"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 1 timothy 6:11-12""
our sin is that we justify sin"....i didn't get this quote correct from gary thomas's sermon last night, but you get the idea. the idea of pursuing something with great endurance made me think about all the things we pursue, but we don't pursue our relationship with GOD that way.
what is so wrong with pursuing a relationship with GOD? what is so wrong with pursuing HIS words through scripture? fear is what it seems to amount to. we are scared of what we will find in ourselves that sins against HIM. gary thomas last night said "that we must accept and deal with the fact that we have sin and temptation instead of hiding from it. if given the opportunity would we choose the sin." would we have the endurance and strength to walk away? the reality is most of us would choose the sin, because we find ok to justify it and we think GOD will always forgive us for it.
envy, greed, gluttony, vanity, etc..the list could go on and on. what drives us? are we doing these things because GOD told us to, or are we doing these things because of what's inside us? think about this; are you pursuing CHRIST everyday for HIS glory, or are you forcing yourself to do it because that is what chrisitan society and the church tells you to do? when you give you must do it with your whole heart and if you aren't giving your whole heart to HIM then why are you doing it?
don't get me wrong i believe you should read scripture, because what starts to happen in your heart is so wonderful that it is hard to step away from that. it's what we take from it that seems to be the problem. we want to read scripture, but we don't want to live that way. we want to manipulate it to our advantage; that's our sin.
take for example abortion. GOD says that all life is a gift, it doesn't matter the circumstances in which that life was created; wouldn't this be murder? take for example money. we pursue more and more money even when we have enough to live on; does it become greed then? take for example beauty. we buy more and more make-up, starve ourselves, or even resort to plastic surgery; isn't this vanity?
one of my greatest sins will be my temper. it will be the one that will take me years and years to fight. i have to fight it, because GOD told me to. every time i fail i must seek HIS forgiveness and those that i have been on the receiving end of my temper. every time i lose it i have let the devil in. i hope and pray through my faith and with HIM in my heart i can conquer it.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
are you on the fence?
one of our sunday school teachers used this phrase regarding our belief in CHRIST on sunday. the attack of a christian church by a suicide bomber in egypt was mentioned. the church had to cancel it's christmas services for fear of another attack. are christians realizing that their faith is being attacked more and more; or do you think it is isolated?
i think most of us have seen christianity attacked with just having GOD removed from almost everything, because it is offensive to others that don't believe. a nativity scene that had been displayed for over 50 years in front of a church was removed this year, because it offended an individual that drove by it everyday. are these attacks on christianity; yes they are.
i was thinking about this comment sunday night and most of yesterday. we could apply this to any one of our beliefs. most of us base our beliefs because of , not what GOD says. we are more willing to believe what society tells us to believe than what CHRIST has told us. all of CHRIST'S disciples died because of great suffering for following HIM. would we be willing to do that? that's really the question you have to ask yourself. JESUS asked us to leave all things behind to follow HIM. there is a verse in scripture where CHRIST describes what really must happen before we fully understand what it means to follow him.
"Not Peace but Division
49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” luke 12:49-53
there will have to be division and discord in the world for individuals to fully accept HIM. it's not going to happen with just our enemies, but with our families and friends that do not accept HIM. harsh reality i know. most of say we accept HIM, but i don't know if we really know what it takes to follow HIM. as i journey further into scripture i realize more and more how i have not fully accepted HIS TRUTHS and WORDS into my heart.
CHRIST wants us to have all the joys, love and grace HE has given us. HE wants us to enter HIS beloved kingdom, but if we don't do all things that HE requires of us we will be held accountable for that. remember, it is by HIS HAND and HIS GRACE alone that you enter HIS kingdom. (check out revelations)
with that said i think of all the times i have denied HIM just as peter did when i haven't glorified HIM, or rebuked because of fear. i think of how i have hid my faith from some, but not others. i think of how i have betrayed HIM just as judas did because of worry of offending another. radical i know, but that is what HE expects from me.
"Interpreting the Times
54 He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” luke 12:54-59
i think most of us have seen christianity attacked with just having GOD removed from almost everything, because it is offensive to others that don't believe. a nativity scene that had been displayed for over 50 years in front of a church was removed this year, because it offended an individual that drove by it everyday. are these attacks on christianity; yes they are.
i was thinking about this comment sunday night and most of yesterday. we could apply this to any one of our beliefs. most of us base our beliefs because of , not what GOD says. we are more willing to believe what society tells us to believe than what CHRIST has told us. all of CHRIST'S disciples died because of great suffering for following HIM. would we be willing to do that? that's really the question you have to ask yourself. JESUS asked us to leave all things behind to follow HIM. there is a verse in scripture where CHRIST describes what really must happen before we fully understand what it means to follow him.
"Not Peace but Division
49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” luke 12:49-53
there will have to be division and discord in the world for individuals to fully accept HIM. it's not going to happen with just our enemies, but with our families and friends that do not accept HIM. harsh reality i know. most of say we accept HIM, but i don't know if we really know what it takes to follow HIM. as i journey further into scripture i realize more and more how i have not fully accepted HIS TRUTHS and WORDS into my heart.
CHRIST wants us to have all the joys, love and grace HE has given us. HE wants us to enter HIS beloved kingdom, but if we don't do all things that HE requires of us we will be held accountable for that. remember, it is by HIS HAND and HIS GRACE alone that you enter HIS kingdom. (check out revelations)
with that said i think of all the times i have denied HIM just as peter did when i haven't glorified HIM, or rebuked because of fear. i think of how i have hid my faith from some, but not others. i think of how i have betrayed HIM just as judas did because of worry of offending another. radical i know, but that is what HE expects from me.
"Interpreting the Times
54 He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” luke 12:54-59
Monday, January 10, 2011
trying to plan our futures
during a conversation with some friends this weekend we were talking about living in the present; living in the moment. this is hard one, because for most of us we have been trained to plan ahead with our lives. i realized that i do this all the time, all the time. i am wasting precious time by not enjoying what GOD has put in front of me.
the one thing that i try to plan ahead for is my ms. ms doesn't work that way, and neither does GOD i am realizing more and more. i can choose to rest more. i can choose not to do physically more than i should. also, i have to realize if i don't do these things then there is a great possibility that i will get sick. the same goes for following HIM; i can choose to follow HIM, or there is a great possibility that i will fail. i don't know if i'm willing to take that chance anymore.
really the main point is that GOD didn't say we could plan out our futures, because HE is the only one that does that. HE knows every choice we are going to make before we even know. HE try's HIS hardest to move us in the direction we should be going, whether we choose that or not is the question. i have made choices over the years that went against what HE sought for me, what HE tried to tell me not to do, and i failed.
for most of us this is going to be hard to do, because we aren't trained to think this way. take for the example the economy. no matter what economists say about what the long term holds; it's what happening now in the economy. groceries, gas, and utilities have already sky-rocketed. whether we want to believe it or not, even medical care is going up. i have had to face this after a drug that is used for my treatment was no longer covered after being covered for 9 years.
GOD has really been trying to tell us for years that we cannot sustain our economy with the rate we have been spending. great civilizations have fallen because of this. this is a verse i heard in church yesterday and boy did it home to what one of my personal goals is for my life; to lean on HIM for all things, not myself.
"i am the vine; you are the branches. if a man remains in ME and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from ME you can do nothing." john 15:5
i have a great amount of fear regarding the future, but i have to learn to give this to HIM. this is what HE requires of us when we are submissive to HIM. HE tells you that you can't have it both ways. blind faith is what it is - the hope that all things will work out. my ms is this way; it is complete blind faith that my ms will take it's course and i really can do nothing about it.
"what I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." isaiah 46:11
"the LORD is my light and salvation - whom shall i fear? the LORD is the stronghold of my - of whom shall i be afraid? psalm 27:1
the one thing that i try to plan ahead for is my ms. ms doesn't work that way, and neither does GOD i am realizing more and more. i can choose to rest more. i can choose not to do physically more than i should. also, i have to realize if i don't do these things then there is a great possibility that i will get sick. the same goes for following HIM; i can choose to follow HIM, or there is a great possibility that i will fail. i don't know if i'm willing to take that chance anymore.
really the main point is that GOD didn't say we could plan out our futures, because HE is the only one that does that. HE knows every choice we are going to make before we even know. HE try's HIS hardest to move us in the direction we should be going, whether we choose that or not is the question. i have made choices over the years that went against what HE sought for me, what HE tried to tell me not to do, and i failed.
for most of us this is going to be hard to do, because we aren't trained to think this way. take for the example the economy. no matter what economists say about what the long term holds; it's what happening now in the economy. groceries, gas, and utilities have already sky-rocketed. whether we want to believe it or not, even medical care is going up. i have had to face this after a drug that is used for my treatment was no longer covered after being covered for 9 years.
GOD has really been trying to tell us for years that we cannot sustain our economy with the rate we have been spending. great civilizations have fallen because of this. this is a verse i heard in church yesterday and boy did it home to what one of my personal goals is for my life; to lean on HIM for all things, not myself.
"i am the vine; you are the branches. if a man remains in ME and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from ME you can do nothing." john 15:5
i have a great amount of fear regarding the future, but i have to learn to give this to HIM. this is what HE requires of us when we are submissive to HIM. HE tells you that you can't have it both ways. blind faith is what it is - the hope that all things will work out. my ms is this way; it is complete blind faith that my ms will take it's course and i really can do nothing about it.
"what I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." isaiah 46:11
"the LORD is my light and salvation - whom shall i fear? the LORD is the stronghold of my - of whom shall i be afraid? psalm 27:1
Saturday, January 8, 2011
doors close, doors open
i look at my life this way now no matter how much i want to return to the door that has been closed. when things seem so far out of reach, or just plain out of control, everything seems to fall into place one way or another at some point. i haven't exactly agreed with every door that GOD has opened for me, but i can understand now why HE would open it and close the others.
my husband and i have been struggling with what to do with a great gift that was given to us. the amazing part about it is that it is something that i have been praying for, for a long time. we want to be wise with this gift, but we also are dealing with the pressure of what to really do with it. we have been given something that would actually be a huge burden lifted from us. society is telling us one way to use it, but GOD is really telling us something different.
GOD answers our prayers period. HE is always going to give us what our hearts really need when we turn to HIM for guidance. i have found though that it isn't always what i wanted, but it was for the best. in the long run i have to give this to HIM also. i have to believe that HE will give us the right choice as long as we follow HIM. i am having to heed some of my own advice and that of others; if it doesn't feel right then it's not right.
so now the praying begins on what to really do. right now he is saying "slow down, look at the bigger picture, and i will guide you." if my husband and i are to live a christian life, we are to listen to HIS words fully. the book of proverbs gives countless verses on wisdom and discernment. this morning HIS voice came to me fully and said "i gave you the gift for one reason, but your are trying to use it for another."
what a huge burden lifted right there. my husband and i both made a decision to slow down and take a breath. we both realized that we were pushing ourselves to make a decision that didn't need to be made this week, next week, or a month from now.
all i know is that we will make the decision that GOD wants us to. we will make the decision that is right for our family. we will both have to seek more wisdom from CHRIST and our mentors as to what to do. in the end, it will be what GOD wants us to do.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. proverbs 3:5-6
my husband and i have been struggling with what to do with a great gift that was given to us. the amazing part about it is that it is something that i have been praying for, for a long time. we want to be wise with this gift, but we also are dealing with the pressure of what to really do with it. we have been given something that would actually be a huge burden lifted from us. society is telling us one way to use it, but GOD is really telling us something different.
GOD answers our prayers period. HE is always going to give us what our hearts really need when we turn to HIM for guidance. i have found though that it isn't always what i wanted, but it was for the best. in the long run i have to give this to HIM also. i have to believe that HE will give us the right choice as long as we follow HIM. i am having to heed some of my own advice and that of others; if it doesn't feel right then it's not right.
so now the praying begins on what to really do. right now he is saying "slow down, look at the bigger picture, and i will guide you." if my husband and i are to live a christian life, we are to listen to HIS words fully. the book of proverbs gives countless verses on wisdom and discernment. this morning HIS voice came to me fully and said "i gave you the gift for one reason, but your are trying to use it for another."
what a huge burden lifted right there. my husband and i both made a decision to slow down and take a breath. we both realized that we were pushing ourselves to make a decision that didn't need to be made this week, next week, or a month from now.
all i know is that we will make the decision that GOD wants us to. we will make the decision that is right for our family. we will both have to seek more wisdom from CHRIST and our mentors as to what to do. in the end, it will be what GOD wants us to do.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. proverbs 3:5-6
Thursday, January 6, 2011
dealing with our past; the good and the bad
our past is what shapes and molds us. we all have pasts. we have good and bad things that we have either been influenced by, or that we have done ourselves. one of the books that i have been reading is called "building the christian family you never had" by mary e. demuth. there is a great chapter in here about dealing with your past.
i don't really know if everyone deals with their past, or even their childhoods. GOD tells us to move forward and let go. GOD also wants us to deal with our pasts, so that we can fully leave all things behind to let HIM in. there is a passage in luke that says we must leave all behind to follow HIM.
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” luke 9:57-62
the harsh reality of this is that we have to put HIM first above all things; including our family. i was thinking about this yesterday and how really hard that is to do. dealing with our emotional baggage whether it be good, or bad is a tough thing. when we become adults not only we are asked to leave physically from our parents, or others that have raised us we are asked to leave them emotionally as well. GOD wants all of you.
i don't really know if everyone deals with their past, or even their childhoods. GOD tells us to move forward and let go. GOD also wants us to deal with our pasts, so that we can fully leave all things behind to let HIM in. there is a passage in luke that says we must leave all behind to follow HIM.
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” luke 9:57-62
the harsh reality of this is that we have to put HIM first above all things; including our family. i was thinking about this yesterday and how really hard that is to do. dealing with our emotional baggage whether it be good, or bad is a tough thing. when we become adults not only we are asked to leave physically from our parents, or others that have raised us we are asked to leave them emotionally as well. GOD wants all of you.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
what controls us, what drives us
as i mentioned before in my last posting one of my idols is money. that got me to thinking what other idols i have in my life that are in control above GOD. what is scary is i came up with a whole list of them. i had never thought of these things as idols, but after reading certain passages of scripture i realized how much control i have given to these things in my life.
for most of us we see an idol as a little figurine, or statue of another god. we see temples that aren't worshipping THE GOD OUR FATHER. throughout the old testament we continually see individuals worship something other than GOD. not much changes in the new testament. while the old was replaced with new, because of JESUS CHRIST being born, crucified, and resurrected we still seem to have continued our worship of idols.
"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols" 1 john 5:21
here's a list of my idols:
money
worry
anxiety
regret
guilt
addiction
low self-esteem
pride
each one of these controls and drives me in some way. i am breaking GOD's commandment of idol worship every day. these are not going to be easy things for me too give up. an idol by definition takes you away from allowing GOD to be number one in your life. it takes you away from relying fully on HIM. most idols become a sort of security if you've done them long enough. i cannot remember a time when i didn't have one of these things in my life controlling me in some way.
the funny thing is you could have idols that you think are totally fine. for example; t.v., your computer, video games, or even a hobby. even giving of your time could become some sort of idolatry if you aren't doing it with a happy heart.
"blessed are those who keep HIS testimonies, who seek HIM with the whole heart! with my whole heart i have sought you; oh, let me not wander from YOUR commandments!" psalm 119:2, 10
it would be easier to say to the LORD i will give up these things fully to you, but i can't do that. i have to learn to break the habit of allowing them to control me in some way; to release each one of these idols.
"For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.” 1 samuel 15:23
"Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden." deuteronomy 4:23
for most of us we see an idol as a little figurine, or statue of another god. we see temples that aren't worshipping THE GOD OUR FATHER. throughout the old testament we continually see individuals worship something other than GOD. not much changes in the new testament. while the old was replaced with new, because of JESUS CHRIST being born, crucified, and resurrected we still seem to have continued our worship of idols.
"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols" 1 john 5:21
here's a list of my idols:
money
worry
anxiety
regret
guilt
addiction
low self-esteem
pride
each one of these controls and drives me in some way. i am breaking GOD's commandment of idol worship every day. these are not going to be easy things for me too give up. an idol by definition takes you away from allowing GOD to be number one in your life. it takes you away from relying fully on HIM. most idols become a sort of security if you've done them long enough. i cannot remember a time when i didn't have one of these things in my life controlling me in some way.
the funny thing is you could have idols that you think are totally fine. for example; t.v., your computer, video games, or even a hobby. even giving of your time could become some sort of idolatry if you aren't doing it with a happy heart.
"blessed are those who keep HIS testimonies, who seek HIM with the whole heart! with my whole heart i have sought you; oh, let me not wander from YOUR commandments!" psalm 119:2, 10
it would be easier to say to the LORD i will give up these things fully to you, but i can't do that. i have to learn to break the habit of allowing them to control me in some way; to release each one of these idols.
"For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.” 1 samuel 15:23
"Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden." deuteronomy 4:23
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
a new year, a new beginning
First of all I can't believe it is 2011. Time does seem to move faster as you get older. I have no idea what this new year will hold. Its a new year to discover all the things HE wants for our family.
My husband and I have just spent a couple of days alone to enjoy each other and set up the priorities we want to achieve for our family this year. We went over our personal goals, our goals for our marriage, and goals for our children. A book was suggested to me by a friend that we decided to go over as a couple. WOW, is all i can say. it is a book with sound, biblical advice that can actually be achieved.
a new year always seems to give us the sense that we have a new beginning; a chance to start over. we try to get over bad habits, lose weight, or get out of debt. there are a few things that we decided must be done in our home to fully give glory to GOD and his blessings for us. it won't be easy, but the rewards are far more beneficial for us as a family.
one of my idols that i have to let go of is the worry of money. i've realized that this is one of my idols. i worry way too much about it, because of the impending doom that is plaguing our economy right now on the media. i read statistics of inflation, taxes, and medical costs so i worry about what it is going to cost us over the year. i am getting ready to set up the 2011 budget and i have to admit that all of these things i mentioned are going to play a major role.
next to the devil i think money is just as evil. it is the major idol in our lives that controls us. GOD told us not to worry about money that he would provide what we needed. that's hard lesson to learn, because it is a tangible object that we can control to some level. idolatry has got to be the biggest commandment breaker in the world.
"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." colassians 3:5.
it is going to be a hard habit for almost all of us to break; i mean all of us. most of us just go out and buy what we want, but the problem seems to be now that the things we could buy at reasonable rate are going up. the bible teaches us to be good stewards of our money; it seems like the world is going have to learn this one. now is the best time of all to cast all your fears and worries on HIM.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." matthew 6:24
My husband and I have just spent a couple of days alone to enjoy each other and set up the priorities we want to achieve for our family this year. We went over our personal goals, our goals for our marriage, and goals for our children. A book was suggested to me by a friend that we decided to go over as a couple. WOW, is all i can say. it is a book with sound, biblical advice that can actually be achieved.
a new year always seems to give us the sense that we have a new beginning; a chance to start over. we try to get over bad habits, lose weight, or get out of debt. there are a few things that we decided must be done in our home to fully give glory to GOD and his blessings for us. it won't be easy, but the rewards are far more beneficial for us as a family.
one of my idols that i have to let go of is the worry of money. i've realized that this is one of my idols. i worry way too much about it, because of the impending doom that is plaguing our economy right now on the media. i read statistics of inflation, taxes, and medical costs so i worry about what it is going to cost us over the year. i am getting ready to set up the 2011 budget and i have to admit that all of these things i mentioned are going to play a major role.
next to the devil i think money is just as evil. it is the major idol in our lives that controls us. GOD told us not to worry about money that he would provide what we needed. that's hard lesson to learn, because it is a tangible object that we can control to some level. idolatry has got to be the biggest commandment breaker in the world.
"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." colassians 3:5.
it is going to be a hard habit for almost all of us to break; i mean all of us. most of us just go out and buy what we want, but the problem seems to be now that the things we could buy at reasonable rate are going up. the bible teaches us to be good stewards of our money; it seems like the world is going have to learn this one. now is the best time of all to cast all your fears and worries on HIM.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." matthew 6:24
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