Hide and Seek

          One of the funnest childhood games we played was Hide and Seek right? You have to seek out the best place to hide you're entire body, without making a sound, and hope that the other person doesn't see or hear you. Your heart beats faster as you listen to the final countdown and sometimes you even second guess yourself that you may have not picked the best spot to hide in. Time is up and they come looking. The game is on!

We could spend hours playing this game and it never seemed to get old. We just continued to find new places to hide and better ways to figure out our opponent whether we were hiding or seeking. It's a game of strategy, and we liked it!    

As we grow older, we still like to play hide and seek, but maybe we play it in a slightly different way now then we did as children. We don't necessarily play it anymore for the giggles and laughs but more as a way to keep ourselves from getting hurt.  We don't want anyone to really know us completely because we don't want to be that vulnerable with others, after all, they'll probably hurt us. We don't want to let people know our deepest desires or dreams because they might find someway to ruin it for us. We don't know how to experience real friendship and trust with anyone because too many "friends" and "family" have let us down. So we hide. We make people "work" at getting to know us. We hide from failures, we hide from guilt, we hide from shame, we hide from our mistakes, we hide from opportunities, and we can even hide from love.   We are good at hiding aren't we? We are really good at this game because everyone else is playing it too. You could say, we are all "Experts" in this field.

But...is that a good thing? Why is it so hard for us to just be real with one another? Why do we live in fear of being who we are with everyone we come in contact with? Sure the normal answers come to mind...people say mean things, nobody will understand, too many people have hurt me so this is easier to just shut everyone out...but is it really?

There's the other route of people saying things like we can't disagree with anyone because that's not loving people. BUT funny thing is...why can't we disagree with each other? Why can't we be real? We don't have to be hateful just because we disagree, but simply saying NOTHING is hiding too! Crazy isn't it? We are all really masters at hiding. We make all sorts of excuses but do we really have the courage it takes to simply, be real?

     I do believe that it is possible. To be real. To not have to hide. I think it will take great courage and strength because we definitely live in a world of hide and seek. But the most awesome thing that I have discovered is that I know a God who DOES NOT play hide and seek with us. He simply says, seek Me with all your heart and you WILL find Me. Awesome! No tricks, no countdown, no time outs...if we look...there He is. That is what I need in this world. I cannot hide from Him and I will always find Him and that is exactly what I want.  A God who can be found whenever I look. A God who does not hide from Me. And frankly a God who never has to try to seek me out because He always knows right where I am.

     I believe that God does not have a problem with the childhood game of hide and seek, but I know First we must find Him, and then let others find us. Let's stop hiding shall we?

He does not want us living in that game. He wants us to be real with those we come in contact with. He wants us to stop hiding and closing ourselves off from the people around us. It's okay to disagree in life...but it's not okay to hide. If we really want to be a light in this dark world...

                                    So come out, come out...wherever you are! ;)

Throwback Post March 2016: Sometimes Life is just Sweet!

          So I had a great reminder of the sweetness of life today. My husband and I have been crazy busy the last several months with alot of ... let's just call it "life stuff". Every day has seemed to just swish by us so fast and we never seem to have enough time to finish all the things we've needed to get done.       Don't get me wrong, we've marked alot of things off of our to do lists: we've emptied two whole storage units (how did we get so much stuff!), we've fixed up the inside of the house we are living in (no little task), and we have slowly but steadily been working our way towards becoming debt free.

   

     We try to be as frugal as we can with our money. This has not always been the case but Praise God that we can live and learn how to become better stewards of our finances and resources. Lately, my husband has put in long hours and hard physical labor (he is a very hard worker and I love that about my husband!) and sometimes I wish he had more spending money to enjoy from the fruit of his labor, but for a long time now, we have been socking everything we can into becoming debt free and of course just paying normal bills. But he doesn't complain, he just gets up and works hard to provide.      Tonight when my husband came home...he hands me a couple very nice presents. Shocked and confused I accepted these gifts wondering why he would spend what very little he had on me and wondering how he paid for the rest. Came to find out that he still had gift cards left over from Christmas and he wanted to bless me with something nice. I love my husband. What a selfless act of love he displayed towards me.

   

      I began to look around at all our blessings, and I saw how my husband was a direct reflection of how God loves us. And I thank God for the wonderful blessing He has given me in a Godly husband. (There is much more to this blessing and maybe some day I'll have to share our story) For the rest of this evening, I started reflecting on some of the ways God has shown us His love, which has left me feeling pretty grateful tonight.

     

       One thing that I have learned and am still constantly amazed by is... God loves to love us. HE takes great pleasure in loving us. Sometimes I think we miss that concept about God. He constantly is dropping things in our path during our day just to let us know He is near and that He loves us. We just miss them sometimes. Okay, probably a lot of the time.  I know that when I make myself aware of God during my day (usually by just keeping Him in the center of my thoughts), I usually find myself completely overwhelmed by how personal He is and the tears usually well up out of pure joy.

     How great it is to be loved by my God. It's in moments like these, that I can't imagine my life apart from Him. Part of my journey with the Lord, is that I have determined in my heart that I want to "fall in love" with Jesus more every day. And in doing this, it has kept my heart centered where it needs to be and I have discovered so much about my God: Who He is, What He wants from me. What His plan is for my life. What He thinks about me. And I'm discovering how much He loves me.

      It was more than enough that Jesus died on the cross for me. He doesn't owe me anything. BUT I find it so incredibly humbling to know that even though He already gave me everything He had to give: His life, He STIll chooses to love me more. How can we resist a love like that?  No matter the struggles we may face in this life.... with a Savior like that... life is pretty sweet! ;)

A Political Spirit?

       
So I have been hearing this term "Political Spirit" a lot lately, lots of big name pastors use this term, tons and tons of Christians use the phrase..."I try not to get involved in politics" or "I avoid politics at all costs". So my inquisitive mind wanted to know.... "what is this Political Spirit I keep hearing about and why do other Believers, not want to get involved in politics?"
           
                                                             Here's what I've found...

       Though I completely agree that Satan is all over politics and things that are going on in the world... I believe this preaching of "Beware of the Political Spirit" is nothing but a huge play out of SATAN'S handbook. There is NO Biblical reference of this political spirit demon or attitude... and NO ONE that preaches on it has produced one either. So... watch out for the "political spirit"... okay, so what exactly does that mean? What are we supposed to watch out for?  

If we are saying that the Political Spirit makes us engage in things that clearly go against the Word of God and we stand in support of those things and vote for those things then....sure, no brainer, stay away from the Political Spirit.

If we are saying that the Political Spirit makes us lose our minds when the WORLD doesn't value the same morals and guidelines we do as Believers, so then we become hateful towards the world instead of a light in the darkness then.... sure, no brainer, stay away from the Political Spirit.

If we are saying that the Political Spirit makes us so afraid of offending the secular world with our knowledge of God's Truth, that we would rather shy away and not visually, verbally, or socially speak up against the things that break God's heart... because we simply don't like confrontation with the world then....sure, no brainer, stay away from the Political Spirit.

Here's the problem... demonic spirit influence or not... that is just called NOT BEING A REAL CHILD OF GOD. Let's not complicate it. Wait..but???... "The Political Spirit causes DIVISION in the Body of Christ"....Hey...there is NO DIVISION IN THE ACTUAL BODY OF CHRIST...PERIOD. The BODY OF CHRIST is COMPLETELY UNIFIED WITH WHAT GOD WANTS AND IS DOING.... So there can definitely be division caused by people who believe in Jesus sharing their OWN opinions of things, BUT for those who seek God's heart and will on any issue, will be united because GOD IS NOT DIVIDED!"(worth a ponder)  So Let's talk about the Truth on this issue about whether or not a Christian has any place in Politics, where do we really belong on this issue?

The Answer: EVERYWHERE. We as Children of God...belong everywhere that pertains to how things are run, what is made acceptable in our towns, states, country.... does it mean that we will always get our way? No. That's a pretty for sure guarantee we won't always get our way but it does not lift the burden of standing for what is Godly and what is right.    There is this belief that has been rising among Christians for a very long time that Satan was given dominion over the Earth.... Nope. Wrong! MAN was given dominion over the Earth. Adam and Eve were boneheads and allowed Satan to enter their lives and mess stuff up (that's the really simple explanation *wink wink) But that is still the Truth of the Matter...Satan still only gets what we give him! So why are we so afraid to stand up against what he is trying to do in the world we live in?

           We have got to stop living like we are playing by Satan's rules.  God is God of the Earth and Everything in it. He gives us all a free will to live in sin or to embrace His plan for our lives (this includes the world He created... there really is no separation). We cannot force morality on people BUT we most definitely can and should stand up and fight for things that honor our Creator and stand against those things that come from the Enemy to destroy what God has created.

           To say that God doesn't want us to be concerned with politics is not only absurd at best but it proves our ignorance of who God even is. Everything God does is about structure, law and order since the beginning of time. He established government even in the Garden of Eden! Think about it! He gave to Adam Eve, and they had dominion over the animals and the Garden (Government) and He forbid them to eat of the Tree (law and order).

           There are so many scriptures of God and government that it is so absurd for us as Believers to think we should stay away from getting involved in politics... why?

        Now I read a lot of articles about this "Political Spirit", I'm sure I have not read every single one out there, but I've read a lot... They all had a lot of "spiritually sounding" words that many people I'm sure eat up like heavenly candy...and these articles all had the same points in common which all steered people away from getting involved in politics. These articles used fear as a theme to discourage the Believer from engaging in any kind of debate over political issues just incase it would be deemed offensive to those on the opposing side. They used the fear of being prideful (this one came up a lot) and the result of turning people away from the love of God and cause them to become more defensive toward the Truth.

                                                          BUT.....

          If we, who know the Truth, know the Creator of the Universe, are called by God Himself to be a light in this dark world... why would we ever decide that God doesn't want us involved in the politics that affect our daily lives as humans on this planet? The right to be able to freely worship Him (better keep quiet and not offend other religions *that worship Satan???? hello.) the right to not do something that compromises your faith (just be silent, let them see it's not really that important to you *give them an inch...they will most definitely take a mile) We are literally standing here right now in this day and age, watching a war on Christianity take place right here at home. We are being attacked on all sides. The media attacks us, social activists attack us, politicians attack us, other religious groups that serve Satan attack us *whaaat???? well... if they don't worship God then WHO do they worship and follow??? Their religions are not innocent and it's time we recognize our enemies for who they are… doesn't mean we don't love...but we must recognize that we actually have people that want and are working on destroying us.  

         The Most used excuse among all people really, Believers and Non Believers alike love to bring up The Separation of Church and State. So Christians have no business talking about any issues that involve politics or the way our country is run. But here's the problem with that.... that's NOT what that law even is. This Law PROHIBITS the Government to Rule the Church. Period. It does not stop Christians from speaking up in political issues or being involved in politics! We are citizens too and our voice matters! So STOP using this as any kind of excuse to keep your mouth shut. We have to stop being ignorant of the laws of this land that protect our freedoms.... or we will eventually lose them! Here's the link... https://definitions.uslegal.com/s/separation-of-church-and-state/  Read it and please be informed!

     

  How can we expect God to Bless America if His Children are silent on the things that are important to Him and required of us? How can we expect America to thrive if we allow Satan to rule and reign?  As with anything in life, we can allow Satan to use it and it can become a stronghold in our lives... so yes, you can use politics in a way that pleases Satan, or you can use politics in a way that pleases God. It's totally up to you  but you Will use it in one way or the other...your choice. But this "political Spirit" stuff... I'm calling it nonsense. Stand up boldly for what honors God, there is a lot of really loud voices in our world right now screaming for the right to do things Satan's way... are you really going to sit back and keep your mouth shut? Do you really think God is pleased with that?

Be bold sweet friends! Find your courage in the Truth of your Saviour.  We can LOVE and OFFEND at the same time. The Truth sets people free. We are living in a dark age... people need the Truth.


Now, if we want to really talk about Church and Politics..... here's something to think about and weigh out in your own head and hearts        

*Some pastors (I have witnessed this in more churches than I care to count) will not confront sin in certain believers because they give a lot in their tithes and offerings and they worry that they will stop if they make them angry. These individuals also usually have a lot of influence on what the church does... Biblical or Political?

* Membership …. in the Body of Christ or the Church Building? Yes, it's important to be committed and able to VOTE on... what God is doing in the church? …. Biblical or Political?

*Tithing envelopes and Tax write offs.....Biblical or Political?

*Possibly my Least Favorite of these: Thank Goodness the Church is TAX EXEMPT... but ONLY if you DON'T preach on certain topics!!! (and just think, all this time you thought your pastor was just following Jesus' example and not talking about politics or major moral issues that are pushed by politics...nope, actually they haven't talked about it or encouraged you to follow Jesus' example and speak out against those things because of... well … MONEY. plain and simple.)  So... Biblical or Political?  *here's the link for your own perusal. https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/the-restriction-of-political-campaign-intervention-by-section-501c3-tax-exempt-organizations

So if we are gonna talk about some sort of "Political Spirit"... let's at least get to the bottom of it shall we? How easy we can be swept away by the Enemy, he's really good at it....that's why we MUST SEEK GOD IN ALL THINGS... in our daily lives, in the politics that rule our country, and also in our churches. Be wise sweet friends, below are some scriptures worth looking up on these issues.

Obey the laws of the land, unless they go against what God says:
Rom 13:1 ; 1 Pet 2:13-14; Acts 4:19-20; Acts 5:29; Daniel chapters 1,3,& 6

Honor those in Authority: 
Rom 13:7; 1 Peter 2:17

Do right and cooperate with our authorities: 
Titus 3:1-2; 1 Peter 2:15

Pay taxes:
Rom 13:6-7; Matt 22:17-21

Pray for our government:
1 Tim 2:1-2

Share Jesus with and disciple government leaders!
Matt 28:19; 1 Tim 2:3-4

Be informed and vote for issues and candidates that uphold God's purposes:
Matt 5:13-16; Titus 3:1

Joy Nugget: A Safe Place

     "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" Psalms 91:1-2


I love reading God's Word. I have found so many insights when I take time to really study His Word and look into the heart of God. So many times I think we like to take the "nice" passages and highlight those because they make us feel really good. And they should, but I think we can really miss what God is actually saying to us through these scriptures. 
          Like for instance this verse is truly amazing and if we really take a good look at it, we can see clearly what He is telling us.  God not telling us that He is someone we run to only when things are bad and we need a refuge...He's saying that whoever DWELLS with Him will have a refuge and a shelter. 
          It is also so amazing how God speaks to us in common concepts that we should totally get like....you have to be CLOSE to someone in order to be within their shadow now don't you? Interesting isn't it? 
        The bottom line is: God is telling us that we need to dwell with Him, stay close to Him and He will be our refuge and our shelter. Pretty amazing. God doesn't just want to step in at the last minute when it's most convenient for us...but He wants a REAL RELATIONSHIP with us that is close and intimate.  So I guess the real question here is: Are you DWELLING in that safe place or are you still looking for it? You CAN find it sweet friends! He's waiting..

Throwback Post February 2016: But I'm Like...Entitled Right?

I have had a great week. I've had some sort of a flu bug which has caused me to stay shut inside my house and frankly I've sat around and done a whole lot of nothing lately which is not my normal routine. BUT ... I've had a lot of alone time with my God and we've done some deep digging these last few days. I've cried and shared some of my hurts with my Lord and have accepted His words of comfort and strength that He offers so freely. I've also pondered lots of thoughts I've had over an ever growing trend amongst my fellow believers. 

     

   It amazes me how quickly we can get overwhelmed and discouraged by things not going our way. As we've been flooded with bills lately, sometimes it feels incredibly overwhelming and discouraging that we can't just write one large check and take care of everything and move on...instead we have to sit down with every paycheck and make that money stretch incredibly far and incredibly wide. So I know what it's like and have to constantly remind myself that if we continue to put God in the center of our finances and ask for wisdom and guidance, that we will continue to become debt free and will be able to breathe again soon!

  

    But as I've been home this week spending way more time on Facebook, I'm really noticing a pattern among my Christian friends that sort of disturbs me. I've been reading post after post of believers so discouraged because they aren't seeing God meeting their "needs" and finding it hard to trust Him because of all the bad things happening. And people claiming things in "Jesus' Name" because if we say that, then He's faithful to deliver on that promise...???  And I can't even begin to count how many people are upset with how unfair things are for them. It's literally "poor me, poor me, poor me" all over the place and it's CRAZY! 

It's not that I'm not sympathetic to the hardships that people are facing. But what concerns me is our twisted view of what we expect God to do about it. First of all... the world is unfair. duh. We're not going to be happy with a lot of things in this world but we need to just buck up and rise above the anger of unfairness and make the best of it. Speak out when necessary but don't expect the world to live like Jesus...that's our job.

    Secondly... "Name it and Claim it" only works in Biblical standards. God NEVER told us that what ever we want just to say His name and it's ours. He's not a genie in a bottle. And I know He's not pleased with this mentality. It's dangerous, misleading, and full of lies. He says if we ask according to HIS will, then we will receive it. And the promises that God makes in the Bible are not for everyone just because....it's for everyone who walks in His ways, who are obedient to Him, who are doing what He says. NOT EVERYONE IS BEING BLESSED WHO SIMPLY BELIEVES IN GOD. That's false doctrine and anyone who says differently, is wrong. Pick up your Bible and read all the scriptures on God's promises or blessings...they all have action involved, lifestyle involved. It's not just a whoever wants this blessing or promise can have it. His LOVE is unconditional but His blessings, and promises are not. ....Because He is a holy God, that's why.  

    Thirdly,,, We have really become a "needy" people haven't we? I need my cell phone...I need a haircut.... I need new shoes. These aren't needs. God promises His children food, shelter, clothing. We are not entitled to anything beyond that. And how many times do we fail to see how God has blessed us with so much more than just what He promises us, because we are so focused on the comforts that have become necessities in our lives that we can miss the blessing right in front of us? I was reminded this week that I need to keep my heart and my mind in check more often when I start to get discouraged in life because God has been and always will be so GOOD to me.  May I not take this life for granted and not go one more day without being completely THANKFUL for everything He's given me. 

Quick Devotional Thoughts: Jeremiah 29:12-13

        God wants sincerity with us. Anything less than honesty with God is basically worthless. He already knows the state of our hearts, the secret places of our minds, our basic intentions with every single choice we make. Over and over and over again, God reminds us in His Word that our entire hearts must be in our relationship with Him. It saddens me to see the state of  "Christianity" today. So many people remain lukewarm in their faith and yet they believe that God is truly pleased with them because they "mention" Him in their daily lives yet they refuse His life changing power and redemption to set them free from the bondage of their sin they choose to live with daily. All because they simply refuse to give Him their whole hearts in surrender. Loving God isn't half hearted... it's really either all or nothing. God is not okay with lukewarm followers who sort of love Him in this area but refuse to love Him in others. God doesn't work that way. We must have hearts that are wholly surrendered to Him at all times. We need Him daily, not to forgive us for the sins that we commit on a daily basis but we need Him to help us live righteously and turn away from sin on a daily basis. The topic of sin is very important because it is the one thing that separates us from God. We cannot seek Him with all our heart if part of our hearts are devoted to our own will.

              Habits can be hard to break and the struggle to choose spirit over flesh at times can be very real and very frustrating BUT I've found that talking through the struggle the very minute you are going through it with the Holy Spirit is a great way to keep sincerity and honesty with the Lord in check.

          It's harder to sin when you're talking to God in the middle of it. He always provides a way out if we take it!!! Connecting with God is very much contingent upon the state of our hearts.

          Remember, He doesn't have to do anything for us... but He chooses to listen to those who love Him truthfully. Sometimes we can feel entitled as Believers, that all of God's promises are ours for the grabbing anytime we feel like it, we also may feel like anytime we ask God He listens to us and answers us....BUT.... according to Scripture and the Nature of God... we MUST be in accordance with His will, living according to how He has commanded us, and have a heart that sincerely loves Him...AND THEN we reap the promises, AND THEN HE AKNOWLEDGES US (He always hears us, but He never promises us to act on our prayers "just because we cry out to Him") I know that sounds harsh… but pick up your Bible and read all the promises of God to us, and read all the scriptures that reference Him answering our prayers. He will always fulfill the promises that are about His character because He is faithful in who He is...but when it comes down to fulfilling things that have to do with us...those are ALWAYS contingent upon the state of our hearts. Wow...what an important realization for every Believer who claims Jesus as our Lord and Savior... the only continual theme in the ENTIRETY of His Word, His Love Letter to Us... is HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HIM....THAT WE CHOOSE TO LOVE HIM WITH OUR WHOLE HEART. Amazing. 

1 Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are on the RIGHTEOUS and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

1 John 5:14  " This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, He hears us."

1 John 5:15 "And IF we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of Him."

Proverbs 15:8 "The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the UPRIGHT pleases Him."

              

Psalms 145:18 "The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in TRUTH."

Proverbs 15:29 "The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayers of the RIGHTEOUS."

James 4:3 "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with WRONG MOTIVES, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." 

Questions:

1. What is the state of my whole heart with God?

2. Is He pleased with EVERY area of my life TODAY?

3. What do I need to lay at His feet in surrender in order to better love Him with my whole heart?

4. What is God speaking to me through these passages?

5. In all honesty.... How do I want my Heavenly Father to see me? How do I really want to love Him with my life?

What The Cross Means To Me

I can never pay Him back. Jesus knew that I was going to Hell because I was a sinner. That was and is the price for my sin. Eternity in Hell. Jesus knew about all the times I was going to mess up, He knew every single bad choice that I would make, He felt every disappointment that I would cause Him, all of these things rang out to Him as He was being mocked and beaten and spit on...He could hear my voice among the crowd. My voice was resonating because in my own way, through my own sin I have mocked, and beaten, and spit in His face. I did that. I made Him go to the cross because there was no other way for me to spend eternity with Him.

      I have felt at times in my life, completely unworthy. Unworthy because of my failures. Unworthy because of my imperfections. Unworthy because of my looks. Unworthy because of my lack of importance to others. But Jesus, knowing all of these things about me...seeing all of the things that make up who I am...He considered me worthy. Worthy of Him being tortured so that I might know His love for me. Worthy of Him being humiliated so that I might find my confidence and beauty through Him. Worthy of Him making Himself nothing so that I can know how to make a difference in the lives of others and become someone of importance to somebody. Worthy to have someone love me so much that He would willingly die just for me so that I could be loved by Him. To be bought with a price...to have worth.

 He carried all of my burdens, mistakes, failures, sins on His back up the hill to Calvary. He felt the full weight of all my pain, disappointments, anger, betrayal, and hurts...and yet He kept climbing knowing full well that I may never accept Him. He kept climbing anyway. He knew that I would have a choice to realize what He was doing for me and accept it and follow Him or completely reject the idea that He could really love me that much and continue to live in sin and totally separate myself from Him forever. He chose to love me despite the outcome. He pulled the weight of my entire life on His shoulders without getting angry with me, not one step did He take in anger because of the things I would do but every step He took was in complete love for me. No one has ever loved me like Jesus.

     He was nailed to a cross...for me. Every time the hammer struck driving those nails in deeper...He felt my sin. Every time He cried out in pain and agony wishing it would stop...He felt my sin. He could have gotten off of that cross at any moment...but He chose to feel my sin nailing Him to that cross. He did not hate me..not once did He despise me for hanging Him there...He prayed for me. He thought about who He created me to be, who I was to become...and the hope that I would know Him and love Him in return. He loved me every second He was on that cross.

     He hung on the cross...broken, wounded, blood spilling out of His body. The darkest of deaths...and He hung there..for a long time. Thinking about me. 

    "It is finished." He took my sin and paid the price to save me from the pit of Hell. It was my sin that caused Him pain and I had to do nothing. He paid it all. Every single thing I have ever done ...He paid the price for that sin. He sacrificed Himself..for me. 

The amazing thing is that...it didn't end there. He didn't just die for me...He defeated Satan and rose from the grave! I not only serve a loving Savior but I serve a living Savior. He is present here with me daily. I don't serve a dead god or an empty idol...I serve a living God who is so very present in every second of my day. I get to know Him and feel His love daily because He is real. He loved me so much to come to this Earth and die and rise again so that I may know Him. He offers new life to me. My old life of sin is gone...buried with Him on the cross. My new life is ever growing and transforming me into who He has called me to be. He is my helper, my shield, my strength, my portion, and my deliverer. I chose to love Him..I CHOOSE to love Him.

      What I know is that it is not enough for me to just accept what He did on the cross for me and continue to live how I choose. He gave up so much for me...can I really do less than live for Him? It's not enough knowing that my sin has caused Him such pain, my bad decisions and mistakes have had a price that He had to pay...that I can just be thankful for what He did for me and not continually be aware of how my actions are affecting Him today. I must live in a way that doesn't hurt my Jesus anymore. Now that I understand what I have cost Him and what His incredible love did for me...I want to love Him back with absolutely everything I can. My life needs to be a pure reflection of who He is to me. He is beautiful. He deserves my love. I can NEVER repay Him for what He did for me on that cross. But I can offer up the only thing I will ever have to give Him in return....my life.

                                                          Jesus, Thank You for the Cross.

Living the LIfe: Spirit vs. Flesh

   "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Matthew 26:41

So here's the deal, looking around lately it seems that people who claim to "love" God, "know" Him, and are "living" for Him... are walking around not as a "new creation" but as people who are still bound by sin. Why is that? Well.... here's what I've learned about living in God's Grace so far...

          1. The more your love for God grows, the more aware you are of the things that grieve His heart. The closer you are with the Holy spirit working in your life, the more alert you are to the conviction when you begin to step in the wrong direction. The more you learn to love God, the more you have the DESIRE to turn around and not continue the behavior.      

          2. The more you get to know God and His heart for His creation... the more you understand WHY sin is bad, not just because God says "no" but because it actually hurts us.

          3. The more you learn about who God is, and the more you fall in love with your Creator, the more you realize that God has the Desire and Ability to set you free from any sin...Instantly!

     We live in a world that heavily pushes the "accept who you are" mantra BUT this is not the mindset of a Child of God. Instead of "accepting" who we are, we need to "desire" to be who God is calling us to be. Becoming this is not easy, it requires "fleshly" sacrifice. Walking in righteousness is impossible without a heart surrendered to God but with God, all things are possible. Living in God's Grace requires a commitment from us to daily seek Him and obey His instructions for our lives.

      Unfortunately, a common mentality is growing in our "Christian Community" today, being preached in our churches and accepted by the world...  is the notion that "No One is Perfect"  which is absolute truth! No one is, and we won't be until we reach eternity. HOWEVER...this small statement, although bearing truth, has become our biggest excuse... to not have to try. This is also not reflective of God's heart or desire for His Children.

     The truth about being a product of grace is that I've learned it takes a desire to love God more everyday and to please Him with my life everyday. My heart's desire is not to find out what He can do for me, but rather what I can do for Him. It's also learning how to be sincere in EVERY area of my life before God. It means making my spirit stronger than my flesh. It requires sacrifice and hard work daily to strive for righteousness. It requires quick repentance if I should stumble and a solid persistence to change those things that break God's heart.  It's not easy sweet friends, but let's all strive to have a heart that seeks to please God daily, not because we "have to" but solely because "we love Him".
 

Quick Devotional Thoughts: Deuteronomy 31:8

      This is definitely one of my favorite verses! What a beautiful picture of what it looks like to trust Jesus with our lives. God is Faithful. I can wholly and completely put my trust in Him no matter how bad things may be because I know if I just hold on to His hand and not let go...then I am completely safe in His will.
   
     New levels in my walk with God can be scary to enter into but also can be so exciting knowing that He loves me enough to care and bring me deeper in my relationship with Him.

       Putting Him first in every area guarantees I'll stay on track of where He wants me. Making Him the very CENTER of my life because He knows what's best for me and what He has in store for me to do. I will always be in HIS WILL for my life IF I continue to seek Him FIRST in everything big and small.

      IF... we whole heartedly, follow Jesus with our lives and seek out HIS PLAN for our lives... then NOTHING can stand in our way. Trials will come BUT they won't destroy us. People will try to stand in our way BUT they will move. The Enemy will try his best to stop us BUT we will prevail … All Because of Jesus. Don't do life on your own sweet friends, let Jesus lead you every step of the way.


Questions:

1. Do I really believe that God has a specific purpose and plan for my life? Why or Why Not?
2. Am I willing to place my complete trust in Him and His plan for my life... no matter the obstacles I might face and sacrifices He might ask me to make?
3. What areas of my life do I need to give completely over to Him that I have held back?
4. What is God asking me to sacrifice right now in order to be obedient to Him?
5. What is the best thing about knowing that God has a purpose for me?

Simply Destined to Be....

       Hey there sweet friends, ever find yourself sitting and wondering just what exactly that "plan and purpose" that God has for your life is and whether or not you are "in it" yet or not? Yeah... me too. Often actually. Sometimes I take a look at my life and think...wow I could totally be doing so much more with my life right now, I have this talent and that gifting, ect. So why am I sitting here not doing those things? Is that really what God wants from me or am I just totally missing it?

      I have found over many years, including this one... that these are normal and good questions to ask ourselves, Only IF we are looking to God for the answers. What I have learned over the years is that God's PLAN for our lives is a whole lot simpler than we make it out to be. His plan consists of ONE thing really...How we Love HIM. Plain and Simple. The truth is that God does give us gifts and talents and opportunities in life but none of that matters if those gifts, talents, and opportunities are not serving Him.
      This concept is so incredibly simple, mainly because God practically spells it out for us over and over again in His Word, but it continues to amaze me how many Christians don't get it. So many Christians are out chasing "their dreams" and thanking God for opening doors for them that frankly...He would never open. WHAAAAAT????? Yeah, I said it, and with all confidence, Because... God does not now or ever, call us to do something that goes against what He calls us to do and be in His Word. EVER.
     God does not call you to sin...in order to reach the sinner.     

       The thing we seem to miss most of the time is that the BIGGEST part of God's plan for our lives...is that we really KNOW Him. This isn't a "over the years" process but a daily one. That's His plan for our lives, that we follow Him daily as He guides our steps, as we take hold of His hand and we don't let go for the rest of our lives. So many times, we discover a gifting that God has given us and then we just run with it, allowing everyone else around us to determine what our next steps are instead of seeking the One who gifted us in the first place. One of the hardest lessons that I have learned has been that: yes I'm talented and I can do a whole lot of things. I can fill a need in the church I'm attending because I have the skill set to do that, yes I can be a part of this ministry or that ministry because I know how to do those things required and I am gifted in those areas. Yes I can do this or that with my life because I could be really good at it and succesful. BUT... just because I can, doesn't mean I should. Just because I'm gifted in a particular area, does not mean I should be involved in that ministry. Just because I am capable to fill a need... does not mean that it is my job to fill that need.

        We have to stop playing God with our lives and instead live in submission to His Will and His Plan for our lives. The biggest lesson in this for me has been... God doesn't always call us to do things, but He always calls us to Be His Completely. I have had so many tear filled conversations with God over being frustrated and torn in ministry. Frustrated because I know I could be used in ministry in so many ways, and torn because I understand the damage of a double standard and the downfall of linking arms with people in ministry that do not take their relationship with God or their witness seriously. Even through the tears and the frustration of choosing to distance myself from dangerous people in ministry at the cost of not being a part of a church family... God has unmistakenly reminded me, that it is so much more important for me to be faithful to Him than faithful to my giftings.

       The more I love God...the less I like "church". And you know what?....... that's okay. We are living in the end times, in moral decline, it's a mess and unfortunately, churches all over are becoming more and more like the world. It's in the Bible so it's really no suprise. It's still hard to not belong to a "church family" but I belong to the real "Body of Christ" and that is a beautiful thing. And... I have a hope and an excitement to see the real church rise up...that's in the Bible too and I believe it's coming soon!

       We must be careful friends, how we live out our lives. Not every opportunity is meant for you. Not every door that opens to your dream, has Jesus on the other side of the door holding it open. Satan knows your dreams too, he also knows what you're good at. The difference is knowing if it's God calling the shots in your life, or Satan. THIS IS WHY we have to "get it" folks... if our goal in life is to live daily to please God and know Him well, then it's going to be impossible to get off track isn't it? God knew what He was doing when He laid out His plan for our lives... "seek ME and find ME...for I KNOW the plans I have for YOU." Right??? Only He knows what we were created to do and when we are supposed to do it. Don't get caught up in the doing sweet friends...get consumed with the Being... Be His good and faithful servant. Be His Child. Plain and Simple.