may be bringing us wisdom and strengthening of our faith as we read His Word or He may be giving you the encouraging words to say to a friend or motivating you to smile to a stranger who looks like they could use a smile from someone. Each day is filled with God’s work. How much more can we grow as believers if on our journey we take a moment with God to stop and reflect on our day, the people we encountered, the situations we were in, the conversations we had or didn’t have. We should be asking ourselves at the end of each day, what work has God done in me today? and what more can I learn and do tomorrow?

The Dreaded Question

I met a new client for my senior care provider job yesterday. She and her husband were warm and friendly. As she was showing me around their house and discussing what I would be doing, she asked the dreaded question, "when are you due?" Okay, now I have been battling this issue my entire life. Even when I was a skinny teenager, I still had a bump of a stomach. It is just the way God made me. It can be more pronounced with my posture and clothing and if you are viewing me from the side as she was. The last time this happened was in church a couple of years ago. I ended up crying silently beside the woman who asked the question no woman wants to hear when there isn't any possibility of it being true. But this time was different. I was able to handle it all with grace given to me by God to smile and shrug it off as nothing but a sweet lady that loves babies. It is a testimony to the power of the Holy Spirit and his work in me to see this progress in my response to this question that has plagued my life. It's okay because God made me this way and he loves every part of me, pot-bellied stomach and all.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 237

How often have people put on other requirements to be saved? My first thought in reading chapter 15 of Acts was ‘why does this matter to me, I am not Jewish nor ever was. But letting this Word from God stew in my mind all day, God showed me that it does matter because tho it isn’t circumcision there is always something that Satan will use to make us think the cross and Jesus aren’t enough, that we can’t possibly be worthy. No we are not and never can be without the grace of Jesus covering our sin and making us holy like him so we can be in God’s presence. Our own minds and thoughts can lead us towards the wrong path, the one where we are trying too hard to save ourselves. So what do we do? We acknowledge Jesus as our savior, ask God for forgiveness and thank Him for being saved through Jesus Christ.

Father, forgive me for thinking I can do whatever it takes to be in your presence. Thank you for the gift of Jesus and taking the burden from me. I am saved by grace…by grace alone. Amen.

Acts 15:9-11 He made no distinction between us and them for he purified their heart by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 155

My bible study group is studying the book of Hebrews which I have read is one of the books that seem to be avoided because it makes you really face yourself and your walk with the Lord. The latest section we have studied is about how Jesus is greater than Aaron the High Priest. I never have thought of Jesus as anything but above us all in everyway so reading this you begin to understand a bit of how difficult it was for early believers especially those who grew up with the teachings of the Old Testament. All they knew is they would go to the High Priest to offer their sacrifice for grace to be given. One of the things that distinguish Jesus from other High Priests is how we can go to him anytime and anywhere and receive both mercy and grace. The Israelites couldn’t do this with their High Priest. This definition from the commentary by Warren W Wiersbe is so revealing: “Mercy means that God does not give us what we do deserve; grace means that He gives us what we do not deserve.” How awesome it is to have a Priest and King we can approach anytime and anywhere in every circumstance who will give us the grace and mercy we need because he loves us so.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits-Challenge-Day 100

I woke up yesterday not feeling so great. A head cold had descended into the left side of my head. With now three of us, sniffling, sneezing and coughing, we chose to stay home and watch our church service on the internet. I had it planned to go to my friend’s house about 3pm to take my first test. I should have re-scheduled! I wasn’t thinking clearly. I had not reviewed a vital section of the course and after starting the test I knew I was in trouble. I missed about 11-12 out of 50. Ugh. I don’t know at this point if I will be required to re-take the test or not. My husband was the first to give me words of encouragement. It’s been 20+ years since I took a test so I have to give myself some grace and move on. I know the devil wants me to think I can’t do this but I know I can with God’s help and a little time to get back those study skills from my young college days. So, I will keep fighting the fight, be thoroughly prepared and will be victorious with the next test.

Philippians 1:6 …being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 32

I read a book over the last couple days called Crossroads by William Paul Young the writer of the well-known book The Shack. The Shack was so enthralling a story that I knew I had to get and read this newest book. I wasn’t disappointed! I don’t want to give away the whole story but suffice it to say it takes you through a journey of one person who because of the suffering in his life built up walls and hated God. On the journey he learns about himself, God and love and tears down the walls with forgiveness and grace and learns to love like Jesus. If you love page-turner kinds of books, this is one you must read! It really demonstrates all the key points in learning to love: forgiveness, letting go, other-centered vs self-centered, acceptance, not on your own but with the help of Jesus and so on. I know I will be reading this book again and again. Praising God for his unfathomable love for us and the gift of this writer who wrote a story that shares with us the power of love.

John 15:13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 17

The next part of the phrase in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-13 is “it (love) keeps no record of wrongs”. I keep thinking of a judge looking at a list of crimes with the defendant standing before him. I hope that there aren’t people out there like that who hold our sins over us but we are only human. I don’t necessarily think that it’s that you remember the sins but that those wrongs are still affecting you in a negative way especially towards the sinner. Sins aren’t going to be erased from our memories but with the Holy Spirit we can erase the negative affects through grace and mercy.

If you harbor any memories of sins against you that bring a bad taste to your mouth, perhaps it is time for some Holy Spirit mouthwash. Let the Holy Spirit help you to have mercy and grace for those who have sinned against you. And as Jesus tells us, it is not about the number of times we forgive someone but that we do.

Matthew 18:22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruit Challenge

Today begins a new year's goal of working with the Holy Spirit and being filled with His fruits each day. I am going to focus on one particular fruit for 6-week segments. They always say in trying to change yourself or break a habit or create a new one you need at least 14 days. Well, I always need a lot more than that if I want to make it a new thing that really sticks with me. I am just going in the order based on the scripture from Galations so we will be starting with “LOVE”. There are so many things to talk about when it comes to this subject but I am going to start us off with the topic of what blocks us from truly loving God and others. That would be SIN. I think one of the most challenging things is recognizing our sins for what they are. I found this list of 667 sins in the bible on-line at http://www.scribd.com/doc/14087682/667-Sins-in-the-Holy-Bible  I would suggest you read through these as a way to start that recognition process. It certainly opened my eyes. Remember Sin separates us from God. Though we have been saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, we must work at our relationship with God by asking for His forgiveness everyday and asking Him to help us forgive others. To love we must forgive first.

Let us pray this prayer everyday:  Father of all, because of your love, I am saved. I am sorry for my sins of this past day especially the sin of (name the sin). Please wash over your grace upon me and take away my sins. Make me clean and fresh for the new day before me. Help me to forgive as you have forgiven me. Guide me in taking away this blockage of sin that keeps me from loving you and others as you want me to. For with you all things are possible. Amen and Amen.

(**note** I will post all prayers on the new prayer tab for daily reference)

Jeremiah 5:25 says, "Your sins and iniquities prevent good things from happening to you."

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 251

I found myself last night tossing and turning with a song stuck in my head by Tenth Avenue North called Losing. Sometime in the early morning hours, with that song still going in my head and my head starting to hurt a little, I had a total flash of insight that came from God. I was very angry yesterday when I heard the news that I would have to be moving to another desk. It's not the moving part that is annoying; it's the fact that it will be to another in the same room. It will be a complete waste of my time and just make me further behind than I already am from being on vacation. It makes no sense to me but the owner has established assigned seating. I feel so micro-managed that it just hurts. I and all of my co-workers feel pretty much the same way about the new owner. We don't like him or what he is doing. It's created havoc, stress and makes us all feel disrespected and unappreciated. My feelings about this man are not good. Let's just leave it at that. However, my flash of insight last night as I sang the song in my head with these words:

Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them
Cause I feel like the one losin'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjSA62YQBY8
Thank you Lord for speaking to me through this song about my own situation and about my need for grace to forgive.

Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? “Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 222

Yesterday at work, a co-worker suddenly exclaimed, "Oh I just got bit!". My thought and reply was immediately by what? She said it was a noseeum bug. A what?????!!! I was not the only one of us that have never heard of such a thing. I texted my husband. Nope never heard of it. He said it sounded like a joke an elementary school kid would make up. The next alarm company representative that called. Nope she hadn't heard of them either but said that's probably where the mysterious red bumps come from?! I made it into a time with a lot of laughs like it was a Friday afternoon before a weekend. The really funny thing is when I was getting dressed for bed last night what do I see.  Little red bumps on my leg in various places. Oh my gosh! They are for real! You can't see them. Don't know when they are biting you but the proof is right there in the little red bumps. I think some of our sins are like that. You don't see them for what they are. You don't realize you are getting bit by them because you have done them since forever that its just a normal thing to you. But eventually you see the proof of those sins... Like the little red bumps from the noseeum bug, they can multiple and eventually you could be covered with sins. Thankfully, we have Jesus who washes away our sins. He heals the little red bumps that are all over us.  He took those little red bumps onto himself the day he died for us on the cross. I started thinking what are the sins that I don't see and did a little research on sins. I found a list with 667 sins from the bible listed with the bible refrences.  List of Sins   It was overwhelming as I skimmed through the list. I kept up my research and found this article that made a very good point about how we can't quantify sins but must look to Jesus and go by what he told us. Find the Answer Here  Lord, I thank you for your saving grace and the gift of Jesus. Thank you for healing me of all the little red bumps each day, for washing away my sins.  I am covered with Christ.  Praise to God!
Galations 3:24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.

Noseeums are real!

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 8

Our sermon on Sunday was about the often skipped through part of the gospel of Matthew on the geneology of Jesus. It's a lot of names to read through. A significant part to this geneology was the inclusion of 4 women. It these times for the Jews they did not include women in this type of thing with the exception of if they were godly women who in one way or another made the geneolgy better. The four women in Matthew's genelogy were not considered 'godly', some were obvious sinners like Tamar who plays the harlot to get her dead husband's father to sleep with her so she could get pregnant. Than, there is Rahab the harlot and there is another woman who is only named by her associations and we know to be Bathsheba who commits adultery with David. And finally there is Ruth, who was what we might consider a 'godly' woman but in her time she was only seen as a Moabite, a foreiner and enemy of the Jews. The inclusion of these women in the geneology of Jesus is already showing us the gift of grace in a suprising way. I am praising the Lord today for His glorious gift of grace and for seeing this truth in His Word. Though I am a sinner, I am forgiven.

John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.