there is a verse in the book of james that asks the question "show me your faith without your works." we are starting a new study about jonah. god asked jonah to do the right thing and confront those that were doing evil things. my image of jonah is of not him being in the belly of the fish, but of him running at marathon speed to get away from god. he caught him, confined him, and there was no where to run. (by way the story of jonah is not just a story, but the truth. if you don't believe it maybe you should question whether or not you believe in the birth, the death and resurrection of christ.)
"Immediately the father of the child cried out[a] and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” mark 9:24
about 2 weeks ago i had a conversation with a woman that is a part of my soul. i love and cherish her deeply as a friend. she said i have been thinking about you and being able to share in your miracle. i said what in the hell are you talking about? she said your MS. i hadn't even thought about it being almost 2 years. i believe so fully that he will not make me sick if i continue to listen, discern, obey, and trust that he won't it just has become my way of life. this december will be 2 years without being hooked up to an iv that makes me sicker sometimes than the MS. PRAISE GOD!!!!
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. hebrews 11:1
on sunday our pastor asked "do you remember the moment when he called you?" i remember the moment, and it wasn't when i walked down the aisle or even when i was baptized. i had peace when i was baptized - profound peace, but the big moment that changed everything was when i was sitting in that chair with an iv. that was the moment i heard him so clearly, and i listened. i stopped running away and started running towards him.
"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." romans 10:9-10
we are seeking the truth far more now than i think we realize. we know it will be hard, but we want someone to really just tell us the truth; correct? maybe in reality we don't want to hear the truth because we haven't given up our pride. we haven't achieved his humility yet in our lives. here is a question for you; is your life a reflection of christ or your church tradition? is your life a reflection of society's definition of christ, or the gospel's definition?
our pastor said this is how you know if you are christian - would you go back to your old life? would you go back to where there was no peace in your heart, or mind? are your answers the politically correct ones, or god's command of the truth? is your advice politically correct, or the truth of christ? he also made the statement that the right thing does not always feel good. actually, i would say the majority of the time that when we uphold god before another, confront them on it, and plant that seed it creates one hell of storm. christ said that for those that uphold his truth they would be blessed, and to ask for him to bless the ones that persecute you, say foul words against you and belittle you for upholding him.
"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," matthew 5:44
i would think at some point in your journey it would become exhausting to be something your not. the religious game would get old. the traditions of man would get old. where is the rawness of christ in our lives. where is the emotion of justifiable anger at those that manipulate and use guilt as their weapon of choice. i am amazed at the desire of christians to turn god into a wimp. they took the god of the old testament and turned him into this love all, tolerate all, and forgive all type of dude. god never changed he just made it easier for you to come to him. it is our dummy guide to get in, because we just did not get it.
the funny thing about judging those who believe that the bible is the truth of god is that you will be judged for not believing - far harsher than anything your spouse, family member or friend could do to you.
2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. matthew 7:2
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Redemption
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." John 4:15-17
Definition of REDEEM - Christ was the payment to his father for our sin.
Redemption: improving of something: the act of saving something or somebody from a declined, dilapidated, or corrupted state and restoring it, him, or her to a better condition. The improved state of somebody or something saved from apparently irreversible decline
Redemption: improving of something: the act of saving something or somebody from a declined, dilapidated, or corrupted state and restoring it, him, or her to a better condition. The improved state of somebody or something saved from apparently irreversible decline
Stop worrying or fearing that you are not worthy enough for his grace, or that you don't know enough about him to go to him. By the way don't fear other Christians either. True believers don't care about that, because they know what they did, what they didn't do, and what they are capable of doing. Everyone falls short of HIM. Everyone that you know falls short of perfection. When we accept him it is forgotten by him -GONE! Remember that.
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.[a] 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you[b] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,[c] he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8:1-8
Imagine that - your past is no longer remembered by him, and you have the chance for a new life. a good life. a blessed life. a fulfilled life that when turmoil strikes he is there to hold you up.
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.[a] 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you[b] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,[c] he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8:1-8
Imagine that - your past is no longer remembered by him, and you have the chance for a new life. a good life. a blessed life. a fulfilled life that when turmoil strikes he is there to hold you up.
We've be redeemed with the payment of the son. God wants you, loves you, cherishes you, desires you, embraces you in warmth, fulfills you, gives you peace and unconditional love. In our darkest hour he gives us the escape. In our greatest pain he gives us the escape. If we accept the son, and believe with our whole hearts that he is the truth and the life.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." John 4:15-17
Saturday, October 6, 2012
My Idol; Politics
"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
Politics became an idol for me. I was breaking the second commandment daily. I have a very wise friend that asked me about it, and I prayed for God to take it from my heart. I am justifiably angry along with many the regulation, the manipulation, the control of men, and women over a nation that once deeply loved God. That is why God has no role in politics, because men and women decide they have the right to regulate right and wrong. God gave us freedom from sin by sacrificing his son with great love and passion for his children. He gave you the choice of spending eternity in heaven or hell, and we are choosing hell. Judas chose hell in all his knowledge and witness of Christ.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments."
Exodus 20:4-6
We are not entitled to God's grace unless we accept the son and become more like him (Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6.) He is the only truth that matters in our lives. We have a nation that willingly accepts lies over truth. Churches are falling because they have abandoned the truth. Families are destroyed or dysfunctional because they abandoned the truth. Friendships are broken because they abandoned the truth. Communities no longer exist because they abandoned the truth. A nation has crumbled because they abandoned the truth. We chose this life. We chose ourselves, our wants, our needs, our desires over God. We can't blame others for things that we chose to do in our own lives. We can not profess to love Christ when we as individuals we have abandoned his truth with our own morality.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess[a] to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God." Romans 14; 10-12
I have a very different view of my MS than I did when I was first diagnosed. He gave it to me because I chose the world over him. I chose to be taken advantage of in my actions with people and then I was hurt. I chose not to have compassion or empathy. I chose to be harsh and unrelenting. I chose to be selfish. I chose to act like a fool over and over again, because I did not know that my worth came from God. He said no you will not destroy what I have created in you. He said you will not choose man over me. He brought me to my knees. He has been very patient with me, and still is! That is is what is incredible about Him!
He showed me the pain from the ones that love me the consequence of what I was not sacrificing. I didn't want to see pain and fear in my husband's eyes again over a disease. I wanted to pick up my children, and not have to say "I can't pick you up." I didn't want to see or hear the pain in my parent's eyes or voice again. I didn't want to hear my sweet brother pleading with me to protect my heart on the phone. I didn't want my beautiful friends to witness that pain. I didn't want that because it wasn't worth it to me to hurt any of them or God.
Illness and disease is not what we can do for someone else. It is a command of what God wants us to do for him to become more like him. He wants us to face the reality of our hearts. He wants us to cherish the gifts that are front of us that he has given us; people. He does not want us as Christians to regulate or control another's life. We don't know what God has planned for that person to become. Stay out of it unless you know from scripture what they are doing is hurtful to him and others because you love them. Don't be prideful in your journey because that is what the Pharisees and hypocrites were.
" I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,[a] and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive." Romans 16:17-18
Open your eyes to the pain that our politics is causing to the citizens of this nation. All of the choices not just your political party. This has nothing do with helping people, but everything to do with controlling people. We should maybe ask ourselves daily; What do I believe about God? We may hate him for holding us accountable. We may hate him for putting people in our lives that are willing to uphold him instead of realizing that is loving our neighbor, our family, or our friend. We may hate him for not giving us what want or think we need. We may hate him for not changing his laws to what our society wants.
The Bible is not politics. This has nothing to do with politics. This has to do with speaking the Word of God through the culture in which we live. It has nothing to do with politics. It’s not about personalities; it’s about iniquity and judgment. And why do we say this? Because this must be recognized for what it is--sin, serious sin, damning sin, destructive sin. John MacArthur
http://www.openbible.info/topics/judgment
Politics became an idol for me. I was breaking the second commandment daily. I have a very wise friend that asked me about it, and I prayed for God to take it from my heart. I am justifiably angry along with many the regulation, the manipulation, the control of men, and women over a nation that once deeply loved God. That is why God has no role in politics, because men and women decide they have the right to regulate right and wrong. God gave us freedom from sin by sacrificing his son with great love and passion for his children. He gave you the choice of spending eternity in heaven or hell, and we are choosing hell. Judas chose hell in all his knowledge and witness of Christ.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments."
Exodus 20:4-6
We are not entitled to God's grace unless we accept the son and become more like him (Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6.) He is the only truth that matters in our lives. We have a nation that willingly accepts lies over truth. Churches are falling because they have abandoned the truth. Families are destroyed or dysfunctional because they abandoned the truth. Friendships are broken because they abandoned the truth. Communities no longer exist because they abandoned the truth. A nation has crumbled because they abandoned the truth. We chose this life. We chose ourselves, our wants, our needs, our desires over God. We can't blame others for things that we chose to do in our own lives. We can not profess to love Christ when we as individuals we have abandoned his truth with our own morality.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess[a] to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God." Romans 14; 10-12
I have a very different view of my MS than I did when I was first diagnosed. He gave it to me because I chose the world over him. I chose to be taken advantage of in my actions with people and then I was hurt. I chose not to have compassion or empathy. I chose to be harsh and unrelenting. I chose to be selfish. I chose to act like a fool over and over again, because I did not know that my worth came from God. He said no you will not destroy what I have created in you. He said you will not choose man over me. He brought me to my knees. He has been very patient with me, and still is! That is is what is incredible about Him!
He showed me the pain from the ones that love me the consequence of what I was not sacrificing. I didn't want to see pain and fear in my husband's eyes again over a disease. I wanted to pick up my children, and not have to say "I can't pick you up." I didn't want to see or hear the pain in my parent's eyes or voice again. I didn't want to hear my sweet brother pleading with me to protect my heart on the phone. I didn't want my beautiful friends to witness that pain. I didn't want that because it wasn't worth it to me to hurt any of them or God.
Illness and disease is not what we can do for someone else. It is a command of what God wants us to do for him to become more like him. He wants us to face the reality of our hearts. He wants us to cherish the gifts that are front of us that he has given us; people. He does not want us as Christians to regulate or control another's life. We don't know what God has planned for that person to become. Stay out of it unless you know from scripture what they are doing is hurtful to him and others because you love them. Don't be prideful in your journey because that is what the Pharisees and hypocrites were.
" I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,[a] and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive." Romans 16:17-18
Open your eyes to the pain that our politics is causing to the citizens of this nation. All of the choices not just your political party. This has nothing do with helping people, but everything to do with controlling people. We should maybe ask ourselves daily; What do I believe about God? We may hate him for holding us accountable. We may hate him for putting people in our lives that are willing to uphold him instead of realizing that is loving our neighbor, our family, or our friend. We may hate him for not giving us what want or think we need. We may hate him for not changing his laws to what our society wants.
The Bible is not politics. This has nothing to do with politics. This has to do with speaking the Word of God through the culture in which we live. It has nothing to do with politics. It’s not about personalities; it’s about iniquity and judgment. And why do we say this? Because this must be recognized for what it is--sin, serious sin, damning sin, destructive sin. John MacArthur
http://www.openbible.info/topics/judgment
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