Running nowhere fast?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

I have owned several several hamsters in my life. I find them fascinating and adorable. I often would sit up at night and watch them running in their wheels over and over and over again, all night long wondering if they know that they are just running in a circle and getting nowhere. They don’t though; they are just happy and content to just run.

I would shake my head at them but in reality I do the same thing. The Christian walk is not easy and although we are not saved by our good works, we often try to strive for them, usually without the help of anyone. Our pride gets in the way and we want to achieve things on our own. We want to steer our own life but instead we find ourselves running as hard as we can and getting nowhere. We are in our own little wheel.

It is our attempt to retain some control in our life but God is saying stop, run to Me and rest in peace knowing that I am in control. Do we listen? No, not usually. We come back with “No God, thanks anyways, but I got this. I can do this on my own. I am going somewhere.” We can’t see that we are in fact going nowhere, running with no end goal in sight because without God’s help, there is no hope that we will achieve anything. Just as the hamster we are stuck in this alternate reality thinking we are on our way to somewhere great, when God is on the outside shaking His head wondering when we will realize we are on a pointless journey to nowhere.

We are all like this, we strive to accomplish things in life and to do good works, but as sinners we can’t ever accomplish them.  Eventually, we get tired in our wheel and try to stop for rest, but we don’t get it by steeping off the wheel, we just stop in the wheel. When that happens, the wheel keeps spinning and we end up falling on our face. We dust ourselves off and get back to work. It is a vicious cycle and one we eventually grow tired of and start thinking… “Why are you doing this God? Why are you setting me up for failure? No matter how hard I try I can’t live up to your standards, I can’t do this!” We start to get discouraged and picture God as this mean almost sadistic person laughing at us as we run in circles and continually fall on our faces, able to help but refusing to.

How easily we can fall into this misinformed, skewed view of God. We need to get out of the fantasy world where God is making your life miserable, and wake up and see the truth! God knew that if He granted me the desire for that perfect image and behavior, my heart would not be one of true worship. Well actually it would be, but it would be one where I worship myself and not Him. We are His creations and He created good works for us and free will, but He knew that we would not be sinless doing them. But He designed it perfectly so that we would have to turn to Him and walk and abide in grace. Because we are sinners and can’t do it on our own, we must rely on God and are forced to come to Him humbled and repentant acknowledging His love, grace and mercy. He made it this way so as to maximize our experience of the fullness of His love, having to be dependent on Him every step of the way.

In this perfect design where we are not perfect and God is the only perfect one, His love is magnified. We decrease, He increases and we find true joy and peace that can only be found in the stillness of resting in Him. We need to trust in Him and accept His grace and mercy as He forgives us sinners fully, because of the sacrifice of His son. This is no cruel sadist, but instead the most tender and merciful redeemer.

And as His redeemed, when we walk in His love, He gains control instead, channeling through us in testimony to the world and in fellowship with one another. That is when the fruits of the spirit start to show up, the good works we try so hard to do ourselves, but they never take center stage as our doing. Jesus should overwhelmingly dominate the spotlight with the radiance that is His grace.

So let us not just stop running in the wheel, but take that step off it and go to Him and finally find the rest and peace in His arms as He holds us. Give Him control of our lives, so we can be free of the trap of the hamster wheel of pride and sin. 

Whisper or Shout?

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!" Pslam 98:4

I was thinking about Janet’s post the other day about being “Closet Christian” and I wonder where in my life if it is obvious that I am His.

I have a very visual image when it comes to my salvation. I can imagine committing a terrible crime, being caught and having a long court case where I was found guilty. Following the court case I am condemned to die by the Judge. Right after the Judge sentences me to death, a Man stands up in the back, walks forward and looks deep into my eyes and smiles. He then turned His attention to the Judge and said in a soft kind voice. I will take Dwight’s place. I will pay for his penalty. In my confusion I have a mix of emotion, who is this Man? How does He know my name? But mostly I am elated that I get another chance. The Judge says “Very well as long as someone will pay the penalty, bailiff take Him away” as they lead Him out of the courtroom, He smiles at me and hands me a book and says read it.”

For the next few days, my head would be in a swirl and I would have so many questions. I would wonder why this Man that I didn’t know, but I guess apparently knew me took my place. And why would He do this if He really knew me and how bad I was. The only answer I could really come up with is…….HE MUST LOVE ME!

What should I do? Should I read the book? Should I find out as much as I can about this Man? Should I celebrate this Man’s birthday? Should I celebrate the day He traded his life for mine? Should I try to apply the book to my life? Should I follow His example? Would I think of Him every single day? Should I thank Him for each and every day I had? And this is the important one….. SHOULD I TELL OTHERS ABOUT HIM?

The answer to every single question above is yes! “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. -John 15:13”

Lots of songs would fit with this post but I chose this one. It is called "Rooftop", by Jesus Culture. If you don’t feel like listening to the song, the lyrics are below, I would encourage you to read them.

Here I am before you

Falling in love and seeking your truth

Knowing that your perfect grace

Has brought me to this place

Because of you I freely live

My life to you, oh God, I give

So I stand before You God

I lift my voice because you set me free

So I shout out your name from the rooftops I proclaim

That I am Yours, I am yours

All the good You've done for me

I lift up my hand up hand for all to see

You're the only one

Who brings me to my knees

To share this love across the earth

The beauty of Your Holy Word

So I kneel before You God

I lift my hands because you set me free

So I shout out your name from the rooftops I proclaim

That I am Yours, I am Yours

All that I am I place into Your loving hands

And I am Yours, I am Yours

Here I am, I stand with arms wide open

To the one, the Son, the everlasting God (2x)

Who holds you accountable here?

"Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

(To hear the audio version of this post, click here. I would suggest following along on the this post too) 

Every single one of us has something, actually many things which we struggle with, the problem is more often than not we try to overcome these areas in our lives by ourselves, thinking that we can do it on our own. In case you haven't figured this one out, we can't.

First and foremost, we need to lean on God to help us, but it doesn't stop there. Isolation is the Devil's doorway to us and when we are alone we are vulnerable. We are never alone in God, but I mean getting help down here, and I am not really talking about fellowship or even friendship per say either, I am talking about accountability.

Accountability is a non-negotiable aspect of the Christian life. There are numerous passages outlining the need and command to not only look to God for love, support and guidance, but also to provide it to each other. I would like to point out that even though I am writing this blog encouraging people to find an accountability partner, I want to remind you that it is just as important for you to be an accountability partner yourself as well. All of the verses are interchangeable in that they tell us what we should do AND what we should receive.

A lot of times we tend to look at our spiritual leaders as our accountability partners and while they do offer encouragement and conviction, it is not specifically tailored it to our lives. We all need someone at a closer more intimate level that works with us individually. I have come up with a few things that in my opinion outline the who, what, where, how and why of accountability partners...

1. Determine what areas you need to work on. Ask yourself these questions; What are you ashamed of? What do you struggle with? What hinders your relationship with Christ? What do you want to change about your life? These areas are typically not things you discuss with everyone, they are the things that you keep hidden in fear of rejection but torture you on the inside. (Examples: anger, lust, finances, addictions, depression, self worth, control, greed, attitude, fear, pride, worry, control, guilt, bitterness, etc...)

2. Finding your accountability partner. An accountability partner needs to be somebody that you are close to and can trust and confide in as most of the times the areas are sensitive and private like I mentioned above. Think of someone that could help you in either one area, many areas or even all areas of your life without judging you and still accept you as you are but be able to encourage and push you to move forward. Pray for guidance in this direction and assurance that the right person comes into your life and that you are made aware of them so you choose wisely.

3. This next one is actually the hardest in my opinion and that is to ask that person for help. In James 5:16, it says to confess your sins and pray with one another so that you may be healed. I would suggest going to them with something like this... "I have a problem with finances (for example) and I was wondering if you could please help me in this area; to pray with me and encourage me through this but also to hold my feet to the fire, and hold me accountable. Please pray and ask God is this is something that you would be willing to help me with." Though that is much easier said than done as this involves swallowing your pride and admitting defeat. It is a very humbling yet essential part in accountability and changing for good and for God.

4. Meet regularly and honestly. In Hebrews 3:13 it says to encourage one another daily so that we don't fall to sin. Daily would be ideal either through phone, text or email, but every few days or at least weekly in my opinion can be effective as well. Being honest is key to success here, if you lie about your progress, nothing is gained. Without trust, the relationship means nothing and there is no accountability.

5. Repent, Accept, Respect. In order for you to benefit from being held accountable you need to not only be honest but also be repentant. There should be guilt and conviction over what you were doing. Now comes the part where you are actually held accountable which is not always an easy pill to swallow. It can be loving encouragement, challenging questions that call you out; for example "Have you done your budget yet? Why not?, and it could be in the form of a lecture or more. However it is done, it needs to be non judgmental and given with love. Luke 17:3 states "If your brother or sister sins, rebuke him, if they repent, forgive them."

We all need someone to get in our faces at times about the things we need to be doing the key here is to accept the correction, listen to it take it to heart and learn from it. Even though it is embarrassing and humbling, without it we will never change; it is needed to help us to grow. "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11) For those like me who are stubborn, it can be hard not to get defensive against a correction but we need to remember and keep in mind that our accountability partner is there to help us and doing it because we asked them too. We need to always be grateful to them and show love and respect in return.

6. Lastly but most important is to include God in all of this and make Him the number 1 priority and remain focused on Him. I would encourage starting and ending the conversion in prayer to get in and stay in the mindset of submitting to Christ, asking for a humble heart so you are able to accept the teaching and learn from it.

Weather is in one area, a few or even a full 360 degree accountability in your life, by having someone (or more) hold you accountable deepens the friendship with our accountability partner, protects ourselves from our sinful self and allows us to gain spiritual strength and growth in our relationship with Christ.

Lord, please guide me so that I may find and grow in the friendships You want for me. Thank You for the accountability partner that I have and for providing me with someone who will  pray with me, counsel, encourage and rebuke me when needed. I ask that You help keep me humbled and make my heart open to accept and learn from the guidance given. I pray that You would use me also to be the same kind of friend for them so that we both may grow in our relationship with You in the areas we struggle with. I pray that You would help those in need of one and work to improve those of us who have one. Thank You for Your love, grace and mercy. In Jesus' name, Amen.

You can handle this, or can you?

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

When I lost my son (who was two and half) I truly didn’t think I would survive. I was angry and bitter for a time, and I really wondered what I was going to do from that moment on. Life seemed to be really unfair and I doubted that I could go on. And let me be clear that in no way do I think this was a test by God. God does not kill a child to test someone. And looking back, Kenneth was a gateway for me to Christianity. And God was the only way I survived, he propped me back up on my feet, he took me in his arms and rocked with me until I could stand on my own two feet.

I have heard many times that God will never test you more than you can handle and for the first time I looked it up. Years later the incident with my baby boy I thought I was tested to the end, or at least in my mind I think it was just short of the breaking point and I do wonder if I could go through that again, or maybe even something worse. I hope to never know.

But here is where I think the key lies, not so much on the faith of 1 Corinthians that says you won’t be tempted more than you can handle, but more on if whatever happens to you that you will lean and trust in the lord. This sort of thinking is a shift from enduring what is thrown at you to being ready for anything. As it says in Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. You have to have hope in the Lord and renew your strength. Or what the bible says in Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. You can do all things, including surviving tragedy.

So what I have found during trying times like this, is to shift your attitude from poor me to help me. And not asking the question, “Lord why have you done this to me?” but more asking the question, “Now that this has happened Lord, what should I do? And Lord please help me and give me direction through this.”

Lord, I pray that all those suffering would knock on your door and seek your face. Lord I pray that I do not become bitter when I encounter trying times that I shine your light and not my anger. Thank you Lord for all you help us through. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Tepid

"So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:16

About a year ago I read a book called “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. Anyone who has read that book, will tell you that when they reached chapter 4 it hit them like a ton of bricks. And if you ask them what the book was about they will say only one small portion of the book was the entire theme, because chapter four is titled “Profile of the lukewarm” and it is like holding a mirror up to yourself.

According to Chan a lukewarm Christian has the following traits

1. Lukewarm People attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe “good Christians” do, so they go.

“The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” – Isa. 29:13

2. Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church… as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right?

“King David replied to Araunah, ‘No! I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.’” – 1 Chronicles 21:24

Chan continues with his list each getting more convicting than the previous one. #12 is the last one and says,

12. Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens – they have their savings account. They don’t need God to help them – they have their retirement plan in place. They don’t genuinely seek out what life God would have them live – they have life figured and mapped out. They don’t depend on God on a daily basis – their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.”

Like my friend and fellow blogger Janet said, “it is like the 10 commandments, they are impossible to keep all of them and thus we need Jesus to stay on the right path.”

Lord please I beg you to help me with being an “On Fire Christian” and not lukewarm. Help me live by faith and let go of my trust issues. Lord I pray that my actions show that I trust you and not just my words. Thank you for teachers like Francis Chan who helps us understand your word, In Jesus name, Amen.

I would encourage you to buy his book, it is amazing (click here). 

Below is a video of him talking about a life that is lead lukewarm. 

Be a Jesus Freak!

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

If I were to use the phrase “closet Christian” how many people would raise their hand excitedly and say “oooh oooh that’s me, I am that.” No one probably, and yet I can bet that most of us are like a “closet Christian” more than we would like to admit. How many times have you kept your mouth shut about mentioning God in fear of ridicule or judgment?

It’s easy enough to talk about the weather, sports, and casual things that don’t matter much, but the more deeply we feel something and the more personal and sensitive it is, the more reluctant we may be to talk about it, and nothing is more important than one’s eternal relationship with God. I am not even talking about full on witnessing, however we should be doing that as well and that is included in this stepping out, but even just mentioning His name makes people nervous.

Sharing and expressing our faith, no matter how big or small, especially in situations where we don’t have full control, can be risky and scary. Exposing ourselves to the unknown, risking failure, making ourselves vulnerable to the criticism or the mocking others can be intimidating. But I have noticed that when I do get the chance to share Christ and I take it, they are the most exciting times of my life, the spiritual adrenaline is pumping through my veins and I find tremendous confidence and exhilaration by knowing that I just brought someone to Christ or even just planted a seed in their heart. His kingdom was opened up to more people because my light shone.

What makes us hesitate to share our faith? We might justify our not saying anything with thoughts like… I am afraid I might do more harm than good… I don’t know what to say… I may not be able to give quick answers to tricky questions… I may seem opinionated and narrow-minded… I may invade someone’s privacy… I am afraid I might fail… I am afraid I might be a hypocrite. They all come down to one common trait usually and that is fear and usually the most common fear is to be rejected at least I know it is for me in the times I stay quiet.

Rejection by others is a real possibility when we share our faith. In fact, this possibility is implied by the word witness. Witness is “marturia” in Greek, which is also where the word “martyr” comes from. In the United States, we don’t have to fear the possibility of imprisonment or actual physical torture, though that may come some day. If we stand up for Jesus Christ, however, we still may be thrown to the lions when it comes to jibes, looks, whispers, avoidance of friends and people, and possibly even the loss of job opportunities.

However, Jesus made it rather clear that if we are going to follow Him, we ought to expect some rejection. After all, in Isaiah 53:3 it says He was “despised and rejected of men” and He tells the disciples in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” We are soldiers involved in a life and death struggle with evil, and we have to expect some hardship. The question is: Am I committed enough to Jesus to be willing to let people know that I am a Christian, even if I have to lose some friends or social standing?

I have a book all about the martyrs for Christ and there is a picture here. Not every one of those people in the book died, but they were persecuted in some way, shape, or form for expressing their faith in God. They were not ashamed of Jesus Christ, but what about you and me?

Paul said in 2 Tim. 3:12, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted". We are not told to invite it, or to provoke it, or to enjoy it, but we are told to expect it. What we have to understand is that this is not a personal rejection; it comes from being identified with God. He went through it and so did the apostles; and so have thousands of Christians through the centuries. If we face some ridicule and rejection, it’s nothing compared to what they went through.

So when I face the possibility of rejection over just mentioning the name of Christ, the question is: Will I obey God? Am I going to let fear and pride rule my life? Or am I going to let Jesus rule? The opposite of courage is not fear, but cowardice. Courage is just fear that has said its prayers – it’s faith that has taken up its cross.

Fear does not disqualify us from sharing our faith, but the best antidote to fear is love. If we mention God in a sensitive way with loving kindness and not hit them over the head with the Bible as most people picture when it comes to being witnessed to, they will more than likely listen. Share the love of Christ with people at the same time as you share Him. Let us have the courage to come out of the closet for Christ. He had the courage to die for us, we should have the courage to live for Him.

Lord, I pray that You would please help me to remain strong and live faithfully for You. Let me now be afraid to proclaim Your love to others. Give me the courage to stand up and share my faith so that others my hear Your word and may come to know You. Help me to obey this commandment with love and not fear. I have nothing to fear with you by my side Lord, help me to remember that and live by it. Thank You for second chances and for not giving up on me when clearly I have failed You more times than I can ever count. Thank You for Your love, mercy and courage to sacrifice everything for me and I pray that I will have the courage to do the same for Your glory. In Your name, Amen.

Never Give up, Never ever give up!

"For with God nothing will be impossible." Luke 1:37

World War II is possibly one of the most fascinating times in this world’s past. So much to the point that it seemed that the History Channel would run a piece on WWII several times a week. To me, one of the most interesting people of that period is Winston Churchill, and although he had his flaws he was an amazing person of inspiration. And I believe a man of God, at least I know he refers to God quite often in his speeches. (side note: Winston Churchill arranged his own funeral and at the end of the service atop of St Paul's Cathedral dome he had two buglers. One played Taps and then immediately following that haunting song, the other bugler played Reveille signifying the end of his life on earth and is waking in heaven.)

Knowing the background of England’s story during WWII I believe that there are several lessons from Churchill that I believe we can walk away from.

Several factors in success:

1. Passion- I think you have to be passionate about what you are about to embark on and I think that you should attack it with a great attitude and with the goal in mind/
2. Plan- I think you should try to plan your work and work your plan
3. Flexible- Play the “what if” game and come up with scenarios that might happen and what you are going to do if they do occur. It not only gives you a plan B but also mentally prepares you for change.
4. Persevere- Another quote by Winston Churchill is “If you're going through hell, keep going.” Life is going to be tough and you got to keep going, don’t let setbacks get you down. If they start to get you down, it is time to get on your knees and ask for help.

And lastly but most importantly...

5. God’s Will- Stay tuned in with God and understand His will. Because if it isn't God’s will then it has the potential of failing. Also nothing is worse than working so hard at something only to find out you were going down the wrong path. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. 

Lord, I come to You humbly asking for guidance, for strength and for perseverance. I truly want to follow Your will and ask You to direct my path. Thank You for the amazing people You have sent to inspire us and the many examples in the bible that we can directly emulate. Please help me be like some of those people and more than anything, be like You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Delight in Disappointment

“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5

Disappointment and I know each other pretty well. I have not had what you call an easy life, and I am no stranger to trials, sadness, and struggles. Most of you know I have been battling two brain tumors for a while now. These tumors caused most of my hearing to go which was a shock and one I am still dealing with and it has been a year and a half. I went through radiation last summer, making me super fatigued, depressed and my hair disappeared. The radiation will continue to work in my brain for 2 years and the hope is that they will drastically reduce the tumors.

Today, I had scans done to my brain to track the progress of the radiation and much to my disappointment; they appeared to me as no change. The doctor said they were indeed shrinking, just at a very slow rate, much slower than we had hoped for. I started to cry, and fear and discouragement filled my body. Then I started to ask questions in my head. If there is no change now, will there ever be? Did I go through the last year with radiation and all that fatigue, stress and hair loss for nothing? If the tumors don’t shrink will I ever get my hearing back? Will they really continue to shrink over the next 18 months or is this it? Why are they not shrinking faster, am I doing something wrong? Why are you doing this God?

I was distraught, then I talked to a friend and they reassured me that it was not all for nothing. My walk in the Lord has grown so much in the last year and the friendships with several people have deepened as well. And the scans did not show they were not shrinking at all, just very slowly. That means that they are shrinking, just not at the rate I WANT, but maybe it is the rate God wants. If I don’t get my hearing back, then I can still praise God, after all losing my hearing has brought me closer to God. I knew all this I was just clouded with emotions; I needed someone to help remind me of what I say to myself and others in times like this. No matter what happens in this life, I still have hope in God and this hope will never let me down. 

Disappointment comes from lost hope, unfulfilled desires and expectations. I was hoping that the scans would show more improvement and when they didn’t it was not what my desire was and so I became sad and upset. I lost sight of the fact that God is directing my life. Two of my favorite verses are Jeremiah 29:11 (“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”) and Proverbs 3:5-6 (Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.)

God knows the bigger picture and He is in control, which is why I can always put my hope in Him. I have hope that He will provide what I need to sustain me through happiness and trials. I have hope that He will always have my best interest in mind even when I can’t see it. I have hope that He will never leave me or let me down. I have hope that He has saved me and that I will live with him forever in Heaven. I have hope in Christ!

If I look back, God has used every trial and disappointment in my life as a way to reach me and bring me closer to Him. I just need to have faith and put my trust and hope in Him. If we let them, our disappointments can be God’s appointment!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are the God of hope. I know You love me so much and that this disappointment I feel at times is really Your way of protecting me, providing something better, or just part of the process of growing me more like You. So I praise You for the good that is wrapped in this disappointment and that my eyes remain opened to see that good in the midst of trials. Let me allow You to work in my life the way You desire Lord, not what I want. I pray that You please strengthen my faith and fill me with the hope that can only be found in You. I praise and thank You Lord. In Your precious name, Amen.

Never heard this song, but it fits quite nicely

And I couldn't forget the classic hymn that says it so wonderfully as well

Let our Inner Beauty Shine

(Yesterday was swamped with all my homework due for the 6 classes I am taking so please forgive me for not posting this then.)

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." I Peter 3:3-4

Lately, I have been hooked on the show “Toddlers & Tiaras” which is odd considering I disagree with the idea of letting a little girl participate in them. I am not sure why I watch it to be honest, but I have been.

It is sad reality in this world, especially here. I don’t believe there has ever been a country more materialistic than the United States. Fashion and body image floods our media. You cannot find a magazine, newspaper or television show that does not have advertisements that force judgment on a person’s image. That image could come from personal appearance or the appearance of the person’s belongings. This includes the car you drive, the house you live in, the clothes you wear or the gadgets you carry with you.

Why have we let these things define us in the eyes of others? Why are we not more concerned about who we are on the inside than what others judge about our outside? While watching the show last night I said to myself out loud, “they should spend more time gazing on God’s face rather than gazing into the mirror, if they spent more time on their face with Him instead of putting on their face with makeup, they would be more balanced and have a better attitude in life. They will never be perfect no matter how well their hair and makeup are, how glamorous their clothes are, or how big their smile is; there is only one who is perfect and He has already been crowned His title. He is the Ultimate Grand Supreme, He is crowned King of the world, our Lord and Savior.

Now this doesn't just apply to pageant girls and boys, but all of us. And although this passage was written to women, I believe when Peter refers to the inner self he is talking to the men today just as much as the women. The principle applies to both. I have seen men just as obsessed with their outward appearance as woman, especially when it comes to their image involving the car they drive or the electronics they use. 

We all fall into the temptation that outer beauty and our outward appearance and image is more important than inner beauty, but let me encourage and remind you that as believers, Christ lives in each of us like it says in Galatians 2:20a, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” So no matter what we try to do to improve our image, our inner beauty will always be more beautiful with God inside us. Let us begin a personal revolution by paying more attention to our inner self than all the outward trappings with their false standards. If we do this, we will find the joy and peace that we will never experience by outward appearance alone and our inner beauty found in Jesus will start to shine through instead.

Lord, please forgive me for putting the worldly standards about your Godly ones, not to the extreme of the show I was watching but in thought and other actions. Thank You for calling me into Your presence and reminding me that while outer beauty fades, Your presence and beauty inside me never fades. Empower my life to demonstrate that You live inside me, I want people to look at me and see you not me Lord. Help me to remain focused on You and putting the makeup of Christ on daily. Thank You for Your patience, understanding, mercy and love. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

In His image

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19:1

"For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:16-17

God has made amazing things. He created us, and we are beautiful. Every single human on this planet, all 7 billion of us are beautiful. I like the quote, “God doesn't build junk!” . He created us in his image. Now that doesn't mean He is male or female or He has brown or blue eyes, tall or short. It just means take the traits God has and slice it into a microscopic portion and we share some of those traits on a much smaller scale. When you look in the mirror you can look at one of God's precious creations, you. 

But you don't have to just look in the mirror to see God's hand of creation, God's beauty is all around us. When I look at my collection of photographs of nature I am in amazement at what the Lord has done. When I visit the NASA website and see photos of other planets, and galaxies I am breathless at His creation, even beyond the shear scope and size of them. They are just breathtaking. From a drop of dew early in the morning creating a prism from the rising sunlight to the shining stars that glisten and reflect on the black open sea, everything in nature has beauty. 

I encourage you to be aware of the world around you during the day and night and actually look, hear and smell the beautiful work of God. The colorful rainbow after a storm; the sound of crickets chirping at night, the smell of lilacs in full bloom, the way snow blankets the trees and sparkles like diamonds. They are all beautiful. Watch the butterfly as it perches on your ledge and then gracefully flutter away. Live the phrase "stop and smell the roses" by actually pausing to take in the wonders of God. And when you think of how vast and big this world and entire galaxy and beyond is, you will not only be amazed at His marvelous works, but I hope it also reminds us of how big, powerful and awesome our God is. 

Lord, thank You for all the amazing  gifts of beauty. Thank You for all the senses to take in Your beautiful handiwork.  Thank You for creating us in Your image, let us use the gifts You have given us to further Your kingdom. Thank You for love. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Don’t Worry Be Happy

"I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live." Ecclesiastes 3:12

I am generally a happy person. People who know me would say that I am pretty optimistic and fun to be around. Happiness and I are friends. I think happiness is a gift from God. I believe I could thank my parents for that trait just because of where I grew up. When you live in New Delhi India, Bashar Iran, or Vientiane Laos you appreciate some of little things we take for granted, like running water, sewage treatment plants and not wondering where your next meal is going to come from. Over half this world survives off of $2 or less a day, and so many kids in Africa die from malaria that we would never accept that kind of loss in the United States. And yet one of the things I noticed is how happy most of these people are in third world countries. Ask anyone who has done a mission trip, or has built houses in Mexico, they will tell you that those people who have nothing are so happy.

Now this post is not about the hungry around the world, or sending money to buy shoes to those in third world countries, it is about happiness, and not just any happiness, our Happiness! 

To be happy and do well are worthy aims for life, but we can chase them in the wrong way. God wants us to love life. When we have the correct view of God, we realize that actual desires are found in enjoying whatever we have as gifts from God and sharing them with others, not in what we accumulate. When we share what God has given us we start to look like Christ more and more. And when people hear that we must share what God has given us, a lot of people think Money and that’s not all God has given us. God has given us time, time we could share with others. God has given us talents, talents that we can share with others. God has given us so many things that we could share with others. 

I think about the greatest commandment, found in Luke 10:27 the bible says “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” I remember my old pastor (Greg) having a couple of baskets on stage and he asked a way we could love God or love our neighbor. As people shouted out different answers, Pastor Greg wrote them down on a paper and placed it in either the Love God Basket or Love Our Neighbor Basket. When he was done with the sermon, he asked us, “do you know how to love God?” then he walked over picked up the pile of papers from the Love Our Neighbor Basket, held it up and placed it in the Love God Basket and said we can love God by loving our neighbors. 

That is how we find true happiness, by using what God gave us and show love to others.

Lord let me remember where to find true happiness. Help me when I am feeling down, to remember all the things you have done for me and all the gifts you have given to me and help me share those gifts and talents with others to build them up. Thank you Lord for your many examples in Your word. In Jesus name, Amen.

In Christ Alone

(This was supposed to be yesterdays post, but due to sickness I am posting it now. Just goes to show you I am by no means perfect, but that's okay too, because I have a God who is!) 

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." Jude 1;24-25 (KJV)

Again, the in the tiny little book of Jude, we find another hidden verse. This verse is very different from the verses before it. Yesterday, I talked about how we are to constantly build up and grow in our relationship with Christ, but today I am reminding you of His amazing ability to keep us from falling and how awesome and powerful He is. 

Now those who know me at all know that I am one of the most accident prone people you will ever meet. Even in the military my callsign was "casrep" which means casualty report because I fall down and or get hurt so often. However, it is not only in the physical world where I stumble and fall all the time, but also through my Christian walk. I often feel like a toddler learning to walk, I am down on the ground more than I am up. 

The wonderful thing though is that God is always waiting and right there ready to offer His hand to pick me up and help me back on my feet so that I may stand and worship Him. Even with my belief in Christ and my sincere earnest effort to live for Him, not one day goes by that I don't find myself stumbling and crawling back to Jesus on my knees asking for forgiveness. God is the only one "who is able" to keep me from falling away from Him. I used the " " there because those words are important. He is the one that is able; not me, not you, not anyone but our Savior is able to preserve our faith and keep us in Him. 

And if that is not enough, because He shed His blood on the cross, paying for sins which He never committed, He is able to present us as faultless before the throne of God. Yes you heard me right... FAULTLESS! Do we have any right to stand before the throne of God in robes of pure white as though we have never sinned? HECK NO! Not by ourselves; only through the righteousness of Christ, our Lord and Savior. How AWESOME is that gift! 

Yesterday, I explained how Jude is telling us to continually strive to build on our relationship with Christ by praying, keeping ourselves in His love and looking to Him, calling us to be watchful, careful, diligent and devoted. But here, Jude pauses to not only say we need to actively work to improve our faith, but to remind us that in the end, what will ultimately keep us can only be the power of God; it is"He who is able" because we can't do it on our own, actually we can't do it at all. 

This is why we should be pouring our hearts and souls out in full allegiance, thanksgiving and worship to the Lord. He is the only wise God, He is our only Savior, He is our blessed assurance, He alone is our hope and refuge.

Dear Lord, 
It is me,Your daily prodigal daughter, once again coming to You, because I can't do it alone. Thank You so much for being the only one who can save me and keep me. Thank You for always being there to pick me up when I constantly fall and once again shower me with Your mercy and love. You are an awesome God and it is You alone that I worship and adore and I desire to live for You and bring glory to You in all that I do. Please Lord, let me remember how awesome, powerful and loving You are and never lose sight of the fact that it is You alone who is able to guard and keep me. Thank You and I praise Your name. Amen. 

Hey Jude

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." Jude 1:20-21 (NKJV)

There is only one chapter in Jude, but hidden in that little book are some wisdom to remember. This verse reminds us that once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the journey does not end there. Our Christian walk is an active one where we must constantly work at it. There are four distinct parts to this verse and I will touch on each one…

1. Building yourselves up on your most holy faith

The saying “Rome wasn't built in a day” applies here as well. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, our foundation becomes Christ, but we need to continually build on that. Our work is never done; we will have a mansion, but it isn't built until we reach Heaven. I am not talking about earning our way into Heaven by our works either; I am talking about building our faith so that we are always growing closer in our relationship in God.  By having your faith properly placed in Jesus, talking with Him regularly and being grounded in His Word, you will grow and build in your relationship in Him as well as in your testimony to others for Him.

2. Praying in the Holy Spirit

Our prayer life should be an active part of our Christian walk and when we pray it should always be in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us to pray, acknowledging that all things come from God, leading and guiding us in truth, and giving us a heart of worship. In Romans 8:26 it says the Spirit even intercedes for us when we don’t know what to say. Praying with the Holy Spirit is a prayer of faith, obedience, and praise as well as strengthens our relationship with the Lord.

3. Keep yourselves in the love of God

In Romans 8:38-39, Paul reminds us that absolutely nothing than separate us from the love of God that is found in Jesus. There are so many distractions that continually try to pull us away from Christ, but the closer we remain to our Lord, the less affect the world has on us. The best way to keep in the love of God is to abide in Him and hold on your faith by praying, being obedient, and not allowing your circumstances to convince you that God does not love you. Paul says that God loves you no matter what, but Jude wants us to remind ourselves and keep focused on that every day.

4. Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life

Here is the key to the entire verse, without the mercy of Lord and Savior; we can’t achieve anything in our own spiritual life. Only through His mercy can we live for Him; only through His mercy can we build we found building, praying, and keeping. We need to constantly look to Jesus with repentant and humble hearts for His mercy and be forever grateful that He gives it to us because without it, we would have no hope for our eternal life. What an amazing God we have for that! J

Those are the four commands, all different but all very much intertwined and needed in maintaining a close and healthy relationship with Christ.

Lord, Thank you for reminding me that I need to continually strive to grow in my relationship with you. I ask that you fill me with your Spirit and help me to walk by faith so that I may build up my life according to your will and making my testimony shine for your glory and for others to see and desire. I thank you for your never failing love and help me to remember and keep my eyes focused on that. I am at your feet Lord; humbly and repentant praising you and thanking you for your mercy that I so lovingly give to me who is so unworthy of it. I pray all this in your precious name Jesus. Amen

Funny Bone

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” -Psalm 126:2

Having a blessing inventory is so handy. It keeps you from getting into a funk, when you realize how much you really have. And as I was going down the blessing inventory I saw humor and laughter. 

What an amazing gift and blessing humor and laughter is. Nothing feels much better than a good belly laugh to the point of tears and your throat hurting. Several things just came to mind and I started to smile as I wrote that last sentence. The Lord wants lots of things for us, he wants us to be like Christ and he wants us to grow in our faith and love. 

But he also gives us gifts that are nothing more than for our pleasure. The other day I was driving along and saw the sunlight casting its pink light against the snowcapped mountains in front of me. What an amazing and beautiful gift. 

Laughter and humor is another gift that isn’t for growing our character but just gives us great joy. For those who have the gift of humor, I would say use it often but do it with in Christ guidelines. I know humor is usually making fun of people, but I believe your humor should not break down people but lift them up. 

Even the bible encourages laughter and I would say it is one of those gifts that you should take hold of because it will keep your attitude in a much better spirit. Laughter has been shown to relieve stress and improve your overall health. Laugh by yourself, laugh with your friends and laugh with your family. 

Lord thank you for the amazing gift of laughter, thank you for humor in our life. Thank you for the great things you have planned for us and let us never forget that it is all because of you. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Below is a video of  a wonderful Christian comedian, Michael Jr. who came to Sunridge Community Church.