Christmas is in 11 days! There are Christmas-y things to do! Like going to see Christmas lights. Going to church Christmas events like musicals/dramas. Decorating the house with Christmas tree, lights (oh wait, we haven't put up our lights yet...), house decorations. Going shopping. Baking cookies. Wrapping presents. Decorating. Visiting family. Get ready to cook for Christmas Dinner. Cook Christmas Dinner. Clean up after Christmas Dinner :( But wait...among all of the things to do what's the one thing we should be most pressed to do?
It's the same thing we should be doing year round! It's...thanking Jesus for coming as a baby! Thank God for sending Him! Thank the Holy Spirit for being with Him during His time here in ministry! Thank you GOD for Jesus! Jesus is the reason for this season means more than just a beautiful slogan. He really is the reason this holiday even exists!
It's in memory of the beginning of His time here on earth as all man and God at the same time. We cap our celebration of Jesus' ministry while on earth with Easter. So, Christmas is the first celebration in memory of Jesus' ministry and Easter is the second celebration in memory of Jesus' ministry. Christmas is my most favorite time of year! I love all of the celebratory things that we do but, it's so important that we remember why we celebrate it in the first place! So, Happy Birthday Jesus!
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Thank you for reading all of my Thought's of Days in 2014! I may post at least another one before the end of the year, but just in case I get too busy (which we're all pretty busy this time of year) I want to say thanks! Love you! Praying for all of you my dear friends!!! May God continue to bless all of you & Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Building or Tearing Down?
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ’Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5 (ESV)
It’s really easy to point out the faults in others, isn’t it? There are hidden lists of faults of people in our personal lives tucked away in our hearts and minds. The minute one of them messes up we quickly add their blunder to their list of faults. These lists of past blunders can sometimes be added up and then we have several blunders we keep holding on to for years and years. The purpose of building these lists of faults is due to the unwillingness to forgive and let go. What we do is use these lists of faults (usually during a heated “discussion”) against them. The list of past offenses and or faults starts to fly out of our mouths faster than anyone can blink. That’s when words like “always,” or “never,” or “here we go,” are used.
These words, among many other negative words can quickly become harmful. We neglect to realize that these words can tear down instead of build up a person. Our need to win, or to prove that we are right at any cost can quickly cost us the closeness of the relationship we have with the other person. We tend to forget that God is paying close attention to how we are managing our “discussions.” We do however notice when our feelings get hurt. The words that are told to us, that is if the other person is willing to say anything at all back to us, are the ones that we tend to focus on more. Why is that?
Are any of us free of any faults? No. Are any of us willing to admit that having to always be right or the need to win a “discussion” is a fault in and of itself? What did Jesus mean in Matthew 7:1-5? Is it that we can’t point out anyone’s faults at all? No. We can but, we need to first look at ourselves, really look at ourselves with the same type of measurement or expectation we have for everyone else. Let’s build up our loved ones instead of tearing them down. ‘“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’” John 13:34-35
It’s really easy to point out the faults in others, isn’t it? There are hidden lists of faults of people in our personal lives tucked away in our hearts and minds. The minute one of them messes up we quickly add their blunder to their list of faults. These lists of past blunders can sometimes be added up and then we have several blunders we keep holding on to for years and years. The purpose of building these lists of faults is due to the unwillingness to forgive and let go. What we do is use these lists of faults (usually during a heated “discussion”) against them. The list of past offenses and or faults starts to fly out of our mouths faster than anyone can blink. That’s when words like “always,” or “never,” or “here we go,” are used.
These words, among many other negative words can quickly become harmful. We neglect to realize that these words can tear down instead of build up a person. Our need to win, or to prove that we are right at any cost can quickly cost us the closeness of the relationship we have with the other person. We tend to forget that God is paying close attention to how we are managing our “discussions.” We do however notice when our feelings get hurt. The words that are told to us, that is if the other person is willing to say anything at all back to us, are the ones that we tend to focus on more. Why is that?
Are any of us free of any faults? No. Are any of us willing to admit that having to always be right or the need to win a “discussion” is a fault in and of itself? What did Jesus mean in Matthew 7:1-5? Is it that we can’t point out anyone’s faults at all? No. We can but, we need to first look at ourselves, really look at ourselves with the same type of measurement or expectation we have for everyone else. Let’s build up our loved ones instead of tearing them down. ‘“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’” John 13:34-35
Monday, November 3, 2014
Really?
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:34 (MSG Bible)
"Really?"
Okay, I don't know about you, my dear friends, but I'm in a state of shock here. Is the year really almost over!!! It's November!!! What! Really???
Our youngest the other day happily said this to me, "Mom, in about a month and a half it's Christmas! I can't wait!" The look on my face surprised him. I was shocked. I just didn't put the math together. December 25th is quickly approaching which means that the New Year is quickly approaching too! Really?
I pretty sure I'm not the only one in the world that's shocked by how fast the clock seems to be ticking. Time seems to disappear. Our way of life not just here in the States but in most of the world has changed dramatically in just the last twenty years. Everyone seems to be busy all of the time. "Down time" is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Who has time to stop and take it easy?
It seems as though every other person I speak to is so busy. They're exhausted almost all of the time. When I suggest they take it easy they look at me like my son did. Like I'm clueless. I live in this world too. I know how stressful life can get. I know that there are "twenty-million things to do" just about all of the time.
Thing is, I have had to learn how to slow it down. I'm easy going by nature so it wasn't too difficult for me to learn how to slow down but, I did have to work at it, still do. It's all in our perspective. If we look at our lives as a never-ending-to-do-list then that is exactly what it will be. But, if we look at our lives as something precious, a gift that had a start date (our birthday) but an end date was not given then that's what our lives will be, a precious gift.
We know our birthdays but we do not know when our last day on this earth will be. I'm actually thankful that I don't know. Life would seem too sad. Every day would be one day closer to the end. No, I'm happy not knowing but, I also know that I shouldn't live as if there is no tomorrow. That means that I can take today for granted and expect a tomorrow. That is also not a good way to live.
The Bible teaches us to live our lives one day at a time. Sound familiar? We know it in our heads that we need to enjoy every day that we are given. We know in our heads that we need to stop and smell the roses. But, do we know it in our hearts? Are our hearts and mind connected to the fact that every day well lived is a day lived well? Does that make sense? What I'm trying to say is it's one thing to know and its another to live it out.
"Really?"
Okay, I don't know about you, my dear friends, but I'm in a state of shock here. Is the year really almost over!!! It's November!!! What! Really???
Our youngest the other day happily said this to me, "Mom, in about a month and a half it's Christmas! I can't wait!" The look on my face surprised him. I was shocked. I just didn't put the math together. December 25th is quickly approaching which means that the New Year is quickly approaching too! Really?
I pretty sure I'm not the only one in the world that's shocked by how fast the clock seems to be ticking. Time seems to disappear. Our way of life not just here in the States but in most of the world has changed dramatically in just the last twenty years. Everyone seems to be busy all of the time. "Down time" is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Who has time to stop and take it easy?
It seems as though every other person I speak to is so busy. They're exhausted almost all of the time. When I suggest they take it easy they look at me like my son did. Like I'm clueless. I live in this world too. I know how stressful life can get. I know that there are "twenty-million things to do" just about all of the time.
Thing is, I have had to learn how to slow it down. I'm easy going by nature so it wasn't too difficult for me to learn how to slow down but, I did have to work at it, still do. It's all in our perspective. If we look at our lives as a never-ending-to-do-list then that is exactly what it will be. But, if we look at our lives as something precious, a gift that had a start date (our birthday) but an end date was not given then that's what our lives will be, a precious gift.
We know our birthdays but we do not know when our last day on this earth will be. I'm actually thankful that I don't know. Life would seem too sad. Every day would be one day closer to the end. No, I'm happy not knowing but, I also know that I shouldn't live as if there is no tomorrow. That means that I can take today for granted and expect a tomorrow. That is also not a good way to live.
The Bible teaches us to live our lives one day at a time. Sound familiar? We know it in our heads that we need to enjoy every day that we are given. We know in our heads that we need to stop and smell the roses. But, do we know it in our hearts? Are our hearts and mind connected to the fact that every day well lived is a day lived well? Does that make sense? What I'm trying to say is it's one thing to know and its another to live it out.
Monday, October 20, 2014
News!
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34
It seems as though more and more people are worried about the world these days. There's a whole lot going on everywhere. The world is pretty chaotic but, we need to remember that what is on the news does not surprise God. We may be shocked with the news but God knows all things. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Turn to His Word before you turn to the news. It's what helps us to stay focused on God and the fact that God is our good news, day in and day out!
The following is the whole passage on worry:
"25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)
It seems as though more and more people are worried about the world these days. There's a whole lot going on everywhere. The world is pretty chaotic but, we need to remember that what is on the news does not surprise God. We may be shocked with the news but God knows all things. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Turn to His Word before you turn to the news. It's what helps us to stay focused on God and the fact that God is our good news, day in and day out!
The following is the whole passage on worry:
"25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
“I Disagree!”
How frustrating it is to have disagreements! A disagreement can lead to even more disagreements if they are not dealt with. If things are never cleared up what happens next? A lot of the times what happens is that the relationship will break. How many friendships have broken up because of disagreements? How many marriages have ended in divorce because of disagreements? How many families have suffered because of disagreements?
Sometimes all it takes to clear up a disagreement is to talk about it with the other person. Listening to the other person and having them listen to you can do wonders! The key is to talk not argue. Something else is needed to clear a disagreement…forgiveness. The ability to forgive is not always easy but doable. The only way really to forgive another is to ask the Lord to help us forgive and to help us let the hurt go which is the “forget” part that we hear people say all of the time…”forgive and forget.” Another key part in clearing up a disagreement is time. We need to be willing to give each other time to sit and talk things through…time to forgive and heal (“forget”) and time to let time do its thing. “Time heals all wounds,” to a certain point I agree but healing, true healing can only happen if the truth was stated which is what is needed to clear up a disagreement.
There’s an example of Paul and Barnabas in the Bible having a disagreement. When they were planning out their second missionary trip Barnabas told Paul that he wanted to take John (also known as Mark) and Paul disagreed. Their disagreement was so bad they went their separate ways!
Acts 15:36-41, “Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”
It’s amazing to me that these two men of God had such a “sharp disagreement.” They had gone through a lot together and accomplished a lot. Even though they had such a great history together they could not see eye to eye on the issue of John. Paul didn’t want to risk being abandoned by John again whereas Barnabas wanted to give him another chance. Barnabas ended up going on a separate mission trip with John. Can you imagine how John must have felt? It was because of his decision to leave Pamphylia when the circumstances grew difficult that changed Paul’s mind of him. He no longer believed that John had what it took to be a dependable missionary.
Thankfully the story doesn’t end there. Years later while Paul was under house arrest in Rome he wrote a letter to Timothy and in it he mentions John Mark. 2 Timothy 4:11, “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” In Philemon 1:23-24 Paul mentions Mark’s name too, “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.”
Disagreements will occur. Reconciliations can follow if we allow them. As we see in Paul’s case he gave Mark another chance. My dear friend I know firsthand how much a disagreement can cause discord, hurt, and or frustration. I’ve had situations where reconciliation never occurred, relationships were broken and hurts took longer to heal from. I also know that when there is reconciliation the problem is resolved and the relationship can grow and blossom into what the Lord would want it to. So, like Paul, we too should give another chance and resolve the problems through prayer. If the Lord’s will is for the two parties to split then that’s what needs to happen.
Sometimes all it takes to clear up a disagreement is to talk about it with the other person. Listening to the other person and having them listen to you can do wonders! The key is to talk not argue. Something else is needed to clear a disagreement…forgiveness. The ability to forgive is not always easy but doable. The only way really to forgive another is to ask the Lord to help us forgive and to help us let the hurt go which is the “forget” part that we hear people say all of the time…”forgive and forget.” Another key part in clearing up a disagreement is time. We need to be willing to give each other time to sit and talk things through…time to forgive and heal (“forget”) and time to let time do its thing. “Time heals all wounds,” to a certain point I agree but healing, true healing can only happen if the truth was stated which is what is needed to clear up a disagreement.
There’s an example of Paul and Barnabas in the Bible having a disagreement. When they were planning out their second missionary trip Barnabas told Paul that he wanted to take John (also known as Mark) and Paul disagreed. Their disagreement was so bad they went their separate ways!
Acts 15:36-41, “Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”
It’s amazing to me that these two men of God had such a “sharp disagreement.” They had gone through a lot together and accomplished a lot. Even though they had such a great history together they could not see eye to eye on the issue of John. Paul didn’t want to risk being abandoned by John again whereas Barnabas wanted to give him another chance. Barnabas ended up going on a separate mission trip with John. Can you imagine how John must have felt? It was because of his decision to leave Pamphylia when the circumstances grew difficult that changed Paul’s mind of him. He no longer believed that John had what it took to be a dependable missionary.
Thankfully the story doesn’t end there. Years later while Paul was under house arrest in Rome he wrote a letter to Timothy and in it he mentions John Mark. 2 Timothy 4:11, “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” In Philemon 1:23-24 Paul mentions Mark’s name too, “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.”
Disagreements will occur. Reconciliations can follow if we allow them. As we see in Paul’s case he gave Mark another chance. My dear friend I know firsthand how much a disagreement can cause discord, hurt, and or frustration. I’ve had situations where reconciliation never occurred, relationships were broken and hurts took longer to heal from. I also know that when there is reconciliation the problem is resolved and the relationship can grow and blossom into what the Lord would want it to. So, like Paul, we too should give another chance and resolve the problems through prayer. If the Lord’s will is for the two parties to split then that’s what needs to happen.
Busy!
It's hard to believe how the busyness of life can truly keep you from doing what you really want and know you need to do! You know how it is. You set goals, you decide wholeheartedly that you're going to do it and then WHAM! Life happens. Thing is this is what happens a lot, to a lot of us, a lot of the time! What to do? Pray! That's what I do. I ask the Lord to please help me not get overwhelmed with this gift called life that He has given to me. Yes, it's tough. Yes, I get tired too but, I don't complain about how busy I am anymore. I've learned (and am still learning) how to see my life through the lenses that Christ offers to me everyday.
The Holy Spirit guides me into seeing my life more clearly. Instead of focusing on the negative I focus on the positive. Instead of getting frustrated I stop and praise the Lord for the bountiful blessings He has given to me. Perspective is key. It's all about how you look at life.
So, now as I write this to you I have a "million" things to do and I know that the end of day is coming soon so, that means that most of these "million" things are not going to get done. But, instead of allowing stress to settle in I take a deep breath, close my eyes and focus on God. I say words of praise to God. I'll sing or I'll smile and thank God for my life. "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be full of joy and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 (NLV)
The Holy Spirit guides me into seeing my life more clearly. Instead of focusing on the negative I focus on the positive. Instead of getting frustrated I stop and praise the Lord for the bountiful blessings He has given to me. Perspective is key. It's all about how you look at life.
So, now as I write this to you I have a "million" things to do and I know that the end of day is coming soon so, that means that most of these "million" things are not going to get done. But, instead of allowing stress to settle in I take a deep breath, close my eyes and focus on God. I say words of praise to God. I'll sing or I'll smile and thank God for my life. "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be full of joy and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 (NLV)
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Want
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
As I was working this morning I thought of something. You know how you can play with words? You know, use the same words but in different order? For example, you can say "Good Morning again," but now if you use the same words in a different order it changes the meaning a little. "Again, good morning," it has like a sarcastic flair to it. Same is true with these words, "I want God," and "God I want." See? Two different meanings even though they're the same words.
With the "I want God," one it means that you want God. The word "want" (according to Dictionary.com) used as a verb and with an object means "to feel a need or desire for; wish for...need, crave, demand, or desire." So, these three words used in this format, "I want God" can mean that God is needed, desired and or craved. The meaning of these three words changes in the second example. With "God I want," the use of the word "want" is now different. The word "want" (again, according to Dictionary.com) used as a verb and without object means "...wish; like (often followed by to)...to feel or have a need (sometimes followed by for)."
Which way do you use these three words most? Do you usually say, "I want God" or do you usually say "God I want?" Can we be honest here? Don't we tend to use "God I want" more. We have various needs, wants, desires, for others as well as for ourselves, that we go to God with in our prayer time. It is important to stop and remember to also want God, more of God. To desire a deeper more meaningful relationship with God daily. Not just the needs and or desires met but more importantly our spiritual lives fed and nurtured by the ONE and ONLY too. How about you my dear friends? Do you feel the same?
As I was working this morning I thought of something. You know how you can play with words? You know, use the same words but in different order? For example, you can say "Good Morning again," but now if you use the same words in a different order it changes the meaning a little. "Again, good morning," it has like a sarcastic flair to it. Same is true with these words, "I want God," and "God I want." See? Two different meanings even though they're the same words.
With the "I want God," one it means that you want God. The word "want" (according to Dictionary.com) used as a verb and with an object means "to feel a need or desire for; wish for...need, crave, demand, or desire." So, these three words used in this format, "I want God" can mean that God is needed, desired and or craved. The meaning of these three words changes in the second example. With "God I want," the use of the word "want" is now different. The word "want" (again, according to Dictionary.com) used as a verb and without object means "...wish; like (often followed by to)...to feel or have a need (sometimes followed by for)."
Which way do you use these three words most? Do you usually say, "I want God" or do you usually say "God I want?" Can we be honest here? Don't we tend to use "God I want" more. We have various needs, wants, desires, for others as well as for ourselves, that we go to God with in our prayer time. It is important to stop and remember to also want God, more of God. To desire a deeper more meaningful relationship with God daily. Not just the needs and or desires met but more importantly our spiritual lives fed and nurtured by the ONE and ONLY too. How about you my dear friends? Do you feel the same?
Thursday, September 25, 2014
When it rains it pours…
It never ceases to amaze me how a bad day can quickly turn into a horrible day in just seconds! Have you been there? I'm pretty sure we've all been there before. The way I see it, I can either have a pity party, you know, whine about my day, complain, feel sorry for myself or I can do something else. I can refuse to get down and stay focused on God. When I stay focused onGod then my day is smooth. Instead of focusing on how wonderful or awful my day seems I'll focus on His joy. Joy. Yes. Let me focus on God's joy.
Joy is different from happiness. Happiness is a feeling. Joy is from the Holy Spirit. It's more awesome than happiness! Joy is sustained no matter what's going on around you. It doesn't mean you'll walk around with a constant smile and an upbeat mood because you have joy. Joy means that you can withstand whatever life throws at you with a positive attitude. "But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely." Galatians 5:22-23 (MSG)
I’ll choose joy. How about you?
Thanks for reading this post! Praying for you! God bless you.
Joy is different from happiness. Happiness is a feeling. Joy is from the Holy Spirit. It's more awesome than happiness! Joy is sustained no matter what's going on around you. It doesn't mean you'll walk around with a constant smile and an upbeat mood because you have joy. Joy means that you can withstand whatever life throws at you with a positive attitude. "But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely." Galatians 5:22-23 (MSG)
I’ll choose joy. How about you?
Thanks for reading this post! Praying for you! God bless you.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
I can't see!
The type of garage door that we have has a remote. When you open the door with the remote a light in the garage automatically turns on. After some time I have become accustomed to this light. You see, the garage is very dark at night and without a light you can barely even see your hand even if you place it right in front of your face. Well, this light that I have grown so accustomed to automatically being there for me has gone out. It needs to be replaced. It's not anything difficult to do but, it just hasn't been done yet.
I have stumbled several times or have banged into something during my short walk from the car to the door that leads into the house. I know this is not a serious problem, its just a nuisance. I miss the light because I can't see well without it. I miss the light because I like to see what's around me. I want to know what's ahead of me before I step into that direction. This way I know I'm not going to trip or hurt myself or knock something out of place and break something. It's the same with everything else in life.
I like to know ahead of time what's in front of me so that I can plan accordingly. I like to know what I'm about to face before I face it so that I can be ready. I like to be prepared. Except, life isn't always so neat. Life is full of twists and turns that we can't always be ready for. We all have a journey that we're on in our lives. As believers in Christ this journey will ultimately end up in the same place, eternally dwelling with the Lord. Until we get there though what do we do when we know we are on the "right road" in life but yet we can't exactly see what's beyond the bend. Be it an illness, loss of work, problems with relationships, a death of a loved one.
Until one of us actually remembers to go to the hardware store to buy the little light bulb to replace the light that has gone out I have come up with ways to find other sources of light. Sometimes I leave the headlights of the car on while I walk over to the main light switch. Other times I leave the garage door open and use the dim light that filters in from the outside to guide me to the door. Other times I remember to tell the family to leave the light on for me.
When we encounter the unknown bends in the path on our journey of life there are different things the Lord does to help us see more clearly how to handle the circumstances we are in. He knows what's going on in our lives and His ways of getting through the "bend" is the best way. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) "Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes." Ephesians 3:20 (TLB) Oh, precious God, thank you for being a light that will never go out!
I have stumbled several times or have banged into something during my short walk from the car to the door that leads into the house. I know this is not a serious problem, its just a nuisance. I miss the light because I can't see well without it. I miss the light because I like to see what's around me. I want to know what's ahead of me before I step into that direction. This way I know I'm not going to trip or hurt myself or knock something out of place and break something. It's the same with everything else in life.
I like to know ahead of time what's in front of me so that I can plan accordingly. I like to know what I'm about to face before I face it so that I can be ready. I like to be prepared. Except, life isn't always so neat. Life is full of twists and turns that we can't always be ready for. We all have a journey that we're on in our lives. As believers in Christ this journey will ultimately end up in the same place, eternally dwelling with the Lord. Until we get there though what do we do when we know we are on the "right road" in life but yet we can't exactly see what's beyond the bend. Be it an illness, loss of work, problems with relationships, a death of a loved one.
Until one of us actually remembers to go to the hardware store to buy the little light bulb to replace the light that has gone out I have come up with ways to find other sources of light. Sometimes I leave the headlights of the car on while I walk over to the main light switch. Other times I leave the garage door open and use the dim light that filters in from the outside to guide me to the door. Other times I remember to tell the family to leave the light on for me.
When we encounter the unknown bends in the path on our journey of life there are different things the Lord does to help us see more clearly how to handle the circumstances we are in. He knows what's going on in our lives and His ways of getting through the "bend" is the best way. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) "Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes." Ephesians 3:20 (TLB) Oh, precious God, thank you for being a light that will never go out!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
"Okay, where did I put...?"
Sometimes I wonder if I could literary forget where I put my head if it could actually be detached. The days I seem to be most forgetful are the days that I am super-stressed! Do you know what I mean? On those days that it seems as though there are a million things to do, and the list just keeps getting longer and longer, are when my mind becomes most absent. I'm not the only one that gets stressed, right?
It's when I'm looking for my keys or my purse or my eyeglasses for the umpteenth time that I feel exasperated. Now there's a great word, exasperated. According to the on-line Miriam Webster dictionary the definition for exasperated is, "to make (someone) very angry or annoyed." Sometimes we can exasperate ourselves. It sounds a bit funny but its true.
What to do when we're feeling exasperated? Take it out on our loved ones? Take it out on our co-workers? Take it out on the guy that keeps honking the horn at you even though you can't move because you're on the school pick up car line and he doesn't seem to get that...! Okay, yes, that last one just happened to me the other day. The best thing to do is to literary stop and pray.
Prayer is the best way to handle any kind of stress. It helps to refocus. When we refocus we remember that it's not about us. Life for that day is going to be okay because God is with us. No matter how sad, angry, grieved or excited we are our, day is going to end when the twenty-fourth hour hits and a new day will start at hour one. The "bad day" will end and another day will begin. "God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done." 2 Corinthians 9:8
It's when I'm looking for my keys or my purse or my eyeglasses for the umpteenth time that I feel exasperated. Now there's a great word, exasperated. According to the on-line Miriam Webster dictionary the definition for exasperated is, "to make (someone) very angry or annoyed." Sometimes we can exasperate ourselves. It sounds a bit funny but its true.
What to do when we're feeling exasperated? Take it out on our loved ones? Take it out on our co-workers? Take it out on the guy that keeps honking the horn at you even though you can't move because you're on the school pick up car line and he doesn't seem to get that...! Okay, yes, that last one just happened to me the other day. The best thing to do is to literary stop and pray.
Prayer is the best way to handle any kind of stress. It helps to refocus. When we refocus we remember that it's not about us. Life for that day is going to be okay because God is with us. No matter how sad, angry, grieved or excited we are our, day is going to end when the twenty-fourth hour hits and a new day will start at hour one. The "bad day" will end and another day will begin. "God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done." 2 Corinthians 9:8
Saturday, August 30, 2014
There is freedom in Truth!
Truth is powerful. It brings life. It has been here since the beginning, and it still exists today. Truth is available to all who seek it in the person of Jesus Christ. Even though our society tells us that it's narrow-minded to believe in ultimate truth, there's lots of evidence that says we should run after it with all our hearts. Christ says the truth will set us free. And that promise is true for all time.
"Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” John 8:31-32 (MSG)
"Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” John 8:31-32 (MSG)
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Always going!
I don't know about you but I am busy. I'm busy pretty much all of the time. Life is so busy for everyone. I love learning about Jesus and about His ministry. He was always going and He still is actually. There isn't a day that passes that Jesus isn't doing something on behalf of you and me. Thing is He had a pattern that we should all emulate. He always started His day with His Father in prayer. He ended His day in prayer. He prayed a lot. He was always seeking His Father's guidance. God was (and still is) involved in everything and anything Jesus was doing. Jesus led a God-focused life. "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." John 5:30 (NKJV) Every word He spoke was centered on His Father, "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak." John 12:49 (NKJV)
Am I saying we should be praying 24/7 and not do anything else. No! That's not what Jesus did. He lived a life centered on His Father. God was not only first in His life, God was in all parts of His life. That's a God-centered life. What does this have to do with busyness? Sometimes we get so busy that we forget to include God in all areas of our lives. We forget sometimes to include God in the small things and not just the big things. God wants to be involved in all areas of our lives. He wants to be the One to guide us through this life that can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, exhausting, frustrating. Life is hard when we try to handle everything on our own. Life is WAY MORE manageable when we ask and follow God's guidance.
I pray that we all remember to always live a God-centered life. That we include Him in all areas of our lives, not just a select few. I pray that we will remember to look up when we get super stressed out with whatever is going on right now and ask God to help us. I pray that we remember Him when we're happy and all is well and when we're sad and hurting too. That we remember Him no matter how busy we are.
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Thank you for reading! God bless you! Please feel free to share this post with your loved ones.
Am I saying we should be praying 24/7 and not do anything else. No! That's not what Jesus did. He lived a life centered on His Father. God was not only first in His life, God was in all parts of His life. That's a God-centered life. What does this have to do with busyness? Sometimes we get so busy that we forget to include God in all areas of our lives. We forget sometimes to include God in the small things and not just the big things. God wants to be involved in all areas of our lives. He wants to be the One to guide us through this life that can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, exhausting, frustrating. Life is hard when we try to handle everything on our own. Life is WAY MORE manageable when we ask and follow God's guidance.
I pray that we all remember to always live a God-centered life. That we include Him in all areas of our lives, not just a select few. I pray that we will remember to look up when we get super stressed out with whatever is going on right now and ask God to help us. I pray that we remember Him when we're happy and all is well and when we're sad and hurting too. That we remember Him no matter how busy we are.
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Thank you for reading! God bless you! Please feel free to share this post with your loved ones.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
SPEAK UP!!!
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) Many believers either know this verse or know of
it. This is a very popular passage in the Scriptures but, even though it is
very popular few follow it. I know I didn’t. I believed that this command was
to be followed by the Missionary or the Pastor. Thankfully, by God’s grace, mercy
and patience with me I know longer reject this command or any part of His Word.
If we say we believe that the Bible is the Word of God then we have to accept ALL
of it as His Truth.
When sharing the gospel keep in mind you have the Holy
Spirit with you. You are not alone. We also have to power of the Bible. There
is power in the Word of God! It changes people forever! The gospel in and of
itself is powerful and can cut to the heart that is willing to receive. The
very first sermon with the gospel message ever given was by Peter. He was
speaking to a large group of people from many different parts of the world.
They all had one thing in common. They were all Jewish or Jewish converts. They
all knew that Jesus had been crucified. They all knew that something was very
different with Peter and the others standing with him. They mocked them just
like people mock believers today. “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised
his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem ,
let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people
are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is
what was spoken by the prophet Joel…” Acts 2:14 -16
By the end of his sermon there were three thousand who were converted on what
we call the day of Pentecost!
That was an amazing day. It is amazing when one or three
thousand come to Christ. The Bible says there’s a celebration in heaven every
time someone comes to Christ. It is amazing to be a part of it! Are you part of
it? Do you share God’s Truth with others? Have you spoken up? If you have, AMEN !
If you have yet too don’t wait any longer, speak up!
Please keep in mind that you do
not have to take any courses or be trained on how to share Christ with others.
You can start doing so immediately. If you would like a helpful guide there are
various tools that can help you. There’s the “Romans
Road ” at http://christianity.about.com/od/conversion/qt/romansroad.htm.
There are also apps that can be downloaded on your Smartphone to help you. Of
course, all of these help tools are great for you but, nothing beats the guide
of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
Thank you for reading this post! My dear friend I am praying
for you. May God continue to bless you!
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Waiting
The definition for praying, according to the Oxford on-line dictionary is, “Address a solemn request or expression of thanks to a deity…Wish or hope strongly for a particular outcome or situation.” I was curious about how many Americans pray. The Washington Post had an article posted about this entitled, “Most Americans Believe in Higher Power, Poll Finds, by Jacqueline L. Salmon (Washington Post Staff Writer, posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008; Page A02). It stated that most “Americans believe that angels and demons are active in the world, and nearly 80 percent think miracles occur…The study detailed Americans' deep and broad religiosity, finding that 92 percent believe in God or a universal spirit…More than half of Americans polled pray at least once a day.”
I wonder how many of those that pray are willing to accept one of the three answers the Lord gives to prayer which are, “yes,” “no,” or “wait.” Of the three answers the one that everyone seeks most if not all of the time is the “yes” answer. The Lord knows best. He knows when “yes” is for your best and when it is not. He also knows when “wait” is the best answer for the time being. Are we willing to wait though? Are we willing to remain obedient when God’s answer of a “yes” or “no” is not being given as quickly as we would like?
The Bible is full of stories of people that were unwilling to accept a “wait” answer and the consequences they received for their disobedience. I’ll share one example about Abraham. God promised him a son by his wife Sarah even though they were an elderly couple. They were unwilling to wait for their son which brought on a lot of bad consequences. Did they ever receive their promised son? Yes, twenty years later. “Then God did as he had promised, and Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a baby son in his old age, at the time God had said...” Genesis 21:1-2 (TLB)
The Bible is also full of people that did wait on the Lord. Hebrews 11 is known as the “Hall of Faith.” It lists those that lived in obedience and how their faith is the reason why they were successful. Can you imagine what would have happened to them if they had not waited on the Lord? Would Joshua and the people of Israel had been as triumphant when going into the Promised Land? Would Esther have been killed by her husband, the king, and in turn the people of Israel annihilated had she not waited for the appropriate time to speak to the king? Would Gideon and his 300 men have been successful if they had not waited on the Lord? What would have happened to Mary, the mother of Christ, if she had not waited on the Lord? She was an unwed teen-aged mother. She would have been stoned to death had her secret been let out.
“Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14 (NASB) I know I have had a hard time waiting on the Lord many times in my life but, my dear friends let me share this Truth with you. Every time I have waited on the Lord for His answer, the right answer, it was always attached with His blessings, love, peace and joy. When I chose not to wait what I received were headaches, frustrations, anxiety and heartaches. How about you? May we always wait on the LORD. May we live our lives in obedience, waiting…waiting for God’s answer.
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Thank you for reading! My dear friends I pray these words may be of a blessing for you. I am praying for you. God bless!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Here We Go Again
Have you ever found
yourself wondering why in the world you just said what you said again? You
know, like a word you’ll say out of bad habit. How about a reoccurring conversation
sometimes even with…God? Have you found yourself in the same mess you thought
was over with and thought to yourself, “Haven’t I been here before?” Why is it
that we seem to find ourselves in the same mess over and over again? We tend to
think that we cleaned it up somehow and we’ve moved on but, no it’s not over
yet. When you least expect it, WHAM!!! THERE IT IS AGAIN! It can be an old
behavior like compulsive shopping or it can be a curse word you haven’t said in
a really long time. It could be a complaint you’ve given time and time again or
someone complaining to you about the same thing again! Have you been there?
Well my friend the Bible
teaches us that the Lord likes to refine us. “Like a refiner of silver he will sit and closely watch as the
dross is burned away…refining them like gold or silver, so that they will do
their work for God with pure hearts.” Malachi 3:3 (TLB ) As believers in
Christ we are to always be moving forward with growth and maturity. This is why
the Lord will have us revisit the things which need to be worked on so that we
will change for the better. Old behaviors that are anything but godly are to be
changed. The way we speak and the actions we take are to be more Christ-like as
the days, weeks, months and years go by. We are not to stay stagnant. God wants
us to be an evolving Christian. With His help through His powerful Holy Spirit
we are to be evolving into the men and women we were created to be. I thank God
for His grace, mercy and His patience with us! For without Him there is no way
we can ever change for the better.
I leave you with Romans 12:1-3
from the Message Bible. “So here’s what I want you to do, God
helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating,
going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.
Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t
become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even
thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside
out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.
Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of
immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in
you. I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has
given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living
then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not
misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No,
God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by
what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for
him.“ Amen
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Thank you for reading! May God continue to bless you! I'd love to hear back from you! Please feel free to comment.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
I Do
After months and months of planning. After all of the
preparations were done. After the exhaustive rehearsals were completed. There
was one last thing to do. All stayed as still as they could to hear the answer?
“I do,” I said full of happiness and love on my wedding day. Those same two
words, “I do,” they need to be said to Christ daily.
Every day we have a choice we need to make. The same choice
Jesus made for us, to carry the cross. “And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my
disciple.” “And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to
come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke
9:23 (NASB) What does carrying the cross mean? “Do you see what this means—all these
pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d
better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra
spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.
Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that
exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the
way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in
the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in
your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of
hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”
Hebrews 12:1-3 (MSG)
What is your
cross? It can be the struggles you’re facing today. It can be the circumstances
that seem to be weighing you down. It can be the loss of a loved one, the loss of
a marriage, the loss of your home. Your cross can be the ridicule of others for
the faith you have in Christ. Your cross is what you carry even though it is
heavy, burdensome or unfair. Just like Jesus, we are to keep on going to the
goal. What is that goal? To bring glory to God. To tally as hard as you can for
the Kingdom. It is for the lost souls that are watching. For the ones who are
lost and are desperately trying to find the Way. It is for you too. To grow
you, mold you, mature you.
My dear friends.
Today I said “I do,” to Christ. “I do” accept to live for you, sweet Jesus and to
show without shame or fear of any kind that I live for the One and Only. Have
you?
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Thank you for reading my dear friends. I pray these words are of a blessing. If you or someone you know would like to read this or any of my other devotionals in Spanish please visit www.ministerioreflejandolaverdad.blogspot.com
God bless you!
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Do you do it?
There are several things a typical Christian knows they should
do. They know they should pray daily. They know they should to go to church. They
know they should read the Word of God. So, how many really do take the time to
read and study the Word? According to the article, *“80% of Churchgoers Don’t
Read Bible Daily…” by Jeremy Weber on CT, Christianity Today, there was a survey
conducted by “LifeWay” that found that out of “2,900 Protestant churchgoers” only “19 percent personally read the Bible
every day.” That’s only 551 out of 2,900 people!
Why is it important to invest time in the Word? There are many reasons why
but, let’s focus on three reasons. One, there is power in the Word. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17 (NIV) “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than
any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of
both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the
heart.” Hebrews
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Thank you for reading! May God bless you and yours. If you or someone you know would like to read more of my writing
in Spanish you can visit my Spanish blog at www.ministerioreflejandolaverdad.blogspot.com
Why is it that so
few believers take the time to read the Bible every day? We live in a society
that’s always on the go. This means that many expect everything to be fast,
easy, and as effortless as is possible. Generally people will take the time to
do what they really want to do. So, do you do it? My dear friend, do you believe
that it is worth your time to spend in the Word? In fact the more time you
invest in studying the Word the better it is for you.
Why is it important to invest time in the Word? There are many reasons why
but, let’s focus on three reasons. One, there is power in the Word. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17 (NIV) “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than
any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of
both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the
heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (NASB ) Two, it teaches us. “All
Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make
us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and
teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his
people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT) Third, so that you may know the One
who set you free more intimately. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world,
but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:12 (NKJV)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Thank you for reading! May God bless you and yours. If you or someone you know would like to read more of my writing
in Spanish you can visit my Spanish blog at www.ministerioreflejandolaverdad.blogspot.com
*Article information: “80% of Churchgoers Don't Read Bible Daily, LifeWay Survey Suggests
Transformational Discipleship study
reveals low level of "Bible engagement."”
By Jeremy Weber (posted
9/7/2012 10:50AM) http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2012/september/80-of-churchgoers-dont-read-bible-daily-lifeway-survey.html
Friday, June 6, 2014
How precious is it really?
Just
how precious is it really? The Word of God. The reason we read the Scriptures?
Is it because, we’re told we should read it? Do we read it because, it’s the
Christian thing to do? Do we read it because, it’s something we check off on
our to-do list? The reason for me is mainly because, it’s the Word of God and
it’s the way I can get to know Him better. “But don’t let it faze you. Stick
with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why,
you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like
the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in
Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or
another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes,
training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped
up for the tasks God has for us.” 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (MSG)
It’s
His love letter to us. “And we also thank God continually
because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you
accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which
is indeed at work in you who believe.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NIV)
“God’s love is meteoric, his
loyalty astronomic, His purpose titanic, his verdicts oceanic. Yet in his
largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks.”
Psalm 36:5-6 (MSG)
Reading
His Word is spending time with the One and Only. Time in the Word is time well
spent. It is life changing and life giving. You fall more in love with Jesus
every time you read it. You can’t help but want to spend more and more time in
the Scriptures because, it’s when you hear His heartbeat for you. My dear
friends the Word of God is precious!
Thank you for reading! May you have a blessed day!
Thank you for reading! May you have a blessed day!
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Do you know Him?
This question is asked by many but, many do not know the answer. Many of those that do know the answer rarely share the answer. How about you? Do you know Him? If you know Him do you share who He really is with others? My fellow believers our daily challenge is to share Him! '"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20. I pray that you not only take the time to watch this very moving praise report of who our King is but, that you are also moved to share this clip with your friends/family. God bless you my dear friends. I love you. God loves you even more.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Free Will
Hello my dear friends! It’s sunny and hot
here in Florida! Here in the “sunshine state” the summer season extends from
mid-spring thru early fall. The weather will pretty much be the same, sunny and
hot. Why? God’s natural order with the weather during the different seasons
will be the same year in and year out. With every season comes the expected
weather patterns. God is the creator of the weather and its natural order.
It is the same with humans. We fall into a
natural order of things too. One of the main things about a human that was
given to us is “free will.” This “free will” thing is quite extraordinary. It
means that we can pick and choose what we want and do not want to do. We get to
choose who we want to have a relationship with and who we do not want to have a
relationship with. This includes whether we choose a relationship with God.
God created humans in His likeness. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God
he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 (NIV) Our
God-given likeness is the ability to think and make choices on our own. Our
responsibility with this ability is that as we make the choices we make we need
to remember that attached to them are consequences. Whether they are good or
not we are the ones who have chosen to do them.
This is the natural order of “free-will.” We
were not created to be God’s puppets. We have been given the freedom to make
our own choices. Why? So that we can have the choice to accept God’s terms for
the salvation that He offers us. So that we can have the choice to fellowship
with God. So that we can have the choice to live in obedience to God. The
importance of believers living in obedience is ultimately for what? “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15
(NASB) Believers in Christ demonstrate their love for God through their
obedience. This freedom to choose obedience or not is up to us. My dear friends’
“free-will” is not to be taken lightly. As believers in Christ our choices demonstrates
our love or lack thereof for God.
Thank you for reading this devotional! It is such a blessing to share these with you. Have a blessed day!
Should you or someone you know would like to read these devotionals in Spanish please visit my other blog: www.ministerioreflejandolaverdad.blogspot.com
Friday, May 23, 2014
The Daily Decision
The Lord will never force us to choose what
we do not want. He may nudge us towards a decision like a good parent would but,
as any parent knows, children will end up doing what they want to anyway. Why
is it that God doesn’t force us? It is because of “free will.” He will not
break His own natural order. He created “free will” and He will not break His
own natural order of things.
This is why Jesus offers us salvation
instead of forcing it, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” Titus 2:11 (NIV) Our decisions whether big or small are in the end our
decisions. No one, including God (again, because of “free will”), forces us to
make these decisions. This is why we need to own up to our decisions, the good
and the bad ones. It is when we take responsibility over our decisions that we
truly appreciate the importance of them. It is when we truly understand how
important our decisions are that we do not make them in haste. My dear friends
the most crucial decision of all is this one, is the one and only true living God
your, the God of your salvation or not? With that decision there’s another crucial
decision that has been made by you and me and we will continue to make them
daily. What is that decision? To take up the cross daily or not to. “If you
refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.”
Matthew 10:38 (TLB)
What does this mean to take up the cross? It
means to put Jesus first. It means to live in faith daily, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2
Corinthians 5:7 (NASB) It means to be willing out of love for God to stand up
for Him and do what is right no matter the cost. “When
people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that
makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own
family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so
much hate! But don’t quit. Don’t cave in. It is all well worth it in the end.
It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors!
Before you’ve run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived.”
Matthew 10:21-23 (MSG)
My dear friends thank you for reading today’s
devotional! Know that you and your families are in my daily prayers. Thank you
for your support and your prayers. Have you shared this page with anyone? If you or someone you know would prefer to read these devotionals in Spanish please refer www.MinisterioReflejandolaVerdad.blogspot.com
God bless you and your families!
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Summer Time!
Hello my dear friends! Hope you have all been doing well. It's that time of year again. School's are about to break for the summer. Graduation time for many. Days full of heat and kids whining about the heat I am looking forward to the summer, how about you?
I know that I haven't consistently posted on this site for the past few months. For those of you that have been checking and waiting patiently for my post's-thank you for your patience.
This page is a tool that I use to try and reach out to others with the Word of God. Discipleship training is the purpose of this ministry. Submission to God is where it all starts and ends. That's my platform. This word, "submission," has taken on a whole new meaning in our society. The reaction to it is worst than if you were to use the worst of profanity! It never ceases to amaze me how many are against this word.
I have created this page because I submitted to the Lord's prompting to do it. It's gut wrenching sometimes to share these devotionals with you all. They come straight from the heart and are prayed over before I hit the "enter" button to post them. I try my hardest to not sugar coat God's truths but, I also try my hardest to share these teachings with lots of love and care.
I plan to post a lot more frequently this summer. In one way or another these postings will have to do with submission. I'm looking forward to all the Lord will be leading me to do. Please leave your comments. I love to read them. Feedback is always a good thing. Also, I love it when you "share" these too. These postings are not meant just for you so do not covet them. They are meant for many to see
I love you guys and I've missed you! Have a great summer! God bless you and your families!
I know that I haven't consistently posted on this site for the past few months. For those of you that have been checking and waiting patiently for my post's-thank you for your patience.
This page is a tool that I use to try and reach out to others with the Word of God. Discipleship training is the purpose of this ministry. Submission to God is where it all starts and ends. That's my platform. This word, "submission," has taken on a whole new meaning in our society. The reaction to it is worst than if you were to use the worst of profanity! It never ceases to amaze me how many are against this word.
I have created this page because I submitted to the Lord's prompting to do it. It's gut wrenching sometimes to share these devotionals with you all. They come straight from the heart and are prayed over before I hit the "enter" button to post them. I try my hardest to not sugar coat God's truths but, I also try my hardest to share these teachings with lots of love and care.
I plan to post a lot more frequently this summer. In one way or another these postings will have to do with submission. I'm looking forward to all the Lord will be leading me to do. Please leave your comments. I love to read them. Feedback is always a good thing. Also, I love it when you "share" these too. These postings are not meant just for you so do not covet them. They are meant for many to see
I love you guys and I've missed you! Have a great summer! God bless you and your families!
Monday, April 28, 2014
IT IS SAD
It is sad really. The thought that
one person cannot make a difference. It
is sadder when the person that believes that lie is a Christian. The lie that changes are impossible is a very
old one and it comes from the old deceiver, Satan. In the Old Testament we find the people of Israel 14:11
(NIV)
Thank you for reading! Have a wonderfully blessed day my dear friends!
The
question in that verse was directed towards Moses but, God has asked us that
very question too. If you were to insert
your name in the blank it would read, “_______ how long will you refuse to
believe me?” The thing is, we often refuse
to believe the Lord. I know I have. I know that God has a plan and a purpose for
you as well as for me. “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned
out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future
you hope for.” Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG) Even though we know He has a plan we still
allow fear to creep in and take away our belief in God’s ability. It would be awesome if all of us believers would just rebuke Satan’s lies
and accept that we can make a difference for the Kingdom of God.
Thank you for reading! Have a wonderfully blessed day my dear friends!
Monday, February 24, 2014
Thought of the Day #23, February 24, 2014: Self Worth vs. Self Expectations
There are
way too many born again Christians that have issues with their self-worth! It amazes me just how many people go around
evaluating their worthiness or lack thereof with other Christians that serve in
the “church” (church in general that is).
Why is it that there are so many Christians, including those in
ministry, that are constantly feeling that they are not meeting the expectations
they have set for themselves? Why is it
that it matters more what self expectations have been met than what God
expects?
That is
really the question that needs to be asked, not every now and then but, every
single day when we spend time in prayer.
Prayer is essential to any Christian. “You must
pray at all times as the Holy Spirit leads you to pray. Pray for the things
that are needed. You must watch and keep on praying. Remember to pray for all
Christians.” Ephesians 6:18 (NLV) What we need to be asking God is if we are
meeting His expectations.
Part
of the problem is that we are constantly bombarded with ads on television,
internet, magazines, billboards, that convinces us that we’re not good enough
but, if we use their product we will be good enough! We then somehow bring these thoughts into our
Christian walk. We place way too much
emphasis on trying to be “good enough” that we can’t meet our own
expectations. What is “good
enough?” These expectations aren’t
usually attainable but yet we get upset when we do not meet them. The more our expectations are not met the
more our self worth seems to go down.
One of the
things that I love about Jesus is that He is extremely clear. One of the things that He is clear on is that
He’s first. All of this self worth
business that is based on an over bloated self expectation is just plain
foolish. What we need to be concerned
with is if we are meeting God’s expectation of us. What we are to do first is to love him with
everything we have first. “He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27 (NIV) Notice
that the verse ends with “as yourself.”
We are to
love others as we love ourselves. All of
this self worth business needs to be tied with how much God loves us. “No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” John 16:27 (NIV) “For
the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus
Christ.” John 1:17 (NLT) “And
I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death
nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our
worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38 (NLV) So, the next time we start to measure our
self worth we need to make sure that we measure it by how much God loves us
instead of by what self expectations we have or have not met.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Thought of the Day: #22 "Forgiveness"
There’s a
great song by Toby Mac that’s entitled “Forgiveness.” It has to do with how we are forgiven by
Christ. We love to sing about
forgiveness. We love to know that we’re
forgiven by God. We love to read verses
in the Bible about God’s forgiveness.
What we don’t like so much is when it’s our turn to forgive others.
Grant it
forgiveness comes easier for some but, for others it does not. I have experienced being forgiven by others
and not being forgiven as well as forgiving others myself. I have to admit, I have been tempted to not
forgive, especially when what was done to me hurt me or someone that I love
but, God was not pleased with that.
Conviction hit my heart; I turned to Scripture, asked God to help me
forgive and then forgave.
Its way too
easy to forget that we are forgiven by God because of what His Son did on the
cross for us! We gladly accept God’s
forgiveness but begrudgingly forgive others.
There’s a parable that Jesus taught about this very topic that can be
found in Mathew 18:21-35. The parable is
about a man that owed, in our money today, about 10 million dollars to the
king. He begged the king to forgive his
debt and the king forgave him! “The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled
the debt and let him go.” Matthew 18:27
(NIV) Do you know what this forgiven debtor dared to do? There was someone that owed him money. In fact, what was owed was about a day’s
wages, a whole lot less than what he had owed the king. Do you think he forgave the debt?
Not only
did he not forgive the debt, he threw the man in prison! When the king that had forgiven him learned
of this he became very angry. “…‘You
wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged
me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on
your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over
to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.’” Matthew 18:32-34
We know that if we ask with all our heart to be
forgiven by God we will, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and
will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NIV) We need to forgive others
as well. “Bear with each other and forgive
one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Colossians 3:13 (NIV) When we are
faced with a need to forgive lets pray about it. God will give us the ability
to forgive and the ability to let it go in our hearts.
Just in case you’re curious about Toby Mac’s song here’s the
link from You Tube: http://youtu.be/xfkhqpl81NA
Thank you for reading! God bless you my dear friends!
If you or someone you know would like to read my devotionals in Spanish please visit my Spanish blog at www.MinisterioReflejandolaVerdad.blogspot.com
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Thought of the Day #21: “Priorities” February 5, 2014
Priorities: “somebody or something that is ranked highly in terms of importance or urgency.” Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. The priorities that God has given to us: He is first, our spouses are second and then our children are third. It’s as simple as that, one, two, and three. The problem is that we like to put a lot of other things up in those three top priorities. We want to make time for everything and everyone. The problem is that no matter how hard we try if we do not keep our priorities in the right order we will have problems.
Should we put anything or anyone in first place then our first priority, God, has now been moved to second. There is to be no one in that first priority as per our God. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” Mark 12:30 (NIV) “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2 (NIV)
Should we put anything or anyone in second place then our second priority, our spouse, has now moved down to third. In Ephesians Chapter Five Paul goes through the priorities. The second place is the spouse. “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:33 (NIV) The spouse is the only person that we are to hold in that second place spot because, if we don’t we will be rocking the boat at home.
Should we put anything or anyone in third place then our third priority, our children, has now moved down to fourth but wait, there is no top four! There are only three top priorities! Our children are given to us as a gift from God. We are God’s stewards for our children. How can we as a good steward not place and keep our children in the top three?
Priorities are placed so that there can be order. When we keep things in the right order there is peace. This is the only way that we can be able to live a life as God intended us to. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (NASB)
Should we put anything or anyone in first place then our first priority, God, has now been moved to second. There is to be no one in that first priority as per our God. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” Mark 12:30 (NIV) “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2 (NIV)
Should we put anything or anyone in second place then our second priority, our spouse, has now moved down to third. In Ephesians Chapter Five Paul goes through the priorities. The second place is the spouse. “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:33 (NIV) The spouse is the only person that we are to hold in that second place spot because, if we don’t we will be rocking the boat at home.
Should we put anything or anyone in third place then our third priority, our children, has now moved down to fourth but wait, there is no top four! There are only three top priorities! Our children are given to us as a gift from God. We are God’s stewards for our children. How can we as a good steward not place and keep our children in the top three?
Priorities are placed so that there can be order. When we keep things in the right order there is peace. This is the only way that we can be able to live a life as God intended us to. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (NASB)
Thank you for reading! May God continue to bless you my dear friends. Praying for you all. If you are a Facebook user I have a ministry page! It's www.Facebook.com/ReflectingTruthMinistries.com I'd love for you to join the page!
If you are someone you know prefer to read these postings in Spanish please visit my Spanish blog at www.MinisterioReflejandolaVerdad.blogspot.com
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Thought of the Day #20: “No Room for Pride”
I think
most Christians would agree that there is no room for pride in any
relationship, whether it’s in your relationship with God, your spouse, your
children, co-workers, or your neighbors.
As Christians we know God is first but, what’s in our minds isn’t always
in agreement with what’s in our hearts.
We know if God is really first or not, that is if we dare admit the
truth.
Thank you for reading! Praying that you are all doing well! If you're a Facebook user I have a ministry page: www.Facebook.com/ReflectingTruthMinistries I also have a blog in Spanish! If you are someone you know would prefer reading these devotionals in Spanish please visit www.MinisterioReflejandolaVerdad.blogspot.com
The
definition of pride is “a haughty attitude shown by somebody who believes,
often unjustifiably, that he or she is better than others.” (Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P)
1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.) How does God see pride? The Bible is clear that pride is not alright
with God. “The
fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and
the perverted mouth, I hate.” Proverbs 8:13 (NASB) “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.”
Proverbs 15:5 (NKJV)
When
pride is an issue then that means that you are first in all things, it is not
Christ. It means that everything you do
is done with your pride, even how you serve the Lord. As a follower of Christ there is no room for
you at that first position in your life.
God is first. The first four
commandments state that God is first and they start with this statement from
God, “I am God, your God” Exodus 20:1 (MSG).
Pride is a heart issue.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does
not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV) “Jesus said, ‘‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion
and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the
most important, the first on any
list. But there is a second to
set alongside it: ‘Love others
as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs;
everything in God’s Law and the
Prophets hangs from them.”
Mathew 22:27-40 (MSG) “Bless your enemies;
no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy;
share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up.
Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.” Romans 12:14-16 (MSG)
It is
important, vitally important to line up our mind with our heart. Know that God is first at all times in our
minds. Know that God is to also be first
in our hearts.
Thank you for reading! Praying that you are all doing well! If you're a Facebook user I have a ministry page: www.Facebook.com/ReflectingTruthMinistries I also have a blog in Spanish! If you are someone you know would prefer reading these devotionals in Spanish please visit www.MinisterioReflejandolaVerdad.blogspot.com
Monday, January 13, 2014
Thought of the Day #19: "Loving Others"
In Mark
12:29-31 Jesus teaches that the most important commandments are that we are to
love God with all heart, soul, mind and strength. The second is to love others as we love
ourselves. The top priorities of life
are laid out in these two commandments for us: Love God and love others. It is through our relationship with God,
putting Him first in our heart, soul, mind and strength, that we can have a
relationship with others. “We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (NIV) It is
important to do both, love God first and then love others. Notice the verse doesn’t say love God and if
you feel like it love others. It also
doesn’t say love God and love the loveable people. Loving others includes the un-loveable people
too. “If
someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one
who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not
seen.” 1 John 4:20 (NASB )
Loving
others is not always easy but, it is even harder to not have anyone to love.
Sometimes, especially when we are upset, we may desire to cut ourselves off
completely from others. Complete
isolation may sound good but, it does not feel good. Isolation from others will only hurt us. Living through the up’s and down’s of
relationships can either give us a “pep-in-our-step” or give us a
stomachache. Life is funny that
way. It’s like that saying, “you can’t
live with them; you can’t live without them.”
Life in
ministry means life with people; People that will love us, support us,
encourage us, help us…be good to us. There
are also those we encounter in ministry that hurt us. As believers in Christ we are purposed to do
something to help further increase the Kingdom
of God
It is
through prayer and studying His Word that we can be successful in our
relationships. If our focus stays on God
then our relationships with others will be aligned with Him. If we lose our focus and settle our focus
upon other priorities then our relationships will be affected in negative
ways. This is why loving others is so
important, so important in fact that this is why the Lord commanded it. “And this
commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his
brother also.” 1 John 4:21 (NASB )
Thank You for reading! God bless you!
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