Have you ever considered what would happen if your best friend, your spouse, or anyone person you love dearly never failed, or fell short of the glory of God? What if you could be infallible? Everyone of us are fallible. We all come short of the glory of God, that's why we need our Savior Jesus Christ and the unity of a Christian family.
It's good for all of to see and understand, only Christ is without sin and failure. That's why He is my Savior. He picks me up when I fall. Because he hates sin, but loves the sinner, we too should be like Him.
When I was a teenager, that was many moons ago, we use to sing this song, "He Has Shown Thee O Man." Did you ever sing that song? Micah 6:8 has the Christian life sewed up in a nut shell.
Like the Israelites, we wonder why God becomes so disgusted with us.
"My people what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me.
I brought you out of Egypt, and redeemed you from slavery."Micah 6:3 & 4 (NIV)
We have been delivered from eternal damnation. We've been set free by His Holy Spirit. Shouldn't there be a song in our heart? We've really been given everything we'll ever need by His grace and love. Life comes with trials and short comings, but we have a God who loves us and is there to guide us.
"...Remember your journey, from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord." Micah 6:5 (NIV)
Aimlessly we cry, "Lord, what do you want from me? I need to be back in your good graces; I desperately want you to find favor with me and bless me again!" Have you ever been there? I have many times.
"With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"
Micah 6:6-7 (NIV)
Today we might say,"Okay God-if it will please you, I'll devote every free hour I have inside your building. God I will burn my family and myself out completely for you at every church function there is. In fact, you can have my oldest child for every function too. I'll sacrifice my families food to support all those missionaries over seas. And God if I do all this- you'll mega bless me right?"
You act like "Super Christian" in the church. In fact, you are so worn out there's no time for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through studying His word and prayer. Guess what-God isn't impressed. He's hurting because you have forfeited your first love. Jesus Christ is the author and perfecter of your faith. You must spend time with Him, before and during the time you're helping others grow in Christ.
When you took on that responsibility of marriage, your spouse and children come only after your relationship with Jesus Christ. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all these things will be added unto you.
"He has showed you, O man, what is good, And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NIV)
We all fall short of God's glory, but we're on a journey for God's glory. We need to seek God's salvation and wisdom for our own life first. We must forgive others and show mercy as God has shown us mercy. I pray we'll all walk humbly with our Maker, who is also our sustainer.
I have always loved helping others on their journey in God's light. But I would feel absolutely horrible if one of my family members missed God's love and salvation, because they couldn't see Christ in me. I promise you the only good in me is because Christ lives in me.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Christians need to be Alive and Dancing in The Spirit!
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patientence, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:23-24 (NIV)
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Are you really alive in Christ Jesus? Dead men can not wake themself from deaths slumber. Only the Holy Spirit has that power to breathe the Christian life into any of our souls. Without Him there is no life in Christ. Seek the Lord while He may be found with your whole heart, he will reveal Himself to you.
Joyless love and affections for God and other people should never be part of our demeanor. Think about all the emotions God comands in the Christian life, love, mercy, cheerfulness, hate sin, love sinners, honor and the list goes on and on. We should be full of life!
If you have lost your zest for life, I hope you'll revive your life in Christ with the following steps:
1. Confess your lack of joy for God and life in general. "My heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I."Psalm 61:2 (NIV)
2. Ask God to Restore your joy of Obedience. "I delight to do Your Will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart." Psalm 40:8 (NIV)
3. Remember: Hapiness is a Choice-consciencously look at life in a positive light. "Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart." Psalm 32:11 (NIV)
"a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3:4 (NIV)
Live your Life Fully Alive in The Spirit!
Have a Happy Weekend. ;D
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Are you really alive in Christ Jesus? Dead men can not wake themself from deaths slumber. Only the Holy Spirit has that power to breathe the Christian life into any of our souls. Without Him there is no life in Christ. Seek the Lord while He may be found with your whole heart, he will reveal Himself to you.
Joyless love and affections for God and other people should never be part of our demeanor. Think about all the emotions God comands in the Christian life, love, mercy, cheerfulness, hate sin, love sinners, honor and the list goes on and on. We should be full of life!
If you have lost your zest for life, I hope you'll revive your life in Christ with the following steps:
1. Confess your lack of joy for God and life in general. "My heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I."Psalm 61:2 (NIV)
2. Ask God to Restore your joy of Obedience. "I delight to do Your Will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart." Psalm 40:8 (NIV)
3. Remember: Hapiness is a Choice-consciencously look at life in a positive light. "Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart." Psalm 32:11 (NIV)
"a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3:4 (NIV)
Live your Life Fully Alive in The Spirit!
Have a Happy Weekend. ;D
Friday, January 20, 2012
Why settle for Mud Pies when You Could be making Sand Castles by the Sea?
Happiness is a choice. However, it is hard to be truly happy unless you are content in Christ. Contentment comes when we realize that God's commandments are guidelines for our happiness. God isn't a policeman waiting to chastise us.
What spouse would demand a kiss from their mate? Any advances by force are offensive and so wrong. God's desire for our love is no different. The church is His bride. Each believer has a personal relationship with Christ Jesus.
Remember when you were first saved? Most believers desire to please God with their very lives. As time goes on the routine becomes ho hum, maybe even stagnate. Bible study becomes a requirement instead of a time of meditation and really taking the message to heart. Soon Bible study stops and then certain sins become appealing again.
People haven't changed since the Old Testament. Moses warned the Israelites-
"All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and over take you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees He gave you. They will be a sign and wonder to you and your descendants forever. Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you." Deuteronomy 28:45-48 (NIV)
Ouch, have you ever felt the sting of sin? I have.
As we remember our Maker, Deliver and Savior we focus on the goodness in life. Just going for a walk in the woods we see God's glory in creation! "In Your presences is the fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever." Psalm 16:11 (NIV)
Jesus wants a happy relationship with each believer full of love, pleasure and peace from your heart to His. He will bless you even in times of sorrow if you can praise and worship Him with all your being. When you are truly content you will be able to say like Paul-
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me....I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." Philippians 1:20-24 (NIV)
Just as you and I desire healthy happy relationships with the people we love. Let us put our God in First place and give Him the Love and Glory He richly deserves. In turn, He will take you from making mud pies when it rains to awesome sand castles by the sea. Make the most of your journey so that you will enjoy the fullest in heaven.
What spouse would demand a kiss from their mate? Any advances by force are offensive and so wrong. God's desire for our love is no different. The church is His bride. Each believer has a personal relationship with Christ Jesus.
Remember when you were first saved? Most believers desire to please God with their very lives. As time goes on the routine becomes ho hum, maybe even stagnate. Bible study becomes a requirement instead of a time of meditation and really taking the message to heart. Soon Bible study stops and then certain sins become appealing again.
People haven't changed since the Old Testament. Moses warned the Israelites-
"All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and over take you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees He gave you. They will be a sign and wonder to you and your descendants forever. Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you." Deuteronomy 28:45-48 (NIV)
Ouch, have you ever felt the sting of sin? I have.
As we remember our Maker, Deliver and Savior we focus on the goodness in life. Just going for a walk in the woods we see God's glory in creation! "In Your presences is the fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever." Psalm 16:11 (NIV)
Jesus wants a happy relationship with each believer full of love, pleasure and peace from your heart to His. He will bless you even in times of sorrow if you can praise and worship Him with all your being. When you are truly content you will be able to say like Paul-
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me....I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." Philippians 1:20-24 (NIV)
Just as you and I desire healthy happy relationships with the people we love. Let us put our God in First place and give Him the Love and Glory He richly deserves. In turn, He will take you from making mud pies when it rains to awesome sand castles by the sea. Make the most of your journey so that you will enjoy the fullest in heaven.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Your Trials will Define You!
What broadens your horizons? When I think back- stretching circumstances are what have really increased my vision and gave me greater understanding of what God and life are trying to teach me. I am thankful for those hard growing times in retrospect. Without the pain and suffering there is little growth.
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"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, and all deceit, hypocrisy envy and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." 1 Peter 2:1-3 (NIV)
Satan, the father of lies, would love to discourage and turn your circumstance into the path of your destruction. If you're already sick he will try to tell you you're sick because God simply doesn't care about you. What a bold faced lie! Do not even give that a second thought. Because God loves you He promises to be with you through everything this ole life will throw at you.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. " Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
Yes, before your life is over all kinds of circumstances will be part of what molds your life. Some of those events will occur because of your sin or someone else's sin. For example you over indulge in food, soon you're heavier than you ever dreamed you could be. (Hey- that's me, I love to eat.) Soon that weight causes diabetes, cancer, or heart disease.
Someone else's sin may give you and your family a grievous circumstance. For example an impaired driver may unintentionally cause a severe accident which completely destroys your way of life. What if someone kills the very person you love more than life? How you react to any circumstance in life defines who you really are.
None of us are exempt from life, therefore we must all trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding. Without total trust and comfort in Christ we can not be truly at peace, or happy in life. If you're not there yet, it's okay and even normal. Just remember every trial in life is a gift from God to help teach you to lean on Him. You must choose; choose wisely, (Obey His Will for your happiness and growth!) ;D Your life in Christ is a journey. He who has begun a good work in you will complete it, but you must be willing to work with Him.
Finally, I pray we will all be able to say as Paul did-
"...for I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH." Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)
Paul said this after many physical problems, imprisonment and many other trials. In life, love and grief God purifies us into His beautiful workmanship. Some of the most cherished precious people have endured the worst of life, but have been refined into His purest gold. Let the hard times melt you into God's love for His glory!
.
"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, and all deceit, hypocrisy envy and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." 1 Peter 2:1-3 (NIV)
Satan, the father of lies, would love to discourage and turn your circumstance into the path of your destruction. If you're already sick he will try to tell you you're sick because God simply doesn't care about you. What a bold faced lie! Do not even give that a second thought. Because God loves you He promises to be with you through everything this ole life will throw at you.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. " Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
Yes, before your life is over all kinds of circumstances will be part of what molds your life. Some of those events will occur because of your sin or someone else's sin. For example you over indulge in food, soon you're heavier than you ever dreamed you could be. (Hey- that's me, I love to eat.) Soon that weight causes diabetes, cancer, or heart disease.
Someone else's sin may give you and your family a grievous circumstance. For example an impaired driver may unintentionally cause a severe accident which completely destroys your way of life. What if someone kills the very person you love more than life? How you react to any circumstance in life defines who you really are.
None of us are exempt from life, therefore we must all trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding. Without total trust and comfort in Christ we can not be truly at peace, or happy in life. If you're not there yet, it's okay and even normal. Just remember every trial in life is a gift from God to help teach you to lean on Him. You must choose; choose wisely, (Obey His Will for your happiness and growth!) ;D Your life in Christ is a journey. He who has begun a good work in you will complete it, but you must be willing to work with Him.
Finally, I pray we will all be able to say as Paul did-
"...for I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH." Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)
Paul said this after many physical problems, imprisonment and many other trials. In life, love and grief God purifies us into His beautiful workmanship. Some of the most cherished precious people have endured the worst of life, but have been refined into His purest gold. Let the hard times melt you into God's love for His glory!
Monday, January 9, 2012
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