Jesus said to her, “I am the
resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he
live.” John 11:25
Today is Easter and the celebration of our
Savior’s resurrection. Through this miracle and total act of selfless love for
us, Jesus conquered death and made it possible for us to truly live and be
forgiven so that we may have eternal life in Heaven. He opened the door for us
to find redemption.
For some, Easter Sunday means hunting for
eggs, baskets of goodies, Cadbury chocolate, peeps, food and family. Now there
is nothing wrong with including all of this in our Easter celebration, but let
us remember the real meaning also. The Christmas phrase “Jesus is the reason
for the season” rings true in this holiday as well.
The cross of Christ has become the symbol of
our faith and it represents Jesus’ love for us in the painful death sacrifice
He made when He died for our sins upon it, but it doesn't end there. It is the resurrection that gives meaning to
the cross. Had He stayed in His tomb, everyone would be responsible for his or
her own sin and without it we would have no hope for this life or the life to
come. It says in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “And if Christ has not been raised, your
faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the
cornerstone of the Christian faith. Jesus conquered the grave, which means that
His children can too. Those of us who believe in Him and come to Jesus are
released from our death penalty and invited to spend eternity with God.
But is not enough to just believe Jesus was
a man who lived and died on the cross and rose from the dead 3 days later.
There are facts that prove that to be true. It is not just that what Jesus did
that makes it possible to have eternal life, it is believing in who Jesus is,
the son of God. Not only did He die, He took our place and died for all of our
sins. Not only did he just raise from the dead, but He conquered death so that
we don’t’ have to die but may live with Him in Heaven. Jesus doesn't say, “I
bring resurrection and life” but rather “I am the resurrection and the life.”
It is very personal with Jesus. The answer
to death is not a resurrection; it’s Jesus himself. No one can ever hope to
escape death unless they are related to Jesus through personal faith. So in the
end truth must always become personal. You have to believe not just the facts
that happened but that Jesus Himself is the reason and the way, the only way. (John14:6)
I can tell you that once you do, there is
hope, joy and peace that can be found always. He will guide you through this
life and raise you up to Heaven to be with Him in the next. How awesome is
that!
Lord, Hallelujah You are risen. Thank You Jesus
for Your redeeming love and most precious gift. Thank You for not only dying
and taking the penalty of my sin, but also allowing me to be released from the condemnation
of death that would follow if You had not overcome. You are my resurrection and
my life. In You I trust, In You I worship, In You I live. Thank You Jesus!
Amen.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to
abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, -Ephesians 1:7-8
I am still thinking of the amazing gift of life we all
have been given this morning. Good Friday is still on my mind.
I have had people ask me do we have to follow Jesus to
get into heaven, to which I answer, “Nope, you just have to find someone who
has had a perfect life, which has never sinned, not even once. Then somehow if
you find that person, you have to convince them that they need to die for your
sins.” Do you understand that this doesn’t happen, that mathematically it is
impossible. It makes winning the lotto an easy day. So if someone had the
winning lotto ticket…. And it was FREE, would you turn it down.
I think adults have a problem with the word free, adults
have been jaded into thinking there is always a catch. If you tell a 8 year
old, here you go you can have this video game. The kid would snatch it up and
run off saying hey dad and mom that nice man gave me this video game. The
parents would look very puzzled and question the kid for taking it, and may
make the kid return the video game. So free is tough to wrap our head around.
Many adults know the saying, “Nothing in life is free.” And again they think
there is a catch. Well with Christianity there is a catch, but it is so small. It’s
better than paying a penny for a guaranteed winning Powerball ticket. Here is
the catch, admit you’re a sinner (Romans 3:23) and repent, accept Jesus into your life,
believe he paid for your sins by dying on a cross, and that He rose again. How
easy is that? Do it today, do it now, don’t wait. If you’re like me, things I put
off normally don’t get done and then if you die it’s over, no second chances. If you have questions on how to accept Jesus into your life, go to a Christian Church and ask them or email me (click here)
Lord, thank You for choosing us to have a relationship with You. Thank You for the amazing gift of eternal life. Thank You for this weekend
where we can reflect on what Your son did for us. In Jesus name, Amen.
But God demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -Romans 5:8
For many years I struggled with the thought
of why this day was called Good Friday. I couldn't really wrap my brain around
what was so good about it. I felt awful every time I would see a Cross
re-enactment on television. And it pained me to see even a picture of the
dropped head of Jesus dripping with blood from the crown of thorns. It was so real in my
mind, and it was so hard to watch. Today I struggle when I see it on YouTube a
music video depicting the act of driving the nails in. I know it happened but it’s
so graphic and realistic. And of course then Mel Gibson's movie, Passion, really
sent it home. It would pain me each time
I had to witness what Jesus had to go through as I kept asking myself: Why were
we calling the death of Jesus “good”?
Then last year it became clear to me
when I saw the cartoon below.
(click to see it larger)
I think of the thief next to Jesus who
said less than a handful of sentences that anyone bothered to write down, and those few statements got him into heaven. Really? The thief got into heaven? He doesn't deserve it…… then as I ponder that sentence, neither do I.
The Irony of Good Friday is that it is
amazing that someone would pay for my death sentence. I had never thought of the
idea that it is called “Good Friday” because Jesus took the world’s sin on his
shoulders. He took MY sin, everything I have done wrong, and will ever do wrong.
And it wasn't like he did this without choice. He chose to do that for me. Jesus walked forward and took my death. Like the cartoon shows, is that I
deserve to be hung on that cross instead of Him. He decided FOR ME to be nailed
instead of me.
Greater love has no one than this, than
to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13 That is the true example of
perfect love.
Lord, today is a glorious day, it is the
day we remember you choosing to take the penalty of death for me. I am entirely
grateful for the gift of eternal life with God. I will try daily to shine your
light in my deeds and thoughts. In Jesus name, Amen.
Note: Did you know that crucifixion was
such a lowly death that it written into law that no Roman citizen, no matter what he
did would be sentence to death that way. But yet our King (the King of Kings)
was sentenced that way.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your
life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies.”
Psalm 103:2-4
Scars. Most of us have them. Physical ones. Emotional ones.
Some minor. Some painfully deep. They all serve as reminders of our past wounds
and can hold the ability to stir up powerful emotions; pride, courage,
bitterness, anger, regret, sadness, etc…
I have many external scars, from the
chicken pox one on my forehead to the surgery scar on the top of my left wrist
and so many more from scrapes and falls. I also have many internal scars from
things like my childhood, my time in Afghanistan, betrayals, painful memories
and so on.
Then some scars are intertwined with both internal and external. Today I am going to share with you one of my
deepest and darkest scars that happens to fit that category. This is hard for
me to share and I fear that those who know me will look at me differently now
in a bad way and those of you who do not know me will judge me. I never planned
on sharing this, but God kept pushing it at me and tugging at my heart telling
me it needs to happen. I honestly tried to rationalize every excuse not to go
through with this post but in the end by not doing it would be defiantly
disobeying God. So please don’t judge me by what I am going to share.
I have had some rough brakes in life
and after a few big ones happened I was left feeling cursed. I felt alone, and
it wasn't that God wasn't there for me, but I was pushing Him away. I was mad
at Him, I felt like there was so much pain in my body I would just explode. I
had heard about cutting as a way to relieve the pain inside and in a desperate
act of self pity I picked up a razor blade and sliced at my wrists. It was not
an act for attention, it was not an act of suicide, and for me it wasn't an act
of wanting to feel pain, it was a mental trick of letting the pain out. They
were not serious cuts nor deep, but just enough for the visual image to help my
mind. Or at least I thought it would help my mind.
After doing it once, it became a bit
of a habit. Not all the time, but whenever I felt overwhelmed with the enormous
amounts of pain and fear I had inside me because even though I was a Christian,
I was not going to God. For a few reasons, firstly I was being stubborn, but
also I was mad at Him sometimes and I felt I deserved to feel the pain and was
blaming myself for all the bad things that were happening to me even knowing
they were not my fault.
So in these moments of intense fear,
pain and anxiety I would turn to this self destructive act instead of my loving
Heavenly Father. I did it several times and each time I would feel ashamed
after. I would feel so guilty and hate myself even more and then feel like I
deserved the pain more so then.
I would hide my wrists with braces
and long sleeves until they healed and I put cream on them to lessen the marks.
But I still have them, they are not as pronounced but they are there. When I
look at my wrists I am reminded of the time when I turned my back on my faith
and God. A time full of destructive behavior that left me deeply wounded and
filled with remorse. It is painful yet good that I remember them this way so
that I never repeat it of course.
But God has shown me how my scars
can actually be a blessing as well. Instead of looking at them and allowing
myself to drown in feelings of shame, I can look at my scars and remember how
far God has brought me. That is what this post is about, not the act of doing
it, but where I am now.
After one incident I confessed to a
friend for help and they encouraged me to write the reasons why I do it and the
reasons why I shouldn't As I started writing, I decided to write a letter to
myself instead. I printed several copies and I signed them and I keep them in
different places so I can always pull it out and read it if I am struggling and
turn to God for help.
I have attached the letter in these
pictures, if you click them it will be big enough to read. If you read it, it will not only help this post make more sense, but it also might
help you in some way, maybe not with the same struggle but something else you
might do or you would be able to help someone else with a struggle. So
please read it, because that letter was the key to me finally turning back
to God instead of the blade. He worked through my friend to bring me back.
Now, I still struggle with the urge
to cut during extremely stressful times and I think I always will. When an
alcoholic stops drinking or a smoker stops smoking, or any other kind of habit /addiction,
they are still tempted and the same goes for me. Except now I lean on God and I
have not cut in over a year, that includes losing my hearing and going through
radiation alone and separated from my family. I have had several opportunities
to go down that path again and there were times I had the urge but with the
help of God I have overcome that part of my life.
Do you have scars? How do those
scars impact your life? If you have never let them stir you to thankfulness,
maybe ask God to help you look at them in a new light. Allow Him to show you
how they can actually be a blessing, how they can be reminders of His mercy,
His love, His healing, His deliverance.
With Good Friday tomorrow, the day
we remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us let us also remember that we were
not the first to bear scars, that Christ bears His own scars for all to see.
The holes in His hands represent the horrendous pain and suffering that WE put
Him though by our sins. Those scars can easily be looked upon as reminders of how
sinful and evil, yes evil, we really are and how much we deserve eternal
condemnation. On the other hand, just as my scars can be a blessing, the scars
on Christ’s hands are a true blessing. They not only represent our sinfulness,
but they represent God’s love towards us just the same. Isaiah 53:5 states “But
He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The
chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
Lord, thank You thank You thank You
for delivering me from my habit of cutting and bring me back to You so that I
may rejoice in where I am and give You the glory in my life. I could not and
would not have done it without You and I pray that when I look at my scars I
never forget the blessing that can be found in them and not the shame. Thank You
for my scars. But more than that, I want to thank You thank You thank You for
the scars You bear as well. Your amazing and unfathomable love for me and
everyone in this world was shown when You accepted the pain I inflicted so that
You could grant me mercy and grace so that I may live. I am in awe just
thinking about it and I am forever humbled and honored to serve You and praise
Your name. Thank you Jesus. Amen.
This song is a powerful song about
letting go of the control that holds on to you. It is not just about cutting
and can be used for anything. I also want to point out three lines of the song
which hit me hard.
“There
were scars before my scars,
Love
written on the hands that hung the stars,
Hope
living in the blood that was spilled for me.”
"Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." John 7:38
When I see the picture to the left or any picture like it, I am
amazed at how beautiful this creation of nature is and it refreshes and renews
my spirit to one that is calm, positive, and relaxing. I can just sit and bask
on the shore in the presence of God, However a river is much more than just a
relaxing place. There are several aspects of a river and they are all symbolic
in our relationship with Christ.
Every river must have a source. That source must be higher than
itself. Although it originates in the mountaintops, a river does not stay
there; it flows freely downstream, to reach the valleys, it empties into oceans,
other rivers and extends to the dry lands to reach the lost. The source in the
river of life of course is God and He extends His grace, love and mercy to
everyone.
Rivers alter their landscape: eroding rough edges off rocks, carrying
downhill boulders, they make impressions everywhere they go. The same should be
said for the river of life as is should transform our lives and those with whom
we come in contact with should see the change in us.
A river is a source of power. The
strength of it’s current carries vessels without effort, by just
"being there." Any of you who have tubed down a river or went on the
water park attraction, “the lazy river” know what I am talking about here. You
just lay there and it moves you along. Similarly, for God to have His way in us,
all we need "do" is obey, yield to the flow and it will carry us.
The river is cleansing. People
wash and bathe on the riverbanks, especially in countries where there is no
running water. The river of life is described in Revelations 22:1 as "clear
as crystal" because its waters are not muddied by sin. When we wash in
this river, we are purified.
And lastly, the river is a source of
life. It distributes the waters of life everywhere it goes, whether in plants,
soil, animals or humans. It says in Ezekiel 47:9, “Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There
will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the
salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.” The river
of God gives us eternal life and all of us who come and drink from it and wash
in it will live.
I pray that each and every one of us will go to
the river of God so that we may be cleansed, be guided and led by it’s current,
renewed and transformed. But most of all I pray we go to the river so that we
may find life.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give
you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so
that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ. - Romans 15:5-6
Teamwork is essential. No one can navigate this life
alone. If I were to define team work, I would define it as different parts
working for a common goal. In a football team its a bunch of parts working
toward either stopping the other team or scoring. They work together for their
common goal.
Some things to remember:
1.
Teamwork is impossible if your goal is different
than the others. The whole team needs to be on the same page and headed for the
same destination
2.
Teamwork is harder when times get tough. When
going toward the goal becomes difficult, the team will start to break down and
the team will typically start to argue.
3.
Teamwork is impossible if you are Selfish. (Philippians 2:3) If
you want to win, and not the team to win then your team will more than likely
fail. If you want the team to win, then ultimately you will win.
Now every team needs a leader, and the leader needs to
remember those things above.
What is awesome though if you have a team of two as it
says in the bible "For where two or three gather in my name, there am
I with them.” - Matthew 18:20 then you have God with you. Hmmm I wonder who is
the leader of that group? So remember you don't have to worry about the leader
knowing the three things, He knows the goal that you should be going toward, He
knows that it gets difficult but He is always on board and never wavers. And
lastly He is never selfish. He wants everybody to win.
There are an endless amount of teams everybody belongs
to, Friend/Friend, Husband/Wife, Father/son, Grandmother/Grandson anytime there
are two or more that are a team with a common goal. The key is to put God in
the middle of your team, God as the leader of your team. Then the minimum you
have with your team is 3. The most perfect bible verse for team work is in Ecclesiastes
4:10-12 where it ends with “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken”
So if you only remember one thing for a successful team is to have God at the middle of whatever team you are on.
Lord thank you for the amazing teams I have. Thank you for guiding my
teams and I pray that I always seek your will in the goals my teams have. I
pray that you continue to bless the teams I am on. I pray that whatever team i
am on, that you shine through me and that I never compromise in my values.
Am I now trying to win the
approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were
still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ -Galatians
1:10
I fall in this area a lot,
so I thought I would talk about it and the coping skills I have worked on.
If you are a people
pleaser I have noticed a few things that happen.
1.You tend to match
your morals with others.
2.You end up doing
for others more than yourself.
3.You end up
compromising your relationship with God for relationships with people.
First Point: Matching your
morals with others To
fit in, to help ease strife, to help a conversation flow, you will match your
values with the person you are interacting with. If you have ever been trained
in sales you are told to match your values with the other person. If you have
ever dealt with a sales person, it seems that they always like the same things
as you do. This is also noticeable when two people first start dating. People
dating tend to do match their values and likes with each other against their
own feelings. Guys and gals will do things they don’t particularly enjoy just
to sell themselves as liking what the other person likes. The
danger with this is that you compromise your own values. You lower your own
standards to the other persons and possibly to the point it will not please
God. Be on guard and vigilant on keeping in alignment with God. In other words,
if you are a people pleaser, this will be hard work, but worth it. Remember at
the end of your life those people you please or try to get approval with will
not be there for you, God will!
Second Point: Doing more
for others Most
people pleasers have trouble saying “No” and this can be devastating to
relationships. Here is the sad fact is that others know you are a people
pleaser and have difficult saying “No” Those people will go to people pleasers
because the answer they get is always yes and much easier to get their way.
Resentment starts to build, and even when this happens people pleasers will
continue to cave and say yes to everything. The danger in this trait
is that you will say yes to people before you say yes to God. Another danger
you face is that this resentment might build to the point that anger flows out
of you toward the other person. You might even freak out on them. That is not
showing the love of God and really doesn’t show God’s light through you.
Helping people is what God wants you to do, but do it for God not the other
people. And this is important, do things for you. God wants that and you need
to be balanced. And be on guard to being resentful toward God. Another
danger People Pleaser do is their tendency to ignore is the lies people might
say to get what they need. They either ignore or accept the lie to continue the
relationship. This is very unhealthy for both the liar and the people pleaser
because it starts to build resentment within the people pleaser and enables the
liar in thinking that is correct behavior.
Third Point: You
compromise your relationship with God
Do not compromise. Not in
this area. This is handled by three steps I believe.
1.Stay in the word:
Read his word, go to church and seek his guidance.
2.Pray: Find quiet
time and seek God’s direction. Spend some good quality time with Him. Not the
quick prayer at night, or during meals, actually go and seek His face and
answers
3.Surround yourself
with people who will not take advantage of you and will hold you accountable.
Ask yourself if in a relationship are they takers or givers. If you find
yourself having resentment toward a person because they are just takers then it
is time to surround yourself with other people.
Lord, thank You thank You
thank You for being with me till the end. I choose to follow You and seek Your
guidance. I desire to follow You and to not win the approval of man but long to
hear You say, “Well done faithful servant” Please help me and guide me to seek
only You. In Jesus name, Amen.
“Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming
to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’” So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.
They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him
on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others
cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the
multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna
to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna
in the highest!” And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved,
saying, “Who is this?” So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from
Nazareth of Galilee.” -Matthew 21:5-11
Today I just reflect what happened on the original Palm
Sunday and give meaning to the perspective what is happening this last week of
Jesus life.
In order to really get some perspective on what is
happening, go back to Exodus 12:1-20, where God describes to Moses and Aaron
the first Passover. God explains that in order for the chosen people to be
saved, a lamb must be slaughtered. In fact, the chosen people must eat the
lamb. God says a lamb is to be selected on the 10th day of the month of
“Nisan,” which translates roughly to our springtime today. The lamb is to be
inspected; four days later, after the lamb has been determined to “be without
blemish” (Ex 12:5), it is to be slaughtered in the evening twilight with the
whole assembly of Israel present, (Ex 12:6). At Exodus 12:22, Moses instructs
people to take a hyssop branch, dip it in the blood of the lamb, and apply the
blood to their doorposts; the angel of death passes over the homes so marked.
They are literally saved by the blood of the lamb.
So it says in the bible
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
But you may be surprised that that part of the bible was
written nearly 500 years before Jesus birth and is in the Old Testament (or Torah, Jewish Bible)
in the book of Zachariah chapter 9 verse 9. Giving the people a glimpse of how the coming King would make his entrance almost half a millennium before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. (Remember the United States is only 237 years old)
So Jesus come riding into Jerusalem fulfilling the prophecy
and came riding in on a donkey. (Symbolically from beginning to end Jesus came
and left this earth riding on a Donkey, Mary rode on a donkey trying to find a
place to give birth and delivering Jesus.) And people were elated and lined the
streets with palm branches and greeted Jesus with jubilation (Luke 19:37-38), remember that these are the same people who shouted “Crucify Him” a week later.
So as you remember this day, Palm Sunday, and reflect on
how the story unfolds in Gospels. Remember that this is the last week of Jesus life on earth.
He was 33 Years old.
Lord, I praise you with all my being; I humbly honor You,
and reflect this last week how you Gave your one and only Son for me. Thank you
for this season, may I never forget that this is the buildup to the greatest
gift EVER! In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Side Note:
Legend has it that the loyal one in this story
is the Donkey, the one who delivered Him to his birth place, the one that
brought Him into Jerusalem and legend has it that tried to help him carry the
cross. Many Christians believe that the donkey had known what Jesus was about
to go through with his trial and suffering. They say that seeing the tragic
event of Jesus’ crucifixion, the donkey wished he had been able to carry the
cross for Jesus, as he was the one who should carry such burdens. The donkey
turned his back on the sight, but he could not leave Jesus whom he had carried,
he wished to stay until all was over because of his love and loyalty.
In reward for the loyal and humble love of the donkey the
Lord caused the shadow of the cross to fall across his back and the donkey has
carried the cross ever since as a sign that the love of God and carries a
reward for all to see.
“For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully
and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm
139:13-14
I also did a card like Dwight did a
while back on what I struggle with and need to improve on in my life and walk
with Christ and one of the main things for me is self love. I struggle
with depression. When I look at the things I am not proud of, both physically
and internally (habits, feelings, personality, etc…) I feel like a failure.
I am not happy with my weight and
the way my body looks. I am not happy with the way I act on emotions and speak
before I think sometimes. I am not happy with my stubbornness and pride that
hinders me occasionally. I am not happy with my eating habits, whether it is
overeating or not eating. I am not happy with my sleep patterns or lack of I
should say. I am not happy that I procrastinate and manage time poorly. The
list goes on and on. I am not happy with a lot of me, so much so that I often
look at myself as worthless and not deserving of anything good. However, just as I look at the
things I am not proud of, I need to look at the things I am proud of. I have a
caring and loving heart. I am good at school. I have a great singing voice. I am proud of some parts on my body. Most of all, I love God with all my heart and I desire to be
like Him and live for Him. There are more and although this list is not as long
as my list of things I am not proud of, it is just as important. I need to celebrate and embrace the
things I am proud of and thank God for them. Also, instead of looking
at the things I am not proud of as me being a failure, I need to ask God to
give me the strength and help to change those things. The things I
am not proud of should not beat me down and hold me there but motivate me to
stand back up.
Now it is true that I do not deserve salvation and I am not worthy
of the grace and mercy God shows me but that does not mean I am worthless. If
God didn't find me worth it, He wouldn't have bothered
sending Jesus to save me and give me eternal life. If
God didn't think I was worth it, He would not have created me in His
image. If God didn't think I was worth it, He wouldn't call me His
child and desire a relationship with me. He loves me and although I am not
worthy in the sense of “deserving of praise”, I am worthy in the fact that He
has placed value in me. I am not a nothing, God doesn't make junk. As
the verse says above, He created me and I am wonderfully made.
So when I look into the mirror and
see a worthless self-image and one of guilt and insecurity, that is not the
reflection God wants me to see nor is it the reflection He sees in me. He sees
me through the lenses of the cross. He sees me forgiven, pure and holy. He sees me as
the beautiful creation He made and loves me unconditionally even when I don't love myself.
Lord, I pray that You would open my
eyes so that I may see myself as You see me. That I would see the value I have
to You and to others and act on that instead of be devoured by my faults. I
pray that You would help me to accept the things I cannot change about myself
that I may not like and to help me improve the things I can. Thank You for
creating me and making me someone special. Thank You for never giving up on me
even when I give up on myself. Thank You for loving me and accepting me despite
my faults and for Your grace and mercy in giving me my salvation. You are truly
an awesome God and I am proud to be Your child. I pray that I don’t forget
where I come from and who I am, Your wonderful creation and Your loved and treasured daughter. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for,
but that you may be rewarded fully. - 2 John 1:8
So often when I am faced with stressful times I feel
alone. Friends are not around, or don’t want to deal with my issues. Family is
busy and God feels like a million miles away. This cycle starts to spin out of
control and the issue becomes compounded by the feeling of abandonment.
Like it’s been said a few times on this Blog, God can
feel distant because there is no physical body here with us, and we need “skin
on God” (a term I got from my pastor Josh Clark). In other words, we need a
person to do God’s work and be here for us. But sometimes that is not possible.
Remember Man (and woman) is faulty and are not 100% reliable. So if you wait
for people to do the work of God a lot of times you will be disappointed. ***You
need to take action yourself***
The title of this Blog entry, “When God feels distant” is
important to break down. The word
feeling doesn’t imply reality it’s just a feeling. It might be true and it
might not be. But also we must realize that these feelings of distance are a
reality to us. Two of the ways that God can feel distant is either we are
pushing God away, or it can feel like God is pushing us away.
Pushing God away is the only way that God can be distant
from us. We distance ourselves from God by turning our back on God, and
physically detaching or disengage from Him. As a father I can tell you it pains
me when my child disengages from my love, so it is fair to assume that God
feels the same way.
And remember, this is important! HHHHe will never distance Himself from us. As it says
in Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he
will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
When faced with a horrible situation which situation
should you do?
1.
Crying, Lord, why is this happening?
2.
Now that this has happened Lord, what do you
want me to do?
3.
Lord, please help me be strong in this case
All three are correct. Jesus demonstrated each one. An
example of the first one is found in the book of Mark. And at three in the
afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”
(which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). -Mark 15:34
The key is not to focus on the first one and dwell on it too
long, because the Devil can use that one to discourage us. So briefly use
situation 1 but then quickly move to #2 and 3. Ask God to help you be strong
and for direction. If it appears that God isn't answering #2 then I would say
do something. Use good judgment and move forward while continuing to seek His
guidance.
The last part of this is action we need to take. This is
not when we are in a situation that is testing us. This call to action is two
parts.
1.
Be on the lookout for those who are in need
2.
Be there for those you see who need help and be “Skin
on God for them”
My Prayer: Lord help me stick to my own advice. Please help
me be aware of those in need and actually help them. But also when I am that
person in need and no one is there for me, that I turn to You first and seek Your
guidance and not to distance myself from you. Thank you for your un-ending
love. Thank you for your Son’s example. In Jesus name, Amen.
Note: The reason I added this famous picture taken from the Sistine Chapel is because of the body posture of man. Man is putting very little effort to reach out to God. If you look at God who is stretching out as much as he can to reach man. We just need to make a little effort to close that gap.
“Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and
he will do this.” Psalm 37:5
Change is inevitable. Some people
thrive on it, living for adventure and getting bored when things stay the same
for too long. That is great for some people, but that is not me. I am more the
opposite type. The kind that gets overwhelmed and anxious or frazzled on even
the tiniest of changes.
Yesterday I had to go to the
dentist, which I must say is quite relaxing now that I can’t hear the sounds of
the machines drilling in my mouth. But as I was waiting to go back, there was a
little girl that was crying as she waited herself and I could tell she was
scared. I started talking to her and found out that she was having a tooth
pulled because her baby tooth wasn't coming out but the adult tooth was already
starting to come in. She was afraid because it was not something she was used
to and she knew there would be pain involved. She knew it was needed but she didn't want him to take her tooth and wanted the big tooth to go back down for
a while.
So many times in my life I come
across a change that is as scary as pulling teeth is for this little girl. I
know that sometimes change is necessary but I want to cling to how my life is
going now or want my day to go as I planned it and not have to deal with any
alterations, good or bad. I am like that little girl saying in a sense “I like
my baby tooth, it is mine and I am comfortable with it. I don’t need a grown up
tooth, I am good with this one, thanks anyways.” But change happens and when it
does it just means God is doing something new in our lives and our plan wasn't in His plan. We need to turn to God trusting in Him and asking Him to help us
accept the changes and give us the strength to get through them as well as
helping to let go and change the things we can. Think of the serenity prayer,
although it is not found in the Bible, it is an awesome prayer to help refocus
in times of change and stress.
So when that change happens, we have
a choice – we can have a mouth overcrowded and uncomfortable that holds onto
the old only to the detriment of the new or we can endure the
temporary pain of having the old “removed” so that we can have everything in
place and working according to the plans of God.
Clinging to the old just doesn't work for the new that God wants to do. I don’t know about you, but I know I
have some “teeth” that need to be pulled. Things I have been clinging to that
seem good but that are actually impeding my growth. I think it is about time I
asked Him to help me extract my “teeth” from my life,
however painful giving them up may be. I need to trust that He is there to help
guide my new “teeth” in place so that my smile and life will be in line with
His plan and the smile and life He wants for me not the one I am so comfortable
with.
Lord, I want to grow and change so
that I am all You have designed me to be. I pray that You will reassure me and
remind me when I need it that while it is okay to be nervous, that You are
always there by my side to guide me through whatever changes I encounter. Help
me to walk in faith knowing that these changes I am so reluctant to do will
help me grow in my relationship with You.
I want my life to be pleasing to Your eyes and to reflect Your love and light
to others and to do that I must fully trust and let go. Thank You for your
understanding, Your love and Your leadership. Give me the courage to endure the
pain and discomfort that can happen as you transform me into what You desire
and for a submissive heart to accept it and embrace it. I ask this in Your
precious name, Amen. (A found this song and I think it is awesome! It is an original song by Michele McGovern, to buy the full song, it is available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michele2. I would encourage you to get it, it is well worth it. The words to just this part are below.)
Your ways and your thoughts are higher than mine / God is in control
And You work Your plans out in Your perfect time / God is in control
I put my faith in my Maker and Friend
Knowing He'll carry me through to the end,
And I'll / trust You Lord / even when I cannot see
I'll trust You Lord / You will make a way for me
I'll trust You Lord / I will trust You Lord
Oh, yeah yeah, and I'll / trust You Lord
When the hill's too high to climb / I'll trust You Lord
I know the battle isn't mine / I'll trust You Lord
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his
appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord
does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord
looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7
There are several things that people find attractive and
each of us has a reason for finding that trait appealing. I have made an incomplete list
Pretty eyes: Window to the soul
Large Chest (male): Protection and strength
Nice hair: Run your fingers through it
Submissive: Needing someone to follow
Saver: Someone who saves money, security
Decisive: Ability to make good decisions quickly and thoroughly
Needy: Some people need someone to rely on them
Clean: Some people need to have the other person overly
clean
Large Bank Account: security
Smile: Friendly appearance
Athletic: Healthy
Smart: Intellect and typically a job
Dominant: Someone to take charge of the family
Wise: Makes good decisions
Spender: Fellow shopper
Witty: Good intellect and the ability to convey it
Funny: Make a person laugh is good medicine
Nice: Gives the benefit of doubt instead of jumping to
conclusions, doesn't say mean things
Easy going: Generally good natured and is an optimist
Self-reliant: Very little need from the other partner
Neat: Tidy and organized
That’s a good enough list, and I can tell you that some
of those went to the top of my list and some of those are a total turn off. But
what I realize now as I look over the list I made when looking for a spouse was
what was missing. The one trait that is missing is “Loves God” as it says in
Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears
the Lord is to be praised.” That verse can be applied to either gender. People should
have a list of traits they would like in a spouse, because Marriage is forever.
However, at the top of that list should be part of the greatest
commandment which is found in Matthew 22:36-37, "‘Teacher,
which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’" If they love the Lord with all
their heart, soul and mind, then most of those other traits will
fall into place.
And if they love God more than they love you, then divorce will
not be in their vocabulary.
Lord, thank You for taking my list and without me
realizing it, putting a woman that loves You into my life. Thank You for the many blessings that I enjoy.
Lord let me do your work, and help guide me in my journey to become more like You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” - Daniel 6:166
Ask any kid about Daniel and they will say, oh the man who was fed to the lions but God protected him. The first full book of the bible I ever read was the book of Daniel and I still get shivers whenever I read that book. The example Daniel gave us is possibly the best one in the bible, with the exception of Jesus.
Everybody remembers the story that this verse refers to, and remembers the outcome of the story. God delivered Daniel and what an amazing delivery it was. But hindsight is 20/20 and before God delivered him, Daniel did not have a guarantee of being rescued. And to me the most important fact of this story should be that God may not save us and should not be the reason we follow God. There are no conditions on God's love and so we should not set conditions on following Him.
Would we be so courageous? Will we in the face the possibility of being violently killed to stand up and choose God. When we are standing in the fork of the road and one direction is following God and the other is worshiping an idol with the understanding that if you follow God you will be put to death, which would you choose? If you look at Daniel, he could have easily prayed to God privately and said, "I will pray to you quietly Lord and if it appears that I am worshiping the idol, I'm not really. And it allow me to live to do Your work God." But that is our small minds trying to justify our fears.
Remember the outcome of Daniel being so faithful, remember how the story unfolded. It didn't just stop with God rescuing Daniel, the story didn't end there. Right after Daniel was saved, the King was so grateful that he took those who accused Daniel and threw the into the lions den. Then (and this is important) made a decree "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel." So if Daniel had gone against God's will and just pretended to follow the law against God then the outcome would have not been to God's full plan.
And I know some of you are saying, "that's fine but we live in america and we are in the modern day so no one is going to Kill me if i warship outwardly God" Although that is true, we should be on our knees every day that we live in this great country where we are free to worship. Below is a picture of a man by the name of Khmu Christian “Boun” who spent 12 years and eight months in prison in Southeast Asia for his faith. And many more like him are killed for their faith.
Lord thank you for the amazing example of Daniel. I pray that you help me to be like him, let me be as brave as him and follow your word Lord, so that your plan can be executed perfectly. Thank you for letting me worship in the United States where I don't fear persecution. In Jesus name, Amen.
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