The Most Important Thing

Does anyone know John 3:16?

John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life (Good News Bible)

To me, it’s one of the most important verses in the Bible.

Everyone born has an expiration date.

Hebrews 9:27 Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God. (GNB)

Wait…John says we might not die…but Hebrews says everyone must die.

Why must or might we die?

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

From Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, sin infected the world and we all are affected by it.

James 1:13-16 If people are tempted by such trials, they must not say, “This temptation comes from God.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.  But people are tempted when they are drawn away and trapped by their own evil desires.  Then their evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown gives birth to death.

Why do we lie? Cause our desire to protect ourselves suddenly trumps God’s law.  Why do we steal? Because our desire to have what isn’t ours trumps Gods’ (and man’s) law.  Why do we kill? Because our desire to have revenge/take their stuff/vent anger/protect self trumps Gods’ law.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

To avoid the grave all you need is one perfect sinless life.  But all have sinned.  You have to die.

2 Peter 3:9b states that the Lord is “…patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish…”

So God provided a way.  Jesus.  Fully God and yet fully man.

Philippians 2:6 (NIV) Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God.

This is the Gospel.  I couldn’t put it any better than Peter.

Acts 2:22-28 (MSG) “…Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredit by God to you—the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through Him are common knowledge—this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you.  And you pinned him to a cross and killed Him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up.  Death was no match for Him…” 29-36 “…This Jesus, God raised up and every one of us here is a witness to it.  Then, raised to the heights of the right hand of God…There’s no longer room for doubt—God made him Master and Messiah, the Jesus whom you killed on a Cross”

Romans 5:18 (GNB) So then, as the one sin (Adam’s) condemned all people, in the same way the one righteous act (Christ’s death) sets all people free and gives them life. Italics added by me

1Corinthians 15:21 (GNB) For just as death came by means of a man, in the same way the rising from death comes by means of a man.  For just as all people die because of their union with Adam, in the same way all will be raised to life because of their union with Christ.

What does someone do with this knowledge?  What is our response to God solving our sin and death problem through His Son Jesus?

I don’t know.  How grateful would you be if someone dove into a swimming pool and saved your life?  Wouldn’t you owe them everything?

We owe God everything because He gave us everything.

Peter also explains what our response should be:

Acts 2:38-39 (MSG) “…Change your life.  Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven.  Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

You become the Church..the Temple of the Holy Spirit..Christ’s ambassadors, a Holy and Royal priesthood, a new creation and a member of God’s family.

What does this life look like?  That like looks like Jesus’ life. It looks like loving the unlovable.  Touching people most would cross the street to avoid. It looks like Jesus looking down from the cross at those who were crucifying Him and asking God to forgive them. It looks like sacrificial love without limits.  It means sharing this Good News to those still lost.

Be Blessed.

Why Do We Have Children??

Why do people have children?  I really doesn't make sense.  With the economy, the crime, the hate and the disease, why would you bring something so pure into this world.  Babies come into this world so pure and innocent and it doesn't take long for the world to grab them up.  Even if you try you best to protect them from the pedophiles and the strangers, what can you do about the natural disasters and the mental and physical illnesses?  What can you do about the freak accidents and the misspoken meanness we use in moments of frustration? We want to protect them from everything, but sometimes we can't even protect them from our bad choices...their bad choices...someone else's bad choices.

I though of this only because I tried to understand why God created us.  It doesn't make much sense.  Being God, He new the moment he conceived the idea what the end result would be.  He knew about the snake and the flood and the idolatry and man's inhumanity to man and the cost to Jesus.  We don't know the end of the story from the beginning of our children's lives but God knew.

We were made in the image of God.  I think His motivation is our motivation today.  To Love.  We know that our children will one day go their own way despite our best guidance.  That some will thrive and some will be lost.  Some will live beyond us and some will not.  We Hope.  We will love them wherever they go, near or far, for as long as they live.

GOD loves us.  God LOVES us.  God loves US.  He always will.  And we may doubt and we may stumble and we may fall and we may never love Him back but none of that change the fact GOD LOVES US.  He wrote it into our DNA.  He paints it in sunrises and sunsets.  He yells it in the thunder.  He whispers it in our ears.  He hugs us with the wind.  He ruffles our hair in the breeze.  He brushes our cheeks with tree leaves.  He waves to us with bird wings.  He weeps with us in the rain.  He mourns for us with the clouds.  He encourages us with the sun and the rainbows after a storm.  When you see a dandelion (weed..I think not) or a bird perched on a bush looking straight at you.  When a complete strangers smiles at you with or a child waves at you.  Remember GOD LOVES YOU!!  Be blessed.

Are you on a Holy Spirit I.V?

Is your relationship with God like an injection or an IV drip? Do you get a Jesus injection on Sunday and maybe Sunday night? Maybe Wednesday? Or do you have a 24 hour IV drip of the Holy Spirit? We who have been baptized received the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is Comforter that Jesus spoke of. He is the "never leave you or forsake you". We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He lives in us. We can speak to Him all day long and He speaks to us in a hundred ways as we go along our day. God leads us. Are you listening to his directions? You know, you can have a IV drip, but if it's not plugged into you vein it's useless. The IV pump will keep working but the medicine you need won't get to its destination. Plug into God through reading His Word, talking to Him daily, talking about His goodness, singing His praises, connecting with you forever family and thinking on heavenly things. Worship Him with your life: how well you treat your family, your coworkers, your enemies. Worship Him by your conversation: avoiding complaining, off colored jokes, inflammatory, coarse language and embracing encouraging, kind and speech that sets you apart from the world. Worship Him by how you conduct your business: honest, hard-working, helpful, dedicated. None of this is easy. None of it may feel natural initially. But that's where God comes in. He is able to make you to stand and to be everything He created you to be. Be blessed. Have a marvelous Monday.

Conversation with God

Conversation  with God.
 
Me: God I'm really frustrated.
Silence
Me:Everything is changing.
Silence
Me:I not sure I like all the changes. I'm just tired and need a rest.
God: They'll be time to rest when you die.  You have work to do.
Me: Then why not give me an abundance of energy. Superhuman  energy.
God: Cause at some point you would start to believe it was your strength. If I give you the strength for just today... And then just for tomorrow. Then you'd know it is My strength. Like manna,  I will supply it daily. I will give you daily bread.

HEAVEN

Heaven
A sister and I were talking about Jesus coming back. How awesome is that? I’m going to give my thoughts about heaven.

1. Heaven is For Real-We are fortunate to have Mr. Bill Smith as an Elder who brings the concept of heaven from the pages of scripture to the fertile ground of the imagination. Heaven is real in a way that this world is only a training ground. We have dual citizenship. I am a resident of USA, Earth but also a citizen of Kingdom of God, Heaven.

2. Harps-ok if you want to-I use to think about how boring Heaven would probably be—sitting around on clouds playing harps—for ETERNITY. If God made our temporary home this awesome and full of wonders how much more awesome will heaven be. This is what I see is picnics and concerts. I want to learn how to play the piano and have lots of time to learn. I use to think that we would get all this “knowledge” in heaven, but then I think about my kids. I think of the pleasure I get when I see them learning something new. I think God feels this way about us. Our eternity will be filled with new thing to learn and do. One day this strange new plant will sprout up and some chef will say I can make some new wonderful food this. New poetry. New music. New art. New food. New adventures. New friends. Swimming with sharks. Flying with birds. What about the “Netflix of Human History”? A theater where events of human history can be seen. See Sampson bring down the house on the Philistines. See Jesus and Peter walking on the water. See who killed JFK—Just saying I’m curious. I don’t know about you, but this makes me excited.

3. God is there. Jesus is there. Heaven is for God’s people. Everyone has a day coming. It’s a face to face with Jesus coming out of the sky or a resurrection day. You have to be ready. You have to be the bride waiting for the Bridegroom. You have to be the worker being fruitful anticipating the Master’s return. Then one day we’ll be around the throne of God. Every tear wiped away. No more death and dying. You have to wake up every day with the realization that Today may be The Day. Be ready. See if your friends and loved ones are ready.

I’m ready. Are you?

Happy are those who Celebrate Recovery!!!

Happy are those who Celebrate Recovery.

Chuch

Set your alarms now. Church tomorrow morning.  No excuses, alright. Sinners might be there. Yep. Every one of us.  But Jesus will meet you there too. Don't need church. We were not meant to live this life alone. But you don't know where I've been...what I'm going through...what I've done....what I'm still doing... For every situation, Jesus is the answer. The church building is where we meet to love, worship and learn more about God together. Its where we love, encourage and pray for each other. Church is the good easy part. Living like Christ the other six day and 21 hours is the harder part.  Be blessed.

I TRUST GOD

What is the most important question to ask yourself about God?  It's not whether you believe in God. Even demons believe in God.  Satan was one in the very presence of God and still rebelled.  It's not whether you love God.  Love as we understand it today is a warm fuzzy feeling.  Love is fickle as we see by our country's divorce rate.  The question is DO I TRUST GOD? Trust more than love is essential in a RELATIONSHIP. God desires relationship with us. He wants friendship and family with us.  That's why He gave us earthly families.  If you are lucky, you had a Dad or someone that you knew would protect you to the death.  Someone who would love you no matter what you'd done.  Who kissed boo boo's and would give the world just to see you smile. Someone who if they disciplined you, you knew it was still love.  Someone you trust. DO I TRUST GOD when it's hard? DO I TRUST GOD when the answer is no? DO I TRUST GOD when obeying Him hurts? DO I TRUST GOD when it's my children? DO I TRUST GOD when it's a terminal diagnosis.  DO I TRUST GOD with my last dime? DO I TRUST GOD to defend me?  To vindicate me? To lead me? To hear me? To love me? To defend me? DO I TRUST GOD? Do you?  If you don't know and I didn't for a loooong time you can.  Trust him just a tiny bit.  Mustard seed faith. He will show you miraculous things.  And one day you will know that you know that you know that God is faithful and true. Ask me.  I'll tell you why I TRUST GOD.

He wouldn't let me go

There was a time that I wanted God to release me. I kept failing Him. I couldn't get my act together. I just had a vision of what that must have looked like spiritually. You ever seen an unwanted hug. It kinda looks like a fight with one person holding on and the other pushing away.  He wouldn't let me go first because he loves me and second because (from Matrix 2) some promises can't be unmade. I was sealed and given the Holy Spirit. It had not been and is not always easy, but years ago I stopped fighting the hug. I just stood there because I didn't know what to do. In the last 18 months I've learned to lean into that hug and hold on like everything depended on it. Because it does. He's my Father and the immovable Rock I cling to when the world goes crazy. Ask me about it. I would love to tell you.

The end is only the beginning--My experience

I have had a tremendous fear of death since I was a child. During my childhood people just disappeared and I was told they died. There was no cancer or heart attacks or strokes and there were no funerals. We may not have attended funerals because we didn’t have a car when I was growing up. It may have been because my mother was trying to shield us from death. So I always imagined people falling into a peaceful sleep forever. As you might imagine this naïve perspective could not last long. I watched a movie on Nostradamus and became terrified of dying in a nuclear attack. End of innocence.

Next was my closely related fear of hell. Because of some of the poor choice I had made in my life and because of what I had been taught about salvation, I was in constant fear that I would go to hell when I died. Some of my blogs will explain why I found it incredibly unfair that I would have survived so much only to go to hell.

Last year my aunt died after a short battle with lung cancer. She was in her early 50′s. The year before that my daughter’s boyfriend struggling with kidney failure died of a massive heart attack at 25 before my granddaughter was born. My little brother died in his 20′s. My very good friend from high school had a massive heart attack in her early 30′s. If you are fortunate, you die in your sleep at a good old age. In reality it may be a car crash, a capsized boat, a brain eating amoeba, AIDS, Cancer, heart attack, stoke, a hit and run, a gunman’s bullet as you pump gas, or thousands other causes.

The bottom line is WE ARE ALL DYING.

How do I respond to that? That depends on your belief system. If I believed that there was no God and no heaven and no hell, death would be more frightening to me. It would be a matter of just ceasing to exist. I would mean my life was essentially a long walk on a short pier that will unexpectantly drop off and I will disappear. That would mean this life is it.

I believe that all the people I’ve lost are not lost. They are not even lost to me. I know that I’ll see them again. My growing faith is making so many things clearer for me. I do not fear death anymore and I’m trying to raise my children not to fear it either. My son at 9 or 10 said it best. He said I don’t fear death, I fear dying. I fear dying in pain and fear. I fear dying badly. But I don’t fear death. The transition is what causes the fear. The unknown is what causes the fear. There are things I do know. I know that death is not the end. I know that Jesus purchased my eternity and I will see Him face to face one day. I know that I have a Father that loves me whose presence I will be in forever. I know I will spend far more time in my eternal life than I will have in this earthly one. No sickness and no sadness. This live will seem like a memory in the light of eternity.
Please pray for my friend and my sister in Christ, Joan.

Be blessed.

The Christian Chronicle: He walks like a Christian, calls like a duck

The Christian Chronicle: He walks like a Christian, calls like a duck

If we are the Body...

I'm only just realizing the benefits of being the church, the bride of Christ and the body of Christ, and children of God. We are co-heirs with Christ. We have the Holy Spirit of God WITHIN us empowering us to fulfill His purpose. We are disciples of God. I am realizing more and more that whatever Jesus did on this earth is what we need to be doing as our PRIMARY function and our priviledge. My roles as wife, mother, employee, member of my forever family (local congregation) are opportunites to reflect Jesus and to lead others to him or encourage the body.

Coming back to the Heart of Worship

Worship -- I've been guilty of being a little obsessive in relationships (real or imaged). It goes like this: I wake up and I think of him. All through the day I wonder what kind of food he liked or what sports and music he liked or just what he was doing. When I do something, I wonder what he would think about it. I tell everyone about about how great he is. And then (if he knows I'm alive, lol) it's over. What if I worshipped God like I worshipped my crush of the day in high school. What if God was the first thing I thought of in the morning and the last thing I thought of at night? What if I spent time wondering what God thought and what His will is? What if I thought about what God would think of my actions before I acted? What if I told everyone how great our God is? What if worship is not about Sunday or Wednesday or music? Romans 12:1 12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Maybe our life is our Worship. BE BLESSED.

Bible app

Do you have the Bible App? I love it, and I think you would too. Here's the link: http://bible.com/app

Children and psychiatric diagnoses

And how many adults would be more productive had their psychiatric illness been diagnosis in childhood? How many children suffer today because their parents have undiagnosed disorders? We only hear about these things after a major tragedy like a child's abuse ending in death, a suicide or  mass shootings . For every one of these tragedies, there are children suffering that will never make headlines. That said, some children would benefit more from a lovingly administered spanking than all the Adderal in the world. Kids drugged into oblivion are certainly easier to parent. In conclusion, we must always be mindful of those whose circumstances we can't really relate to. And those of us who can relate to specific stuggles such as mental disorders, addictions, children with behavior problems, hoarding tendencies, wherever, can be such a blessing to others who are going through these things as well by bring honest in our struggles. Be blessed.

Hearing God's voice

It's an important note that as sure as God speaks to you, so does Satan. It may be easier to give an example of that because while I believe you have to be familiar with God to hear him or know if he is speaking to you, satans lies are usually loud and clear. Psychiatrists would probably call it "negative self talk". But we are familiar with times that we make a mistake and we hear accusations saying we are so "enter your favorite insult". Or that you'll never be smart enough good enough, etc. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. If he can convince you that you're not worthy of love he can keep you from accepting God or anyone else's love. God is the whisper reminding you of his words and his promises and his faithfulness. He's the one that allows you to be calm in chaos by reminding you the your God commands the wind and rain. He reminds you that you are not powerless or alone because you have his spirit with you. Knowing his word helps you recognize his voice and is a weapon against the lies of Satan.

The Gospel according to the Duck Commander

Watch "Duck Commander - Preachin' Hard - ShellShocked Outdoors" on YouTube

Who are you trying to please?

Who are you making decisions to please? I'm started a new program today to refine and solidify my answer. I want to say the answer is 100% God but not so much some days. In most areas of my life I just do whatever my flesh says. Extra piece of cake? Sure, flesh. Does he need a piece if my mind? I'm on top if that, flesh. Hit the snooze button again? Can do,flesh. Put it on credit? Done,  flesh. I often talk about running my thoughts and actions through a God filter. Is it helpful to others? What would Jesus do? Is God being glorified? This is day one in yielding my will and flesh to God. Be blessed.

A new take on an old parable

I was walking down a dirt road.  And I saw a person lying there unconsious and bleeding.  I ran to that person and I saw my enemy.  She was a lady who hurt me at every turn.  She stole from me.  She lied to me.  She slandered my name for her own amusement.  She did not see me but I looked down at her dying form and I didn't know what to feel.  Then I heard a voice saying, "Take her home and nurse her back to health."  I looked around to see who was talking but there was noone around.  It was the voice of God.  In the most reverent voice I could muster I asked , "What!!??".  I told God I'd call her a doctor.  He repeated, "Take her home and nurse her back to health." God said to take her home, lay her in my bed, dress her wounds, feed her and bathe her until she was well.  Because God must have forgotten the bitterness between this lady and myself, I commenced to explain it to Him.  I explained that I was not fair that I be asked to do this with all the bad blood between us.  I explained that she would in no way do the same for me.  To do this would not be reasonable or rational. 
God said to me "I've had this conversation before.  My Son asked if the cup of suffering could be passed from Him.  But I saw his human heart. In His humanity, My Son wondered why He would do this for the very people who would nail him to a cross.  His humanity cried at the unfairness of it all.  Many would not appreciated His sacrifice.  Many more would use His name for evil purposes. But My will was clear.  Jesus would purchase from eternal damnation all that would be saved by his very body, blood and life. Jesus' answer was yes and He humbly obeyed the will of His Father.  I ask you, daughter, would you save this my other prodigal daughter with your hands and with your home and with your heart as your Brother Jesus did for you.  What say you?"
   

Keep your head up, sisters.

To my sisters just making it through one day at a time, you are valuable and you are loved. You can't imagine what joy and peace are waiting for you on the other side of surrender. All those things you're heart yearns for, God is. Be blessed.